Before I start this week’s edition of News from you, I want to remind you that I’ll be in Los Angeles next week (June 5-7) to present a Q&A seminar at Pool’s Swim Lessons. The seminars on successfully marketing to buyers at your first tradeshow is free. Sign up by emailing the Pool office. Also email me as we’re planning on getting together for dinner on the 6th after the session. Also, if you’re in the area but not attending the seminars and want to meet up for dinner, let me know.

I’ll go first. Here’s a funny I found on Open Letters to People or Entities Who Are Unlikely To Respond. It’s an excerpt of a letter written to James Thatcher, Brand Manager for Procter & Gamble:

Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: “Have a Happy Period.”

FYI, unless you’re some kind of sick S&M freak girl, there will never be anything “happy” about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlúa and lock yourself in your house just so you don’t march down to the local Walgreens armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory. For the love of God, pull your head out, man. If you just have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn’t it make more sense to say something that’s actually pertinent, like “Put Down the Hammer” or “Vehicular Manslaughter Is Wrong”? Or are you just picking on us?

Cute pictures of a monkey petting a kitten.

Google has a new search via translation service. You can input your search terms in English and find sites that match your search terms in another language.

I finally heard back from the Freeborders people on their Designer Technical Drawing Tool for sketching specs and construction details. It’s pricey, about $2,000. I have a demo scheduled next week. For more details, see the “marketing collateral” -I guess that’s the latest bizness buzz phrase (pdf 506 kb).

Kysha’s newsletter (Yahzi Rose) informs me of Eating Organic. The site lists food items based on the amount of applied pesticides. If you can’t always buy organic produce, focus on buying items lower on the list. Based on the chart, you’d want to buy organic peaches and apples (1 and 2) but could get away with buying non-organic avocados and onions.

Malissa Long (Austin TX) says she’s decided to take the plunge and launch a line next January. She’s entering a fashion show to help facilitate her progress.

Tracy (who wrote the article on jewelry design) sent me a link to this leather glove die. Pretty cool.

I got an email announcing a new website for fabric sourcing. I don’t know how good it is but check it out. Their first language is French, you may have to click the British flag on the right hand side to get English.

There’s a new event in Atlanta, called Atlanta International Fashion Week, August 15th-19th. I don’t know how professional the event is but if the pink(!) music-y website is any indication…

Not complaining considering the context, but I somehow got on Leslie Hindman’s mailing list. She’s having a couture auction June 13th. It may be too rich for your blood (as it is mine) but you may enjoy browsing the catalogue of couture goodies.

Kristen (Hotslings) writes asking if you know of any other tradeshows to show a nursing clothing line other than ABC Kids EXPO and MoM2Be. She also wants to know if any maternity buyers going to shows like Magic.

Tragically, Angela Johnson announces that the Arizona Fashion Foundation (LabelHorde Fashion) has ceased operations after five years of service to the local fashion community. I’m sorry to see her close. I wonder if the Santa Fe Fashion Designers something or other will step in to fill the gap but I haven’t heard anything about them in a long while. A little bird suggests the SF group is hampered by hubris, and resultant support from established local businesses is reluctant and spotty.

Coming on the heels of yesterday’s entry on the apparel in industry in Australia, Lisa Howdin (Fitz Patterns) who’s day job is Web Editor for CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) sends word of a CSIRO project on Digital inkjet printing of wools. Interesting.

There is a need in the wool industry for simple, flexible, and economic printing methods. Conventional screen printing is expensive to set up and requires long runs to be cost effective. Alternatively, inkjet printing is easy to set up and cost effective for short to medium print runs.

‘Less than one per cent of fabric printing is done on wool because it is expensive. Our aim is to develop inkjet printing techniques that make the whole process cheaper and therefore more attractive’, said Dr Vijayan.

CSIRO’s aim in the current project is to streamline the pre- and post-print stages of wool inkjet printing to develop the most economic and flexible system possible. We are also aiming to position wool competitively in the young fashion and active sportswear markets.

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