Cajun Corner – Vol. 3, No. 35 – September 2, 2011
Bon Jour! Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.
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Wow! What a week!
The Splash party last Sunday was, well, it was a splash. The weather was hot and the cool water, some ice water, from the squirt guns felt so good. The turnout was wonderful and as far as I could see a good time was had by all. If you missed it, you missed a great party. Make sure you don’t miss it next year.
It is September. Can you believe it? We are coasting into fall. Next on my agenda is the Pensacola Beach Arts & Wine Festival. Our booth is going to be in the parking lot of the Visitor Information Center Gulf of Mexico from my booth. You don’t get a sweeter site than that. George and I have been putting our heads together on our booth all week. We are sprucing it up. I don’t want another ugly booth. We are also limiting our wares to 5 or 6 categories. We can keep that much neater and people won’t get too overwhelmed. I am looking forward to it but there is a lot of work to be done in the meantime.
Last night a couple of our neighbors dropped by. They are wonderful neighbors and I had been asking the guy to help us put a password on our Wi-Fi. Last night was the night. He and George got together while his wife and I enjoyed a pleasant evening on the deck. By the time they left we didn’t have internet service at all. Bless his heart, he was really trying to help and he is very knowledgeable about computers but our system beat him. It happens. On top of everything else, he was tired and stressed out for other reasons. My genius husband stayed up all night working on the computers and had them all up and running this morning. Plus, we now have a secure Wi-Fi. Woohoo!
Today was my speech day at our WBL meeting. I’ve been working up to it all month. I think it went well. I didn’t say everything that I had to say. I was limited to 5 minutes. The topic was the steps to getting an item embroidered (1) design, (2) digitize, and (3) embroider. You’d be surprised at how many people don’t understand this process. I had my handy dandy who, what, when where, how, and why outline and that helped out a bunch. Thank goodness I printed it before the internet went out because the internet is where I store that document. There was a large attendance today. It was surprising there were so many women because it is the Friday before Labor Day.
I met another new friend on Facebook this week. I don’t even remember how it all started but we began messaging each other and before I knew it, we were great friends. She is a REAL artist. Her work is beautiful. She works with MADD. She makes soap. And she creates glass art. One of her pieces is in a local art gallery. She is so far out of my league that it is not even funny. She is very encouraging and just a wonderful, pleasant lady. We actually met, face-to-face, this past Wednesday when I attended, at her request, a local business meeting. She was just as pleasant in person as over the internet.
Speaking of meetings, the Wednesday business meeting was really nice. Although my heart belongs to WBL, it was interesting to see the differences in meetings with both men and women. I believe the name of the group is Pensacola Christian Business. The speaker was a local prison ministry preacher and he gave an awesome speech. I left there very happy that I had attended
Next week I’m hoping to attend the Gulf Breeze Toastmasters noon meeting.
I received an email from a gentleman in Memphis
I’m so glad that our Proud To Be A Union Thug can wrap customer received his order in time to take it with him on his Labor Day weekend trip. He emailed me when he received it and was just elated. He loves it and that makes me so happy.
We’ve had several inquiries this week into birthday gifts and various gifts. One lady wanted to order something for a co-worker who loves the Saints and does a lot of entertaining during football season. I suggested a set of 2 black tea towels with a gold fleur de lis embroidered. I think that would be beautiful. Her other co-workers suggested that she get the lady a black scarf with a fleur de lis. I don’t have any scarves like that in stock but I told her I would check with my wholesalers and see what I could get. It turned out that I actually found a scarf wholesaler. Yes, that is all they sell. I would never have thought that scarves would be that popular an item. They have some really good prices on some beautiful scarves. The only problem is they have a minimum. I’ve got to say that I didn’t think I would find a black scarf. Not only did I find the long, black scarf, but they also carried a long black scarf covered with gold silk screen printed fleur de lis. The customer decided to find a scarf locally and get back with me.
In the meantime, I pulled out some soft, black, knitted netting that I have and I made a scarf. I needed to see how loose the embroidery would need to be. It didn’t turn out great but it didn’t turn out bad, either. I’ve made adjustments to the design and if I make another scarf, it will turn out much better.
That is precisely why embroiderers do a sample stitch-out before stitching on the customer’s fabric. In fact, I told George that since most of the stitch-outs turn out perfect, rather than doing them on scraps, we need to get little items for the stitch-outs and sell the ones that turn out good. The bucket hats in the photos are a perfect example of stitch-outs. If anyone wants these bucket hats, I’ll sell them for $5 each.
Remember that I got the ad in the Escambia/Santa Rosa Bar Association 2011-2012 Directory. Today at the WBL meeting my friend from Ballinger Publishing presented me with a copy of the directory. Sure enough, there was my ad. It is on the inside of the back cover. That is a wonderful spot for a half page ad. They did a great job and gave me a great price. I know that I got a deal.
Each Measures: 90"
100% polyester. Stain & wrinkle resistant.
1 piece, seamless design
Edges are folded & then hemmed
Please note: High-quality material used, weight of this item is very heavy.
Colors: white, ivory, black, purple, eggplant, fuchsia, chocolate, navy blue, orange, red, royal blue, sage green, silver, turquoise, willow green
$18.00 (normal retail price is $20.33) (price is without embroidery)
CHRISTMAS is around the corner. Unbelievable, I know. Get that Christmas shopping done now and enjoy the holidays.
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An excerpt from the book Gumbo Ya-Ya, written in 1945, Chapter: The Cajuns, Page 184:
“A Cajun woman’s life is of course a failure should she not capture a mate, and this dreadful prospect causes her much worry. The Cajun old maid is so rare as to be the object of both scorn and pity. From the time she is about fourteen her family begin to nag her about getting herself a husband. Each night many Cajun girls examine their heels for any tinge f yellow, for such a sign is a certain portent of spinsterhood. Tante Therese – herself a horrible example – will remember mournfully that at the age of seventeen the fatal yellow tinge appeared on her own heels, and here she is, well into her thirties, and of course without hope, since no man along the bayous wants such an old woman. Tante Therese reports that eighteen is just about the latest a girl may have hope of marrying.
“But, says Tante Therese, there are many ways of rendering a man susceptible, though they didn’t work in her case. Powder made from a green lizard dried in the sun, when thrown upon the object of a girl’s desire, makes him her victim. Or she might ask him to dinner and put the scrapings from the four corners of the dinner table into his coffee. She may also put parings from her fingernails into his pockets, or write him a letter in her own blood. For an immediate proposal, she should tie a rooster under her porch, seat the man in a rocking chair right over the fowl, sit beside him, and wait. He can’t help but fall in love with her then.”
Cajun French Phrase of the Week:
Je vais the passer une callotte= I will give you a slap
Mes pied sont trempe= my feet are wet
Joie de vivre= Joy of living
Mes pied sont trempe= my feet are wet
Joie de vivre= Joy of living
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C’est tout, mes amis
Cajun Stitchery
(850) 261-2462
P.S. You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.
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