Author: sewinwithjuki

JUKI Posts, JUKI Spotlight

Business Spotlight: Enjoy the Ride with French Seam

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Celebrating National Small Business Month with JUKI Dealers

Located in Indianapolis, you’ll find a small business knows as ‘The French Seam.’ Family run by a mother and daughter duo, Linda Compton and Courtney Young, they opened their fabric boutique to make fine fabrics affordable and accessible for the entire sewing community. Attracted to the idea of personalization and growing up around the passion of sewing from her mother, Courtney followed in Linda’s footsteps.

“Sewing garment clothes has always been a passion; to achieve something truly unique and to “not see yourself walking down the street”.”

Built on the need for a “fine” fabric store in Indianapolis, they modeled their store as a go-to for fabric choices in the garment sewing community. Venturing into the retail world, the mother and daughter duo began with intense research and a plan to open up their boutique. Over the last ten years, the boutique has grown from a fine fabric shop, now selling machines, accessories, and more. Finding that the sewing world has only continued to grow more over the years, their most significant change was venturing into quilting cotton and their love of modern quilt fabric, a different speed from the fine fabrics they sold alone in the beginning.

Five years ago, “French Seam’ began carrying JUKI in their shops to customers. Aligning perfectly with the unique fabrics that they sold, JUKI was a top choice for their retail needs. Over the years, they’ve continued to represent JUKI by assisting many customers like you find their very own JUKI machine!

The store’s focus is on curating fine fabrics for the garment sewing community while also providing the most extensive collection of indie patterns in their region, as well as selecting and displaying beautiful modern quilt collections. With this, they’ve continued their quest on being unique and recently added fine yarn and fun embroidery pieces to their array of options.

A team whose focus is on helping the many beautiful people who come through their shop, their favorite part is sharing their fabric finds with the sewing community. Their most extensive advice to those who dream of owning their own shop is this, “We have learned to take everything more lightly; not so personally. This was a difficult segue for us coming out of a business community that analyzed your day-to-day performance. Retail is a very different world, and it took us time to step back and realize we do the best we can every day and enjoy the ride.”

If you’re interested in The French Seam check them out today and follow their information below!

(317) 841-1810

info@thefrenchseam.com

9335 Castlegate Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46256

*Photo Credit: The French Seam Team

JUKI Posts, JUKI Spotlight

Business Spotlight: Always Moving Forward with Country Stitches

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Celebrating National Small Business Month with JUKI Dealers

Co-owned by Anita and Brian, Country Stitches was founded in 1982 and has continued to be a staple in Michigan. Offering accessories, sewing machines, fabric, and more, the Country Stitches shops focus on the customer and their needs! Focusing not only on their passion for sewing but for people, Brian, Anita, and their team enjoy working with customers and helping them find their perfect sewing machine.

Anita and Ann hired Brian in 1995 as a service technician for the shop. In less than a year, Brian moved his way up to sales and customer service. After only a few years, Brian realized this was his true calling and made it into a career. In 1999, after being with the company for four years, Brian became a new business partner!

Inspired by a desire to provide the best possible customer service to their clients, Country Stitches began providing sewing and quilting classes. These classes inspire customers to sew while offering them the opportunity to use the best quality machines. With a focus on creating a relaxing and enjoyable experience, they teach new tricks and provide their experienced services to those getting into the world of sewing.

Over the years, Country Stitches has undergone many changes. From training staff to advertising to customers, they embrace change that benefits the customer. In March 2020, when COVID-19 first began to affect many of us, ‘Country Stitches’ pushed forward with new initiatives to stay in the game and offer their services to those who needed an escape during these times. They began offering curb-side sales and pick-up. Additionally, they revamped their website and included functions for online shopping for customers who weren’t able to visit their shop, and they began virtual classes.

JUKI is never far from your beloved sewing and quilting shops! The much-loved TL-98 served as a gateway for Country Stitches to become familiar with the JUKI name and quality. Starting in June 2013, Country Stitches, officially began carrying JUKI in their shops after attending one of the many tradeshows JUKI attends. Knowing the quality of our machines and the need for fulfilling customers’ wants, they became JUKI vendors. Today, they continue to help people find their perfect JUKI!

