Did you know you can already register online for the Fall Needlecraft Market, September 25 – 26, 2010 in St. Charles/St. Louis MO.  Fall, you say?  Certainly far, far away.  But it will be here before you know it, and now’s the time to make your plans, and let your customers know you’ll be bringing home some treasures for their holiday purchases.

You can also find information about PiPN 2010 — TNNA’s Pathways into Professional Neeldlearts internship/apprenticeship program.  This summer’s students have been in the field since the middle of June, and are finding their experiences to be beyond their expectations.

I recently heard from one of the interns working with Handwork Studios.  Trekina Miller of Mississippi State University commented “I love it and everyone that I am working with. I look forward to going to work everyday. I am also working with the Fashion Bootcamp program in Rosemont, PA for the Handwork Studio. I can not thank you enough for this great opportunity!!”

To streamline the entire process we’ve created an online Host Application Form.  You can now go online and request an intern for the upcoming fall, winter or next year.  Students will also be able to register online within the coming months.  If you’ve been a host in the past, please let us know and we can make sure you’re information is entered correctly.

You’ll also see that TNNA is heading off to Maker Faire in Dearborn MI this week. We’ve had an enormous response from volunteers who have offered to come out to our Needlearts Stitch Zone

to help teach knitting, cross-stitch, embroidery, needlepoint and crochet.  In fact, we’ve pretty much filled all our time slots!  If you’re in the area, you should stop by the Henry Ford Museum.

If this is even half as much fun as the San Mateo Maker Faire, it’s bound to be a real kick.

Stitch N’ Pitch has been in full swing this season.  Check out what’s been going on by visiting StitchNPitch.com.

For those of you in the professional needlearts community who made it to Columbus OH, you enjoyed a long weekend filled with education, education and more education.  The TIPs program, a first time event for TNNA, was a huge success.  Wholesalers were able to present, demonstrate and offer marketing tips for their new products and techniques.  Classrooms were filled and responses were totally positive.

The Mini Sessions in the Member Lounge also drew huge crowds.  Attendees took a brief respite while they learned about everything from social marketing to inventory management, trends and more.  This was a chance for everyone to ask questions and get answers in a small, more informal setting.  You just couldn’t help but soak up some knowledge just by being there.

Oh, and then there were all the new products (33 new exhibitors, in fact) and new events.  The Needlepoint Group hosted a Networking evening highlighting finished products (check out WorldofNeedlepoint.com to see a bit of what you missed), and TNNA members sponsored a Happy Hour on Saturday in celebration of TNNA’s 35th anniversary . . . complete with a pianist (Joe Dunlap from Columbus OH).

Thanks to modern technology, Ravelry was able to send out some “in the moment” postings about the Yarn Group’s Fashion Show on Friday evening.  And, although you’ll be able to see the entire Fashion Show on YarnGroup.org in just a few days, it’s simply no substitute for being there, in person.

If you were there, you would have been energized by the keynote speaker Ann Lofgren from Zingermans.   You would have heard Marilyn Murphy accept the TEN Award, and met the newest PiPN interns.

If you had attended the Member Meeting on Monday morning, you would understand what Maker Faire is . . . and why TNNA’s Needlearts Stitch Zone won two awards in the Bay Area.  If you’re from the Detroit area, you could already be planning on how you can participate in the Detroit Maker Faire coming up July 31st and August 1st. If you want to be involved, please email us at TNNAmaker@gmail.com.

At the meeting, you would have been one of the first to hear the latest statistics pertaining to our industry in the latest survey: The State of Specialty NeedleArts 2010 developed by India Wood of Hart Business Research.  The summary is available online to members. The entire survey will be available in the fall (again free for members but available for a fee for non-members).

Besides the excitement, the shopping, the sharing, and the learning, there was a lot of business going on.  Wholesalers, when not busy with customers in their booths, spent time talking about new ideas, new partnerships, and new ways to attract new customers.  Retailers, when not in classes or on the show floor, shared stories of challenges, failures and successes.

If you had been there, you would have felt the energy and the inspiration.  You would have laughed and hugged old friends and new.  You simply can’t get that anywhere else.

I realize how busy all our members are.  All TNNA members, Retailers and Wholesalers, as well as others involved in the needlearts industry, certainly have their hands full  . . . regardless of the economy.  So, now is no different than any other time.

It’s even more important now that our members stay informed about what’s going on with TNNA.  The newsletter includes valuable information about the many programs and services the association offers, the structure of the organization, as well as the activities of the product segment groups.

The opportunities to be involved in the association and the industry are myriad . . . and as members, your involvement is essential to our future.

So, please take a minute to find out what’s happening.  Visit TNNA.org, log in, and take a look.You’ll be glad you did.

We hope to keep you up to date on things of importance to our members and to other needlearts professionals.

First and foremost . . . REGISTRATION for TNNA’s Winter Show in Long Beach CA is OPEN!  If you’re a member, you can register online.  If you’re not a member, this is the perfect time to join . . . Although you can join when you get to the show, you can’t get the deal on the classes . . .such a deal!

If you’re a member of the Needlepoint Group, it’s time to sign up for your spot on the WorldofNeedlepoint.com web site.  We’re drawing more and more attention so you don’t want to miss out.

TNNA is also looking for members interested in hosting a student intern or apprentice this year.  Since we’ve changed the PiPN program to include two other options (internship or apprenticeships without the U of Akron coursework), we’re having many requests from interested students and recent grads.  This is a great way to re-energize your company, and get a little help at the same time.  Let us know if you’re interested by contacting me directly at bdirect @ columbus.rr.com (remove spaces to email.)