Evolution of a Website

Have you ever heard of  The Internet Archive Wayback Machine?  (Yes – named after Mr. Peabody’s Wayback Machine on the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show).  We have just discovered it, and it is seriously cool – it crawls through the Internet and grabs snapshots of websites and then archives them for future reference. 

For example, if a website started in 2006, you might see a list of numerous “snapshots” of the site throughout 2006, 2007, 2008, and up until the present.  Click on one of the links, and up pops the website as of the date listed.  We looked up www.sewwhatinc.com, and the results brought back a lot of memories and reflections on the evolution of the website. 

Prior to 2002, Megan had not even considered having a website.  Most of her business had been built by word of mouth.  However, one day she lost a bid on a large order, despite offering the lowest bid and highest quality.  The potential client told her that, without a website, Sew What? did not have credibility in the marketplace.  It was then that Megan bought a book on basic website design, went home, and over a single weekend built our first website.   Take a look at an August 2002 version:

By September 2004, the website had grown and improved.  Megan had taken a class in web design and had purchased more advanced web design software.  The design was a little more polished, and we even had flash photos, fabric eSwatches, and a greater variety of content.  

Despite the improvements to the website, it was still a “homegrown” product with a stock design template – and the design didn’t really capture the spirit of Sew What?  Enter Chris Sandberg and his marvelously creative team at Star Marketing, who, after many meetings and discussions with Megan, developed a branding strategy for Sew What? that included, among many other things, a logo (the familiar yellow and black question mark) and a brand new website.  Pretty snazzy, don’t ya think?

At first glance, our website today doesn’t look much different from the December 2005 version, but in reality, we have added quite a bit.  In 2007, we added a video portfolio, giving viewers a chance to see our custom stage drapes “in action” without navigating to an outside website, and as you know, in 2009, we added this blog.

We are continually looking for ways to improve the way we reach people via the Internet.  We utilize SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques to make it easier for our clients (and potential clients) to find us and the information they are looking for (thanks to Cindy McMahen at Search Marketing Pros for her continuing help with these efforts).  We are continually adding new content to the site and removing any content that we find is no longer relevant to our clients.  As with any good website, www.sewwhatinc.com is, and always will be, a work in progress – and it really is amazing to see how it has progressed in the last eight years!

Sew What? Star of the Month – April 2010

Meet Ray, Company Van Driver

Ray has been with Sew What? for 2 months

If you could take a vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go, and why?  Germany (Octoberfest!)

Who is your favorite recording artist?  Rage Against the Machine

Do you have a special talent?  I think I’m funny (not funny looking!)

What is your favorite movie or TV show?  Rush Hour 1, 2 and 3

What is your favorite memory from Sew What?   Karaoke Day!  (Note: Ray is referring to our celebration of Elvis Presley’s birthday, in which we all dressed in costume as Elvis or Priscilla and sang Elvis songs on a Karaoke machine during lunch time).

Happy First Anniversary

I just took a look, and yesterday marked the one year anniversary of this blog.  I can’t believe an entire year has gone by since that first post day.

In looking back on the 130+ entries we have post in that year – from myself, Megan Duckett, and Silvia Soler, I am proud of the content we have offered.  We have provided educational information on custom stage curtains and other theatrical and special event products, we have described (and provided pictures) some amazing projects that we have been fortunate to work on, we have given insight into the evolution of the company and its founder, and we have introduced you to many of our exceptional staff members.

Here are just a few of my personal favorites:

Projects

Rent What? does the Mark and Brian Christmas Show (great photos of a Silver Satin Series Austrian)

Check out this Metal Mesh photo!  (the drape looks like a painting at the Decemberists show)

Mixed Media Backdrop.  What’s that?  (examples of mixed media backdrops we made for Lady Gaga, Motley Crue, and Soulja Boy)

Education

Focus On: Top Finishes (really, I like all of the “Focus On” posts – they are geared toward helping the novice navigate the world of theatrical drapery)

Exhibit Booths (an overview of how pipe and drape is used to create trade show booths)

Interested in Theatre Lighting? (a brief guide to educational resources online and in print)

Anything on the subject of Flame Retardancy (my pet topic)

Company

Lucky Break: From Coffins to Concerts… (Megan describes the events that lead to the founding of Sew What? Inc.)

Sew What? Rockin’ T-Shirt (I loved showing off the incredible graphics by John Rios)

Sew What? Star of the Month – Nov 09 (actually, I am proud to post on all of our monthly “stars”, as well as our staff anniversaries)

We hope that you have enjoyed reading this blog as much as we have enjoyed writing it – if you’ll keep reading, we’ll keep writing!

