Welcome back everyone!
Have you ever seen “Zipper Day” on a calendar? Well, at The Quilting Connection we do!
One of our staff members noticed it recently and suggested I share just what “Zipper Day” is along with all the wonderful Quick Zip™ zipper options available to you! It’s a “behind the scenes” look that may give you another perspective of The Quilting Connection.
The Quick Zip Zipper System™ – A short history
Back when my mom, Sue, and my grandmother started out, they shared one longarm machine.
Now, you know that if you’re pinning your quilt back and top to the leaders of your longarm, it can take a while. You also know that once the quilt is pinned on, it stays on until the quilting is done.
When you’re sharing a machine, that pinning time becomes significant! Mom would start early in the morning to get her quilt going, and my grandma would stay up late finishing her quilt to get it off the frame! Resulting challenge … minimizing loading time to maximize quilting time.
Well, my “Mama MacGyver” came up with an answer … the Quick Zip Zipper System™! She had noticed zippers being used in other applications and began experimenting with using them to load the backs and tops of her quilts.
The zippers not only saved time, but Mom and my grandma also felt better physically … definitely less backaches! They also noticed less wear and tear on the canvas leaders of their longarm machine. This zipper thing had possibilities!
Challenges were encountered along the way, of course.
You have to develop a market for your new concept. Would you believe Sue’s first opportunity to sell zippers at a quilt show was out of a suitcase in the lobby? ‘Gotta start somewhere!
Fortunately, the Quick Zip System™ took off, and we now sell our zipper sets across the country and internationally. But those zipper sets don’t put themselves together so periodically you’ll see “Zipper Day” on our calendar!
What happens on “Zipper Day?”
Here’s what our work area looked like as we began our last zipper day.
We bagged a variety of a few hundred zipper sets, all 132” in length on this day. When inventory demands, we’ll add more personnel and produce even more zipper sets of multiple sizes all in one day. I can dream zippers!
As you might suspect, we have to follow a process to keep everything organized and inventory accurate.
We stamp each zipper with our contact information. Where applicable, we stamp how the zipper is to be used. (If you own a Quick Zip set, you’re familiar with the “Pin to: Top Fabric, Bottom Left Side” type of reminder.) And of course, we have to note the length of the zipper.
Once the sets are assembled to spec, zippers are bagged, paperwork is inserted if applicable, bags are labeled appropriately and then stored in the corresponding inventory drawer.
Welcome to my zipper world!
Endless possibilities!
Most of you deal with one length of zipper … whichever size matches the leaders of your machine. If you’re one of the wonderful quilters that rent time on our machines, you have 132” zippers.
But did you know we supply zippers in nine standard sizes? We stock zippers in lengths of 156”, 144”, 132”, 126”, 118”, 114”, 108”, 90” and 55”. We also create custom size zipper sets for those that need them!
And while our leaders are branded as Handi Quilter, we can customize zipper sets to be compatible with other brands of longarm systems. (Of course, you’ll find Quick Zip zippers on our APQS machines!) We even fit zippers to hand quilting frames that use canvas leaders!
Okay, so we inventory zipper systems for nine standard sizes. But that doesn’t mean we just have nine different items to inventory. We provide different types of zipper sets for each zipper size to best meet your needs!
For example, when you first bought your longarm system, you probably included a machine set of zippers on your order. This gave you the three half zippers that are attached to your longarm’s leaders along with the three half zippers you need for your quilt back and top.
If you’re a renter who’s completed our Beginning Renter Class, you received a renter’s set of zippers. It includes the three zipper halves you need to pin to your quilt back and the top, plus a printed instruction booklet showing how to attach the zippers.
If you like to prepare multiple quilts to load on either your own or our longarm machines in one sitting/appointment, you probably own another quilt set of zippers. A quilt set also includes the three zipper halves you need to pin to your quilt back and top, but without the instructions.
Those are our three most commonly ordered zipper sets, but we also carry flip set (or “oops”) zippers, full float machine sets for those who don’t use zippers on their quilt tops, full float renter and quilt sets, unmarked single zipper sets, and other assorted zipper combinations. (See our website for all the details.)
As you can imagine, all these zipper combinations take up a good deal of inventory space. Here’s a glimpse of what inventorying our full range of zippers involves!
Additional zipper-related notes
While we carry zippers of various lengths, the only size you need is the length that best fits your machine’s leaders. You’ll use this length zipper regardless of the size project you’re quilting. The key is matching the midpoints of your quilt back and top with the midpoints marked on your leaders’ zippers.
(For example: If you have a 12’ frame, you’ll most likely use 132” zippers. You’ll use this length of zippers regardless of what size project you’re quilting … baby, lap, queen, etc.)
If you have two or more small projects that you’d like to quilt with the same design and thread, you can sew the matching length backs side-by-side and use one set of zippers to load the backs on the frame. Free-float the tops (i.e., don’t use zippers on the quilt tops, just baste the edges as you normally would) and edge-to-edge across all the projects at once.
