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Just to prove that we can indeed have some fun here at Robert Kaufman Fabrics, we decided since Ken Kaufman was moving over to the other building and leaving us to decorate his office. And being a UCLA graduate, Ken know exactly the right color scheme that would keep him on this side of the company office. Powder Blue & Gold? We think not. Noting says "stay here Ken" like USC Trojan Red and Gold! Enjoy the pictures everyone!
Click here to start the slideshow.
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In July of this year, CEO of Robert Kaufman Fabrics Ken Kaufman took a trip over to Lancaster, Ohio to see Michael Mrowka and Debra Lunn, and from the sound of it, they made just a wonderful impression; so, we though this would be the perfect time to give you all a little behind-the-scenes peek at Lunn Studios!
If you've shown any interest in Kaufman fabrics over the last few decades, then you've undoubtedly heard of Lunn Studios. They are the creative minds behind the wildly successful Artisan Batiks, which are exceedingly popular among quilters. What you may not be aware of, though, is just how important Michael and Debra have been to the success of Kaufman fabrics. As the first licensed artists for the quilting industry we ever worked with, they were extremely instrumental in establishing Robert Kaufman's presence in the quilting world.
Because Lancaster is thousands of miles away from our office in Los Angeles, this happened to be Ken's first visit to the Michael and Debra's home. From his description, they live together in what cannot be called an ordinary, run-of-the-mill home: It is actually a large pre-civil war home that has been converted into a combination of a private residence and an art studio, so basically, it is the artist's dream. It is still a work in progress, as you can see from the remodeling they've been doing on the parlor.
Michael and Debra showed Ken an unmatched level of hospitality and even led him on an all-access tour of the studio. He met the staff, explored the awesomely spacious workspace, and got the opportunity to witness the many experimentations and new ideas Lunn Studios has come up with. Perhaps the thing that intrigued Ken most, though, was the charity that Michael and Debra have set up for their workers. The charity established a library for all the factory workers who produce Lunn fabrics and their families. As of now, the library has several thousand books, offers English lessons, and shows movies regularly to give a multitude of families educational opportunities that might not exist otherwise. And that's what impressed us most about Debra and Michael - that they use success not only as a means of improving themselves, but also of strengthening others.
Click here to see all the photos from the visit.
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What got you interested in quilting in the first place?What was the first project you ever completed?
I don’t know what the first “project” I ever completed is! It was probably a pillow or something… but the first quilt that I ever completed was for my brother. He is a Cooper Mini fan and when I couldn’t find fabric that was just right, I decided to make my own! I drew the logo by hand with black ink on acetate and then exposed a silkscreen. Then I took solid fabric and screen printed the mini design on it. He loves the quilt and it hangs on a large wall in his house! Here's a blog post about it: http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/2009/07/my-first-quilt.html
How important are social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc) to your line of work, and how do you personally use them?
They are essential! We now live in a culture of constant contact and are often faced with too many options of media to consume. As a result we need a way to filter information so that we can have the best content possible in the fastest and clearest way possible. Social Media allows me to promote blog posts of mine and others that I think have value. Then my friends and audience can consume the content when they have time.
Often I’m asked why I use multiple forms of social media… and if it is really necessary. First I think it is necessary... and I’ll tell you why. Each form of social media provides a different audience. Many of my “facebook fans” are not on twitter…. and vice versa. The same can also be said with Flickr. Most people end up having a number one form of media that they check most often. I’ll use my family as the perfect example.
-My Mom sees my updates first when I post them on Facebook.
-My Brother sees them in his RSS feed on his iPhone
-My Sister in law usually sees my photos on Flickr before anything else.
-My Dad… who doesn’t have a Facebook, Twitter, Flickr... or any such account… stays up to date with what I’m doing through Google Buzz.
Each one of them has a preferred way of consuming content. As a result I want to provide people with as many easy ways as possible to know that I have new content that they should go & check out.
Do you have any new projects in the works?
Of course! I always have new projects in various stages. Some are sketches… some are on my design wall... and some are almost done! Right now I’m in the process of re-organizing my studio because I work best when I’m in a clean space & can find all my tools!
How are you able to relay so many giveaways on your blog?
Lots of searching! I was noticing a trend where many blogs would have giveaways… but not many entries because their traffic was low. In an effort to spread the word about less known blogs and great giveaways I started my Tuesday giveaway posts. My goal is that blogs can retain readers after the giveaways.
Now that the giveaway lists have grown… many people contact me directly to post about their giveaway. The list I’ll be posting today already has 30 listed in it!!
What would you say has been your most successful project, and why do you think that is?
I’d have to say that my Circle Around quilt has been the one project that has been made the most by other quilters. I think that the high contrast in the design… and the simplicity of putting it together has made it very appealing to others!
