Remembrance Day

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada when we stop to remember the people who have died in service to our country.

I have posted the poem In Flanders Fields previously which was the inspiration for the wearing of a poppy in remembrance. As more countries adopt the poppy it might be a good idea if they knew more about the origin of the tradition.
Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network

Circle Craft Day 2

A promising day 1. :)

A little tweaking this am hoping for a good turn out although the weather is supposed to be dry so people may opt to enjoy a rare nice autumnal day.

2 Hours Later

Nearly ready. Colours are more vibrant in life than in the photo. And the booth will look much better when the nasty overhead lights are turned off.

Currently reading Beyond Belfast by Will Ferguson.

Circle Craft, Vancouver

Set up is underway.

Dealing with Rejection

bamboo/tencel scarf on left, silk scarf on right

silk gimp shawl

wool, bamboo, silk etc. shawls

Remembered to pop a new battery into my camera and bring it again today.

Yesterday was not quite the worst ever day of sales I've had, but it was a very close second.  Since this is not an inexpensive show, it was highly distressing.  Not that I wasn't getting all sorts of compliments on my work.  Compliments were to be had in plenty.  But sales?  Not so much.

So what do you do when your work is 'rejected'?  The very first thing you do not do is get depressed.  All too easy a response, believe me!

The first thing to remember is the statistic given in the marketing course I took back in the mid-90's.  For every sale there are (on average) 26 non-sales.

The next thing to remember is to read between the lines - so to speak - and analyze exactly what people are saying.

Ok, one of the things they were saying was that my prices were too high.  Given the multitude of scarves I'd seen at the mall priced at $15 each last week, I could see that response coming a mile away. 

So, ignoring the 'too high' comments, what was the next most common response?  "I love your scarves.  I wear mine all the time." 

Hmm.  Okay, they already owned one (or more) of my scarves. 

What is the message behind this comment?  Very likely the message is that the market here has become saturated.  Everyone (or nearly everyone) who wants one of my scarves and who can afford to buy one, has already purchased.

The market for placemats got saturated here years ago - I routinely have people come into the booth saying that the placemats they bought from me 10, 15, 20 years ago still look like new.  Today I had a lady come in who was wearing a scarf I wove back in the 1980's.  Her comment?  "I just wash and wear it, it never wears out!"

There are a million reasons for someone to not buy your product.  When the market becomes saturated, it is time to move on - time for me to dream up a new product.  Or face more 'rejection' the next time I do this show.

Studio Fair

Day one of Studio Fair.

I remembered to bring my camera with me but immediately got a 'low battery' message so all I got were a couple of shots before it died entirely.

Day one of the fair and the city, in it's wisdom, closed off the major road leading to the Civic Centre and parking.  I'm sure that's partly why there were so few people in attendance.  I'm hoping that the road will remain partially open - as it was when I came home - so that people can at least get to the hall without too much hassle.

Doug did the opening and closing shifts while I worked the afternoon.  The show is still on for another 30 minutes, and I have to say - it's been dismal so far.  The worst in the 30+ years I've done this particular show.  I sure hope things pick up tomorrow because Sunday is generally for families and 'looking'.

Currently reading Wicked Autumn by G. M. Malliet - a recommendation from author Louise Penny's blog

Smooth Weaving

This morning I opened my email inbox and found the following message:

"I was weaving a scarf last night and realized something awesome. I just had to tell you that since watching your video a few months ago on throwing the shuttle, my edges have improved tremendously. I don't fiddle with them anymore and both edges look good! Thanks for sharing those videos with all of us!"

You Tube video

Rather made my day.  :) 

Weaving is a complex process but there are ways and means of making the whole thing go more smoothly.  It all depends on what you are trying to accomplish - your tools, your physical skills, etc.

In addition to teaching The Efficient Weaver at John C. Campbell Folk School next March, the guild in Sarasota FL is also interested in You Have to be Warped* as a workshop.  I'm looking forward to sharing hints and tips for improved efficiency with more weavers.  I'll be updating my website schedule soon.  Just waiting for contracts from a couple more groups.  I'm also looking at applying to ANWG for their conference in 2013 which will be held in Bellingham, WA but we'll see how that goes.  At any rate, I'm accepting more teaching contracts for 2012 and 2013 now.  (There is a possibility that I'll get to NEWS next year after having to cancel this year - watch my website on the schedule page for updates.)

Now that I'm (more or less) healthy, it is time to look at my workshop offerings and update them.  That is a job that I'll be tackling once I get home from our next road trip.  If you have a topic that you'd like to see me offer, let me know.  Sometimes others see us more clearly than we see ourselves.  :)

*The difference between the two presentations is that at JCC Folk School people have 5 days to practice the process while You Have to be Warped is more of a demonstration with limited hands on for the participants.