Posted Friday, June 23, 2006

More on Indy: Exciting New Fiber
More on the Summer Market and Julie's new designs -- click article title to read Meredith Speers report on the show. She went on a mission to find the perfect fiber for Julie's new Persian Tote...and she found it!

I had the privilege of joining Julie for the summer NeedleArts Market, held in the Indianapolis Convention Center, June 10-12, 2006. This is a wholesale market attended by fiber representatives, book companies, needlepoint canvas designers and wholesale shops, knitting designers, and all the support services for these industries. On Friday the 9th, Pam Lane and I helped Julie set up the booth. Almost all of the beautiful Julie Pischke Designs canvases, as well as many completed samples, were displayed in the booth. It was very impressive. On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday we talked to many delightful people, answered questions about canvases and samples, and wrote lots of orders for Julie's designs.

During the show, Julie asked Pam and me to wander the Market floor and see if there were items we thought should be added to the shop. Two of Julie's recent designs, the Persian Carpetbag and Tote (see photos below), really appeal to me and I was thinking about them when I started my walkabout. When I came across the Terian Crafts International booth, filled with the most beautiful fiber, I knew immediately that this was what I wanted for my Persian Tote. The colors of the kettle-dyed wool are slightly variegated and have an antique appearance that will make them perfect for the Persian designs, as well as for Julie's geometric pillows. The three people in the booth, Maria Teresa Marco, Pablo Zabakta, and Marian Wittman were very pleased to discuss their 100% Chilean wool. Maria and Pablo, her son, are from Santiago, Chile. Marian is their U. S. representative.

Later that day Julie went over to see the wool I was raving about. She was impressed by their product and color selection and brought back a sample of the wool to stitch. She found that it stitched well on both 10 and 13 mesh canvas. When she placed her order, Maria and Pabslo said that they would use the resources of two small villages in Chile to kettledye the first shipment. We all felt that it was great to be working with a small company that had a direct tie to local industry.

I hope that you can see some of the beautiful fibers in these pictures of Julie, Maria Teresa and Pablo. My job now is to complete my current projects so I can start the Persian Tote just as soon as the wool arrives from Chile. Gee, wonder if Julie wants me to go to chile to watch the dying process?

Here are the canvases Meredith refers to in her report: Item 20P - Persian Carpetbag (12 mesh, $345.00),

and Julie's new Persian Tote, Item 37P (12 mesh, $300.00). Both canvases were hits at the show. In fact, we sold out of the new tote! We expect to have Item 37P back in stock in 4-6 weeks and will let you know just as soon as we receive it.