Good morning and welcome to create with Heidi. I'm Heidi Kaisand, owner of hen and chicks studio in Conrad, and lover of all things creative. Each week here on Create With Heidi, we like to cover topics that educate and inspire you about how people are being creative. Whether it's quilting, scrapbooking, food, wool, or just hanging out with others who seem to have their creative Mojo grooving in all the right directions. We are excited to share these things with you. So welcome. As always, I like to start with a quote. And today my quote is from TS Eliot, every moment is a fresh beginning. And I picked that quote, because our guest today is Kari Carr. And her company is New Leaf stitches. And she'll tell us more about how she got started. But this morning, I want to welcome Kari, how are you today, Kari?
turning-over-a-new-leaf
Heidi Kaisand
Kari Carr
Good morning, Heidi. It's so nice to visit with you today.
Heidi Kaisand
Nice to have you here as well. And I know we probably need a weather report. Is it colder where you're at? Because we know you're farther to the north in Minnesota and whatever you've got today. We're probably getting later.
Kari Carr
Well, you know, that's funny, because I wondered if you wouldn't ask that. So it is a little breezy. And it's in the mid 20s. And I have blue sky trying to peek through some clouds.
Heidi Kaisand
Yes, well, that late least or sun, we you know, sun coming through. That's we've got to have that today. It's supposed to be cool and crisp here. But I think about 20 degrees warmer. So Oh, yeah,
Kari Carr
yeah. And we didn't get any snow this week. So that was a good thing.
Heidi Kaisand
Always a bonus. Always Always bonus.
Kari Carr
Well, Kari, it
Heidi Kaisand
is so nice to have you here. Your business name is called New Leaf stitches. And I picked the code I did this morning because I remember vaguely you telling me at this point probably years ago has it been years and you've been you've had this business. It has been you know about why you named it that. So why don't you tell all of our listeners about New Leaf stitches and how it came to be?
Kari Carr
Okay, I'd be happy to. I was teaching at our local high school in the facts department or as my degree on my college certificate Eric college diploma says whole Mac and my teacher co teacher there was really big into quilting. And she's the one that sparked my interest in quilting. Although I'd been sewing my whole life because my mom was taught from that teacher. So anyway, when I had we raised two boys, and they were both very involved in sports. And when they went off to college or your part, when they both went off to college, they were participating in two different sports. And it was just killing me to be so far away and not being able to go to their sporting events. And so we had been the other teacher and I had been dabbling in doing some quote designs and had actually gotten one market. And it was like, Okay, if I'm going to do this new business, I need to jump in with both feet. And I was fortunate enough that the school district gave me a five year leave. So I could go back to it. But once I started and turned over this new leaf of quilting and design and and created being able to create every day and being on my own schedule. I never looked back for teaching at the high school and have always enjoyed teaching quilters.
Heidi Kaisand
Oh, I bet I bet. It was probably pretty easy to just keep keep going down this path. So what kinds of things you've already mentioned, like pattern designs. So what kinds of things does New Leaf stitches create?
Kari Carr
Well, when I first started, I was exclusively designing quilt patterns and writing the patterns and selling those to, you know, on the wholesale level to shops. And then as I was sewing I just figured there has to be better ways to do different things. And then I started developing notions. And that's really where the bulk of my businesses right now is developing and selling different notions. But I've also had the opportunity to write two books with Martin Gale and the creative grids designer Have some fabric, several fabric designs with Hoffman fabrics. So it's been looking back over it over this career, it's just been such a blessing and unexpected things that have come my way and opportunities that I've I've had is, is really fun to reflect back on and I and I count myself really blessed. Oh, I've been able to do these things.
Heidi Kaisand
Absolutely. And it's been fun to see. Again, we won't get into the number of years that you and I have known each other. But we've known each other long enough that I've I've seen you transition into those different parts and and and it's such a it's such a creative process in the quilting that one thing sort of leads to another what what would you say is your I mean, it is a favorite part. But usually everybody has some part of the process of quilt making. That is their favorite. You know, some people love to pick out the fabric Some people love to cut some people love to just peace Some people love to just quilt. What Where do you think your your passion falls in there?
Kari Carr
I think my passion is in the actual designing, I like to take the traditional things have a little twist to my actual quote patterns. And then from there, the creativity I touched on it a little bit is like there has to be a better way of doing something. And so I think that maybe is my strongest point even more than the pattern design, although people are like, where do you you know, how do you come up with ideas, and it's like, I have more ideas than I to make or put on paper. And I think most creative people feel that way that I did this and that and yeah, so I kind of, you know, the pattern writing I don't necessarily enjoy, of course, I love being at my machine and touching the fabrics and and the colors and choosing those and putting it up on the design wall and stepping back to see if it's coming together. Like I wanted it to know that that's the fun part to me. And the challenging part too.
