Sew What? Goes International

Naturally, since Sew What? is a U.S. company, the majority of our customers are also in the U.S.  We make soft goods for schools and churches, theatres and special event companies all across the country.  But did you know that our custom stage curtains, digitally printed backdrops, and theatrical supplies can be seen across the globe?

As you know, we have provided soft goods to the tours of a number of well-known recording artists.  In many cases, those goods are used not only for the North American portion of the tour (including Canada), but on other continents as well.  In some cases, we even make custom drapery specifically for the European leg of the tour, such as with the mixed media cut drop we made for Lady Gaga.

What I find particularly exciting, however, is when we are discovered by a production designer in another country.  One example is Peter Young, the well-known European music producer, designer and drummer.  A few years ago, Peter (also known as Takis Kouvatseas) was producing and designing the European tour of Greek / Cypriot pop star Anna Vissi and was looking for just the right soft goods company.  He discovered Sew What? through our website, contacted us, and the next thing we knew, we were turning his vision into reality.   Since then, we have worked with Peter to provide drapery for several other projects, primarily in Greece.

Another exciting international project that we did was for the production of “The Gospel at Colonus” at the 2006 Vienna Music Festival.  This project included colored voiles, crushed satin, and buillion trim and rope  to create a multi-layered effect.  To me, the showstopper was the gorgeous digitally printed medallion that we created using designer Alison Yerxa’s beautiful artwork – just incredible!

And it’s exciting to find that we are recognized in the news as a “player” in the international market.  U.S. News and World Report included an article on us in their July 31, 2006, issue, in which they called Sew What? a “global brand,” and we even got a mention in Denmark’s “Backstage” magazine (in Danish, of course). 

When I think about it, though, it really isn’t all that surprising that Sew What? has “gone international.”  While we may be based in the United States, the reality is that we really are a global company.  After all, Megan (company founder and president) immigrated to the U.S. from Australia, Adam (CFO) came from New Zealand, and many of our staff are immigrants from Mexico and Latin America.  We really are a melting pot – and so I think that gives us a greater ability to expand our focus beyond the U.S. border and out into the world.

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Mixed Media for Mariah

Recently we did a fun project for Mariah Carey, for her four-show gig in September and October at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas.  The designer came to us with a unique mixed media concept – an ethereal floral drape evoking cherry blossoms in the garden.  It sounded challenging, but we knew we could pull it off.

We started with clear vinyl.  After printing the vinyl with a series of different colored dots, we cut the vinyl into narrow strips, in lengths ranging from 9′ high to 20′ high.  Then, using hundreds of white silk flowers, our crew meticulously attached the flowers onto the vinyl strips, with larger and smaller flowers attached just so.  What seemed like random placement was actually well thought out – those printed color dots determined flower placement, with each color indicating which flower size was to be attached in each location on the vinyl strips.

To add to the look, we digitally printed 30 butterflies onto clear vinyl, cut them out, and attached them “randomly” on the vinyl strips, as if butterflies were flitting from flower to flower.

Webbing headers were used to turn layers of these flower & butterfly strips into drapes, with a layer of sheer stretch net fabric added strategically to some of the sections for a diffused look.  Our sister company, Rent What?, also provided a stunning element to the show, with gorgeous swags and legs from their Silver Satin Series.  

I think it turned out beautiful.  Want to see the finished look?  Check this video of one of the September shows.

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Travelling for Work

I was surfing the Internet recently – a late night habit I have developed – and struck upon some travel commentary.  It reminded me just how much I love to travel – and in turn got me thinking about all the amazing travel opportunities I have had which have been work related.  International and domestic – I admit to having had a pretty good run of it.

GREECE – yes- you heard correctly – 14 days in fact on board a luxury cruise liner visiting Mediterranean locations as exotic as Santorini and Venice, even stopping in Corfu just in time for the breaking of the pottery urns at Easter time.  I was not sewing stage draperies at the time – rather was a project coordinator for a privately chartered sales incentive program – back in 1993 or so when there were budgets for such extravaganzas.  These days they don’t go to Greece – they just serve Feta on the salad in an attempt to give some international flair.