The Big Picture

You may recall the post I did in late December about the terrific backdrop we made for Brian Setzer’s “Christmas Rocks! Extravaganza” tour.  Well, around the same time, Megan was interviewed by The Big Picture, a print and online magazine that focuses on wide format digital printing, and this same backdrop was the focus of the interview.

Recently, we were excited to read the article based on that interview, published in February 2010 and posted online on March 11th.  Check it out to get the story from a different focus – targeted specifically to the wide format digital printing industry.

Lucky Break: From Coffins to Concerts…

… How a macabre turn of fate changed everything and lead to the birth of Sew What? Inc.

I was 20-something when I arrived freshly from my native Australia and found my way into a stagecraft company specializing in amusement park installations and special events.  I hung lights, drew electrical lines, rigged sets and loved the life of a rockin’ roadie.  I’d have gladly continued down that path…but luck intervened.

The specialty event company got an unusual request: build ten coffins for a Halloween attraction at Knott’s Berry Farm.  Although that was a bit afield from their usual business, the company accepted the assignment.  But they had no one to upholster the satin linings into the coffins.  The president asked all employees if anyone knew how to sew, and I spoke up without too much confidence, “I do!”

For a week, I sat in a Carson garage-style warehouse with yards of material, a staple gun and a rented sewing machine making each casket a prop to die for.

In the process, I thought, this could be fun.  I took on other independent projects, starting with sewing drapes and linens for entertainers and party planners, then onto specialty fabric projects for Las Vegas casinos.  With my love of rock and roll, I soon began sewing drapes and backdrops for a few rock concerts.  That brought an end to my work as a stagehand and launched my new company, Sew What? Inc., in 1997.

Since that time, the company has grown into one of the leading providers of custom sewn drapes and fabrics in the concert and theatrical industries, creating spectacular sets for such A-list names as Madonna, Kid Rock, Rod Stewart, Lady Gaga, and even the cover of the iconic 1000th issue of Rolling Stone.   I could not be more thankful for those clients who have trusted and supported us along the way.

I’d like to think that our formula for success is simple – personal drive and a commitment to cutting edge technology.  The results speak for themselves – the prestigious Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence Award for business innovation, Inc 500/5000 Award as one of the fastest growing privately held businesses in America, PC Magazine’s SMB 20 Award for technological innovation for small and medium-sized businesses, and the Stevie Award for “Most Innovative Company of the Year – Up to 100 Employees.”

Who knew that sewing a couple of coffins could lead to all this?  Sometimes, the secret to success is just being there when dumb luck happens to fall on your head!

Customized coffin, anyone?

March Anniversaries

As it turned out, we didn’t have any anniversaries in February, but I am back with a long list of March anniversaries. 

It really is amazing to note the longevity of many Sew What? employees, as you will see from this list.  Maria is the very first employee that Megan hired, and she is still with us today!

Maria, Sewing Machine Operator – 12 years

Raul, Shipping & Receiving Coordinator – 7 years

Lynda, General Manager – 6 years

Gwen, Account Manager – 1 year

Please join me in wishing a Happy Anniverary to all!

Stretch Shapes

Recently we got an e-mail from Brandon Reed, Director of College Ministry at Grace Community Church in Clarksville, TN, raving about the custom stretch shapes that we made him.  His e-mail made me realize that I haven’t posted much about this item, so I thought I’d do so today.

What are stretch shapes?  Also known as Tension Fabric Structures, they are geometric shapes (triangles, squares, rectangles, stars, etc.) made from a stretch fabric such as Cambio! 

The most simple stretch shapes are two-dimensional and frameless.  With these stretch shapes (we offer a number of stock shapes), the shapes are hemmed on all sides, with reinforced grommets placed at the corners or points.  The shape is then displayed by hanging from a batten or truss and then tensioning the sides (by attaching to the side of the proscenium or a moveable upright) and/or bottom (by attaching to sandbags or directly to the stage floor or the back of the stage deck), often with clear monofilament (fishing line).  Some great examples of this type of stretch shape are shown on our website, on the Special Events Portfolio page – check out the Bridal Table by Details Ottawa.

In addition to hanging stretch shapes, stretch shapes are also made by combining stretch fabric with metal frames in either two-dimensional or three-dimensional configurations.  This creates a stretch shape that can be easily moved to a variety of locations onstage without having to worry about attaching the piece to the stage itself.

In the case of Grace Community Church, two-dimensional metal triangles were custom-made for the church by another supplier.  Sew What? then made custom stretch pieces to fit the frames.   The fabric shapes were attached to the frames using Velcro (loop velcro sewn to the perimeter of the shapes and then adhesive hook velcro attached to the frame).  With targeted lighting, the church is able to create a variety of interesting looks to provide a backdrop to the show.

