Ready or Not

I intended to take a quick photo of the booth with my cell phone before leaving the hall today, but I forgot.  I've got a really good booth placement - it's practically the first booth one sees as you enter the room.  Well, it can be good - it can be 'bad' depending on how clogged the door gets.  If the attendance is really high, there can be a real log jam at the door and then people clump up and tend to fill the booths right at the door just because there are so many bodies.  So, we'll see.

But ready or not, the show opens at 10 am tomorrow.  We have to be in our booths by 9 as there is an hour of 'big wig' schmoozing before the public hours begin.  In all the years I've done this show I have only ever once sold anything during this first hour so generally I use the time to primp and fluff.

I still have two more scarves to press, trim, tag and a small stack of rayon chenille scarves to fringe twist and wet finish/tag before Sunday.  The good news is that the info I sent to Handwoven already was sufficient - I didn't have to fill out the 2nd form after all.  Whew!

As for inventory - I've got lots.  Where on earth did all those tea towels come from?  Surely I didn't make that many this year?  Well, no I didn't.  Some of them came back from Seattle with us, some had been stuck in a corner in a bin and forgotten until we started rooting through the store room.  One thing about destashing as much as I have done the last couple of years is that I don't have anywhere near as many boxes stacked up and I can actually find stuff now.

At any rate, no worries about having sufficient inventory for the 4 shows.

I took a look at the calendar and rather than having 10 days between Calgary and Williams Lake, they are back to back weekends with all sorts of appointments and committments during that week in between.  So, no rest for the weary.  By the time I get back from Williams Lake I will have to contact the organizers of the Jan/Feb trip and nail down details, send out drafts and warp yarns for those that need them.  Fortunately there are only 3 - Magic in the Water at John C. Campbell Folkschool, Nashville and Memphis, TN.

My week to 'crash' may not materialize as the designer in Vancouver seems quite pleased with the quality of cloth I sent and if she places an order I am going to be scrambling.  I still have to weave one more small sample, hopefully tonight or tomorrow, wet finish and pack it to show her next week.

Which is somewhat reassuring because the first 3 shows of the season have not been great for income and having some guaranteed income from a wholesale order will help in the new year.

So - ready or not, here we go!