NEW YORK CITY – the Big Apple – a product launch.  As a selected speaker for the launch of the Dell Computer Vostro computer lineup, I had the pleasure of visiting the top floor of the Reuters building and seeing our company posted on the LED billboard in Times Square.  Amazing!

BARCELONA – the Olympic Stadium was new, just post-Olympics, and then there was the trip to the convent on a Sunday to take fresh eggs to the nuns – a village tradition.  This time in charge of a large drapery installation amongst other elements for a privately sponsored event, this work trip left me with memories of La Segrada Familia and a fond appreciation for all things Gaudi.

CANCUN – Oh my – building a tent on the beach in the middle of college spring break.  Is it OK if I try to forget this “gig” memory?  Thanks.  I think we should let it go quietly.

TURKEY – I departed a cruise ship in Kusadasi after 5 days on board.  This time doing  a large upholstery project singlehandedly – it was a work-all-night-and-sleep-all-day kind of scenario.  No matter, however – with the time difference between there and America, it was easy to work the schedule.  I covered several hundred running feet of ducting with flame retardant Sunbrella® brand fabric – hard work but rewarding.

NEW ORLEANS – there were hurricanes – lots of them.  And I am not  talking about wind and rain.  WOW – New Orleans is a really hard city to stay focused in when it comes to deciding whether to work…or eat crocodile.

BRUSSELS – Not sewing concert curtains – but SPEAKING!  Yes – I was invited to speak in Brussels at an IFAI conference, on the subject of wide format digital printing.  This was a terrific experience where I met some very educated people on the subjects of “smart” and “intelligent” textiles.

So – my point here, I think, is that I have been fortunate indeed – to have been invited to work on high profile projects, in interesting places.  My grandparents and parents alike loved to travel – Adam and I have the bug too – so I picked the right profession, you might say.

Next……the stars?  Oh no – I am already reaching for them.

Megan

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Interested in Theatre Lighting?

While we make custom stage curtains, scrims, backdrops, etc., for many of the biggest music tours around (who employ some amazing lighting designers and techs), we also provide soft goods to people at small schools and churches who may have limited knowledge of stage lighting.  For those folks, I thought I’d list some resources on the subject that we find especially helpful or interesting.

BOOKS (recommended by Megan Duckett and linked to Amazon)

“A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting,” by Steven Louis Shelley

“Designing with Light,” by J. Michael Gillette

“Technical Theater for Non-Technical People,” by Drew Campbell

WEBSITES

OnStageLighting:  A terrific site from the UK with a variety of articles on stage lighting techniques, equipment, etc.  It is described as a blog, but if so, this is the most comprehensive blog I have ever seen!  There is a very extensive list of articles & tutorials on a wide variety of lighting-related topics.

Professional Lighting & Production Magazine:  This is the website of a Canadian print magazine.  It is a little cumbersome to read the articles (you have to open up a special online edition of the printed magazine and flip the digital pages as you read), but there are some good articles to be found if you persevere.  The bookstore and resources links are also helpful (Note: if you are in the US, you might want to browse the books and then try searching  for them on Amazon or through another US bookstore).

PLSN Projection, Lights and Staging News:  This is the website of one of the two major lighting and staging magazines in the US.  All articles in the current issue are online in an easily-accessible webpage format, online archives, and prior issues in PDF.  Plus there are extras such as a job posting page, Tips and Tricks and more.

Live Design:  This is the website of the other major magazine in the US devoted to the subject of lighting, sound, and staging.  Lots of good information on the site, well-organized according to production type (such as theatre, concerts, etc.) and with a good archive of online articles from prior issues.

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Stevie Awards

A big congratulations to Megan Duckett, President of Sew What?, for being named a finalist for a 2009 Stevie Award for Woman in Business in the “Best Entrepreneur – Service Businesses – Up to 100 Employees – Other Industries” category.

This is not the first time that Megan and Sew What? have been recognized by the Stevie Awards.  Megan was a finalist in this same category in 2008, and in 2007, Sew What? won the Stevie Award for “Most Innovative Company of the Year.”

The 2009 winners will be announced on November 13th – keep your fingers crossed for Megan!

