12 Years of Getting by With a Little Help From Friends- Day 5

Now that we've spent the last few days being unusually sweet, lets go back to our normal snarky selves- and tell you about 12 things we've learned about small towns, and business over these last 12 years.

1.Even though you swear you won't turn into your parents.. you will.  Not only did I inherit my dads chin, but also his love of history and research- which we've luckily been able to use for progressive quilt club! As a kid, I swore I would move out of the area when I grew up. Well- just like my dad, grandparents, and great grandparents... I'm still living in the same area (granted- I haven't really grown up...)

2.Running a business in a small town is hard- because... less people! Running a business in a small town is great- because most people want you to succeed! It makes lean times less overwhelming when you know people are actively rooting for you to succeed.

3.People are just as crazy in small towns, as they are in big towns. The difference? You know who they are. We used to have a local guy who was suffering from hallucinations (as well as other issues). His caregiver went around town and explained to everyone that if he was causing trouble to just tell him "Go home, Sissy is making pancakes." I actually tried it once when we we're having a rather strange conversation (it worked). When we see someone having an event, its nice to know who to call (besides 911).

4.Some people want to shop local- but they always want to buy the stuff we don't carry. They also usually spend about 40 minutes telling me about how they shop local before they leave (without buying anything). Thankfully we cater to quilters, who believe in supporting ALL local quilt shops.

5. If you're the mayor of a small town, everyone will notice when you speed, ride your bike on the sidewalk, or walk your dog without a leash. Same thing when you own a business in a small town.

6.After twelve years in business, we still can't figure out what will sell or bomb. So one of us (out of our six crew) has to like it if we're gonna order it.

7. Some people would bitch if you hung them with a new rope. Let 'em bitch... they don't pay the bills, and they will never understand the thrill of operating a business. Sad for them.

8. The UPS deliveries are always scheduled for the days you're closed. Always.

9. Google maps will take people to very strange locations instead of to our store. We don't know if this happens in larger towns or not, but its interesting. One time it took people to the car wash.

10. As a business, we try not to discuss politics. Our town is 50/50, so if we state an opinion- someone's gonna be offended. That said, ALL quilters are welcome- so long as they adhere to the one commandment of quilting: Use a quarter inch seam allowance. And of course, we would like it noted that we celebrate ALL fabric colors. Even the ones that hurt my eyes.

11. If you're in business for more than five years in a small town- you're considered stable. It just feels odd.

12.People think that if your can quilt, you can hem their pants, alter their wedding dress, or sew patches on their baseball caps. We can't.

Day Five: The Big Reveal! ​

 Pieced Flying Geese:

Sew the Pieced triangles together into four rows of two.
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​ They will finish at…

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First and Third Row

​Sew the funky squares to each side of the pieced flying geese.  Press seams. 

Second Row.

​Sew the pieced flying geese to the sides of the double variable star.

​Now sew all the rows together.
Voila!
 
 
You’re done!  Except for quilting & Binding.  Or, if your making it bigger, borders and quilting & binding.  Minor little chores like that.
 
Thank you for helping us celebrate 12 years in business, getting by with help from our friends!

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