The Winners of the Jaftex Facebook LIVE Video Challenge 3

August 31, 2020 /

Spinning around the globe with busy lives and a quiet world (thank you Covid) is a group of small quilt shop owners who are making the world a little better each and every day. In the Google Earth presentation (click on the earth view below) you will find the winners of the Jaftex Facebook Video Challenge.

All of the quilt shops that entered the challenge are winners. In this small category of entrepreneurship are quilt shop owners who are supporting a burgeoning community of mask-makers and reborn quilters and sewists. This endeavor has boosted the whole sewing and quilting community as the desire for cute fabric and even ugly fabric (beggars can’t be choosers when it comes to mask-making) has skyrocketed!

It is the love for the art/hobby of sewing, that we once learned in home economics classes that has kept our industry chugging along. But, now it is Covid-19 that has made all the difference. The secret is out. Fabric is cute. Fabric is fun. Fabric is getting us through quarantine. Fabric is helping to save lives. Sewing machine purchases are off the charts. People are searching their attics and basements for long forgotten sewing machines. And a younger demographic that wants a productive new hobby (that you can do while staying home) has entered the fun too.

As a a fabric supplier (FreeSpirit Fabrics, Henry Glass Fabrics, Studioe Fabrics, The Blank Quilting Corp., 3 Wishes and A.E. Nathan) to quilt shops, our company recognizes the importance of partnering with our customers in an effort to help them with their sales and promotional efforts.

Social media is often a foreign obstacle to their own success and sometimes a scary endeavor. So, we began, “The Jaftex Facebook LIVE Video Challenge” 3 years ago to provide an incentive to shop owners to get on Facebook to create a Live Video and give potential new customers a tour of their shops. Who knew that this would be more important than ever now that many of us are in quarantine and on our phones and computers a lot more than we were prior to Covid?

This year, over 100 quilt shops answered the challenge for a chance to win thousands of dollars in future credit to buy more fabric inventory for their shops from the Jaftex Companies. All of the shop videos that were posted on the Facebook page of @jaftexpresident during the month of August are now presented in one Google Earth presentation below. Just wait, you will feel like you are transported to your happy place.

This presentation is a Google Earth tour of all the shops that answered the challenge. These are their shops. Their story. Their love of quilting and sewing. They are all winners in this year’s challenge.

If you see this, please patronize one of these excellent shops and buy more fabric, a sewing machine or even some elastic. They all depend upon it.

Click image below to take the tour of the Jaftex Facebook Video Challenge Quilt Shops

26 Comments

  • Julie Dearing

    September 1, 2020 at 9:07 pm

    I loved watching the videos. I am working on some pattern designs, thought about opening a shop but managed one and the disorganization drove me crazy. I believe we all win by helping each other not what I saw in the industry. I love your lines and hope I can incorporate them into my designs.

    • Scott Fortunoff

      September 3, 2020 at 6:55 am

      Good Morning Julie,
      Glad you enjoyed the videos. Working at a shop isn’t for everyone I guess. Good luck with your designs. Would love to see them.
      Regards,
      Scott Fortunoff

    • Scott Fortunoff

      September 3, 2020 at 7:02 am

      Hi Pamela,
      We were here first as this is our third year. Covid got lucky we were here. LOL.
      Be well.
      Scott

  • Charlotte Wolfe

    September 1, 2020 at 10:28 am

    I have always loved maps. They represent foundation, possibility, mystery, and relationships. And I love a map that has my store, Charlotte’s Sew Natural, smack dab in the middle! 🙂 Don’t call Kansas a “fly over”, as we’re clearly an easy destination from everywhere. LOL Thanks Scott and your team for building this great visual representation.

    • Scott Fortunoff

      September 3, 2020 at 7:08 am

      Hi Charlotte,
      Congrats on placing in the contest. Well deserved win. Interesting perspective on maps. I really never gave it much thought. Glad you had fun and glad you are in the middle. Hope to see you again next year and also hope to see you including more video in your regular business model. Be well!
      Scott

    • Scott Fortunoff

      September 3, 2020 at 7:05 am

      Hi Betsy,
      It really is awesome. It’s the brain child of our social media guru. I couldn’t agree more.
      Be well!
      Scott

  • Carla Standley

    September 1, 2020 at 10:07 am

    Thanks for inspiring the shops to do this challenge. I learned so much from the different shops that I would’ve never learned otherwise. I have found some super fantastic shops and fell in love with some of the owners. Their personalities came across so Well. I feel so inspired, and so blessed to have found this on the Internet. Thanks for a wonderful experience.

    • Scott Fortunoff

      September 3, 2020 at 7:04 am

      Hi Donna,
      Anytime! Doing what I can to help the fabric industry thrive and keep my family business going for many more decades.
      Have a great day.
      Be safe.
      Scott

  • Terri Burton

    September 1, 2020 at 9:52 am

    I enjoyed seeing the shop videos and discovering shops close to home I had no idea that I live relatively near and shops far away that offer unique offerings and online ordering. Beats the heck out of google search for much sought after gems.
    Thanks to Jaftex and all the shops for getting the work out.
    Terri

    • Scott Fortunoff

      September 3, 2020 at 7:03 am

      Hi Terri,
      Thank you Terri for your kind comments. Just trying to help promote the industry that we love. Glad you are here with us for the ride. Have a great day.
      Scott

    • Scott Fortunoff

      September 3, 2020 at 7:02 am

      Hi Lindy,
      We are doing everything we can to help promote and advance our industry. This is the latest and greatest from Vanessa at our company. It really is amazing.
      Regards,
      Scott

    • Carole Kurth

      September 1, 2020 at 12:10 pm

      What fun to ‘Zoom’ from outer space to all these great shops! Bravo to all who made these fantastic colorful videos! Bravo to Jaftex for setting them up on the ‘Google Earth’ app.
      Thank you!

    • Scott Fortunoff

      September 3, 2020 at 7:09 am

      Hi Carole,
      It’s been a long time. Hope you are doing well. Thanks for all your kind words. The shop owners all deserve a big BRAVO! It takes guts to do this and many (130 or so) stepped up.
      Take care.
      Scott

    • Scott Fortunoff

      September 6, 2020 at 12:53 pm

      1. Quilts By The Bay
      2. Charlotte’s Sew Natural
      3. HomeGrown Home Sewn
      4. Marietta’s Quilt & Sew
      5. Cary Quilting Co.