Does That Mean the Warehouse is Empty?

So if you read the previous blog, you would know that a LOT of product has already found its way into the popup store. Does that mean I'm ready to start hosting clandestine dance parties in the warehouse? Heck no. There's still way too much stuff in there!

If you visited the brick and mortar store at any time between February 14, 1994 and March 1, 2020, you will recall that I have always been so much more than a yarn store. However, much of that stock doesn't translate well into a mobile store. For reference, my store on 50th Street (not to be confused with Highway 12) was 2000 square feet. My RV is 209 square feet. That's just over 10% of the largest amount of floor space that my business has ever occupied.

Interesting fact - at 7ft, the ceiling height of the RV is half the height of the ceiling at that brick and mortar location and I made good use of that 14ft ceiling for display purposes. (Another interesting fact - 7ft is exactly the height of the ceiling in the basement of Nowco Home Hardware, the birthplace of The Crafty Lady.) For those of you doing the math, the RV has just over 5% of the (cubic) space I once had for all the products I sell. So what's still in the warehouse, you ask? Where do I start?

I still have beads and jewelry making supplies. What you see in this picture are the Mill Hill beads and Weave Got Maille kits. While I still have plenty of stock, I lost my Mill Hill supplier to retirement back in 2017 and the chainmaille kits come from the US, so I won't be restocking those anytime soon due to what is and is not considered essential. All of these are available through the online store.

What you don't see in this picture are the bead drawers (and the drawers holding the DMC Pearl Cotton and Kreinik threads) whose back sides are supporting this bead wall. Most of the beads in the drawers are not in the online store, and may never be, so they may show up occasionally as Special Deals in the mobile store. The Kreinik has gone the way of the Mill Hill beads so stock is first come, first serve. As for the Pearl Cotton, if I do not have the colour(s) you want in stock, they are also not considered essential so I cannot guarantee any kind of ETA if you choose to order them in.

This next picture appears to be a bit of everything thrown together, but there is method to the apparent madness. Most of what you see here is available at fabric stores so I assumed they would be slow sellers when I set up the warehouse. It's just me that needs to be able to find them so ...

The patches are actually going to be travelling with me for a week or two as a reminder that I am more than just a yarn store but the Unique buttons and Gutermann sewing threads won't quite work in the RV the same way. I still have sewing elastic - including bulk mask elastic - and a selection of hand sewing needles. The cross stitch supplies, however, did not make the cut when my suppliers chose to downsize, so I have very few fabrics, kits and accessories left.

Except DMC floss. I can still get floss. And it will be with me in the RV. You just won't see it.

I still have massive amounts of fasteners in the warehouse!

You are looking at a 4' x 8' wall of buttons,

snaps,

hooks and eyes,

shawl pins ...

I carried many of them with me last year in the popup store but I need all that space for my knitting needles and crochet hooks now.

I still have a selection of Dylon and Rit dyes (powder and liquid respectively) as well as sets of fabric pens and paints. The pompoms may make an appearance in the RV but, until then, you can see a portion of the colours available. What you may not be able to see are the white and black snap-on poms, but they're there.

In this photo, you can see all the knitting and crochet accessories that will be rotated in and out of the RV throughout the popup season. That's another 4' x 8' wall (plus the purse handles and loom sets hanging behind it) and remember - in the RV, I am working with 5% of my previous cubic space so I can only bring what I have room for.

Further down the wall - where you can't see them - are the tatting needles. They pair beautifully with the Pearl Cotton and other fine weight threads you couldn't see in the first picture. But they're there. Trust me ;)

I have never carried a lot of paper crafting supplies, but I have always had a number of quilling and parchcraft supplies. I still have a supplier for the quilling but since you are able to order direct from the Pergamano and Parchcraft Australia websites, once these tools are gone, they're gone for good.

Sorry. There still won't be enough room for dancing once they're gone. ;)

Not pictured are the clock motors and hands that I still get requests for. Since they come from the same supplier as the quilling, they will remain regular stock.

You made it all the way through to the end?   Good for you!

As a reward, here's a little hint to make shopping easier once I have my route set for the mobile season.

1. When ordering online, choose to pick up your purchase from the mobile store when it is in your area. 

2.  Didn't buy that yarn last week when it was in the popup store? Pay for it this week and pick it up   next week when I hand deliver it for you.