I did a post almost a month ago where I featured Circle Around quilts that others have made. The post shows more than 10 color options and the versatility of the pattern. http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/2010/07/circles-everywhere.html
In addition I have a “Group” on Flickr where people can add their photos of projects they have made from my tutorials and patterns. It’s very fun for me to see my patterns in fabric combinations I wouldn’t have dreamed of. http://www.flickr.com/groups/jaybirdquilts/ Here's the original blog post about this pattern being on the cover of quilts & more: http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/2010/04/cover-really.html
What was the Quilt Festival in Long Beach like?
The Festival was full of energy and inspiration. I did demos for my good friend Natalie {http://beyondthereefpatterns.blogspot.com/} in her booth. Many people have that “aha” look on their face once you show them how simple a project really is… and I love that moment! Another favorite of mine is walking around and seeing all of the beautiful displays. It takes a lot of work, but shops transform a small space into a beautiful store that you just want to spend time in
What techniques do you think are the hardest to learn as a young quilter?
Personally one of the hardest things for me to learn was patience. My generation is used to things being instant and that is not the case with quilting! Taking your time to cut pieces accurately and knowing when to use a seam ripper is important! Patience and practice really do result in better work!
I think for any quilter learning the basics is the most important part. Unfortunately many quilters… of all ages are taught that there is only one way to do something… and that is not the case! I’m all for learning as many ways to do something as possible and then picking the method that works best for you.
I learn new things all the time. At the Long Beach show I was working on some hand appliqué and Jane { http://quiltwithjane.blogspot.com/} pointed out to me that there was another way I could be doing it and that it would hide my stitches better. Switching directions felt funny to me but she was right!
Who helped you become a great quilter? Influences?
Lots of people actually have helped me to grow along the way. Initially it was the people who I worked with at a local quilt shop. One person in particular from that shop believed in me from day 1 and constantly pushes me to try new things. {Thank you Allison!} Now it is my online community of quilters and the ones in my guild!
Influences?... does math count as an influence? After art class math was always my favorite. One high school math teacher in particular, Ms. Fricker, was incredibly supportive and nurturing of my creative side. The geometry involved in quilting is fascinating to me. I love the technical challenge of figuring out the best way to assemble a block.
Also I can’t forget to mention the teachers and fellow designers at Drexel University. My four years of formal education in design has become an invaluable resource in my day to day quilt design.
Where do you draw your inspiration for new projects?
Everywhere! I keep a camera and a small sketch book with me at all times. My work is mostly bold and constructed from simple shapes with hard lines… often inspired by buildings and sometimes a parking garage!
What challenges have you encountered using Social Media? How have you adapted to those challenges?
Each “form” is its own network and has pros and cons. Learning how to manage each one best is an ongoing process for me. In my case my blog is my number one. I don’t spend a huge amount of time on facebook, twitter, flickr etc. Instead I focus my energy on the content in my blog and use social media to help me share that content.
Here are some google analytics statistics from the last month. These six methods are in the top ten for “Traffic Sources” for my blog and they account for more than 50% of my traffic.
Direct 14.00%
Feedburner 12.20%
Google 8.58%
Flickr.com 4.44%
Facebook.com 3.53%
Twitter.com 2.51%
While social media doesn’t account for huge numbers in my traffic, it is still a very significant portion in the overall picture.
Is there one RK line that you absolutely can't live without?
Kona Crush! I adore the texture and have been putting it into every project I can since I discovered it!
And we would also like to thank "Jen" for her following comment and suggestion for Julie's column:
"How exciting for Julie, I'll be keeping my eye out for it. As for a name what about, "A Little Birdie Told Me".
It would be a play on that childhood thing my friends and I use to say when we had a secret or something important to say, "A Little birdie told me....""
Thanks "Jen". We'll be contacting you shortly so we can send out your prize.
Without further adéu, here's Julie:
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We at Robert Kaufman always appreciate friendly visits. The other day, Darlene Zimmerman decided to stop by after teaching at Vanguard University for Camp Watch-a-Patcher, and we could not have been happier to see her. If you've heard of Darlene's collections but don't know much else about her, here is your chance to learn a bit more.
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A valuable part of the quilting industry for over 15 years, Darlene has contributed as a designer, quilter, textile historian, and author. Along the way, she has even become known as the "Feedsack Lady." Why feedsacks, you ask? Well, in the 1930s, companies selling chicken feed, flour, sugar, salt, or cornmeal would package their product in sacks printed with designs meant to attract female customers. Women would then use these feedsacks to make quilts, aprons, housedresses, and apparel for their families. Darlene is reviving this tradition with her vintage collections typical of the feedsack era.