Heidi Kaisand
Yes. And and it is so interesting that things can the more you work with patterns and pieces, you can absolutely see how things could come together differently. And it's like a puzzle, isn't it? It's very much like a puzzle.
Kari Carr
It is and you know, most of us design on a computer program now. But how it looks on that screen or even printed out on paper is so much different when you actually get the fabrics and the light hits it and you know, the the directional something or this or that or, you know, it's just you have to actually use the fabrics and play with them. And at least that's my opinion.
Heidi Kaisand
I would absolutely agree, I would absolutely agree. And one of the things I thought maybe that you would talk a little bit more about as some of your favorites is that you have created some really useful tools and and those tools are so helpful in in the process of cutting out and making. So of course the slotted trimmer tool I think I've seen that right is one that that several of my customers are just loving it and my staff is so excited about it that they're planning a demonstration on Facebook later today on Facebook Live just to show how how your your tool works, why don't you tell us just a little bit about that.
Kari Carr
I would be glad to I was it was during the writing of my second book with Martin gal the book is called twice as nice. And it was using you know those little slip corners a lot of times that we weave we'd sell and then we trim and then we have a little triangle pieces that we think we're gonna do something with later. You know, that kind of thing? Well, anyway, the the premise of the book was how to use up those little flipped corners. The problem with those flip corners were they were usually an odd size. So you'd have to turn them down so I was trimming and trimming and trimming and I thought okay, instead of flipping this fabric around and ironing and going back and trimming dog years now that I so this has been in the works for quite a number of years I developed what's called the clearly perfect slotted trimmers. The original set has two trimmers in them one, one trims, half inch sizes, the other trims quarter inch sizes and the basis of how it works and it's so simple. In fact, instructions are right on the tools. There's dashed lines that correspond To the different sizes, so it could be up to six sizes that you get on one of these trimmers. So it's very economical as well because you get a variety of sizes. But anyway, the dashed lines, you would line up there represent the stitching line, you would line those up with your theme stitched line of an unpressed after half square triangle. Once that's lined up, you trim up one side of this triangle and down the other and you have trimmed off four sides. Cool and you take the exact correct size
Heidi Kaisand
now but as a quilter I totally get that I totally get Yeah. And Kari, we're I'm having fun talking to you and I know you've got so much more information to give us we're gonna take a quick commercial break and we'll be back right after this. Get in check studio is here for you for holiday gift giving if you're a quilter you can put together your wish list if you're buying for a quilter hen and chicks now sells gift certificates online. My name is Heidi and I would be delighted to help you pick out the perfect gift shopping online is convenient and easy but nothing beats the fun of coming to our beautiful 1800s building surrounded by quilts and everything to make quilts head and chicks for the holidays. visit our store in Conrad or online at Hen and chicks studio.com.
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Heidi Kaisand
welcome back to create with Heidi, this is Heidi Kaisand from Hen and chicks studio in Conrad, and we are having fun talking with Kari Carr from New Leaf stitches. Before the break, she was talking a little bit about her slotted trimmer tool. And for those that are listening that are not quilters that might have sounded a little bit Greek right carry. It might not have it might not have completely jived. But it's okay. Because first of all, Kari does great How To Videos herself. And like I said, My staff is so excited about how this tool works and why it's so, so good that we are going to be doing a Facebook Live later today on our Hen and chicks studio page on Facebook. And I think Jamie, Willa is the one that's going to actually probably do the demo. And I know some people might be listening to this later. And what we do what we do with Facebook Lives like that, that are specific will actually download it and put it also on the same page with this podcast on our website. So if people three weeks from now come to listen to the show, then they'll also be able to see the video that we do later today. Talking about that and all and also your video we link all of those together so everybody all the all the information is in one place. And so that would be really cool. When you're when you're creating a tool like that, you know what what is your is your goal? Is your goal saving time for a customer? You know, for a quilter? Is it saving fabric? What What do you see as the benefit of getting a tool like the slotted trimmer tool?