Photo By Heather Kennedy

The best thing, though, is that stretch shapes are a really affordable option (especially frameless shapes) – which makes them a great option for organizations (such as churches, schools, or event planners) who want to create a really dramatic look to a show or event but have a limited budget.

Silver Scrim for Yusuf Islam

This past October, we were selected by Marc Brickman, Set and Lighting Designer for the “Guess I’ll Take My Time” tour of Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) to make an interesting piece for the tour, which took place in the UK in late Fall 2009. 

Finding the right material was crucial, and so we sourced a  number of different scrims, nets, and similar fabrics in shades of grey, silver and black, and sent samples out to the tour for lighting tests. 

Ultimately, the material chosen was a metallic silver fabric similar to Sharkstooth Scrim.  From that material, we created a dramatic 35′ h x 57′ w piece, to be used by the tour as a projection surface.  This material was chosen for the combination of its reflective qualities and its tourability.

We were really pleased to be mentioned by Dietrich Juengling, the tour’s video content designer, in regards to this project, in a piece in Total Production International.  It is so rewarding to not only make a drape that we are ourselves proud of, but to also be recognized by the client in such a way!

Traveling with the Latitude Z

This weekend I got my first opportunity to try out the Latitude Z while traveling.  This was a quick, easy tryout, as Adam and I, along with our son, just took a drive down the coast and stayed in a resort overnight, to celebrate a friend’s birthday.

When I got the Latitude-Z, I noticed that it doesn’t come with a built-in DVD drive.  This surprised me at first, but then I realized that, at about 1/2 inch deep, there just isn’t room for a DVD drive.  To me it is worth the sacrifice to have such a thin and lightweight computer, since all you have to do is plug the external DVD (or BluRay) drive into the side of the computer, and you are all set.  This really came in handy over the weekend – I was able to bring one of my son’s favorite DVDs on the trip with us.  I botted up the computer, plugged in the DVD drive, inserted the movie, and he was all set.  No more hotel room boredom!  Yes, I’ve been able to do this in the past with other notebook computers, but the picture and sound quality on the Latitude-Z are so much better than my past computers – the HD display in particular makes a huge difference.

The Latitude also worked really well for me to stay connected with work.  Despite being out of town for a “pleasure trip,” I did need to look up some information on the fly for a customer.  I connected remotely to my office computer, got the information I needed, and quickly sent an e-mail to the client with the information.  What might have taken an hour (calling another staff member, perhaps having someone drive to the office to look up the information) was accomplished in just a few minutes.  So convenient.  Again, I’ve done this in the past with other notebook computers, but often the display quality on a remote connection is poor, and generally the connection is also pretty slow.  With the Latitude-Z, the display was much better and there was only minimal lag time with the connection.

I also got the chance to play with a few more features.  One of the coolest features I came upon is Dell Capture.  Dell Capture is included software that allows you, through the use of the built-in webcam, to scan documents and business cards directly into the computer.  My first attempts were only partially successful (due to user error rather than the software itself), but after a little practice, I found that I could successfully scan a business card and then export it into Outlook as a contact.  Cool!  I know that there are plenty of card scanners out there, but they always seemed like overkill for  my needs.  This will be perfect for me.

So, all in all, a good weekend – a fun and relaxing time with my family, a little bit of work, and lots of fun playing with the Latitude-Z.

Focus On: Bottom Finishes

Recently, I blogged on fullness and top finishes - today I thought I’d give a little insight into bottom finishes.

The most common bottom finish for stage curtains is a lined hem with raised chain.  A 6″ bottom hem is sewn to the bottom of the curtain.  This hem is lined with a 4″ pocket (generally of muslin).  Jack chain is then threaded into the interior pocket.  Because the interior pocket is 2″ shorter than the hem, the chain floats above the bottom edge of the curtain hem.  This prevents the chain from dragging on the floor when the curtain is opened or closed and also helps make a “seal” between the bottom edge of the drape and the (often uneven) stage floor.

A standard hem (2″, 4″ or 6″) is used primarily for drapes that will not travel, especially smaller drapes in doorways and drapes used for exhibit booths.  This hem is similar to the previously mentioned hem, but does not include the interior pocket or the chain.

Theatrical backdrops and cycloramas are generally made with either a lined pipe hem or a pipe pocket with skirt front as the bottom finish.  Both allow for a metal pipe to be inserted in the bottom of the backdrop, which allows the piece to hang “flatter.”  The pipe hem appears very similar to a standard hem, but is open on both sides to allow the pipe to be inserted. 

In the case of the skirted pipe pocket, the skirt hangs 1″ to 2″ below the pipe pocket.  Like the Lined Hem with Chain, this bottom finish helps seal the drop to an uneven stage floor.

Next up – Side Finishes…