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I often talk to Kathleen about my woes of being a DE and starting off small. One of the biggest problems I have is sourcing fabric at small minimums, meaning 100 yards or less per fabric. Many of you know the drill; most of the companies that sell in small quantities are so popular that their fabric is everywhere. It becomes nearly impossible to design a unique collection based on these fabrics because you see them everywhere you turn– including fabric stores. If you want good fabric -not seen everywhere- the minimums seem to be 200-500 yards and up.
I once took an apparel manufacturing class from a consultant and asked her what she thought was the number one problem small designers make. Guess what she said? She said it was getting in over their heads with fabric quantities and sitting on too much fabric. At first I thought that couldn't be but as I got into manufacturing, I began to see why and how so many companies get caught up with too much fabric. In my case, as a manufacturer who retails my own products, my quantities will always be smaller than DEs who sell to retailers. It seems that anytime I find a company that offers reasonable minimums, the fabric is of a lower quality than would be fitting for what I am manufacturing, or everybody has it. Now that alone isn't reason enough for a post like this, after all, who wants to hear me whine about my problems with sourcing fabric?
The ironic thing about this is that whenever I can speak to companies about fabric sourcing, they tell me that most American fabric manufacturers or converters are in financial trouble and are losing most of their business to imports from China or other Asian countries and I can see why. For example, once I was looking for hand loomed or machine knit loungewear. As you know, this is a dying industry here in the US. To track down knitters, I had to take a circuitous route; first I tracked down the machinery used to do this type of garment knitting (often called full fashioned knitwear if you want to know). Then I located one sales office for one of the largest machine manufacturers and had an interesting conversation. The salesman proceeded to tell me how they have lost so much business to China that they are re-marketing their machinery to other industries or they face going out of business here in the US (their other sales offices in other countries are doing fine). Then, he told me that many of the knitters were also going out of business and that very few of those left would take on a small customer.
He was right. One company he referred me to told me flat out, that he would not even consider an order under 2,000 pieces. And I called Kathleen to complain about it because, quite honestly, companies with those kinds of needs don't exactly fall out of the sky and unless they are forced to a very short time-line, they will source from China or any other country for a fraction of what they would pay here. So why does this company have such high minimums when the very customers who can meet those minimums won't even source their needs with this supplier? Time and time again -just like all of you- I keep coming up against this problem.
I find the key problem is:
American manufacturers are losing business because companies are sourcing overseas, yet they won't lower their minimums to service companies that must source and produce domestically.
Kathleen has often said that as much as these companies complain about losing business, she doesn't feel sorry for them because they won't deal with small companies. Many will say they can't, but it seems that if you're facing going out of business, you don't have the luxury if sitting around and talking about what you will and won't do -you just find a way to make it work!
Companies could find a way to service small businesses profitably if they took a look at how they operate. There's no way you can convince me that it can't be done, because it can. Other US-based companies are figuring it out. European companies are figuring it out. Asian companies are figuring it out. By the way, I know of one US company that offers sourcing in Asia and I can get hand loomed knitwear with a 72 piece minimum. Sure it'll cost me more but I can get that to work within my means.
Many other industries have adapted to service smaller clients, whether it means accumulating orders for a "gang run" (where you produce multiple orders at one time), adapting new technology, finding leaner ways to operate, or combining forces with other companies which allows you to produce smaller orders. Smart DEs know what they are up against and more than anything, they are looking for companies to work with them. And returning to my first point, it seems counterproductive that DEs have to "get in over their heads" with fabric just to produce a product line.


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Dumb Celebrity Quotes – Who Said This?
Emotions, they're so confusing. This three-time Tim Burton actress may have had her understanding of cheerfulness messed up by all that Danny Elfman music when she told the press, "I feel my best when I'm happy." You know, unlike the rest of us.

subset: commoncrawl


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Commercial Solar Specialists Swinbrook Oxfordshire
At Alternative Energy Solutions Ltd, we specialise in all aspects of renewable energy technologies. We are based in Oxford and also cover Swindon. Commercial Solar Specialists Swinbrook Oxfordshire
What is a Commercial Solar Specialists Swinbrook Oxfordshire?
They are experts in designing, installing, and maintaining solar energy systems for businesses of all sizes. They work with you to understand your energy needs and goals, and then create a customized solar solution to meet those needs.
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One of the benefits of working with a Commercial Solar Specialists Swinbrook Oxfordshire is their expertise. They know the ins and outs of solar energy systems and can guide you through the entire process, from selecting the right panels to ensuring your system meets all local regulations and requirements.
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Customers and employees alike appreciate companies that prioritize green practices, and a solar system is a visible and tangible way to show that commitment.
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It's crucial to choose a company with a successful track record when selecting a commercial solar specialist. Ask for references and check online reviews to ensure you're working with a reputable company that can deliver on their promises.
Ultimately, working with a Commercial Solar Specialists Swinbrook Oxfordshire can be a smart move for your business's bottom line and your environmental impact. With their expertise and guidance, you can make the switch to clean, renewable energy with confidence.


