VDTA stands for Vacuum Dealers Trade Association; the show is held in conjunction with the SDTA which stands for, you guessed it, Sewing Dealers Trade Association. Everyone calls the show VDTA, though. It's usually in Las Vegas, although it was held in New Orleans for a couple of years -- but, boo hiss, I didn't get to go those years! I can still daydream about New Orleans food, though!!
I was in the booth of Amann-Mettler Group; you most likely know them as the people who bring you those great Mettler cotton and polyester threads that I use all the time in my piecing, applique and quilting. I'd probably use them for other sewing things, too, except that -- well, I don't know how to DO any other sewing things!
Here's Mary Newton and me in the Mettler booth; we even managed somehow without prior messaging to coordinate the colors in our clothes! The booth is so colorful on its own it probably didn't need any help, but we do try.our best.
Rhonda Pierce (I think it's so cool that she's Schmetz' main needle lady and has the last name Pierce) stopped by the booth to drop off some great luggage tags that have an explanation on them of the new color coded Schmetz needles. I love that now you can tell by the color banding on the front of the needle not only what type it is (I.e., blue for Jeans/Denim (natch), purple for Microtex Sharp) but also a second colored band below the needle style band is for size (I.e., blue for 90/14, orange for 80/12). You'll no longer have to stick a Post-It to your machine or, if you have one of the machines where you can input this info, you won't have to remember to actually DO it. Ask me how I know about this particular problem....
Over my right shoulder you can see a huge phone screen that is showing the "MettlerMe for iPhone" app, one of the most fun things to come along in a very long time. You can take a picture of your quilt and then pick a color of thread in the app and move the thread up and down your picture to see what that particular color of thread will look like on the various fabrics in your quilt. Once you've decided on the color(s) you want, the app tells you the color number so you can go to your local Mettler dealer and get it. Scott built the "phone" around a big TV screen so it was just huge in the booth. We were telling everyone it was an iPhone 7.....
You can get the MettlerMe app in the App Store for free!
After we finished for the day, Mary changed to this shirt before we went out for a glass of wine -- think I need this one! When she tells me where she got it, I'll share!
I wandered off to the Brother booth to visit friends and they pointed out this banner "Brother IS Quilting" -- there will probably be something in the works here for me to tell you pretty soon, so stay tuned!
All in all, VDTA was a way for me to promote my very favorite brand of thread, meet new people, draw a new winner of my two day "Fluff & Stuff" class (hint: It's in the mid-West this time and will be announced very soon) as well as visit with friends and dealers I've worked with already.
And HINT: If you are in Las Vegas and don't mind spending a bit on dinner, go to Envy the Steak House, in the Renaissance Hotel. Alex Anderson was staying there and was at loose ends so we folded her into our group and went to Envy for dinner. I had sea bass and it was probably the best I have ever ever eaten. It was kind of funny that we went to a steak house and we all ordered seafood, but all five of us agreed that the food was superb. And the lobster mac & cheese was to die for -- Alex and I ate it for dessert!
Posted with Blogsy
No comments:
Post a Comment