Q&A: ANDREA REKRUT,

MARKETING BRAND MANAGER,
QUILTING TREASURES

 

Read our interview with the Quilting Treasures Marketing Brand Manager about her role at the company, their commitment to charity, and their newest addition,
Ink & Arrow.

 

Although the company’s history dates back to 1807, the Quilting Treasures brand was launched in 2000, and has grown and evolved significantly in just the 15 years since. The company works with a talented group of in-house designers, as well as well-known quilt designers and licensed brands—the latter of which includes an impressive roster of beloved characters.

 

For this edition of eInsider, we “spoke” (technically emailed) with Rekrut about her position at the employee-owned company, their commitment to charity, and the what we can expect to see from its newest family member.

 

eINSIDER: First, please tell us about your position at Quilting Treasures and what you personally do at the company.

 

REKRUT: I have been with QT for four years as a Marketing Brand Manager.  I am proud to be just one piece of the fantastic marketing team who inspire me every day. My primary responsibilities involve managing the content of the websites, advertising, public relations, social media, trade shows, branding, trend support, and sponsorships.

 

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eINSIDER: Quilting Treasures is an employee-owned company. For those that aren't familiar, how does this work, and do you feel that it effects the overall dynamic between employees at the company?

 

REKRUT: Yes!  Once owned by the Rockefeller family, they sold the company to the employees in 1987. Quilting Treasures is the only employee-owned (ESOP) fabric company in the home-sewing industry. This is something that I had never experienced in my career and it is very exciting!  I can compare it to the way a homeowner may treat their own house versus a rental unit. At our own home, we turn lights off when we leave a room. At work, we're considerate of what we do and spend and how that can impact our profitability. We feel a sense or onus. Everyone’s doors are open at all times and we share information across all departments. Our opinions and input matter!

 

Quite simply, we strive to be the kind of business that we would want to do business with, and to be the kind of employer that we want to work for.

 

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eINSIDER: Quilting Treasures also prides itself on giving back to the community through its charitable foundation, having donated close to $8 million to non-profits to date. Can you expound on that? Which non-profits have been recipients?

 

REKRUT: That figure would include all the charitable contributions made by the division’s parent, Cranston Print Works Company, over many years. We have made numerous significant cash contributions in conjunction with some specific product line offerings in the past, including to Project Linus, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, ABC Quilts, The Bravest Fund (supporting NY City firefighters), etc. as well as many in-kind contributions of fabric to these and many other groups making quilts as symbols of love and support for all sorts of people at-risk. Currently, 10% of proceeds from sales of the Ribbons of Hope collection will go directly to CANCERCare Organization.

 

Other than the specific promotional collaborations such as those noted above, the vast majority of the company’s direct charitable contributions are now made through its non-profit Cranston Foundation. This Foundation was established in the 1940s to support the communities in which the company had operations by providing grants to local hospitals, schools, and civic organizations such as the YMCA, Boy Scouts, the local Cranston Historical Society, etc. The Foundation has historically also been very supportive of the United Way.

 

In support of education, the Foundation established scholarship funds at Rhode Island School of Design, Bryant University, University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth, and the University of Rhode Island. It also has provided scholarship awards to many children of employees as well as some local high school graduates through its Godfrey Rockefeller Scholarships, and has supported numerous paper technology programs including those at the University of Maine, Auburn, and the University of Wisconsin. Finally, the Foundation supports a matching gift program, which provides up to $1,500 per year per person to match charitable contributions made by employees and retirees.

 

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eINSIDER: Your company offers a large variety of designs and fabrics, some of the most popular being licensed character prints like The Peanuts, Thomas the Train, and—of course—those adorable Minions! In terms of securing the licensed designs, what is the process?

 

REKRUT: We work with agents from various agencies and, in many cases, the designers themselves. We'll review the brand deck or artwork to determine if it's the right fit for us. If the look is right for us, we'll start negotiations.

 

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eINSIDER: Do you approach the license holders? Do they approach QT?

 

REKRUT: We do both. If a license is currently with a fabric company, we generally wouldn't pursue it. In some cases, we've had licenses who are already represented on fabric approach us.

 

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eINSIDER: And what kind of restrictions do license holders put in place as far as what the designs can and cannot include?

 

REKRUT: That depends. Designer licenses usually allow us to do what we need to create a cohesive collection. That means manipulating the image, changing colors, and/or creating new designs. Brand licenses are different as they have a "Style Guide" that you need to adhere to. There are different levels of what you are permitted to do depending on the license.

 

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eINSIDER: Finally, QT introduced a new brand, Ink & Arrow, at fall Quilt Market. What is the idea behind the brand, and how will the fabrics appeal to non-traditional crafters and sewists?

 

REKRUT: Ink & Arrow was created to respond to a gap in our product offering. Certainly, there are numerous young, modern fabric companies in our marketplace that are doing fabulous things! Ink & Arrow uses a unique approach….we want the fabric to make people smile! Our tagline says it all... Because fabric should be fun!

 

To that end, we've hidden an arrow or I&A initials in every print similar to Where's Waldo©!  The purpose of that is to not only add to the fun aspect, but to help engage both the shop owner and consumer with the fabric a bit more. We promote the hidden icon concept in everything we do so that everyone knows to look for them. The longer people look at the fabric, the more connected they become with it!

 

We focused on young sewists and fabric lovers who are creating all things with fabric including apparel, home décor, crafts, and of course, quilts! Our motto No Rules, Just Fabric (#NORULESJUSTFABRIC) says it all!  The brand is fun and quirky while the collections are edgy, contemporary mini-collections. “Pixie Dots” is our I&A basic that works across the board with any of the thematic I&A collections. It works perfectly on its own as well!  There are currently 22 “Pixie Dot” colors.

 

The name Ink & Arrow, the logo, and several of the collections were created by our very own talented NY designer, Alicia Jacobs.

 

 

 

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