|
Letter From The Top
Jeff Benedict, Owner
Trust, Honor and Integrity
In today's world, trust seems to be a remembrance of days past. We all long for the good old days when things were simpler and we could trust people to be who they are and do what they promise to do.
In creating the WOW! Videos, we realized that by creating those videos what we were truly trying to do was show our customers the truth about our machines and our industry. It was like a light bulb went on for us as we got deeper into the articles we were writing and the videos that we were shooting.
When we go to trade shows and customers shop from one dealer to another, those same people come to us and share with us, the distortions and outright untruths about what our competitors say about our machines and our company. Yes, this hurts but it does seem to be the way that some of our competitors operate. Sad but true. As in one of our recent experiences, the CEO of one of our competitors told a potential customer of ours some blatant lies about our machine and our company. We would never think of doing this.
Yet, while the same customer went to another reputable dealer that is one of our direct competitors, they attempted to sell their machine without the lies. They just provided information and showed their honest belief in their machine. They presented with their heart. That can be seen in the eyes and body language of the sales person. A potential customer who has done their homework can tell when a prospective sales rep is lying.
Let's talk about trust. So what is trust? Rather than giving a complex definition, we prefer to use the words of Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric. He said, "You know it when you feel it."
Simply put, trust means confidence. The opposite of trust - distrust - is suspicion. When you trust people, you have confidence in them-in their integrity and in their abilities. When you distrust people, you are suspicious of them-their integrity, their agenda, their capabilities and their track record. It's that simple. We have all had experiences that validate the difference between relationships that are built on trust and those that are not. These experiences clearly tell us the difference is not small; it is dramatic.
READ MORE
|
|
| |
|
The Story Behind the Quilts
|
New Features on our web site!
|
|
| |
The Story Behind the Quilts
Written by: Fena D'Ottavio
Meet Cheryl and Ed Steward!
"Dream a new dream, make a new plan, start a new life." OR career, in Cheryl and Ed's case!"
This phrase immediately made me think of Cheryl and Ed. It is the caption that is at the bottom of all of my emails. Also, the pattern to which I rebuilt my life after one of many of life's catastrophes.
The news of being fired at age 50 does not come easy!
Please meet Cheryl and Ed Steward. They are living proof that there is life after being fired. Also, courage runs in this family!
If you remember Bonnie Corson from a previous "Stories Behind the Quilts", Cheryl is the sister that Bonnie mentioned in her story.
After working at the same company for over 15 years, one day Cheryl was fired. Shock, even if you are suspicious that this might happen, as Cheryl was, still hits like a ton of bricks when the firing actually does happen. Cheryl called Ed on her way home after receiving the bad news and said, "What would you think if I quilted for a living?" His response was a bit surprising to her when he said, "sure, I believe we should try." Usually Ed likes things "buttoned up" and secure so when he was open to the whole idea of starting a business, it was just the tonic to Cheryl's spirit that allowed her to re-focus her work life, make a plan and start a new career.
I asked Cheryl if she was scared. Her answer was, "Of course, we were a bit apprehensive. We were never ones to carry much debt and with Ed still working that made things easier." READ MORE
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
Contact Accomplish Quilting for
OUR
BETTER THAN INNOVA'S
MOTHER'S DAY
SALE!
Call Us at 866-556-2552
Ask for Julie, Doug or Eileen.
FOR THE SOUTHERN STATES:
615-756-9556
Ask for Carol!
|
|
INNOVA'S MOTHER'S DAY SALE
Receive 0% financing for 12 months*
OR
$500.00 Discount Applied Towards Any Options
With the Purchase of an 18 or 22 Innova Package
OR
$1,000.00 Discount Applied Towards Any Options
With the Purchase of a 26 Innova Package
Offer Good Through Tuesday May 10, 2016
See Your Dealer For Details
* NO INTEREST IF PAID IN FULL within 12
MONTHS!
Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the purchase balance is not paid in full within the promotional period.
Contact Dealer for Details.
The Preferred Customer Account credit card is issued by Wells Fargo Financial National Bank. Special terms apply to qualifying purchases charged with approved credit. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date at the APR for Purchases if the purchase balance is not paid in full within the promo-tional period. For newly opened accounts, the APR for Purchases is 28.99%. This APR may vary with the market based on the U.S. Prime Rate and is given as of 5/1/2016. If you are charged interest in any billing cycle, the minimum interest charge will be $1.00. Offer is valid from May 5, 2016 through May 10, 2016. Payment terms offer is through Wells Fargo Bank upon approved credit. Not all promotions are available at all dealer locations. Offers are subject to credit approval by Wells Fargo Bank. Please visit
www.wellsfargo.com to view details, terms, account information, or make payments. Promotion may not be combined with other offers. Promotion valid at participating Innova dealers only.
|
AutoPilot Mach3 Is Ready!
