IRDC

Today's blog topic is...pageant sashes! Like this. I've already written about our Iron Merchant Challenge and how goofy we get when we plan that session, and yesterday we had our second conference call with Joe Baer to make sure everything's falling into place. We're down to the last details, including the design of our Iron Merchant 2009 sashes, to be worn proudly by this year's winners. (Rumor has it that Karen Meskey still wears hers regularly around the office at Macy's, but you didn't hear that from me.)

It was a funny little exercise two years ago, when we first decided to create these custom sashes. First of all, I believe the idea came to me about three weeks before the actual event. So we needed them fast. Second, we wanted them to look official (which meant I couldn't just scribble "Iron Merchant" with a fabric pen onto hand-hacked strips of satin), and that required finding a pro to do the stitching. Third, the challenge in question (Atlanta, 2007) had a green theme, so I wanted an eco-friendly fabric and a simple, "green" look. 

I spent a couple of hours on the Internet trying to track down a seamstress who specialized in pageant sashes and was willing to make 10 of them to our weird specifications. And I found one, in Alabama, who was a good sport and did a terrific job. We went back to her last year when the theme was "your inner child," and she delivered a fun primary-color scheme with a kid-friendly font. This year, Joe Baer thinks his team at ZenGenius will give the sashes a go themselves. Can't wait to see what those look like, especially since this year's theme is--oh, no, you don't. You'll have to show up to find out. (Here's the link to our slideshow of past Iron Merchant Challenges in case you missed it the first time.)