Sunday, March 09, 2008

the thread thing...again.



I am late to the game but recently I have begun to fall under the spell of Kaffe. I think this fabric is actually designed by someone in his studio but never-the-less it just sings to me. I'm in a rich, saturated color phase. Since my phases last about a week, who knows what next week will ring. schizophrenic much Dee??? I like big bold geranium leaves and this has them by the handful.

I ordered some thread and a fat quarter pack from Hancock's last week and low and behold, my package came 3 days later. In it was a fat-quarter pack of Kaffe designs and....no thread. The packing slip said there were 3 spools of thread in the bag but, alas, there was only the fabric and nothing else. So I got the phone and my credit card and my big-girl-don't-screw-with-me voice ready and called customer service. A very nice young woman asked for my packing slip # and would I hold. She came right back and told me the thread was right there in the shipping room waiting to be sent out. ?????? Have any of you had "interesting experiences" with Hancock's of Paducah lately? I've been using them almost as long as I've been quilting or about 2o+ years and every order lately there is something not right or they take really long to get here or they send me a card that says something simple, like thread, is back-ordered. How does a company of that size and time in business run out of thread? Oh well, I'll just have to wait a little longer. It's interesting though and I wondered if they changed ownership. That seems to be a signal in many a business for a change in customer service and not just in the fabric business.

So poor me, I'll just have to go play with my Kaffe fabrics. I can't imagine how I will suffer through but if it doesn't kill me, I'll be back tomorrow with more stuff. As I'm writing this I realize that it's already 3:30 and my day is almost gone. Is anyone else affected by the time change like me? I'm so tired and it takes a few days to get settled with it. Not that I don't appreciate the added sunshine, for some reason it just makes me feel exhausted. Later.

13 comments:

Dorothy said...

http://www.redrockthreads.com/ Seriously. Stacey's a doll, the prices are good, the selection is fabulous, shipping is cheap and fast.

Oh, and I LOOOOOOOVE that fabric. If your phase changes, can I have it? ;o)

Rose said...

That fabric could sing the national anthem for me!

Have not ordered from H of P lately, but the last time it was slow getting here. And they were out of something. But I must say the one thing that I have found consistent about them is I have NEVER got scrawny measurements...it is almost always a couple inches over and sometimes more.

Darcie said...

Oooh ooh! Lovely stuff! Any ideas on what you're going to do with it yet? (Besides play with and pet it?!) ;-)

Kay said...

I've had to wait on back orders fairly consistently, and once it was two months! Today I ordered black batting from their web site and it is back ordered. We'll see. Incidentally, I think their web site is terrible.

Janet said...

That is some gorgeous fabric! The colors are so rich. I love it!! I've been in a sewing phase for the past couple of days. Don't worry, it won't last! I'll be off to something else. Could we be related??

Libby said...

It's easy to sometimes overlook a little glitch but when glitches become the norm . . . then it's time to worry *s* Sorry to hear you've had a run of bad luck.

Anonymous said...

I've had a lot of problems with Hancock's lately. They shipped a 36" cutting mat last year in a flimsy box that allowed the mat to be damaged, and when I shipped it back they never gave me a credit for it. I ordered a wool batt this year and they shipped a cotton batt instead. It cost them a bunch of money for FedEx to pick up the cotton batt at my house, they shipped me the right wool batt at their expense. They're not doing such a good job these days.

Rian said...

A couple weeks ago, out of the blue, I received a FedEx package from Hancock's with one small spool of thread in it. I didn't remember ordering it, so I'm guessing it had been on backorder, or maybe it was a mistake. The last time I had ordered from them was like 6 weeks prior. The point being, they sent it Fed Ex. Dumb.

Grazia said...

Dee.....do you remember when you were in the no-colour phase?????.....fortunately our life has different phases....:):)
Sono contenta che ti piacciono i colori forti in questo momento!!!!

Finn said...

Hey girl friend, love, love, love that particular piece of fabric!
I've not ordered much from the big P. company, a box of batting way back when.
I get most of my thread, etc, from Connecting Threads, so I can't really help much.
But, like you, my body is always confused by the clock switch, so I DON'T switch the clocks til my body begins to correct itself. Usually takes 4 days to a week. I'm beginning to feel the 'swing' already today, with bright sunshine and a whoppin' 34 degrees. This is earlier than usual for me.
Love the little scrappy patch you pulled from the closet...are you doing Julie Q's "what's your oldest UFO?" I'm tempted *VBG*
Sending big hugs, Finn

Cindra said...

The time change has ticked me off. Once again I am driving to work in the dark!!!! I still can't find that hour I lost! Not only that, but they keep telling us we have one more hour of sunlight... that's not true... we have the same hours we had before... they are just different. Am I grouchy... yes. We are on the western edge of the timezone so it affects us more. Oh, well... thanks for letting me vent.

Perry said...

I don't order very much from Hancocks, but they are slow to deliver. I also am in love with Kaffe fabrics. His newer releases seem to glow they are so rich. Your idea of a snowball type block with these fabrics sounds terrific. I am making blocks with KF fabrics from a pattern called The Jester. I have posted some of them on my blog a couple of posts back. You might see if that pattern interests you.

The Calico Cat said...

Love that color way of the geranium - mine has hot pink flowers (I love that too.)

I think you are right about these being a different designer that Kaffe - Philip something or other... That Kaffe hired...