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I've been PUNKED!

Mikki Kavich MCPF

Mikki Kavich MCPF

Frequent Poster
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Messages
689
Loc
Crossville, TN
Company
Mikki's Frame Shop
I swear I have been punked by Michael J. Fox!

Hellooooo 1990 I have two round doillies, one name doillie and 10 cross stitches in my shop right now!

I have not had more than one of any of these in a month for years now.

Anyone else seeing this trend out there.

I think they saw me come out of the eye DR. and decided to break me in of these bifocals hard!:shocked:
 
I have 4 cross stitches right now to re-mat, and they were taped down so I get to lace them correctly! I just finished 3 others. I think the needle workers are coming out of retirement.
 
Can't keep up with my needlework. Well, I do do other stuff too. And my Needlepoints (higher end tapestry like stuff) are keeping me the MOST busy. I think you are gonna see even more Mikki, needlework, framing and knitting are all up. And people ARE starting to do the good stuff too. A lot more are opting for Silks and overdyes and the finer stuff than just plan ole DMC.


Folks if you aren't embracing framing needlework, you are missing out on some serious revenue.

My nickels worth.
 
I wish I could frame more of the local hobbyists' needlework. We used to get some in the shop, but not much lately. In recent months we have framed several antique samplers, needlepoints, cross stitches and other needle works in poor condition, most of which have been previously (and badly) framed.

Come to think of it, I haven't advertised for framing needle works since last year. I'll set up a couple of newspaper ads and a coupon right away. Thanks for the reminder, Cathy.
 
The price for a cross-stitch pattern + yarn can be cheaper than buying a print of the same image.
Of course, there is the time involved in stitching, but once it is framed, the customer can stand back and say:
Wow, I did this myself.

Perhaps there is a market for us selling patterns and yarn.
 
MORE needlework framing.

Jim Miller said:
I wish I could frame more of the local hobbyists' needlework. We used to get some in the shop, but not much lately. In recent months we have framed several antique samplers, needlepoints, cross stitches and other needle works in poor condition, most of which have been previously (and badly) framed.

Come to think of it, I haven't advertised for framing needle works since last year. I'll set up a couple of newspaper ads and a coupon right away. Thanks for the reminder, Cathy.
Click to expand...

Jim there are still needlework shops in your area. Contact me if you want names. Networking with them would be POWERFUL. So many stitchers are so scared of the word CUSTOM in framing, they have NEVER even had an estimate. I am lucky as I already have a report with them as I am selling them the fabric and treads and do-dads. Some will say to me, (NO LIE)"Who do you know that does framing?" As I stand IN FRONT of a wall of 700+ framing samples. It is SO hard not to laugh. I make the selling process warm and fuzzy and set them at ease by offering a free estimate. Showing them my back room and works in progress and HOW I frame needlework, so they rest assured.

Just a thought, MANY MANY shops have a stitch IN day. A table and gals sitting and stitching. Offer the owner a little discourse. Maybe offer to frame a shop sample. ALSO, contact local designers. Many of them are hindered by framing costs as they are paying retail on the framing for the publication on the charts and designers are struggling enough with copyright infringements on their materials.

I have framed for handful of designers and if they put my name on the chart they can get a break and that means my shop is listed on thousands of charts around the world. The needlework industry is SMALL, everybody know most everybody as we are all small ourselves. Get good framing out there to stitchers and they tell their friends. I literally have customers ALL over the world. Framers include getting needlework framed on their vacation plans. OR they mail it to me and ship it out.

I can go ON AND ON about this. NEEDLEWORK is SO untapped.
 
I wish! One of the framed examples on my wall is a doily that my grandmother crocheted. If even 1/4 of the people who have commented on how much they like it, that they have doilies from their mom/grandmother/ancient aunties and should have me frame them like that brought me their doilies I'd be golden.

I haven't seen much new cross-stitch in this location. Over the last year or so I've done a lot of reframing of pieces, mainly things for babies' rooms. I did have one customer who brought in a steady stream of his work. About one every six weeks for several years. He was socially awkward and slow to choose framing but I kinda miss him.

Networking with needlework shops is one of the things that is perpetually on my list that hasn't gotten done yet.
 
I knew knitting and quilting were making a comeback but had yet to see a revival of cross stitch. Another one came in today! A sun flower! Always like cross stitchers they spend so much, the serious ones, on fabric/canvas and fiber that they were not in shock at framing prices. I don't think I have ever had a stitcher say "But I only spent $x ( insert under $20) on the picture!" And very often they love all the extras I think are fun.
 
Mikki there is a Yarn Crawl in Central Florida this weekend. My shop is participating in. I would LOVED to have gone. Vegas was my first 'trade show" in 7 years and so close to Nashville was a tough call.
There is a TNNA show in Columbus in June, and it covers Needlepoint, knitting, some crosstitch, that'll probably be my next. Nashville is 'cash n carry' as far as trade goes...don't think my Visa could handle it so soon after Vegas.

A mule huh? I will have to keep that in mind.
The TNNA setup is super cool tho', perhaps next year.
 
I have two shops, one five miles, the other about eight miles, near me that sell needlework and frame it. I think they get the lion's share of that business, but I probably average one a week.

Note: my avatar Is me lacing for the MCPF
 
Cathy Coggins said:
Jim there are still needlework shops in your area. Contact me if you want names.
Click to expand...
There was a yarn shop down the street, but it has closed. The owner taught stitching classes and sold all kinds of materials. On several occasions I invited her to my shop - with or without students - for a tour to see what we do and how we do it, but she always blew me off. She also considered herself an expert framer and sold a ton of 'sticky board'. I thought that when she closed her shop last year, we would see more needlework business, but it has not materialized yet.

There are half a dozen other yarn/stitchery shops in central Ohio. I have contacted all of them in the past, with dismal responses. I should try again.

I agree that needlework framing has great potential for those who can tap into it, and I still do more of it than any other framers in the area. But as others have mentioned, a lot of stitchers these days buy DIY frames online, which not only keeps them out of our shops, but also keeps them ignorant about the destructive effects of bad framing.
 
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I know that our N/W business is way up. These are mostly needle points and have been referred by a local shop. One nice thing about these customers is that they are doing higher end n/w and are not afraid to spend $$$ to frame them nicely.
 
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