I had fun catching up with Nadine Knecht

(I promise to get a photo of her storefront here soon!)

Retail partner update: I met with Nadine Knecht last week and she filled me in on the Q-bot and as soon as I figure out to post the flyer she sent me, I will. Much of this is in the newsletter but I had to cut cut cut to keep the word count down to a dull roar. She emailed me with all her news so you have it from Herself.

"Here is a synopsis of our life in retail these days...feel free to delete anything you think does not apply to your write-up...

RETAIL HISTORY AND What's new in 2008!
Opened for business in 1994 inside Joann Fabrics in Fayetteville. Currently on Bridge Street (formally known as Manlius Center Rd. - 690E, exit 17 Left onto Bridge Street and we are 1/2 mile down on the left hand side in the Dewitt Design Home Center Plaza - a brick L-shaped plaza). We are a Pfaff Supreme Dealer specializing in machines, software, quilting machines, frames and education.

This year we started KreateCafe where we hold a monthly demonstration on the last Tuesday of the month (from 10am-6pm) and the public can stop by anytime between those times to get a full demonstration of the mixed media or stitch art technique of the month. We are introducing the art quilt techniques and mix media quilting to quilters and garment sew-ers alike.
This year we also introduced KreativeKindness...Keeping Sewing Growing in Syracuse! ...One machine a time. We take the public's nomination for someone in their life who they think deserves a new Pfaff sewing machine. Each month, we select a winner based on the stories emailed to us. We arrange a surprise delivery to the selected nomination, with the help of the person who nominated them. The unsuspecting person is presented with a KreativeKindess award certificate and brand new Pfaff sewing machine.

Our new class list is out and we are also busily planning Quilting Art classes to get sewers and quilters thinking out the box! We have also been busy traveling and taking classes. Our most recent trip was to Cleveland where we met with the designer of QBOT to be one of ten Pfaff dealers from around the country to train and test one the of the most exciting product launches planned for 2008! Look for our QBOT demonstration and company survey at the Quilter's Holiday 2008 June 13, 14 &15th at the Driver's Village Conference Center in North Syracuse.

This year I am busily designing and preparing to launch our first embroidery design collection under the Cactus Punch Designer Series label. The collection is packed with new techniques for both embroidery machine owners and quilters as we combine new medias and methods and bring them to the machine hoop! I will be teaching these techniques in hands-on classes in Dallas in August and then heading to Quilt Market in Houston to teach shop owners the techniques so they can train embroidery machine owners and quilters in their area.

In June we will head to LosAngeles where we will be featured in Kraft Foods "Celebrating 100 Extraordinary Women" project. Not anything I would have expected to be part of but something I can't help remind my husband of daily! You will see that appearing in People, InStyle and RealSimple magazine publications.

Although not as often due to my crazy new schedule of events, you can still see Knecht's Sewing appear on Bridge Street on Channel 9... love to do it as it keeps me creating new projects.

Well anyway, you can see we are busting at the seams in our little space in East Syracuse but we're having a ball and our main focus still remains to creatively inspire women we meet everyday and to help them color a bit outside the lines!

It was nice to talk to you yesterday...I apologize for so many little interruptions. Some days I feel like a waitress where I am running from table to table! I am doing the ad next for you...
Thanks for everything! -Nadine"