Sew What? Star of the Month – June 2010

Meet Gloria, Sewing Machine Operator

Gloria has been with Sew What? for nearly three years

If you could take a vacation to any place in the world, where would you go, and why?  I’d go to Aguascalientes in Mexico to be with my family.

Who is your favorite recording artist?  Vicente Fernandez and Camilo Sesto.

Do you have a special talent?  Shopping!

What is your favorite movie or television show?  Spanish soaps and the news.

What is your favorite memory from Sew What?  I love the Christmas Party because I enjoy it to the fullest!

What project have you worked on recently that was interesting or challenging? There are two projects -  a digital for Green Day and a big red star on a frame.

(Note: You may remember meeting Gloria back in January.  She is our Star of the Month again in June, so this post is an opportunity for you to learn more about her).

Digital Printing Portfolio

We’ve been offering wide format digitally printing for quite some time now, but, since we didn’t have a dedicated digital portfolio page on our website, most of our digital project photos were either displayed on one of our other portfolio pages, within the product pages, or in this blog. 

Well, I am excited to say that we now have a digital portfolio page on our website!  There are ten projects highlighted on the page – just a small percentage of the number of digital projects that we have done, but a really good representation of our work.

To mention just a few of the projects featured on the page:

Brooks and Dunn “The Last Rodeo”

This was a recent project that we really enjoyed, that included a main “tour logo” backdrop along with two “cowgirl” backdrops.  For more info, check out my previous blog post.

Great American Food Fest

This was a huge project – dozens of digital backdrops and signage for this Northern California event.  I got so excited with watching the progress of this project that I ended up buying tickets and driving up for the weekend to attend the event.  And guess what?  I took the photos shown on our portfolio (OK, I don’t claim to be an expert photographer, but I think they turned out pretty nice).

Soulja Boy

I blogged about this digital / mixed media awhile back, but at the time I didn’t have a photo to add to my post.  Well, check out the photo on our digital portfolio page – it really is impressive!

Want to see more?  Head over to the Digital Printing Portfolio.

Backdrops for Tegan and Sara

We worked on a fun digital printing project last month with Benjamin Price, and he recently sent us some great photos that I thought I’d share.

Benjamin was working on the Tegan and Sara tour (if you aren’t familiar with Tegan and Sara, they are a Canadian indie band lead by twin sisters Tegan Quin and Sara Quin).  While looking for a provider of wide format digital printing for a series of custom backdrops for the tour, Benjamin contacted Megan, and we were off and running.

Rather than make one large backdrop, the decision was made to instead print a series of five backdrops, each 24′ h x 6′ w.   Emmy Story’s artwork, composed of a series of diagonal colored lines, is beautiful in and of itself, but the repetition and crossover that occurs when hanging the five panels side by side with space in between, emphasizes the drama of the artwork.

Backdrop Image: Emmy Story; Photo Courtesy of Benjamin Price

Lighting also plays a big part in creating a dramatic effect.  The backdrops were backlit using 2 Martin stage bars per panel – one for a short throw and one for a long throw.  During portions of the show, they were also frontlit using a Martin Mac 700 profile with a custom Bar gobo for each panel.  Here’s another photo to show the effect that lighting has one the artwork:

Backdrop Image: Emmy Story; Photo Courtesy of Benjamin Price

This really was a fun project to work on – it is so rewarding in our business to have the opportunity to work on digital backdrops, custom stage curtains, and other soft goods for so many talented artists such as Tegan and Sara, and to see our work looking so gorgeous on stage as in these photos.

Little Big Town

Earlier this month, we were excited to be selected to provide soft goods for the 2010 tour of Little Big Town, the amazing country music group that has been steadily climbing the charts.  The main element of the project was a series of digitally printed backdrop panels and riser skirts. 

John Rios of GrafixJam (whom I have mentioned in past posts) designed the digital artwork, and as usual, John’s work was gorgeous.  He created a “Distressed Fleur de Lis” pattern in black and white that is quite theatrical and dramatic. 

Once we received the artwork files from John, we went to work printing the project using our wide format EFI Vutek QS3200 printer with UV-curable 3M inks.  In order to create a “vintage flocked velvet” appearance, we used a flame retardant specialty fabric substrate that resembles suede/velveteen.  The digital backdrop pieces were made as a series of four panels, each 24′ h x 10′ w, allowing them to be used individually or combined to make one large backdrop of 24′ h x 40′ w.  Riser skirts printed with the same image and fabric tie the set design together.

And once again, the use of lighting techniques allows the panels to appear in their original “black and white” or in a variety of colors.  There is a great photo on the Country Throwdown Photostream that is a perfect illustration of this – check out the “aqua” hanging panels as compared to the black and white riser skirts.  Yes, the hanging panels really are printed in black and white – the aqua color is a result of the stage lighting technique.

Want to see more?  Check out this video on YouTube of Little Big Town at Big Country Throwdown this past weekend.

World’s Fairs and Classic Chairs

Adam and I purchased two vintage Barcelona chairs back in 1996 right after we got married. A classic design, these chairs had previously been in the lobby at the Heinz Ketchup factory. The salesman’s big pitch included the fact that the design had first been presented in the German Pavilion at the 1929 Barcelona Exposition. Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the Barcelona Chair design was timeless, and we were certain that they would not only suit us, but serve us long and well.

