If you’re children are like mine, half of the school year is spent searching for their missing homework while the other is spent searching for their winter fleece hats, missing gloves, and countless hand-knitted scarves from Grandma. And if you’re a mother like me, you eventually discover the benefits of saving time and money through the creation of D.I.Y. fleece hat and scarf sets rather than the purchasing of new winter wear yet again.
With an exciting 2014 NFL football season already well underway (Go Eagles!!) quilters, crafters and die hard fans are buying up NFL fabric stock to make everything from quick-n-easy no-sew-fleece-throws to customized gifts rep’n the teams they (and others) love with visions of Superbowl 2015 wins dancing in their heads or if nothing less, some great games and stories along the way.
So what does all this mean for manufacturers and distributors like J&O Fabrics alike?
Demand! Demand! Demand! :O
When the final buzzer rang at the end of the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium last night, it was the Connecticut Huskies 60-Kentucky Wildcats 54, a win that would earn UCONN’s fourth NCAA title and Connecticut’s Shabazz Napier, his second All-American title. In a game featuring the highest combined seeds in the history of the national championship game, the Wildcats were looking for their ninth NCAA title, instead they lost for the fourth time. UConn is now 4-0 in championship games.
If you have ever had a pet, especially a dog, you know how much they like to gnaw and entertain their Freudian oral fixations from time to time. Heaven forbid your cute canine finds boredom in their day, then so much for your pair of brand new sneakers and other objects of play. Of course one can find a million toys at a local pet store to spend their last $10 on, but why buy when you can make it I always say. Enter our D.I.Y. fleece toys for dog blog!
mad·ness \ -noun
1. the state of being mad; insanity.
2. senseless folly: It is sheer madness to speak as you do.
3. intense excitement or enthusiasm.
4. frenzy; rage.
While Websters Dictionary describes madness in the terms above, the arrival of March signals a unique type of madness that goes along with the long-awaited thawing of winter’s ice and snow, chirping birds, sprouting buds and evolving green landscapes. In the midst of all this gentleness lurks a recurring madness that blows in with March and builds to a frenetic conclusion in the final weeks of the month. This seasonal insanity is aptly called “March Madness”; and among its symptoms are the strong growing weak, the weak growing strong, and constant talk of Cinderella.
With Black History Month officially kicking off this week, we thought it would be the perfect time to celebrate the multitude of contributions and achievements African-Americans have made toward the advancement of not only our country, but the human race as a whole in the fields of science, math, athletics, literature, medicine, technology, agriculture, art, music and more. From our farmer’s bible…aka…the Almanac created by Benjamin Banneker (appx 1791) , and clothes dryer by G.T. Sampson (1862), to the ever popular cell phone invented by Henry Sampson (1971) and house keeping friend …the dust pan, by Lawrence P Ray (1897), the list of ‘firsts’ invented by African Americans goes on and on. Each year since it’s inception, Black History month has been drawing more recognition to the achievements of the past, encouraging more creative ideas and first’s to come in the future, and offering exposure to the faces and stories our books have often left out in its attempt at rewriting American HIS-story.
With NFL Super Bowl Sunday XLVIII less than a month away, Seahawks, Patriots, Broncos and 49er fans far and wide are upping the ante and showing what true fans are made of…one craft at a time. For fabric suppliers like J&O Fabrics, these next few weeks leading to the final countdown are as grueling as they are exciting. From making sure our chain of supply and demand is met by our various manufacturers, to personally assisting our valued customers with their unique project needs, Super Bowl season and all that comes with it can be crazy at time, but it makes it all worth while when our beloved teams win.
Santa has an iconic look to say the least. He can be recognized all over the world by his characteristic hat, boots, jacket, pants, and of course, his fluffy white beard. This Christmas season we sat down and really thought about what went into putting together that outfit when Mrs. Claus first sewed it hundreds of years ago.
Faux Fur
Make the sports fan in your life’s holiday a little brighter with a gift that incorporates our NFL Fabric. From now until December 7th J&O is running a special on all of our NFL fleece, flannel, and Snuggies. Now is your chance to shop and get 15% off your favorite team’s fabric! Check out some of your choices below.
Fleece
It is the most wonderful time of the year! As the song says, there is much mistletoeing and hearts are glowing with holiday cheer. However, with all of the craziness that surrounds the holidays with cleaning and decorating the house for parties, putting up relatives, cooking, and finding the perfect tree, figuring out a gift that is personal and fits into your budget can be quite difficult. That is why we love making fleece fabric blankets for gifts. They are fantastic for friends at the office and for kids to make for teachers.