Brand new, amazingly powerful software for AutoPilot has been release and upgrade kits can be ordered now!
New AutoPilots will be delivered with Mach3 pre-installed.
Current AutoPilot owners can order the new software and our sales tea
m is available to help you through the upgrade. Free training booklet produced by the Accomplish Quilting team and free training will be offered at the Michigan store on May 21st.
Our April meeting of QuiltIN, a guild for longarmers, was again a great success. The group is growing and enthusiastic! We'd like to offer
a huge thank-you to Jamie Wallen for hosting another meeting and sharing his expertise with the group and to all those who shared their ideas (and delicious treats!) with everyone.
Michigan Quilt Challenge
How Will YOU Quilt It? Be a part of our Michigan Quilt Challenge! Visit us or contact us to receive a pattern to make your quilt with black and white fabrics (solids or tone on tone). Fabric with one additional color can be used for your challenge quilt.
The real challenge will be in the quilting! Use any thread (type or color(s) to quilt your pieced top in any way that you wish.
You will need to register your quilt by June 15, 2016 to be able to have it be a part of this exciting display in the store for the month of September. Turn your quilt in by August 15, 2016, and then come in and vote (one time) for your favorite quilting starting September 1. We will have two categories to vote on (computerized and hand-guided). A prize of $150 store credit will be awarded in both categories. If you cannot pick up the pattern, please call or email and we will be glad to send it to you. You can also download the pattern from our
blog.
Upcoming events
Click on the link below for more details:
May 21st Mach3 Training
June 4th BASIC Training
June 9th -11th Intermediate Training
Come visit us at our new store in June!
|
|
|
May Quilter of the Month
Nancy Jewell
Nancy Jewell began quilting in 2004 with a class taken at Quilter's Attic. As her love affair with quilting grew, Nancy started quilting on her sewing machine - the quilt below was quilted on that machine in sections and then pieced together. As she gained in skills, Nan
cy decided that a longarm was in her future
and decided on a sitdown,although she does quilt on a standup longarm.
Nancy loves bright colors and applique is her favorite technique. She gets inspiration from magazines, books and others' quilts. The quilt she is pictured with (right) is one of her favorites and is an early Beth Ferrier pattern.
Nancy's advice to quilters - "Don't get discouraged. It takes times, but you will master quilting."
Join us to view these quilts and see their story.
To keep up to date with shop happenings and be the first to see the Quilter of the Month.
How Will YOU Quilt It?
Be a part of our Quilt Challenge! You will receive a pattern to make your quilt with black and white fabrics (solids or tone on tone
). The challenge will be in the quilting! Use any thread (type or color(s)) to quilt your pieced top in any way that you wish. You will need to register your quilt by June 15, 2016 to be able to have it be a part of this
exciting display. Turn your quilt in by August 15, 2016, and then come in and vote (one time) for your favorite quilting starting September 1. We will have two categories to vote on (computerized and hand-guided). A prize will be offered in both categories. If you cannot pick up the pattern, please call or email and we will be glad to send it to you.
(615-756-9556 or
[email protected]
)
Graduation Gifts
Have a quilt that you need to get quilted before an upcoming graduation? Come into Accomplish Quilting for rental training and finish it yourself. Rent a machine with a 12' frame and you can complete a quilt for that deserving grad & enjoy the accomplishment of "do it yourself." Rentals include two hours of training on your first day and then rent for $15 an hour.
Join us for an introduction to graffiti style quilting, adding color with
InkTense pencils and a unique edge finish technique. This will be a hands on class taught by Teresa Pino of Quilts2aT, from Hernando, MS.
Only 12 seats available, cost is $125 and includes refreshments, lunch and supplies.
Call or email soon (we only have a couple of slots left) to make your reservation.
Calendar of Events
|
Thurs, 5/12
|
Lunch and Learn
N
oon, For beginning to intermediate quilters - $5 for lunch. We are in the second part of our ruler sampler. Please call to RSVP your attendance.
|
| Sat, 5/14 |
Basic Training
9:00 am - 4:00 pm. This is for anyone who wants to learn the basics of machine quilting on the INNOVA. It is offered to new owners to help them become familiar with all the features of the machine, basic maintenance, use of the Bobbin Chief bobbin winder and free motion quilting. After lunch we explore pantographs, PantoVision, Navigator and AutoPilot. All supplies are included and future renters will receive two free hours of rental time (a $30.00 value) to use at a later date after completing the class. Cost is $75, or free to new owners. Please call to RSVP your attendance.
|
| Wed, 5/18 |
Top Tenn Club
10:00 am. The Top Tenn Club is a group of longarm quilters that meet at Accomplish Quilting to discuss design ideas and learn from each other. You do not have to own a quilting machine to participate - just bring your desire to learn and share! This month we will learn to put binding on while the quilt is on the longarm and you should bring your favorite longarm quilting book to share.
|
| Thur, 6/2 |
Trunk Show
Teresa Pino of Quilts2aT Studio will be presenting "My Quilting Journey" trunk show where she will be exhibiting hand quilted vintage to machine quilted modern. Please RSVP to reserve your seat.
|
Fri, 6/3 or
Sat, 6/4 |
Color Me Quilted
See information above. 9-4, $125, all supplies included. |
Carol Thurston, Store Manager
Store Hours
During 2016, we will be open the 2nd Saturday of every month from 9 am - 4 pm.
