Now, I'm Not Saying That We're Gold Diggers-

Here's a tid-bit of information for you:

Gold and yellow colors are TOUGH to match. Whether it's binding or serging, yellows and golds don't have much of a selection available for match up.

 

Part of our polyester binding chart.

As you can see from the selection, there is ONE yellow and it's very pale. The other options that would even be close to yellow or gold are more in the orange family. From there, they get rustier or browner in tone.
The carpets that come in to DWP Carpet Binding of a yellow or gold nature usually presents a challenge for us. Although we try our best to get a good match, typically we have to settle for less than best.

In other news:
I was very disappointed upon the arrival of oriental runners with beautiful end caps fabricated. "End cap" is a term that is used when you fabricate a runner with mitered corners to complete the ends with the same bordered look as the sides. Two pieces came in with serged ends, yet the customer wanted fringe. Upon arrival I immediately growled at the serging work. It was awful. This instance was the second time that I saw this type of serging work done.
The first time was when a customer came in to ask us if the serging job was defective or if that is just how it looks. We told the customer that it wasn't defective, yet it looks as if the machine wasn't calibrated correctly for the carpet. However, with this secondary job, I now realize it's just an awful serging job being offered. Beside the fact that it was awful aesthetically, it costs TWICE as much as what we charge for our minimum serging charge.
TSK.TSK.
Nobody should pay for such an awful job.

Serging done from the factory: binding is showing through serging; serging is sparse near the end. Tsk.Tsk.

Factory serging: thread stitching can be seen from front face. Tsk.Tsk.

Factory serging: the "zig-zag" stitching should be drawn down tight; the thread should not be showing at all. Tsk. Tsk.

 

 

Despite being able to see the binding through the serging yarn, you can also see a fraction of it showing beyond where the serging is stitched! When that happens to DWP Carpet Binding, we take the time to cut the extra material off with a carpet blade, so that the job is done correctly!  
Hence our business name Done with PRECISION!
The only factor I could give them credit for is the serging thread was of good quality. However, their serging yarn was thinner gauge than our cotton serging yarn (which is probably why the serging looks sparse). 

The overall evaluation of the serging would be graded very poorly. Calling that a serging job is an insult to the people/businesses that offer binding services. Giving them a D- would be considerate of us. Not to say that we're always perfect. Although, our track history would show that we have had very few complaints since the start of business to the present day.

If you are going to spend good money on end capping a runner, make sure the serging they use to finish the job looks good. Accepting sloppy workmanship allows for them to continue to do such horrible work.

Over the past couple of weeks we have met many new faces!
We would like to thank everyone who has come in with binding needs:

Thank you to:

Alan , Bruce, Bob, Chris (or Kris), Becky, Karl, Kathy and Tony!!

All came in with different binding needs & left with a smile!

Have a great weekend, everybody!

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that we are at yet another commercial holiday. Although, it may have been a genius to concoct such a day! Despite the fact that it's a day that the stores can capitalize on and push for a few extra sales in the quarter, it is indeed a day intended to openly express your appreciation and LOVE for someone significant in your life. Well, today I challenge everybody to get real. I ask you, who or what takes up more of your time than work?! Upon such realizations, my challenge is then extended to ask what is it that you LOVE about your job?

It's not everyday that you may ponder such a question. In fact, I bet more people spend more time expressing feelings of distaste more so than appreciation towards their job. In today's economy, most of us are lucky to even have one. Businesses have scaled back so much, that most likely your job of one title has turned into having to do the duties of four people, making it that much more difficult to keep a positive frame of mind towards your work. Not to mention the fact that most people who have been working for 30 - 40 years are working for less money than they were in the 70's (by comparison of today's value of a dollar).

Back to the challenge at hand.

I asked Dan to tell me five things he loves about his job. At first he laughed, thinking I was joking. Then when he saw my face while I waited for his answer, he began listing some things off:

1. "I love that we're manufacturers."
What we're able to do as a company is take a "raw" product and make it into a usable piece. Different jobs that exemplify a manufacturer's work would be carpet base jobs, or even custom shapes and sizes.

2. "I love that we're environmentalists."
Dan rarely lets anything go into the dumpster. When there are scrap pieces left over from a job, DWP Carpet Binding saves them to use for future pieces. This is how we were able to design and fabricate so many custom area rugs. You can check them out on our etsy page!
Etsy Store!

3. "I love our customers."
Dan has been in the flooring industry for quite some time now (over 20 years!). As a salesman it took charisma and intelligence to gain a customer's attention. However, it was through being himself and his lovable personality that gained him respect. Over the years, Dan not only was able to establish business relationships, but he was also able to establish friendships with most of his customers. Anybody can give you a song and a dance, but Dan will give them to you to his own tune!

4. "I love the hands-on work."
Dan's father was a potato farmer. Dan jokes around that his father's options were to "work in the field" or "get the belt and then go work on the field". It was the farmer's ethics of work that influences Dan to this very day. Sure, it may be tough on the body on occasion, but it sure beats sitting at a desk day-in and day-out.  