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Campbell Foam Trucker
Foam front panel
Mesh side and back panels
Adjustable plastic snap back closure
Curved bill
One size fits most
Mesh side and back panels
Adjustable plastic snap back closure
Curved bill
One size fits most
Size chart
Orders are processed as quickly as possible, but in some cases please allow up to 7 business days for order processing prior to your estimated shipping transit time. Shipping times will vary depending on your location and chosen shipping method.
Selecting a faster shipping method does not speed up processing time but does accelerate the transit time once shipped.
- Regular in-store products - Shipped within 48 hours.
- Custom Garments - Can take 4-6 weeks production before shipping.
- Helmet/Shields - May require 2-3 weeks before shipping.
- Motorcycle Parts - Most parts are made to order and usually require 4-8 weeks of production time before shipping.
Some regularly stocked items may be temporarily out of stock but shown as available online. These items usually take 10-15 business days to be restocked and shipped to you.


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Neuropathy is a medical condition caused by damaged nerve cells and often associated with autoimmune diseases, infections, diabetes, tumors, or hereditary conditions. Peripheral neuropathy currently affects over 20 million people in the United States with symptoms ranging from tingling or burning pain and nausea to muscle spasms, difficulty moving your arms or legs, or atrophy.
While neuropathy can be severe, the most common forms of neuropathy include diabetic neuropathy, carpal tunnel syndrome, and sciatica which are actually quite prevalent in adult populations. The symptoms of neuropathy greatly depend on the type of nerves that are damaged, ranging from autonomic nerves, motor nerves, and sensory nerves.
Neuropathy Affecting Autonomic Nerves
Autonomic nerves control involuntary and semi-voluntary bodily functions such as bladder functions, blood pressure, heart rate, and perspiration. When autonomic nerves are affected by peripheral neuropathy, symptoms include:
- Excessive sweating
- Loss of bladder or bowel functions
- Irregular heartbeat
- Nausea or vomiting
Neuropathy Affecting Motor Nerves
Motor nerves are responsible for communicating with the brain to control muscles and movement. If peripheral neuropathy affects the motor nerves, symptoms can include:
- Atrophy or muscle weakness
- Decreased reflexes
- Uncontrolled twitching or muscle spasms
Neuropathy Affecting Sensory Nerves
Sensory nerves are responsible for sending messages from the rest of the body to the brain to trigger the senses. When peripheral neuropathy affects the sensory nerves, symptoms include:
- Decreased sensation
- Tingling or numbness in the affected area
- Inability to feel changes in temperature
- Sensitivity to touch
Depending on the severity of your pain and symptoms, treatment for neuropathy is often adjusted to first treat the associating condition that is causing the pain. To manage nerve pain and these underlying conditions, we utilize a combination of natural therapeutic treatments such as acupuncture, corrective care, and nerve regeneration to greatly reduce the severity of your discomfort.
For more information on neuropathy or nerve pain or to request an appointment, please don't hesitate to contact us today at (918) 459-0333.