If you are not familiar with the Stevie Awards, they were “created to honor and generate public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and business people worldwide.”

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A Family Business

I have always loved to cook (my mother taught herself to cook watching Julia Child and then taught me starting at about 5).  When I was in my early twenties, I dreamed of owning my own restaurant, so I went to culinary school to become a chef and study restaurant management.  When I got out and started to work in the industry, I realized how hard the life of a chef is, especially a chef-restauranteur.  Working 18 hours a day, 6 days a week (or more) – and, as the restaurant owner, everything is on your shoulders.  Fairly quickly I set that dream aside and pursued other goals.  But I have always recognized that it takes a special kind of person to own and run a small business.  Megan and Adam Duckett are two of them.

Throughout this blog, there are bits and pieces of the company’s history (both from Megan and from myself), but I realize that many readers may not realize that the owners are actually a married couple.  While Megan started the company on her kitchen table, her husband Adam (also a former roadie) later joined the company.  In terms of roles, Megan is President and focuses primarily on marketing and sales, while Adam serves as Chief Financial Officer with a focus on production and operations.

I have so much admiration for the two of them, that they have built this company to its current level, and that they continue to strive for growth and improvement.  Running a small business takes a lot of hard work and dedication – and sometimes it means being here late into the night or throughout the weekend.  Anyone who can manage to maintain that level of dedication throughout the years and still be excited and inspired for growth definitely deserves accolades. 

Add marriage and parenthood to the mix, and in my mind, it is even more impressive.  Most couples spend their days apart, and then come together at home in the evening and on weekends.  Megan and Adam are, for the most part, together 24/7, between work and personal time (oh – not literally – but you get the picture).  That can be stressful for a couple – but somehow they manage to make it work.

Maybe someday I’ll be ready to own my own business (don’t ask me what kind of business – definitely not a restaurant!), maybe I never will.  But if I do, I hope I do half as good a job as Megan and Adam have done (and continue to do) here at Sew What?

Note: There was a terrific story about them published in the “Palos Verdes Peninsula News” a few years ago – check it out in the Sew What? News Archive – I think you’ll find it an inspiring story.

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Focus On: Austrian and Braille Curtains

Austrian and Braile Curtains are generally used as Front Curtains (aka Main or Act Curtains), when theatre personnel would like to fly the Main Curtain but have little or no loft space. 

When a traditional backdrop or curtain is flown into the loft, an amount of loft space in excess of the height of the curtain (plus the batten or whatever it is hung on) is required.  For example, a curtain that is 20 feet high might require at least 21 or 22 feet of loft space, or even more, depending on the sight line of the audience.  In the case of an Austrian or Braille, however, the drape gathers upon itself as it opens, requiring little space in the loft – when in the full open (raised) position, it can easily be hidden behind a proscenium or border, taking up very little loft space.

Through the use of a series of lift lines on the back of the curtain, the Austrian or Braille is raised and lowered, with the bottom of the curtain drawing up against itself as it makes its way to the top.  This is similar to the Contour Curtain.  However, in the case of the Contour Curtain, differing amounts of lift are used on the liftlines, giving the curtain the contoured effect.  With an Austrian, equal amounts of lift are given to all of the lift lines, so that the entire curtain raises and lowers in a smooth, fast, and even fashion.

What is the difference between an Austrian and a Braille?  Both use the same lift line system, and both raise and lower in the same manner.  The difference is in the fullness and how the drape appears in the lowered (closed) position.  When down, a Braille Curtain resembles a regular curtain with fullness (similar to a pleated traveller curtain).  An Austrian, however, has additional horizontal fullness created by gathering the fabric along the vertical seams, creating a series of swags even when the drape is in the lowered position. 

Typical fabric choices include theatrical satin and silky chiffon.  Austrian and Braille Curtains required motorized rigging systems to allow the liftlines to be raised and lowered simultaneously in a quick and smooth fashion.

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Featured in a Blog

As I spend most of my blog time writing for this blog rather than reading other blogs, it was fun to get a Google Alert today showing that our company has been featured in the blog “Learn 2 Sew Florida.”

This looks like a fun and interesting blog about sewing – I am looking forward to reading it in more depth.

