BERNINA of America Honors Outstanding Dealers for 2009 at Annual Dealer Conference

Bernina recently honored their top dealers for 2009 at their annual conference. Among those are a number of FabShop members (indicated in bold in the press release below).

BERNINA of America recognized top dealers nationwide with achievement awards in sales, service and customer education at its recent BERNINA University dealer training conference in Orlando, Fla. John and Judy Curtis of It’s A Stitch-Bernina, Humble, Texas, received the 2009 BERNINA Presidential Award, which recognizes the dealer that best exemplifies the spirit of cooperation and education represented by the BERNINA brand. This includes successful promotion and advertising of the entire BERNINA product line, a modern store merchandising concept, a well-developed educational approach, dedication to total customer service and above-average growth in dollar sales and BERNINA units sold.

“BERNINA’s success is tied to the success of its dealers. It’s A Stitch-Bernina has reaped the financial benefits that result from truly outstanding sales and customer support,” said Martin Favre, president of BERNINA of America.
In addition, BERNINA single- and multiple-store dealerships with the highest sales dollar volume during 2009 were honored. The 2009 Top Five Multi-Store Dealer Awards were presented to:

Judy and John Curtis, It’s A Stitch-Bernina, Humble, Texas
Rhonda Lopez, Nuttall’s Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah
Richard and Rod Borget, Dave’s Bernina, Provo, Utah
Jack Pierce, Atlanta Sewing Center, Duluth, Ga.
John Ramsey, Bernina of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City, Okla.

The 2009 Top Five Single-Store Dealer Awards were given to:

Ervin and Ella Mae Zimmerman, Hinkletown Sewing Machine Shop, Ephrata, Pa.
Leon and Linda Hoover, Hoover’s Bernina Sew, Mifflinburg, Pa.
Regina Owen, Gina’s Bernina Sewing Center, Knoxville, Tenn.
Timothy and Lois Hoover, Top Stitch Sewing Service, Barnett, Mo.

Merrily Parker of Merrily We Quilt Along, Springfield, Mo., received the 2009 Rookie of the Year Award, which recognizes the new dealer from BERNINA’s Class of 2008 that best incorporated lessons of BERNINA dealer training into its operation, and that delivered impressive 2009 sales volume, market share, merchandising, customer service and educational support.

“Our New Dealer Training program is designed to educate and motivate our newest members to ensure their first year with BERNINA is a success,” said Martin Favre, president of BERNINA of America. “This accolade celebrates Merrily’s achievements in implementing the business development strategies she learned at BERNINA University, as well as her commitment to innovation.”

Along with this Rookie of the Year Award, Parker and her staff were the Grand Prize Winners of the One Million Pillowcase Dealer Challenge. They collected more than 5,000 pillowcases that were donated to the Child Advocacy Center in Springfield, Mo. from March through May 2010.

“BERNINA has always been the only sewing machine for me. I waited five years to become a dealer, and was happy to have lived up to BERNINA’s expectations as a new dealer,” said Parker.

BERNINA also announced 2009 District Dealer of the Year Award winners from the company’s 11 districts. They include:

Robin Parker and Pamela Dunn, Robin’s Sewing Shoppe, Hoover, Ala.
Barb Perry, Aurora Sewing Center, E. Aurora and Williamsville, N.Y.
Terri Gunn, Quilt Quarters, Carmel, Ind.
Judy Munro, Bear’s Paw Fabrics Inc., Towson, Md.
Karen French, The French Seam, Stuttgart, Arkansas
Patrick and Cathy Morin, Bernina Sewing Machine Station, Brentwood, Tenn.
Laurie Mangold, Sew Special Quilts, San Antonio, Texas
Edward Leone Jr., Eddie’s Quilting Bee, Sunnyvale, Calif.
Jenny Yannone, The Sewing Palace, Helena, Mont.
Jean Graham, Quilter’s Haven LLC, Rosemount, Minn.
Marsha Cowen, Bernina Sewing and Design Center, Las Cruces, N.M.