If you have two or more small projects that you’d like to use different thread and/or designs to complete, sew matching width backs together one on top of the other and use one set of zippers to load the quilt backs. Again, free-float each quilt top on the appropriate quilt back, changing design and/or thread as you roll to the fabric for the next project.
One of the types of zippers I listed above is the flip or “oops” zipper. A common mistake is accidentally pinning zippers on backwards. Rather than unpinning and redoing the zippers, we can attach a flip zipper to the original zipper. This allows us to properly attach the quilt back or top to the frame.
HOWEVER, there are additional uses for the flip zippers!
For example, if you use a thick specialty thread such as Superior’s Razzle Dazzle, the thread must run through the bobbin. In this case, your quilt top must face down with your quilt back on top. Using the “oops” zipper allows you to easily flip the quilt to accomplish this.
Finally, we offer wholesale pricing to shops that rent time to quilters on their longarm machine(s) or that resell the Quick Zip Zipper System™ in their shops. Please visit our website and contact us for more information.
Okay, before I have YOU dreaming about zippers, we’ll move on. Now, I have a special request to ask of you.
Posting Reviews
Positive online reviews are very important to small businesses like The Quilting Connection. Google reviews help people find us through Google searches. They also help potential customers decide which companies they want to learn more about and possibly buy from.
Filling out online Google Reviews and product reviews on our website will help us build our online presence and reputation! So if you’d care to assist, I’ll share a little ‘how to’ information.
Google Reviews
Google reviews are made up of two parts, a star-rating and a written opinion. The star-rating is required, but the written opinion is optional.
Basically, there are three ways to post a review.
The first is posting a review through doing a Google Search. To do this:
1. Open your internet browser on your computer.
2. Search for The Quilting Connection in Google. On the right side of the screen, you’ll see our business profile.
3. Click on the Reviews link next to the stars.
4. A pop-up will open showing our existing reviews. In the upper right corner, you’ll see a “Write a Review” button.
5. Click on this button and you’ll be able to enter a star-rating and make additional comments if you’d like.
If you’re more a cell person, you can also post a review via your mobile device.
1. Search for The Quilting Connection.
2. When our business information box appears, click the “Reviews” button.
3. Below “Google review summary,” you’ll see “Rate and Review.”
4. Click the number of stars you want to rate us at and add any additional information you’d like to share.
5. Click “Post.”
Finally, you can also leave a Google Review through Google Maps. Search for The Quilting Connection. When our business information appears, follow the steps listed above to create and post your review.
We truly appreciate your help with this. Not only does leaving Google Reviews build our online ranking, but they also help us build our brand and allow us to collect more feedback from you. We want to do everything we can to best meet your needs!
Website Product Reviews
You may have also noticed that you can write a review from each of the product pages on our website.
Since this post has focused on our Quick Zip system, I’ve grabbed a partial screen shot of one of those pages.
Under the item name and price, you see a star-rating, the number of reviews we’ve currently received for this product and a “Write a Review” link.
If you click the “## reviews” link, the screen will scroll down so you can see the star-ratings and comments we’ve received so far for this product.
By clicking the “Write a Review” link, a pop-up box will open allowing you to enter a star-rating and additional comments for this product.
By completing these product reviews, you’ll be providing helpful feedback to both other Quilting Connection customers and us. Again, we want to do everything possible to best meet your quilting needs!
Okay, I’ve covered two major topics in this post: Quick Zip™ zipper systems and reviews. Thanks for staying with me!
I’ll wrap up with a short summary of upcoming August classes and events.
August Classes
The Handi Quilter van is coming into both Appleton and Elkhorn fully equipped with longarm machines to give you an exceptional, hands-on training experience!
Advanced Free-Motion Class with Wendy Fuller August 21st – Appleton
Basic Pro-Stitcher with Angie Dugan August 28th – Elkhorn
Advanced Pro-Stitcher with Angie Dugan August 22nd – Appleton
August 29th – Elkhorn
Longarm Bootcamp August 23rd & 24th – Appleton
August 26th & 27th – Elkhorn
See our website for more information!
August Events
Saturday, August 10th / Sunday, August 11th
Darting Needles Quilt Show, Appleton, WI
Fox Valley Lutheran High School, 5300 N. Meade Street
Saturday 10 AM – 4 PM / Sunday 10 AM – 3 PM
Admission $8.00 / day (children 16 and under free)
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Saturday, August 10th
Lutherdale Quilt Auction, Elkhorn, WI
9 AM – 3 PM
So much is going on!
As always, if you have ANY questions or want additional information about ANY of the products and services we offer, please call us at (262) 723-6775 or email us at info@QuiltingConnection.com.
You can also visit us online at QuiltingConnection.com or in person at 21 Adams Street in Elkhorn, WI (usually M-F 9-4, please call to confirm we’re open) or 1017 W. Northland in Appleton, WI (W, Th & F 10-4, S 10-3).
Finally, check out our blog at QuiltingConnection.com/blog and our Facebook posts.
Please share your thoughts and questions. I’d love to hear from you!
Angie