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Prairie Schooler, The |
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| Designer's Name: Nancy Wallerstein and Pam Smith | |
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Location: Prairie Village, KS
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Would you give us a little background information on The Prairie Schooler and how it got started?
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The Prairie Schooler is one of the most beloved companies in the cross-stitch industry. To what do you attribute the long term success of your company?
Nancy and I compliment each other. We both believe in doing the best job we possibly can. She is a natural at communication and her retail experience taught her about good service, quality and the value of customers. While she is fielding all those business issues it frees me up to do what I love best, draw and design. And the most important ingredient is our loyal customers. Without their interest and loyalty to buy our patterns, we wouldn't be here at all.
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Are there specific people in your life who you would credit for teaching you how to stitch and helping you along as you started creating your own designs? My first experience with cross stitch was when I was a little girl. My sisters and I would often visit my Great Aunt Florence next door. She would always have stamped fabric for us to stitch on, and since I was always looking for something creative to do, this kept me busy for hours. My thirst for anything art eventually led me to art school. When I graduated from the Dayton Art Institute I moved to Kansas City to work for a major greeting card company. I had long forgotten those little stamped fabric projects when I met Nancy and we became friends. She renewed, and certainly updated my interest in cross stitch.
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New From The Prairie Schooler... Let It Snow Kit (2007 Limited Edition Santa) This gorgeous new limited edition Santa kit from Prairie Schooler is out just in time for Christmas! Retailing for only $26.00, this kit comes with quality materials such as Zweigart linen and Crescent Colours hand dyed floss. There's nothing else to buy, everything comes together so you can get right to stitching! Pair this with the 2006 Santa and your holiday decor will be off to a good start! Stitch count is 110 x 69. |
Do you feel there are enough young people learning to stitch to continue the well being of our craft into the next generation? Needlework has survived throughout history and is a craft that has traditionally been passed down through generations. The popularity of one form over another may ebb and wane, but the need to create something with your own hands seems to have stood the test of time.
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Can you share with us how you manage the different aspects of running your company? Nancy and I work like a team. We have been doing this for so long, we work like a well oiled machine. We each know our assignments. Anyone who has called or emailed the Prairie Schooler should know Nancy. She answers the phone, takes orders, personally fills orders, and gets them in the mail. She personally answers all emails and questions and forwards me requests and questions. Not to mention all those other business "things" that I am eternally grateful to her for doing, because that frees me up to design. An overview of my job is coming up with an idea and transforming it into a design. I try to keep in mind new and different, but with a traditional look and feel. I paint a working pattern and choose thread colors as I go. I stretch and frame the models, design the photography sets, and take all the photographs for the leaflet pictures.
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Outside of cross-stitching and designing, do you have any other hobbies or interests? We live on a farm about 30 miles west of Kansas City. We are constantly working to "fix it up" along with the regular chores. I love to go antiquing, to farmer's markets, barn sales, and local events. I have 3 dogs and many ducks. I love to garden and work with the land. I take pictures of the wild life around here, and there is plenty. Recently I have started painting again. We camp and fish and I seem to be busy all the time with some "project" or another. You might say I can't sit still for very long.
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Would you share a little about your family? Mike and I have always lived in the city, but we both had always wanted a place in the country. We got our wish 5 years ago when we bought a 40 acre farm that needed a lot of attention. We've been married 8 years this August, and between us have 3 grown children. Maybe we will have this place together by the time our kids get around to grandchildren! In the mean time we have a good time working on our place, then watching the animals and sunsets from our porch swing.
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The cross-stitch industry has changed quite a bit over the last 10-15 years. Do you feel we are heading in the right direction as far as positioning the industry for growth and prosperity? Who would have predicted how the internet has impacted the industry. The way people shop and communicate may have changed, but there are still so many opportunities for growth and education. As with any new format there are problems that go along with it. As long as we stay fluid, listen to our customers and stay true to the roots of this art form, we can help pass on this gentle craft to the next generations.
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The annual Prairie Schooler Santa is one of the most anticipated designs each year at HDC. Would you share a little about how this series began and how long you plan to do a yearly Santa? It started at our first show. Nancy thought it would be good idea to have a small graph to hand to people at the show when they visited our booth and a vehicle to introduce ourselves. We also thought offering a small inexpensive graph that shop owners could use for teaching classes, might be of value. I thought a small Christmas design might be something people would like, so I choose an old folksy Santa Claus based on my memories. Our first Santa was born. We had no idea what it would evolve into. People seemed to like it, so it seemed natural to design another one for the next year. Customers started asking if we were going to do more, and it just grew from there. Coming up with new ideas each year is a challenge, but as long as our customers still request them, I will continue try to come up with that next idea!
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Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions Pamela! We usually conclude the Friday Feature with a mouth watering recipe…do you have something tasty you could share? Black Bean Salsa 2 cans black beans rinsed and drained 1 can whole kernel corn drained 2 large tomatoes seeded and chopped 1 large avocado peeled and chopped 1 purple onion chopped 1/8 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped 3-4 Tblsp. fresh lime juice [whole lime] 2 Tblsp.olive oil 1 Tblsp.red wine vinegar 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper Mix together. Serve with chips. Great as a salad!
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