Best Way to Display Baby Quilts for Sale

About of you lot know I set upwardly a table at one of our local arts and crafts shows a couple weeks ago. I had been considering the idea for a while and was fortunate plenty to secure a spot in 1 of the largest shows in our surface area. Merely I was a bit late to the party, and only had four weeks to prepare.

My programme was to apply this bear witness as a experiment of sorts. I wanted to meet what interested the  people who attended these types of events. The questions I wanted answers to were:

• Would there exist an involvement in larger (more than expensive) quilts?
• Would kits sell to artistic and crafty people? Same question for my quilt patterns.
• Anybody seems to like baby themed items; could I sell infant quilts in a prove like this?
• Practise quilted items concenter attention?
• Could I get my name 'out there' equally someone who would quilt an already finished tiptop for others?

With these questions in heed, I was ready to prepare up.

MY TABLE / Infinite

The venue is an elementary schoolhouse. Vendors are given space in the cafeteria, gymnasium, and in the hallways. Normal space size is 8′ x 6′. Hallway spaces are xv′ ten iii′. I was assigned a hallway infinite. Nosotros were required to bring our own tables, chairs, and whatsoever other set up items we might need. I used a 6′ long folding table and quilt displays.

Working with a iii foot deep infinite was a chip of a challenge and was uncomfortable for me at get-go. In that location wasn't room for me to be behind the tabular array and use it every bit a bulwark (the shyness in me coming out). I was forced to exist beside my table. However, this allowed me to actually interact with the people who were stopping past, and I had some great conversations.

My hubby made a couple free-standing quilt displays. He used PVC pipe which was low-cal and easy for me to transport and put together. They were very rough, only with his piece of work schedule and the short time frame we were a bit rushed. All the same, they worked perfectly.

The downside to the narrow hallway space was only that – the halls are narrow. Lines of people were moving upward one way and downwardly the other and information technology got pretty crowded at times. When there were several people in the moving line, information technology was hard for someone to cease and look because they were holding up the flow of traffic.

ITEMS FOR Sale

I took almost of the larger quilts I take, making certain I had a sample quilt for each of my patterns. I hung the quilts on the display racks, and pinned a blueprint to them. In addition to the big quilts, my table held:

• Casserole size hot pads (run into tutorial here)
• (3) pre-cutting kits for the casserole hot pads with printed instructions
• Printed copies of my patterns
• Zipper pouches – big and small
• Hexagon shaped coaster sets
• Table runners
• Infant/Lap quilts
• A flyer and informational bundle on my quilting services
• Business cards
• Wall hangings
• Ane prepare of flannel burp cloths, tied with a cute ribbon (I really wanted to brand more of these, only totally ran out of time)

MY DAY

First, those burp cloths sold before the show even started – to one of the other vendors. Seriously, who can resist cuddly flannel, cute prints, and a pretty ribbon?

I displayed the hot pads with a casserole dish sitting on one, and a sign that explained what it was, what it was made of (the Insul-brite to protect from heat), and the price. It seemed that people just didn't understand what they were. I only sold a few and I actually expected them to be a pop item. I don't know what else I could have done to make that brandish better – maybe the flyer needs to be more than self-explanatory… I all the same call back they are a good particular to have in the kitchen and would try again with them if I do another show.

Only two people looked at the kits. I knew that it was an iffy thing to accept because fabric choice is so personal. But now I tin can say I tried. I don't know if I would do those over again, it would depend on the area the show was beingness held in.

In that location besides wasn't much interest in my patterns, and I've been giving that a lot of thought. Part of me thinks the patterns, kits, and mayhap some precut fabrics need to exist on a table split from finished items. I feel similar using only ane table kept things jumbled up a bit, and didn't pull people in similar it may have if those items were easier to spot when approaching the table.  Some other part of me wonders if a craft show only isn't the correct venue, possibly a quilt show is the meliorate place to highlight those types of items.

The table runners were pop, and I received a few orders for ones made with different fabrics than what I had on display. I was happy to conform the requests and finished those runners final week. They take been delivered and well received. If I do this once again, I volition display the runners in a way that makes them easier to see and browse through. I talked to 1 vendor who recommended hanging them on hangers, which I thought was a great idea.

Part way through the day I sent a pic of my tabular array to my sister. She told me it was besides organized and needed to be messed up a bit. The OCD part of me came out and I was like "what??" But I took her advice and unfolded all the lap/baby quilts and just piled them on the back corner of the table. The change was immediate. People looked through all of them – they weren't afraid they would mess them up. Information technology was expert communication, and I sold a quilt because of it. 🙂

The zipper pouches and coasters didn't sell well. I wasn't surprised about the coasters. They utilise so much fabric and need to be priced pretty high to make any coin. But the pouches did surprise me a flake. Possibly they volition practise ameliorate at a unlike show.

The most interesting part of my mean solar day was talking to people about the actual quilting. Call up the tree wall hanging with the swirl quilting in the background?

I was amazed at how many people thought a) this was done past a computerized machine, or b) I bought the material pre-quilted. Once I explained that it was free-handed by me at a sit-down automobile, I could see their appreciation for the work involved. Evidently 1 woman wasn't one hundred percent sure I was telling the truth – she came dorsum to the table to talk to me about it a second time! 🙂

I talked to several people about quilting for them, and gave out my data and business cards. A couple of the ladies sounded pretty serious, and hopefully that will turn into commissions after Christmas.

Overall, I am very pleased with the day. I learned a lot about how I desire to display items at some other show, and about interacting with people. I think at present, even if I had the option to be backside a table, that I wouldn't be. It was much meliorate to mingle and talk.

I also discovered I love talking to people about quilting. It was so fun to explicate the process and come across their reactions. Maybe there are a few new quilters out there today because of our conversations at the show.

I have fourth dimension to decide if I would like to do a craft show again. Time volition tell if the connections I fabricated plow into business.

Have yous ever set up a booth at a fair, festival, or craft show? If and so, what has been your feel?

I'll exist linking with Lorna at her Allow'due south Be Social party. Exist sure to cheque out the other participants there!

garretthareand.blogspot.com

Source: https://cookingupquilts.com/craft-show-vending-what-i-learned/