With our 14th wedding anniversary upon us this week I can say that we have never once regretted the investment, nor tired of their streamlined design. They hold pride of place for us now – one in our entry at home and one in our entry at the office. They remind us every day, be it arriving to work or arriving home, that premium quality and bold design are priceless. That in every product decision we make, we must ask ourselves, how will what I build today represent me tomorrow? Will this decision be lasting and for the long term? How will others perceive the piece in years to come? Am I creating tomorrow’s trash, or tomorrow’s treasure?

On this note I am excited to be traveling this June to Shanghai to attend the 2010 Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network, where I will have the opportunity to surround myself with thinkers and doers and dreamers alike. The opportunity to meet some of the very brightest women in business and discuss technology and business with them is certainly a privilege that I will cherish. And in fulfilling a lifelong dream, the Dell conference is perfectly timed with the World’s Fair 2010 being hosted in Shanghai. I’ll have my eyes and ears open to all that these amazing women, and the World’s Fair, have to offer. You never know, perhaps I’ll come home with a fresh new outlook on small business and a couple of new chairs too……

Megan

Thinking about Employee Longevity

I was reading an article recently regarding the effect of high employee turnover on a company – including loss of productivity, quality, and profitability.  Did you know that it can cost a third (or more) of an entry level employee’s annual salary to hire and train a new employee, and even more to replace a mid-level employee?  Not to mention the (unseen) costs that can occur in terms of quality of service or goods produced, customer satisfaction, and so much more that may occur when a company has high, frequent turnover in staff.

I am really proud that we have such low turnover – I just figured out that the average amount of time that our current employees have been here is nearly five years!  How many companies can say that nowadays, with people moving from job to job? 

I think that employee longevity has been one of the keys to the success and continued growth of Sew What?  Our employees have been here for awhile, they know their jobs, and that shows in the quality of our products and our service.

May Anniversaries

This month we have three anniversaries, for a combined total of nineteen years at Sew What?

It really is a source of pride to have so many long-term staff members – they are one of our greatest assets!

Sara, Sewing Machine Operator – 7 years

Raul, Shipping & Receiving Coordinator – 7 years

Roberto, Sewing Machine Operator – 5 years

Does IFR mean it is “more flame retardant” than FR?

I have posted a number of times on the issue of flame retardancy of stage curtains, in part because it is one of my areas of expertise (though I still have a lot to learn) but mostly because I find that it is not only an important topic, but also an area about which there are many misconceptions.

Last June, for example, I posted about the differences between IFR, FR,  NFR and other related terms.  The primary difference between FR and IFR is the method in which a fabric is made flame retardant.  Either it is made flame retardant in the fiber stage (IFR) or it is made flame retardant after weaving (FR). 

Occasionally, we have clients who request an IFR fabric because they believe that it is “more” flame retardant than an FR fabric.  For example, they will state that, because the drapery will be near pyrotechnics on a rock show stage, they prefer to use an IFR fabric.

The reality, though, is that a brand new IFR fabric is neither more nor less flame retardant than a brand new FR fabric, and vice versa.  Both fabric have been tested and certified to meet specific flame retardancy standards, such as NFPA 701 and California’s Title 19. 

Now, there is a difference in longevity of flame retardancy between IFR and FR.  Typically, an IFR fabric will remain flame retardant for the life of the fabric (regardless of whether it is laundered, dry-cleaned, etc).  However, an FR fabric will eventually lose its flame retardancy (usually due to laundering, repeated dry cleaning, or extended exposure to high humidity conditions).  Once it is retreated, though, it again is “equal” to the IFR fabric in terms of flame retardancy.

And remember, there are instances in which a drape made from a flame retardant fabric will lose its flame retardant properties.  One way is if dust is allowed to accummulate on the surface of the drape.  Did you know that dust (as it is composed primarily of organic matter) is flammable?  In such a case, it doesn’t matter if the drape is made of IFR fabric or FR fabric – if there is a layer of dust on the surface, the drape might not be flame retardant.

So, when choosing the fabric for stage curtains, there are many factors that are important to consider – budget, longevity, cleaning options, durability, and much more.  But choosing IFR over FR because it seems “more flame retardant” should not be one of the factors.

Sew What? Star of the Month – May 2010

Meet Esther, Sewing Machine Operator

Esther has been with Sew What? for 9 years

If you could take a vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go, and why?  I would go to Rome.  It’s one place in the world I admire but have never been.

Who is your favorite recording artist?  José José.

Do you have a special talent?  Scrapbooking.

What is your favorite movie or TV show?  I like comedy.

What is your favorite memory from Sew What?  When Megan told me I was hired!

What project have you worked on recently that was interesting or challenging?  I recently worked on a large colorful yellow digital piece that was oval and had lots of grommets.  It wasn’t difficult, but we had to be precise to make sure we got it right.

Digitals for Brooks & Dunn

Back in 2008, we were excited to be selected by Randy “Baja” Fletcher, tour manager for country music superstar duo Brooks & Dunn, to provide a digitally printed wide-format backdrop for the tour. 

Obviously, the result was successful, because Baja came back to Megan in February 2010 and asked Sew What? to print and manufacture new backdrops for Brooks & Dunn’s “Last Rodeo” 2010 farewell tour.

The project included several different digital backdrops, with artwork provided by graphic artist Mike Swinford and printing and sewing done by Sew What?  Mike’s images really are amazing – I especially love the Cowgirl images:

It is so gratifying to have clients such as Brooks & Dunn return to Sew What? for tour after tour, and to have the opportunity to work with such gorgeous artwork. The tour kicked off on April 29th, and I am pleased to say that the backdrops look great, as evidenced by the photos!  Want to know more about this project?  Check out this article for more information and photos.