kennan100 Posted January 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 Bonnie, I'm the same way, I have always kept something pleasant in the air in my home and have never had anyone make any comments except how nice it is. My daughter came down last July and that was her first comment, wanting to know what I use because my house always smells so good. She and her family do not smoke, but she has never commented on a smoke odor, but again, she would consider it impolite. I just have the windows open every chance I get for awhile, and I use fabreeze, (LOVE that smell, Sam's sells it by the gallon! LOL!), and I burn candles. In the fall - winter I burn the spicy ones and in spring - summer I move over into florals. I like the way Pine-sol smells but I really have to water it down because it is so strong! I'd mopped with it once and later that day I'd hand stitched the binding on some charity quilts for the guild at church and when I took them to my mother to deliver I asked her to smell them and she said there was a little smell, I asked her if it was Pine sol and she recognized it then. She's usually one to tell me instantly if there's a smokey odor around. Since then I put them in the dryer with a slightly used fabric softener to make them nice, but not overwhelming before I send them back. I went to a Partylite thingie at my sisters last night, those are the only candles I buy, (no affiliation), and they had a lot of new flavors that were out of the range of florals or spice either one. So I think what we are looking at is Acceptable (homemade bread, cookies, cake, new mown grass) vs Unacceptable (smoke, bacon, fish, dirty socks) smells.But then there's candles and quilting naked which could be as dangerous as straight pins or boiling water... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinaC Posted January 28, 2007 Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 Nice post, I sympathize because I recently posted that to make a living I've had to move my machine from my home into a quilt shop becasue of pet hair and a dad that lives with me and my family but smokes outside. In some areas depending on the women who live in those areas will determine what they are willing to put up with. In my case becasue I took out a business loan on my machine and have been failing misserably unable to make enough to cover my loan I had to make some hard and fast decisions. I'm now a partner in a quilt shop and last weekend moved my machine in. It hasen't even been leveled but I've so many ladies arrive saying that they have always wanted me to do work for them. Love my custome competition work but because of the dogs, kids and smoke I've never been an option. I feel like a sell out at this point and yet I have to say this will be the first month in 2 years of business that I've got over $1500.00 Canadian worth of business waiting to be done and the orders just keep on coming. So in the end it was worth the move and the sacrifice. I don't believe that it should matter but in my area of the world it did. Yes it hurts and I also tried the anyone that has pets or smokes I'll do the projects but in my neck of the woods there just wasn't enough. I also knew that when I wrote my business plan took out the loan and was open for business that this was a business not a hobby and that I had certain financial goals that needed to be met. So even though I'm dissapointed in having to leave my home I'm excited at all the new business coming my way. As soon as I'm finished setting up the room I'll post pictures, I still have to post pictures of my vanity quilt. Out here as well people have said my vanity quilts with over 800o swarovski crystals is gaudy and ugly and yet I've converted quite a few over to the side of using the crystals and have created a nich market for my business as well. So my morale for this story is it really is an individual choice and what you and the people around you are willing to deal with. I was always up front about the dogs, the kids and the smoke. It helped but not enough. So good luck. Take everything with a grain of salt and the bottom line is to be happy with the quilting. After all isn't that why we all bought out LA's to beging with is the love of quilting. So happy quilting to all Tina in Canada PS the shops name is Astrin's Attic(named after her dearly beloved cat who can't be at the shop) and my new name is Featherpenny Quilting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennan100 Posted January 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2007 Tina, Congratualtions on the shop! We need pictures! Especially the vanity quilts, it's sound s like you are being a real innovator up there. Hang one in the window and let it sparkle it's little heart out, someone will see it and go crazy over it and tell the others they have no taste in art! I know it was a hard decision, 2nd choice, or lack of choice, it sounds like it's working and you are on your way! I'm looking at starting at home to keep overhead down, but moving it into a studio in town later maybe. Have no intention of having customers into my home, I'll deliver to them or the LQS of their choice, and hopefully pickup new quilts to work on while there! That's the advantage of living in Houston, the streets are paved with quilters! Now we are bringing up the subject of how one strong negative opinion about , say, pet hair, can run off other business. I remember seeing a thread about someone, Tina - was that you?), having someone comment on their kids and the condition of their kitchen and spreading the gossip on that. I don't have pets. And I detest gossip and have a tendency to confront it publicly - one strong opinion about another. (I'm not quilting the thing in the sink, thank you very much, ...something like that.) I think I could recommend that customers clear their quilts of fur before bringing it in so that the hair doesn't get quilted to the quilt or if they want me to do it then there's a charge but the hair needs to come off before being quilted or the fur becomes a part of the quilt. Or just vaccum it off and don't say anything? It's not the hair that bothers me, it's the becoming a part of the quilt that gets me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennan100 Posted January 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 LOL Cheryl! Don't know how i missed your post, I was going through this making notes to myself when I finally saw it! We had a lot of fun on this one, not crazy but if I can't have fun and exersize my somewhat twisted sense of humor I get brain cramps. Gald you enjoyed it and hope your sons can see again very soon.... poor baby.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancingstitcher Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Hoffman Challenge rules have a part about smoke smelling quilts. They reserve the right to send them back! They say these quilts spread the odor to other quilts. Vicki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramona-quilter Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 TinaC, Great name Featherpenny Quilting. I am so glad to hear that your move turned out to be good for your business. We all make decisions in life. It's too bad we can't test-drive our life with the new decisions factored in. And if the decision turns out to be a bad one, we could get a Do-Over. Alas, it does not work that way. Everybody just does the best that they can do. Our best is to appreciate that fact about others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epprog Posted January 30, 2007 Report Share Posted January 30, 2007 Heh, I've cut hair naked, DH would probably appreciate if I was naked everytime I cut his hair. I think Kennan should go for it, just living in a log house with a new Milli, oh My. You have all made me laugh! I needed that! The kids want to know what I'm laughing about! Cher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennan100 Posted January 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2007 ok, not telling him about the haircutting thing,don't want to give him anymore brilliant ideas! I kept telling him to make me an offer I can't refuse, this is almost it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tusistas Posted January 31, 2007 Report Share Posted January 31, 2007 Kenna: What about those air filter systems -- like the one offered by Oreck? They claim to remove allergens, etc., wouldn't something like that help? If you do a google on air filter systems -- all sorts of companies come up. That must mean something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennan100 Posted February 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 That's a great thought! It probably wouldn't take care of all of it but between that and the other things it should makea dent in the smells, anyway. I could always just stand close to it and let it filter me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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