Between you and me, Dan isn't capable of doing nothing. He's constantly got to occupy himself with some sort of work.

5. "I love the excitement of potential business; there's no predictability to our day."
This is very true. There isn't one day that goes by that is the same as the previous day. Every day we meet new faces, face new challenges and have different tasks. One day it could be 3,000 linear feet of carpet base, the next day it could be serging three area rugs. Every carpet requires different attention, which is exactly why no day is the same. Again, it is far different from sitting in front of a computer day-in and day-out.

Now, it wouldn't be fair for me to challenge Dan with the question "What do you love about your job?" without having to also answer it! So here are five reasons that I love my job:

1. My boss is an honest, hard-working and caring man.
I'm not working for some multimillionaire that only cares about reaching his next million. I'm working for a man who isn't afraid to get on his hands and knees to cut a carpet, or thinks he is above taking out the garbage. He has taught me a great deal when it comes to work ethic, simply by observing his daily actions.

2. I get to do whatever I want.
It may sound immature, but I assure you that I am always completing one task or another. When your job tasks include inventory, e-mails, web-site building, writing blogs, price quotes as well as the binding labor it is very easy to lose track of what you're doing. Yet, to keep my attention at focus, I mix my day up. A little bit of binding here, doing e-mail marketing there, writing a blog every so often. Dan trusts that I am a diligent worker and allows me free reign of my work day; as long as I get all tasks completed by the end of the day.

3. I love that I learned a useful trade.
It's not everyday that a young person gets offered to train for and learn a trade. In fact, many people my age or younger have been told they'll spend the majority of their life in front of computer. I am happy to say that is not the case where I am concerned. My day is spent with sewing machines! By learning the carpet binding trade, I've also become familiar with sewing machines, that I can fix and run just about any model. I even asked for my own sewing machine a couple of Christmases ago and have created special items or repaired favorite articles of clothing. When my hands become too tired/weak to work with carpets, I can move on to cloth!

4. I love that I've learned to make custom carpets.
One of DWP Carpet Binding's customers is a man named Bill Craig. He makes custom carpets... really really beautiful custom carpets. I've had the special honor and privilege of learning new tricks every time he comes in to see us. After about six years (plus or minus a few months) I am now contracted to do custom pieces; or have the honor of gifting custom pieces for special events, such as weddings and birthdays!

First custom piece ever made: free-hand heart. Clearly, I needed more practice!

Samples I made to show the differences between serging, polyester binding and cotton binding.

Latest custom piece: for Mackenzie's bedroom. My abilities have certainly developed!

5. I love that my hard work and dedication is going towards my parents' retirement.
I stated before how my boss is pretty awesome. Yet, my job is more valuable because this business will be the allowance to my parents' retirement. Granted, Dan's hard work in customer service is what grew the business to make it as successful as it is today; it'll be my hard work and diligence that continues to keep this business running! There will come a day that I will call the shots and get to tell Dan, "Don't worry about coming into the office today, everything is taken care of". Which will be the day that I will certainly admit being proud of what DWP Carpet Binding has allotted for. Working for family is far more valuable to me than climbing the ladder in a corporation or "Big Business".


So on this Valentine's Day, I challenge you to think outside of the commercialized box. Instead of showering your loved ones with chocolates, flowers and "I love you's"; why not give yourself a gift and remember a few reasons why you LOVE your job?!

Happy Valentine's Day!
-The Team of DWP Carpet Binding

Just Want to Say Thanks!

This week DWP Carpet Binding kept busy with projects involving carpet base, serging, many binding pieces and a couple of fringe pieces!

We had the pleasure of meeting a few new faces as well!

With that being said, DWP Carpet Binding would like to thank the following people:

Thank you to Alan for repairing fringe on two woven pieces!

Thank you to Jeff who came in with a remnant to be cut and bound!

Congrats & Good Luck on your first bundle of joy ....

(He joked that he hopes it's AFTER the big game!)

Thank you to Lisa & Amy who came in together looking at DWP's stock pieces! 

Thank you to Ruth, who had pre-cut pieces bound for her bathroom!

Thank you, to the woman who came in with leopard printed remnants for binding!

(She might come back to have some pieces re-fringed!)

Here's a short tale for all the readers:

I constantly/consistently forget to introduce myself to new comers. I really just focus on getting the job done, that my attention always goes to the task at hand. I always end up saying, "Oh, by the way, my name is Kelly" as the person/people are walking out of the door! Typically I find that amusing, because it's common sense to introduce yourself first, not after. There have been times that I forget all together, which also means that I never catch the customer's first name. 

This case and point, is what happened with the nice woman who came in with the leopard printed remnants. She said she may return with pieces that need to have repairs done to the fringe, in which case, I hope I remember to properly introduce myself & catch her name for a proper DWP blog thank you! 

On that note, I wish every body a happy weekend!  Be safe if you will be indulging on Superbowl Sunday!