Kari Carr
Well, being raised in a house with a homeowner, myself, things had to be done right? When it came to everything from setting the table to putting that zipper in for the 4H project and, and those kinds of things. So I learned early on the importance of accuracy. And I I like my quilting pieces to be accurate so everything fits together. And it's square by the time that we are done. And so the main thing that I want my tools to do is help people be accurate in their piecing work. And along with that, I like to be efficient with my time and so I have another tool that I created over 10 years ago that is the same, you know those same ideas and that it helps people be accurate but yet it saves them time because there's maybe a step that is taken out. Both things are more efficient, and accurate and I think that's important. Besides being easy it makes Something is common sense. quilters are very visual. And so that was another thing on on the design of these are the color coding or the instructions on I'm just making it easy to look at and say, Oh, I remember what this ruler does where this tool does, I don't have to dig out instructions anywhere. It's all right there on the product.
Heidi Kaisand
It just it flows. And right, commenting on your accuracy comment, you know, you know, sometimes it's fun to just go with the flow. But when and there are some projects, where I'm gonna use the word fudge, and I'm not referring to the food, we can fudge a lot. But because the pieces are big, or they're not very, you know, it's not a very big project, like a little table runner, you might be able to fudge a little bit more. But when we start working on bigger projects and more detailed projects with lots of pieces in them, it not to sound like we're accuracy. Critics, you're right, it's not there, you know, but but it's so important, because if you're a 16th of an inch off on every piece, and it's a, it's got eight pieces in it all of a sudden, I mean, it's it's adding up. And and so then all of a sudden, somebody says, Well, my borders don't fit or why is my quilt wonky on this edge? And that little step right at the very beginning, where you could have been more accurate. could make the difference in how that entire quilt looks.
Kari Carr
Right? Right. And you know, when I was teaching in, say, a retreat or in a class, and you know, people understand that that's me, but also, you know, my quotes are usually hung and shown in at market or, you know, quote, shows and that kind of thing. So I feel like I need to be more accurate. Yeah, but if there's somebody in my class, that that's not their thing. That's okay with me, I I'm like you are here to enjoy this process. Yes, if these tools help you a little bit wonderful. But I really want people just to enjoy the process. On the flip side, it's, it's, you know, I'm kind of thinking, you know, you spent the time and the money let's try and be accurate. That's right. But, but I don't you know, if their points don't match, and they are thrilled with that, I'm thrilled for them. They're happy, they enjoyed it. They laughed and enjoyed their time in class. And that's, that's important and important, but really in our world. Yeah,
Heidi Kaisand
we've got to take another quick commercial break and we'll be right back in and check studio is here for you for holiday gift giving. If you're a quilter you can put together your wish list if you're buying for a quilter Hen and chicks now sells gift certificates online. My name is Heidi and I would be delighted to help you pick out the perfect gift shopping online is convenient and easy, but nothing beats the fun upcoming to our beautiful 1800s building surrounded by quilts and everything to make quilts Hen and chicks for the holidays. visit our store in Conrad or online at Henandchicksstudio.com.
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Heidi Kaisand
Well, welcome back to create with Heidi, and we're having fun talking today with Kari Carr from nuleaf stitches, and it is nuleaf stitches.com. Correct. I believe I have that right. That's correct. So that is her website. And again, we'll put those links. I think we've put some already in some of our social media posts, but we'll make sure we have those all on our website as well, as well as links to the slotted trimmer tool. And obviously, this year has been so different for us curi in so many ways, you know not going to quilt market, which is our, our wholesale show for the quilt industry, those kinds of things, you know, has it caused you to be creative in different ways that all of a sudden Hey, you're not you're not traveling. You know what is there something that is you know, that you've been given you time to do that you haven't hadn't had time to do before.
Kari Carr
You mean like clean my studio? Yeah.
Heidi Kaisand
Well, that's a good, that's a good thing to
Kari Carr
COVID cleaning. Well, of course, all my teaching engagements have been been canceled for the year and, and going forward, I'm not really sure at this point, what will will transpire, what I have noticed is I have more time to support my stores. They're really the ones on the frontline wanting and wanting to help their customers and, you know, quilting or any any hobby is so important to our mental health. Yes, and I just think the world of all of these cold stores that are are, you know, working through this and figuring out how to support their customers, keeping people healthy, making their business, you know, thrive. And if I can, on the backside help with that, like giving them ideas, maybe it's like, yesterday, I was talking to a shop on shipping ideas. And, and, you know, like you said, the videos, I have videos just for shops. So I think I've had time more to do that. And just support the things that I have right now versus always coming up with a new quote pattern, or something like that.
Heidi Kaisand
And Kari, I have to tell you, I mean, as a shop owner, like, obviously, the our customers are not going to see the video you shared with us. But it was inspiration for us. And as much as we like to be creative and do different things. We're so busy running our store, we don't have time to come up with everything. So we like having videos from designers like yourself, say, Hey, here's an idea, here's how you take this tool, here's how you show