Independent Shop News, News Release Bernina, Members

THE CLUBHOUSE: A NEW TWIST ON TRADITIONAL QUILTING

Michael Miller and Swirly Girls design have teamed up to create a new program, the Clubhouse. Read more in the press release below.

Michael Miller Fabrics and Swirly Girls Design come together to create a new quilting club called The Clubhouse.  This collaboration draws upon the strengths of both parties.   With the sophisticated fabric design by Michael Miller and the innovative quilt design by the Swirly Girls, quilt stores will be excited to sign up for 12 months of fun.

Members of the The Clubhouse will make a different section of the quilt each month.  In addition, there will be supplemental projects that stores will be able to download from the website.  The website will also give fun tips on how to run your club each month.  With a French influence, the premier Clubhouse fabric collection is appropriately called “Bonnes Amies” which is translated to “Good Friends”.   With two different color palettes, members will have choices that suit their personal tastes.

“We wanted to design a quilt club program that combines traditional quilting techniques with contemporary fabrics and provide shops with the tools they need to run a successful club” says Susan Emory of Swirly Girls Design.

Susan Emory has owned the quilt shop Quilter’s Corner in Midlothian, VA since 2006.  Susan partnered with Christine Van Buskirk in 2008 to form the pattern design company, Swirly Girls Design.   Swirly Girls Design creates quilt patterns that are distributed to independent quilt stores internationally.

Michael Miller Fabrics has been in business for 11 years and is one of the leading fabric suppliers in the industry.  The company’s success can be attributed to the innovative styling by Kathy Miller, President and Design Director at Michael Miller Fabrics.  She says, “Brainstorming with the Swirly Girls to create this ‘new’ take on a quilt club has been a fabric designers dream.  I love the creative chain that happens  - first we brainstorm, sharing our thoughts on design and color,  get all psyched up, the designs evolve and then I hand it over to Susan and Christine and they carry the vision through.  It’s the perfect partnership.”

The creative intelligence brought together from both Michael Miller Fabrics and Swirly Girls Design has produced The Clubhouse.  Creativity, fun and friends are the words that best describe the foundation that the club is built on.  The Clubhouse will be a place where members will look forward to come and be creative while spending time with friends.

For more information on The Clubhouse, go to www.michaelmillerfabrics.com or call 212-704-0774

Product Release Michael Miller, Swirly Girls

October 2010 Releases from C & T

Elly Sienkiewicz’s Beloved Baltimore Album Quilts		All-Star Quilts • Helen Frost & Blanche Young		The Ultimate Appliqué Guidebook • Annie Smith

Scandinavian Stitches • Kajsa Wikman		The Practical Guide to Patchwork • Elizabeth Hartman		Carol Doak’s Keepsake Frame Cards

Product Release books, c & t

Sullivan’s Introduces ZlideOn by Fix-a-Zip

Sullivan’s USA recently sent us this announcement about the ZlideOn, a product that helps repair zippers.

The innovative discovery of the ZlideOn now makes it possible to repair zippers in seconds! All this without replacing the entire zipper, you only have to remove the old slider and replace it with the matching ZlideOn, and your zipper has been repaired. ZlideOn is available in 3 different colors, in more than 5 sizes and suitable for every zipper material; metal, plastic, coil and invisible coil.

Shopowners may purchase by contacting Sullivans USA. Phone 800-862-8586.

Product Release Sullivans

Quilting Treasures Laila by Laura Ashley

Quilting Treasures is excited to present to you Laura Ashley’s latest fabric collection! Laila is a 16 piece group traditional quilting group done in a rich green and purple palette that will certainly whet the creative appetite of your readers! These fabrics will make a luxurious bed ensemble or a sophisticated throw quilt to accent a living room. Fabric will be available in early December.

21400 AG	21399 EV
21401 F	21400 AV
21402 G	21401 Purple
21403 GV	21402 V
21405 L lilac	21404 H
21405 G	21405 E
21406 E	21405 V
21406 V	21406 F

Product Release fabric, Laila, Laura Ashley, quilt, Quilted Treasures