Different from many companies, Country Stitches finds change exciting and suitable for their business! Not shy from an ever-evolving world, they’ve stuck to their core values of treating everyone with kindness and respect with a focus on excellent customer service. This way has allowed them to evolve and prosper.

Their most extensive advice when owning a business is to listen and communicate with other dealers.

“-listen to every dealer that is in this industry and find the things they do great and try to add these things to our company. Also, to listen to their struggles so we can be better equipped to handle these same struggles. And last, to share our ideas, our struggles, and our wins with other dealers, new and old, that want to listen.”

If you’re interested in Country Stitches check them out today and follow their information below!

East Lansing
2200 Coolidge Road
East Lansing, MI 48823
(517) 816-0383

Jackson
1965 Boardman Road
Jackson, Michigan 49202
(517) 782-7100

*Photo Credit: The Country Stitches Team

Business Plus

JUKI Small Business Seminar: Sell Your Sewing Skills

by sewinwithjuki2 Comments on JUKI Small Business Seminar: Sell Your Sewing Skills

Sewing is an escape. We bet you love sewing, and it makes you happy when you get to work on a project! Whether you’re creating a quilt, a shirt, or maybe working on home décor, you love it when you can show off that finished product. Now imagine taking this craft you love and making some extra money. The best part? You don’t need to be an expert; sewers at any skill can do this!

The best way to begin is to put yourself out there! How? First, open up a social media page for your creations to get your work seen by new people. There are always great people out there excited to get and share new ideas! Creating a customer base, people who want to own the projects you make, is the first step to opening your little e-shop. Remember that this can be built at your rate, so just start with the basics like sharing what you make and interacting with others, and it will grow from there.

We wanted to share some fun and simple start-up ideas for those who have thought about starting their side business but didn’t know what to do

Begin a repair and alter service

A service that never goes out of style, many people know altering and repairing are less expensive than buying something new. While you may already do this for yourself, many people out there wish they could save their favorite clothing pieces and don’t know how! Offering this service is a standard beginning for many in the clothes construction sector of sewing and will always be needed.

Clothing Construction for Others

If you find yourself in love with creating and designing clothing, look into creating this for others! Many people love having unique and meaningful pieces in their wardrobe. Whether it be beautiful gowns or tops or graphic tees and embroidered sweaters, we enjoy being different. The perks of shopping from small businesses are owning something unique, and that can be you they go to!

Photo by S O C I A L . C U T on Unsplash

Make Décor for the Home

As new homeowners and different styles continue to emerge, creating unique home décor pieces can be a great side business! Fluffy decorative pillows, warm duvets, quilts, or stunning curtains are essential to a comfortable home. When it comes to decorating a home, many want things that represent their style and taste. What better way than creating personalized items for that customer looking to express themselves?!

Sell your Sewing Crafts

When it’s time to let your creativity flow free, we can end up with an abundance of sewing projects leftover. While our first reaction is usually giving it to family and friends, there’s another solution, sell it! Clearing up your living space while sending out your projects is a win-win situation for you and the happy shopper who loved your art.

Maybe you just enjoy the luxury of sewing and never thought about selling your artwork. Maybe you’ve always had an idea of selling something but didn’t know where to start. What’s important is doing the craft you love! With so many options for online selling, social media marketing, and even the possibility of holding a booth at a farmer’s market, it’s essential to keep in mind that you have options. Remember, the best advice is always the same, just start.

Check out JUKI’s Business Plus program to learn more about how to become your boss at https://jukiquilting.com/business-solutions!

JUKI Posts, JUKI Spotlight

Business Spotlight: Just Start with HomeGrown HomeSewn

by sewinwithjuki1 Comment on Business Spotlight: Just Start with HomeGrown HomeSewn

Celebrating National Small Business Month with JUKI Dealers

Hello JUKI Lovers! We know how much small businesses matter, especially for us quilters and sewers, and today we wanted to highlight a shop that represents the JUKI standard.