Recently, she has developed some wonderful collections with us, such as Betty Dear and Paper Dolls, so you can imagine how excited we were when she stopped by to discuss some new projects. If you appreciate her work as much as we do, keep your eyes peeled for some new Darlene Zimmerman collections in the future, and also consider joining her Clothesline Club - a program that brings the spirit of the '30s right to your local quilt shop.
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This is a sales sample from Darlene's personal collection. If you look closely, you'll notice the date of the sample is 1940!
Once we have a direction, we then work closely with Darlene to design fabrics based on the time-period samples she provides us.
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Once repropuced, these feedsack fabricks are perfect for Clothesline Club but work well for tons of applications.
A few of us went to the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach on Friday, and it was just an awesome experience. The Long Beach Convention Center was full of excited consumers (the aisles were absolutely jam-packed!) and various booths representing anything from quilt shops to lint-removal devices.
(Click here to view our photos of the festival. *Note: We decided to use large images to capture all the color. The slideshow may take a few seconds to load.)
We saw tons of cool stuff, like one-of-a-kind art quilts that make you ask "How did you do that?" as well as other creative projects like bags and aprons. These kinds of original projects really stood out, but we also noticed a few trends that seemed to define the festival. First of all, we noticed that most of the fabrics were in the form of pre-cuts and quilt kits with very little being sold directly off of the bolt; the creativity was consequently more in how these materials were packaged. We also noticed an overall abundance of bright solids, often partnered with white.
In this light, it seems that the quilting industry is shifting a bit - catering more to the simple, contemporary style. And that actually makes a lot of sense; more people want to use kits with instructions that allow them to make a quilt in two days rather than spend much more time creating their own designs from an endless supply of fabric. There is no shame in that. In fact, some of the more generic quilts that feature geometrics in solid colors actually appeal to a wider, younger audience that not only like what these contemporary quilts look like, but also appeciate how little stress is involved in creating them.
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We always get excited when people are interested enough in what we do to ask for a tour because, really, what could be a bigger compliment than that? A few days ago, we were fortunate enough to meet a number of students from El Camino College who stopped by Robert Kaufman. And they got a pretty good overview of each department - from design to customer service, and even the shipping warehouse. By the end of the day, we could see that this group, which was the largest we've come across in recent memory, was as happy to be here as we were to have them.
However, they went above and beyond a usual "thank you" when, the following day, they sent us a wonderful poster documenting their experience. That just made us feel really great, and we wanted to respond by saying that they, and any other group that wants a tour, are always welcome at Robert Kaufman.
Planning a Visit to Robert Kaufman Fabrics?
We have just a few guidelines that need to be followed while scheduling a tour. To begin with, dates for tours are on a first come first served basis, so you should leave more than one date open before contacting us. Also, tour groups cannot exceed 25 people, and there are no open-toed shoes or loose clothing that can get caught on machinery allowed. And lastly, parking is very limited, so carpooling might be necessary depending on the size of your group. Other than that, those educational professionals and such who wish to schedule a tour need only contact our customer service manager Sandie at smccann@robertkaufman.com. We'd be happy to have you.
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Julie's mind was racing with ideas once she saw all our fabrics!Last Tuesday, Julie Herman decided to spend the morning and afternoon at Robert Kaufman prior to making her way down to the Quilt Festival in Long Beach. If you haven't heard of her yet, you will in the near future; Julie is starting to make some real noise in the quilting industry, producing anything from quilts and pillows to stylish purses and tote bags. We at Robert Kaufman see loads of potential in Julie (after all, she is only 27!) and can't imagine her moving anywhere but up. So, you can imagine how excited we were to show Julie how the company functions behind the scenes - how a line of fabric goes from the design stage to production, and everything in between. And we could tell she was just as excited to be here: When we allowed her to gather all the free selvedges she needed for a new quilt project, the look on her face was absolutely priceless - like a kid in a candy store!
If you spent only moments talking with Julie, you would be able to see just how much energy and passion for quilting she possesses. And we think that's exactly what the quilting business always needs - new, energetic quilter's that are motivated enough to maintain the industry for generations to come.
If you would like to learn more about Julie, just visit her blog at www.jaybirdquilts.com. We will be interviewing Julie in a couple of days, so make sure to take a look at that...it should be very interesting.
BIG NEWS!!!
Keep your eyes peeled for her new bi-weekly column right here on our blog! We will be posting her first column in the near future. Now here's the fun part!!! We haven't yet chosen a name for her column yet, so we thought we would leave that up to all of you! Just leave a comment below with your idea for the name of Julie's column. The person who comes up with the most original, useable title will receive a free Groove Charm Pack designed by Caleb Gray! We'll close the contest next Wednesday July 28th. Let's hear those titles!