3. Need Tapestry yarn or embroidery floss? Depending on how many locations I have booked in one  day, you may be able to come back after hours to pick them up.

How's that for service?

written by Lori, TCL owner, who has finally decided to not fight with the blog program any more. You want the photos stacked vertically? I'll just 'talk' a lot more to fill up the space. Problem solved.

 Due to the increase in customer traffic (YAY!) I am asking that you call with an approximate ETA before coming to shop in the pop up store. Tuesday this past week, I literally had people waiting in line to enter the store. This is great when the weather is nice. You can breathe the fresh air, listen to the birds, and just generally relax before coming in and petting the yarn. However, I know the reason for the uptick in traffic is due to the chill in the air, and that means you would have to sit in your vehicle which, while still do-able, isn’t anywhere near as much fun. And if you show up without an appointment, you may be greeted by this sign at the door. 

Also, because this is the time of year the Farmer’s Markets start shutting down for the season, I may be able to convince LPAC to let me use their parking lot on Saturdays as well until the weather puts a stop to the pop up store. Stay tuned for an update on that. Ideally, you will find me there for the first time on Saturday, September 19 (as stated in last week’s blog) so that Fibre Fest shoppers can take advantage of my proximity to the LMC. I’m still working on a non-hand-drawn map that shows just how close and easy it will be to travel between the two.

Something new this past week - I finally got the DMC Tapestry yarn out of their packing boxes and they now reside in the RV, and wouldn’t you know, I had a call for them the very morning they moved in! The floss will be accompanying them in the overcab storage as early as this Monday. I will also be bringing the very little bit of cross stitch product that is left in the store. It’s hard when all your suppliers retire or change product offerings at the same time. What you see will be what you get - some of it will even be ON SALE! You'll have to come in to find out what.

written by Lori, efficient TCL owner, who is squeezing more and more into the RV every time she turns around.

Procrastination Station

 Procrastination Station is actually the name of a real coffee shop at the University of Massachusetts. No matter. It's almost always where I can be found - no matter where I am. Just ask any of my former staff / co-workers. They'll gladly dish on how I am the most proficient procrastinator they've ever met ;)

That being said, some warehouse organizing had to be put on hold when I found a permanent seasonal spot for the pop up store. The DMC floss has found a permanent home in the warehouse and I was merely waiting for the winter months before I started working on homes for the DMC Tapestry wool and all the pattern books. This past week I discovered that having my inventory online (or at least on the computer) has pushed my plans ahead by a month or three. I am so-o fortunate that it is Labour Day weekend and I have one extra day to work on a project I can no longer procrastinate on.

I mentioned a blog or two ago that I was thinking of, and then finally did, purchase an amazing storage solution from Ikea. It was originally meant for yarn but then I discovered that I could conveniently keep all my DMC in the pop up store without taking up valuable display space. I'm not a fan of Pinterest but I succumbed to its siren call when I realized it would probably be the best place to search other people's storage solutions for floss and tapestry wool. Envelopes. Paper envelopes. They are malleable and exactly the right size for the container and will accommodate a full box worth of floss. Again, this was meant to be a winter project. Turned out to be my Labour Day weekend project and by the end of Monday, all the Tapestry wool will be in its new home and the customer order will be filled and ready to pick up Tuesday.

This is two full days of work and I will probably fill two more storage cases before I'm done Monday night. You can see the almost full case in the bottom photo with a mostly empty case to its right and a full box waiting to be organized further back on the coffee table.

When it is the floss' turn, it won't take up nearly as much space - I hope.

On an entirely different topic, the Prairie Fibre Festival will be taking place at the Lacombe Memorial Centre Saturday, September 19. They are only allowing one pop up store and Under the Elm had already renewed their space from last year. Since I was still in my brick and mortar space last year, customers were just able to walk down the street to shop at my store so I didn't bother with a booth. Guess what? The walk is the same distance to the new pop up location! And - the parking is even better considering I am in a parking lot! Physical distancing rules will be in effect so I'm praying for great weather so you won't mind hanging out while other customers are in the store.

written by Lori, frustrated TCL owner, who was going to post a Google map complete with a directional route between the LMC and the LPAC building but it doesn't understand parking lots as destinations so forget that.