A small business, ran by a close-knit family, the HomeGrown HomeSewn is a go-to for sewing and quilting enthusiasts alike in Cincinnati. Diane, the matriarch of their family, has been sewing since the age of seven, creating projects at home for herself and her family, and even creating her own wedding dress. Her daughter, Abbey, joined the family business due to her mutual love for the craft and is a part-owner of the shop. Recently, their team was featured on ‘Quilt Sampler’ magazine this past fall and were able to showcase a quilt designed by Diane, a fantastic accomplishment for them all!

Created with the idea in mind of passing this tradition from generation to generation, as Diane did with her very own family, she began her shop with kits made for kids for their crafting projects. Witnessing the creativity spring from kids, she continued focusing on her idea and created a full-on quilt shop!

“Watching people’s creative ideas come to life and seeing the joy that brings is our favorite part of owning the shop.”

Starting as a kit shop for kids, their group became vendors at homeschool conventions and started creating a niche for an actual quilt shop in Cincinnati shortly after. As times change, they currently have plans to venture into the online world of creating their virtual fabric shop for customers. HomeGrown HomeSewn does have strategies for growing its business in the world of crafts. There’s no limit to what possibilities they can follow with plans to venture into crocheting, gardening, homeschooling, and culinary arts. There’s no limit to what opportunities they can pursue!

One of their shop products, and you already know where we’re going with this, is JUKI! True to their message, the mother and daughter duo both worked with JUKI before selling our machines in their shop, giving them that hands-on experience so they could genuinely vouch for what they sell.

Offering a large selection of fabrics, different brands, and more, their shop is a go-to for your quilting and sewing needs. One of the reasons they’ve done so well? Their focus and dedication to customer service to local and non-local shoppers. The opportunity to personally shop for your machine through messaging or video and guaranteed fast shipping makes certain distance doesn’t stop people from visiting them.

Check out HomeGrownHomeSewn’ The Fab Stash Show, a live Facebook selling show to learn more about what they offer. They’ve also created the ‘The Fab Stash Club’ newsletter as a fabric club that offers customizable bundles and the ‘Fresh and Fab’ Friday video series that features the newest fabrics each week.

When asked for advice on what they would tell fellow sewists and quilters hoping to open their own shop, their reply was simple and to the point.

“Just start! I think so many times we hesitate because of an obstacle we see or think maybe in the way. At some point, you just dive in. Sure there will be mistakes, but that’s sometimes the best way to learn. We tell the same thing to people about quilting or trying new techniques. Just start, or you’ll never get it.”

If you’re interested in HomeGrown HomeSewn check them out today and follow their information below!

(513)401-9747

5761 Springdale Rd, Suite L, Cincinnati, OH 45247

*Photo Credit: HomeGrown HomeSewn Team

Longarm Training, Triple T: Tips, Tricks, and Training

Longarm Training with JUKI!

by sewinwithjuki8 Comments on Longarm Training with JUKI!

Hello JUKI lovers! We know how butterfly-inducing it is to get a new machine, but what about the aftermath of learning it? That’s why we’re here! Our JUKI Longarm training is for all types of quilters to join and learn more about techniques and tricks.

Get your pencils and notebooks ready because this 3-day workshop covers basic machine maintenance, tensions, working with different threads, batting, LCD screen operation, free-motion techniques, loading a quilt, marking quilts, ruler work, couching, pantographs, optional accessories, and more on the TL-2200QVP and Miyabi J-350QVP.

We also offer the opportunity to learn about our Quilters Creative Touch software. This workshop teaches you the basics of building blocks, pantographs, including the new Power Panto, designing your quilt pattern blocks, and move on to more advanced techniques such as Quilt CAD and Pattern CAD.

We offer JUKI Longarm training throughout the year with our Education staff to help you be the best quilter you can be! Thank you to those who have joined us in the past on our training, we hope you enjoy your JUKI and come back for more in the future!

Check out this link to see other training dates and sign up information. We hope to see you soon!