Copied from our newsletter email 3/16/20:
We understand you're receiving emails from many different directions, and while we've communicated through our social media channels and to individual students, we wanted to reach out and share information with you as we are making tough decisions to contribute to the flattening of the curve of the spread of COVID-19 rather than the continued rise.
Before anything else, I want to take a moment to express how grateful I am for the customer community we have at Drygoods Design. You are incredible. In such an unknown and unprecedented time that's overwhelming to navigate, we've seen so much support by way of the shop and site, it means more than I could ever express. We know that it will dwindle at some point, but we are hopeful and believe we are all in this together.
Things dramatically shifted last Thursday in Seattle/WA state and now, late Sunday night as I write this, I've changed further course from Friday and even Sunday morning. I know that many other parts of the country are shifting course finally, and well, it's too much to even start to think about how many individuals and business face peril right now. Our original goal to balance safety with normalcy has shifted to keep safety and health at the forefront of all decisions.
What's Next - we move to online and delivery only, for now
Today, Monday, 3/16, we will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to receive deliveries, update our site, and allow for minimal customers who need to grab things with only one person at the shop, me. Moving forward until we can make a responsible decision on a change, we will be happily fulfilling online and phone/email orders but not be open like a typical storefront. This is an exceptionally hard decision. While I do worry about what it means for our ability to remain viable, it's much more important that we do what's right for public health and the well-being of all of our citizens.
Free Seattle Delivery
We started free Seattle delivery (the same day if ordered before 1 p.m., next morning/afternoon if after) on Saturday and we will continue to as long as possible! Using strict sanitization and handling measures, your order will only be handled by one person. We've also made it so all of our online U.S. orders have free shipping and should ship the same day if received by 2 p.m. PST. We know that many of us find more peace and calmness in making and we want to help you do so.
Classes and Studio
Our classes, at this time, are suspended to be rescheduled for this coming week, and more than likely, through the end of the month. We wanted to be sure to reach out to our upcoming students first before reaching out to our larger customer base, otherwise, we would have been in touch much sooner. As for now, our studio won't be open for use, even with our aggressive hand washing and sanitization measures we put into place. We are working on being online/remote for questions and help as you work on projects at home.
This is an impossible situation for all of us. I've made the decision to operate as such so that I can continue to compensate my AMAZING staff while also protecting them and you from exposure to too many people at one time.
So what can we do?
Please, shop online! Free delivery is no joke and if you live in Seattle proper, you'll get your goodies much faster than regular shipping.
Don't see what you need online?
We are working on getting more of our notions up on the site as well but if you don't see something you need, email us and we will get it ready for you! For example, if you need a spool of thread, you can select it and we'll pick a thread to match the fabric/project for which you need it. Also, we have so many amazing new fabrics we hadn't had the chance to photograph since Sew Expo so that's a priority as well and we are about halfway through it, with more up soon!
As the week progresses, we will also be sharing ways not to go stir crazy during this time of isolation, patterns we love, and which fabrics work best for them. And, if you're like me and in total denial that our children aren't going to be in school for at least six weeks, some commiseration and strategies there too. If you don't follow us on Instagram (@drygoodsdesign), please do as this is where much of our sharing will take place. We also have shared in our stories clear articles and posts that demonstrate why we all need to isolate this week especially and its impact.
Please feel free to email and ask questions/check-in. At this time, email is better than a phone call as our presence in the shop beyond tomorrow may not be consistent. We hope to keep our social media up to date as the most fluid way to share if hours or additional decisions are made.
Thank you again, you're incredible, and thank you also to my staff and teachers -- it's a group of people I feel honored to know.
Wishing you all health, safety, and the ability to stay home this week+.
With the most gratitude,
Keli + Co. (Amelia, Kiyomi, Kelly Mc, Lucy, Mackenzie, Julienne, and Margaret)
p.s. Drygoods will be making donations this week to local food banks that are in much need to support programs such as the emergency food plan for Seattle Public Schools. We encourage you to do so if it makes sense for your financial position. And the suggestion of buying gift cards to the businesses you want to support now and in the future is an excellent one - be it us or others, thank you for thinking about your local community!
