How Jaftex Is Contributing To The Growth Of The Fabric Industry

Covid has forced us all to look at everything differently, especially in the business world. Many of us have had to pivot one way or the other, if not in many different ways and directions to deal with all the new things being thrown at us. We at the Jaftex Companies have been doing a lot of pivoting ourselves and like many, we are out of our comfort zone….and that is a good thing! Quite frankly, so much time has passed that we are getting more comfortable in the new zone.

We have pivoted in the same ways that many others have pivoted in the business world. We have turned to technology to our advantage as most of our team is working remotely and our audience is spending more time on their phones and in front of their computers. Whether it is online ordering, more social media posts, more email blasts or creating more videos, to name a few, we have really embraced the technological opportunity.

We at the Jaftex Corp. continue to make our contributions to the growth of the fabric industry too by sponsoring contests and challenges like The Jaftex Facebook Live Shop Tour Video Challenge and #ScottSentme2021. We also continue to seek out ways to help our customers be even better retailers than they already are by offering Seminars Of Success and Masterclasses from none other than marketing and retail gurus, Kizer & Bender.

We have pivoted even further to step up our efforts to foster more growth in the entire quilting/sewing market. How are you going to do that you might ask? Well, I am glad you asked.

Allow me to introduce you to our newest Jaftex sponsored program called SIY aka Sew It Yourself which we are partnering with Sew4Home on. The program was developed with the beginner sewist in mind. The idea is that the Covid mask-making frenzy has contributed to there being a lot of sewing newbies out there who are ripe for the picking. As such, we figured that right about now would be a great time to get those newbies hooked so to speak.

Let me tell you about the www.siysewityourself.com website. The website is going to act as the home base for the program. It will also serve as an amazing place for beginner sewists to go to find tons of free projects that are fun, trendy and easy to make. New projects will be added monthly. These are all to help cultivate the new sewist and open his/her eyes to the endless possibilities of quilting.

Now, let me tell you about how you as a consumer can get involved. We have nearly 400 retailers that signed up to participate and host the SIY program in their business establishments. As such, those retailers are likely offering classes virtually or in person. You just need to seek them out by clicking on the link to the list of participating retailers.

Each retailer has 4 different projects that they can use over the course of the program. Those same 4 projects have been done up in fabrics from The Blank Quilting Corp., FreeSpirit Fabrics, Henry Glass & Studio E Fabrics. That’s 16 potential classes or projects. The projects are being offered now and through most of 2022 from a participating SIY retailer. The projects will include a detailed, step-by-step pattern, plus a video tutorial that is only available through a participating SIY retailer.

What is great about SIY is that it allows you to master a skill or two while exploring how using different fabrics can change the look of a project. The first SIY retailer project–The Patchwork Pillow—just went live in September 2021 on the www.sew4home.com website and is also available at an SIY retailer near you! You should make sure to go check that out!

At this point, I am sure you are asking what you need to do next? I am so glad you asked because of course, I want to share the most important information with you:

• Visit www.siysewityourself.com to view the list of participating retailers and sign up for a class near you. While you are there, make sure to discover all the other fun and simple project ideas to keep you sewing for yourself, your friends, your family and your community.

The goal of this program is to grow enthusiasm and interest in sewing. If you know someone who is interested in learning to sew or growing their skills with a community of other creative makers, be sure to have them follow @siysewityourself on Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. Don’t forget to tag anyone you think would be interested so they are aware of this great opportunity.

That is SIY in a very small nutshell. Please follow the suggestions above for ways to get involved. The easiest step is to reach out to an SIY retailer nearest to you….or one who can teach you virtually.

Thank you for your time and thank you for your contributions to the growth of our amazing fabric industry.