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Latest release:
Galactica Electronica
Next is now, world music as the single most potent force in the culture of fusion ... World music-makers are like shamans, carrying us on magic carpets of riffs and melodies through states of consciousness that spin us out of time to lands not yet invented but glimpsed on the aural horizon ... And so we see that music brings us, in the jumping of our cells, from what is past to what is trying to become the future. lt expresses and fulfills our need to hear the spirit in the dark.
(Jean Houston in Jump Time, Sentient Publ. 2004)
Best Music Compilation CDs - Each a piece of art
Music Mosaic, an independent Australian label, encourages all cultures and nations to live together respectfully on our planet Earth. You will hear multicultural musical expressions from diverse countries, yet the sounds flow together in harmony... like a beautiful mosaic! Our music compilations feature exceptional songs on specific themes from international artists.
Getting on the dance floor, jammin' with the birds! An Australian fusion of ambient birds and world-beat mixes... Guess what is what among the chatter, twitter, trill, Hoot, drone, rumble, chirp, cluck, shriek, growl, hum, pulse, buzz What a mingle!
Click here to BUY the CD Didgeridoo Birds Dance More info Use the controls to listen to each track or to all of them continuously. Click buy (on the right under the cover) to download the album or any track(s) in 320k MP3, FLAC, or just about any other format you could possibly desire. |
Or, download Didgeridoo Birds Dance from iTunes | |
We also offer RINGTONES - Mood Music On Tap
With ringtones sent to your phone at the click of a mouse, it's never been easier to download unique music and sound effects for your personal taste. Imagine actually enjoying hearing your phone ring! Then you will always know when a phone call is for you! Click here for more info!
Recent music compilations
Driving World-Beat Ethno-Fusion
Transcending space is a wild place within eternity… no time, no past.. a wormhole to the future where Mind is but a Dream Dancing Spirit. - The didgeridoo is a special instrument: only a drone can be played but an infinity of sounds is created by circular breathing, singing, rhythmic patterns and imitating animals. Mixed with worldbeat arrangements, here is a fiery trance dance!
Drumming music - Fast & Furious
Ready, set, letting go with upbeat natural trances from different cultures. A smorgasbord of percussion instruments and remixes to keep the blood pumping while dancing with abundance!
Groove music - relaxing dances to trance by
Relax, renew, rejuvenate with energizing downtempo, danceable offbeat rhythms to drift away. Outstanding global international artists mix a contemporary pleasurable flow with unconventional sounds for a trance dream voyage - Feet on the ground and touch the sky.
Ecstatic modern chants for the heart and soul
From joyous dance to silent bliss, one hour of down-to earth spiritual inspiration from international artists mixing ancient texts with contemporary sounds and beats. Tune in, sing along and elevate your soul!
Percussion Worldbeat Fusion Music
Extra long play album to keep you going with drums, percussion, shakers, bells and whistles. These moving rhythms will get you lost in trance inducing bliss. Make some noise, bang on something! Destress, have fun, let your hair down, strut your stuff, drive yourself nuts, go bananas…
World-beat, Trance Dance, Drumming, Acid Jazz
A one hour dance party of unusual beats: didgeridoo ululations spiced with hot djembe, polyrhythmic percussion, drums and infectious grooves. Infused with contagious joy from a variety of culture, this is a must hear-and must move-to.
World-Beat Music & Ethnic Fusion
Ancient-future calling from the wild… Primal rhythms meet heartfelt emotions in skilled mixes where the Global Tribe dance in our modern life. Hand drums, traditional instruments, percussion and worldbeat electronica with vocals from the four corners of the world. Great music to cruise, relax, trance, and wake up to the spirit of our dreams!
Groove music, a rhythmic dreamscape
Relax and dream awake on a healing cloud of colour, drums, vocals and groove music. Float in a rhythmic dreamscape of tribal inspiration to soothe and accompany you down a river of warm ambient mixes with. Compiled from well known and upcoming artists in the worldbeat genre, this album will call your consciousness through soft, potent, ancient melodies.
World-Beat Music & Ethnic Fusion
Tribal music of modern trance dance with a twist of the tribal world: The drums entrance past and present in an intoxicating party with ethnic influences, uplifting rituals and celebrations of Life - dub mixes of percussion, tribal voices, didgeridoo, with inspirations from Africa, North America, Egypt, India, Central Europe, Pakistan, Australia. - Dance till you drop!
World-Beat, Tribal Fusion, Ambient Groove
Percussive instruments pulse in the didgeridoo's rhythmic breath of fire and scorched earth. Primal growls, ululations, voice calls and animal sounds manifest the Dream-dance mystery .Thrills of the tribes transmute into stirring tracks to let you let go, hang loose and trance out to the lost frontiers of the mind on these ambient world-beat didgeridoo drum dance mixes.
Eastern moods on ambient grooves by Ariel Kalma & friends
Elevating melodies and intricate rhythms are weaved by masterful Indian vocals, bamboo flutes, smooth saxophones, inspiring keyboards, and more.
The producer of the renowned Music Mosaic compilations, Ariel Kalma, is accompanied by friends from various countries to compose exquisite atmospheres for yoga, flowing dances, mellow driving and endless listening pleasure.
Ecstatic modern chants
2 hours of inspiring music! Prem Joshua, Deva Premal, Sacred Earth, Bhakta, Gabrielle Roth, Wah!, Dya Singh and other spiritual artists weave downtempo background with mantras to invigorate and inspire, to soothe the soul and lift the heart.
Excellent for yoga, relaxation and inner peace, or chant along for an uplifting spiritual vibration with universal messages of harmony.
World-Beat, Trance-Dance
Spellbinding didge rhythms from today's most gifted players and re-mixers in the tribal, trance-dance, world-fusion, groove and chill-out scene... Deep enigmatic tones blend with punchy percussion, haunting horns, smooth melodies and animal calls that stir the soul and move our feet to the wild mysteries of timeless Spirits. Didgeridoo Rocks!
Driving World-Beat Ethno-Fusion
Globe trot non-stop from dance to trance in contempo percussive fusion mixes of ancient instruments, kaleidoscopic musical styles from Africa, New York's underground, Europe and the Middle East - A synergic ambience with scalding desert dunes, primeval forests, tribal rituals and mystical lands of the imagination.
I have been enjoying the work from Music Mosaic for quite sometime now, their ability to showcase such a vast array of talent from around the globe so consistently is an accomplishment very few have managed to equal. If you haven't heard previous albums from the global movers and shakers 'Music Mosaic' then its time you get up to speed...it's one of the world finest labels.
Michelle Pirovich, Tranzfusion.net
Another pulsating world music beat CD from the very hip and positive spirit of Music Mosaic, whose label philosophy 'encourages all cultures and nations to live together respectfully on our planet Earth'. That it does! It's not the first time I've been privy to the wonder of Music Mosaic compilations, and I hope it's not the last.
Ben Ohmart about Lotus Groove, Music Dish


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Enjoy new tastes during your flight by taking advantage of the add-on menu service offered for Economy Class passengers. You can select your add-on menu order from our website, mobile application, sales offices and call center or through our agencies up to 24 hours before your flight departs.
Foods offered in the add-on menus may contain ingredients that may cause allergies. If you have allergies, please review the information regarding our menu content when making your selections. For detailed information about our menu content you can visit the Allergen nutrient content warnings page.