#ScottSentMe2021 From The Eyes Of 2019’s Winner

Hi everyone!

I’m Catherine, one of Scott’s loyal fans, and I’m here to tell you why you need to get involved in this year’s challenge! Forget all the Christmas in July stuff… this truly is The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

If you followed #ScottSentMe2019, you may remember me as @sewhappy88, the very lucky winner, or you may recognize the name Catherine Brown from participation in the many Facebook contests that Scott has hosted.

I started quilting in late 2018, but until August 2019, I had never heard of Scott, Jaftex, FreeSpirit, Kaffe, Tula, etc.! I know, and I agree, I must have been living under a rock!

One morning I was scrolling through Facebook and stumbled upon a video that a shop had submitted for the Jaftex Facebook Live Shop Tour Video Challenge. Isn’t it funny how you can remember exactly what you were doing at certain points in time? Anyway, I spent a lot of time reading blogs and looking at posts that day! It was in those posts that I discovered the consumer challenge: #ScottSentMe2019.

My husband and I were recently retired and were planning a drive to Florida. I had somehow convinced him that the route should take us through Missouri (quite the detour given that we live in Nova Scotia, Canada). I started wondering how many shops I could visit along the way… and if I could visit enough to qualify for one of the top prizes. At that point, it was all about the prizes – we all want free fabric! However, once you are involved in this challenge, you will quickly realize there is so much more to it than the prizes. Don’t get me wrong – the prizes are fabulous!

We were fortunate to be able to travel and adjust our route to take us on a great journey. We explored so many back roads and little towns – it was an incredible trip. Of course, with that many shop stops, we had to build in some “pity days” as hubby calls them. With that, we spent a few days in DC, we visited the Football Hall of Fame, Nashville, Graceland, the Jack Daniel’s Distillery and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

I went to a ton of stores and met some truly wonderful shop owners. Most were extremely welcoming and either already supported the challenge, or were interested in learning more about it. I probably went to 4 or 5 that had no interest at all, wouldn’t allow an inside picture, and seemed quite rude! All shops that didn’t carry any Jaftex brands!

Most owners pour their heart and soul into their business – and it clearly shows. You can tell as soon as you walk through the door and get that warm feeling that makes you want to stay. Online shopping is convenient and sometimes even necessary, but if you can physically get to your local quilt shop please do. I’m sure they would love to see you and nothing beats seeing and touching all those gorgeous fabrics in person. You will be amazed by some of the fabric displays, the finished projects, and the inspiration provided. Colchester Mill Fabric and Quilting in CT and The Old Country Store in PA are a must for anyone in the northeast.

An added bonus to participating in the challenge was making some new friends! Yes, it is a contest, but it’s a fun type of competition! I made three wonderful new friends: Liz Ree, Stephanie Freud, and Diane McCandless (#SSMPosse)! We started commenting on each other’s posts, supporting/encouraging shop visits, and then after the contest we stayed in touch. We have never met, but have participated in Zooms and are hoping to meet in a central location at some point in the future. How crazy/wonderful is that?! All because of #ScottSentMe!

So, please get out there and get involved! Support all your current favorite shops and look for some new ones too. If you can travel, whether it be for a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks, map a route and hit the road! If you are fortunate enough to live in an area where there are only a few shops, grab a friend and make a day of it. Or grab your partner, pack a picnic, and take a scenic fall drive. Who doesn’t love exploring a new little town and even supporting a local eatery while there?

With so many trip planning websites, it is easy to find small clusters of stores in a specific area. Depending on the location, you can usually visit 5 or 6 stores in a day! However, please remember that there have been many changes in the past 18 months and these sites may not have the latest information. Unfortunately, some stores have closed, while many others have changed hours or even locations.

If you are traveling to get to a shop, you may want to phone ahead to make sure they will be open. There were a few that we went well out of our way to visit, only to find that they were closed for the day or closed early. I always checked the website and Facebook, but some don’t update there.

If you aren’t already planning to participate, have I at least piqued your interest? Or are you interested, but think there is no way you will be able to visit enough shops? Read on…

What’s in it for you…

Super fun times visiting shops – both your old favorites as well as some new. While our tried-and-true shops are great, there is no telling what you might find at a new one! I felt like I was in that Ikea commercial where the woman runs from the store screaming ‘Start the car! Start the car!’ when they really did charge me $1/yd for Tula’s Moon Shine Camo – Strawberry!
New friends! You will meet great shop owners and employees, as well as other participants who may become new friends.
Fantastic ideas and inspiration from incredible in-store displays and samples.
Shop discounts and prize draws! Although not required, I found that many of the stores offered a discount, a small take-away or entry into a random drawing. They really do want you to visit!
Fun day trips with family or friends – sometimes we all need to take a break and get away if even for a short time – and especially after these last 18 months
Prizes! Scott gives the best prizes! I don’t know what this year’s will be, but I can guarantee you will love them!
And for those of you only able to visit a few shops… random winners! Yes! Scott recognized that for various reasons some people are not able to travel to many shops. Not wanting to exclude anyone, he generously offered to select some random winners. That’s right – you may win a prize just by showing support at one shop!
What you need to do…
Plan – check locations, plan routes, verify hours, and don’t forget to take your #ScottSentMe proof of visit form! I like to laminate mine, that protects it from the rain and makes it easier to hold in the wind!
Stay positive! This is meant to be a friendly challenge – let’s try and keep it that way! No need to publicly whine, complain, or criticize anything! Follow the few rules that Scott sets out and be polite to each other.
Stop worrying about how you look in your picture! I never have my picture taken – never. If I can do it… you can! I’m sure I spent an hour debating on whether or not to hit Post on that first picture, but I finally did and the world didn’t end! And the more you take/post, the easier it gets. It doesn’t matter if you have a bad hair day or if your clothes are all wrinkled from driving or if your bra strap is showing or your top is too clingy in the wrong spots. Not to burst anyone’s bubble… but nobody cares!
Respect the shops you visit. I always like to explain who I am and why I am there. If they aren’t familiar with the contest, explain it to them or direct them to www.scottfortunoff.com. I always take a few extra signs along so that I can leave one for any shops not familiar or to be used by the next person! I also always ask permission before taking any pictures inside. Most shops are fine with it, but a few aren’t.
Support your LQS and every other shop you visit! We love these places and I can’t imagine the challenges they have encountered throughout Covid! Buy something if you are able to, post positive reviews about your experience, follow and like them on all social media… you know the drill! Show support and appreciation and let them know they are important to you!
Share, share, share all of Scott’s blogs and posts about the contest! The more people we get involved, the more stores we get to see pictures of! We missed this in 2020, so let’s all try to make this year epic! Post, comment, and encourage ….we need this and the shops need this too!
Finally, and most importantly, just get out there and have fun, and make memories, visiting and supporting as many great shops as you can.
Thanks for reading. Thanks to all the shops for supporting this challenge! Thanks to all the fabulous people who made #ScottSentMe2019 so much fun that we are all anxious to get back out there! And a huge thanks to Scott and the Jaftex Companies for hosting #ScottSentMe again!
Stay safe folks, and I hope we cross paths in the coming months!