See our full hours below.
Tuesday - Friday: 9-5
2nd Saturday: 9-4
Mondays: By Appointment
Other Saturdays: By Appointment and during Class
Don't know what Goodstitches is and want to learn more?
Go to:
Greater Nashville area:
Mt. Juliet Group
Please call or visit the Goodlettsville location for more information.
(615) 516-9755 | 855 Springfield Hwy, Ste 109, Goodlettsville
|
|
|
Tech's Tips of the Month
Ever gone to take a look at your stitches after finishing a row only to find your tension going in and out throughout the row? How about having the bobbin tension be wrong even though you've checked it repeatedly? We're going to take a quick look at the likely culprit for this things, the 2 different springs on each bobbin case.
Every bobbin case has 2 springs on or in it. One is the spring on the side that is used for tension on the thread, the other is the anti-backlash spring that rests inside the bobbin case, beneath the bobbin. Generally, these are sturdy and difficult to damage, but there are a number of things, that can bend or damage one, or both springs, like dropping the bobbin case or the needle hitting it.
First, the anti-backlash spring. It's exceedingly difficult to damage this spring (though I have seen it). Far more likely is for the spring to get knocked out of the bobbin case itself, and then not get put back in properly.
This is something that many people overlook, but when inserting the anti-backlash spring, you have to get the fins on the sides into some grooves in the case. If you look closely at them, they are actually 2 different sizes, which means there is a right and a wrong side when putting it in.
Now, if you take a look at the picture on the right, you'll see one of the two grooves for the fins. The other is straight across for the one pictured. Make sure that both fins fit in the groove, otherwise you're putting the spring in backwards. Generally I'd recommend a small, flathead screw driver to help maneuver it.
Why is it so important to get this right? Well, take a look at the picture on the left. The top one is what it should look like on a bobbin with the spring put in correctly, the middle and bottom springs have been put in wrong. The spring actually pushed the bobbin out against the back of the bobbin hook, which adds just a bit of tension to everything when it sets correctly, like the top one. Set wrong, you're either going to be adding way to much tension (middle picture) or virtually no tension (bottom picture). In either case, it's going to mess with your tension throughout the quilt if it's not set right.
Next up, we have the bobbin case's tension spring. If you've got a row on your quilt, and the tension looks like its going in and out as you go along, this is what you want to look at.
Now, if you look at the picture to the right, you'll see the small slit that your thread goes through to leave the bobbin case. As you turn the tension screw to the right, that slit shrinks, increase the tension. Go to the left and the slit grows, decreasing the tension. Now, if that spring were to bend, that slit would no longer be the same size it's entire length. One side would have a smaller gap then the other, which means
as the thread moves around in the slit, its tension is going to continually change depending on where it is. It is very difficult to tell if this problem is present when you look at. Instead, make sure the thread is coming out of one side of the gap, feel the tension, then move to the other side of the gap, and do the same. You should be getting virtually identical amounts of tension on both sides. If you're not, there's a good chance the tension spring or the bobbin case itself has been bent, and needs to go in for repairs or be replaced.
|
|
Additions to the AQ Website!
- Top 10 Things to Avoid when buying a Longarm Quilting Machine, something everyone needs to know who is a quilter!
- The "real SKINNY" on financing your quilting machine.
- Meet the Staff - ever wonder who does what and who is behind the scenes at Accomplish Quilting?
- Trust, Honor and Integrity - Click on the WOW! button to read.
- Visit Michigan! Pages, learn what to do, where to dine and where to stay when visiting our Michigan store.
- 5 Days free training! 2 of those days with Jamie Wallen!
- Monthly Sale - find out what is on sale at AQ! Products, machines and service sales each month!
- Tutorials and more coming!
- Sewing rooms and Tips - send us yours!
- Online Quilter of the Month-apply to be in the running!
Lots of new information and more about our customers.
|
|
20% off all
Pantographs
|
Browse through these great designers on our website:
Deb Geissler, Quilted Rose,
Urban Elementz, Willow Leaf Studio, Linda V. Taylor
Use coupon code: May
Expires May 31,2016
|
| Offer Expires: May 31, 2016 |
|
|
|
|