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Focus On: Double Kabuki Drapes

A couple of weeks, in my post on Single Kabuki Drapes, I promised that I would do another post on Double Kabukis.  Well, here you go!

A Single Kabuki allows a single release – the drape is hanging, the solenoids are released, and the kabuki drops to the ground.  With a Double Kabuki, through the use of either two sets of solenoids or one set in which each solenoid has two pins, a double release occurs. 

Initially, the kabuki is not seen by the audience.  It is hanging high up near the truss, enclosed in what is called a diaper.  For the first release, the first set of solenoids (or one set of pins) is released, and the bottom of the Kabuki drops toward the stage, allowing the audience to see the Kabuki.   On the second release, the second set of solenoids (or pins) releases the top of the kabuki (and in some cases the diaper) , which then drops to the ground.

A Double Kabuki is made in a very similar way to a Single Kabuki, with velcro on the top front and back, but doesn’t have velcro on the bottom.  The major difference is that a Double Kabuki also includes a diaper. A diaper is a soft good that is sewn at the same width as the Kabuki, but is only around 24″ high (this can vary depending on the fabric used on the Kabuki as well as the height of the Kabuki).   The top of the diaper is attached to the top back of the Kabuki, between the fabric and the Velcro.  The bottom of the diaper has velcro on the front and back.

To set up the Double Release of the Kabuki, the Kabuki is laid flat, front side up.  It is then rolled from the bottom to the top, until it is encased in the diaper like a sling.  Velcro D-rings are then attached to the top of the Kabuki/Diaper and to the bottom of the diaper.  The Velcro D-Rings on the top of the Kabuki are hung on one set of solenoid pins and the Velcro D-rings on the bottom of the diaper are hung on the second set of solenoid pins, leaving the Kabuki hanging unseen in a hammock high above the stage.

For the first release, the pins holding the D-Rings attached to the bottom of the diaper retract.  This causes the bottom of the diaper to drop behind and the Kabuki to unroll toward the stage.  For the second release, the pins holding the D-rings attached to the top of the Kabuki/diaper retract, and the Kabuki drops to the stage floor.

When might a Double Kabuki be used rather than a Single Kabuki?  Well, let’s say that a band has a dramatic printed backdrop, but they don’t want it to hang for the entire show.  Instead, they want it to be used only for part of the show (maybe even for just one song).  The band can start the show without the backdrop. 

When the desired time comes, the first release occurs and the printed backdrop suddenly appears as if from nowhere.  When the song or show section ends, the Kabuki then drops to the floor.

Another example of stage magic.  Pretty cool, don’t you think?

There’s one more related item, called the Poor Man’s Kabuki, but I’ll tell you about that in a future post.

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Small Business Madness

Lately I have been feeling both humbled and thankful.   We have been busy selling.  Very busy.  While witnessing personal family friends relocate to Nebraska having lost both job and home, our team has worked extra hours on nights and weekends to keep up with client needs.  We are fortunate indeed.  Dedicated too – but I recognize that dedication is not enough.

It has prompted me to ask myself – what is the differentiator in a floundering economy that causes one business to fail while another finds growth?  Is there one single factor that assures measurable success?

What is it that keeps the phone ringing, and how do you keep vendor / client relations fresh? – is it just service?  Does knowing what you’re selling make any difference – or does price point seal all deals?  All clients needs are different.  So it is a function of understanding what is best for each and every project on a case by case basis.  There is no “one size fits all.”  And no one catalog or fabric swatch card to suit all needs.  While we are small, we are mighty in our ability to personalize our services…and turn on a dime.  I no longer think that “bigger is better” – rather, that “better is best.”

Like my parents told me, you can’t have your cake and eat it too – so invariably premium quality and low price don’t usually meet on a single contract.  But that seems to suit our clientele – we are not the low price leader – rather a supplier of premium products for clients wanting professionalism, quality, timeliness and value.

I am very thankful for the loyal clientele, many of whom we consider to be dear friends, who have brought their business to us over the years.  I along with all Americans hope that the economic climate continues to improve so that our family, friends, clients and vendors may all find growth and success in their chosen fields.

Megan

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