good morning,
well I am rethinking my fabric choices for kits and items for a fall festival where I have a booth in September.
As we have no LQS and we are rural. I buy what I like online but really don't know what is "IN"
This festival brings thousands of people from several states.
If you came and saw quilt kits, charms etc what would you be looking for or want?
Would you buy precut tumbler kits?
and is scrappy a better choice for a kit?
or would you rather see a planned quilt?

I have never sold my kits in this way before( at a festival), just finished items.

any suggestions?
thanks
Michele

I'd try some of both. If you have time to make a block for display of each quilt kit pattern it would help market them. People love to be able to touch and feel. Not for each kit, just for each different group of kits and maybe have them hanging up with little clothespins. They could be numbered and have the kits numbered accordingly. I'd love to be able to purchase a 30s/40s kit with white background, the black and batiks that you've been doing are superb, maybe some in country colors, etc. You could do some scrappy, some not. Since you're going to have a large variety of people, you'll want a large variety of kits. Try Marshall's Dry Goods online store, they're fairly inexpensive and it's good fabric. Their blender bundles are fantastic.

Personally, I would never purchase a scrappy kit. But might buy precut strips/squares of scrappy fabrics. A kit appeals to me only if all the fabrics are coordinated, and it REALLY helps to see it made up-at least partially.

i would be checking out the packs of 5" squares, maybe the strips, but dont' care for kits of blocks

I'm a sucker for 5 inch charms, especially in repros. 1800's are my absolute favorite!

thanks
I do make samples of finished kits.
But will buy more charms.
what are your favorite patterns for the charms?
so that I can have some examples already sewn up.

I saw kits for pre-cut log cabin kits at a show and the booth was packed w/ customers.

Individual FQ's always seem to sell - whatever they might be - novelty, calico, blenders, etc...

So many people have a hard time choosing color combinations - maybe offer a bundle of 3 or 4 fabrics that are 1 yd each that coordinate.

I would consider selling color wheels - or display a few near the fabric for customers to interact with. I carry a small one with me when I go to shows.

Would Holiday fabric choices sell well at that time of year?

Are people expecting to see Amish style products in that area?

Can I ask if you remember what they were charging for the log cabin kits?
I have alot of FQ's cut and in bundles. also a large basket of individual ones.
We don't have amish that sell fabrics and quilts as in Lancaster
So will have to think about that
thanks

At this one show I go to there is always this booth that sells 8 coordinated fat quarters but they are not loose. They are nicely packaged and displayed on a hidden piece of card board. They are in a ziplocked bag and there is also a pattern included. There are four different patterns that all just take 8 fat quarters. In the back of the booth they have sample quilts made according to the 4 different patterns. The fabrics are coordinated but not from the same makers. There are also several shelves with nicely organized ruler forlded 1-2 yard cuts of some of the same fabric as is found in the kits. this way you can find a coordinating border to go with the FQ pattern. I buy these sets all the time and do not make the quilts from the pattern but just to have the coordinated FQ. One thing is that I will only buy quality quilters fabric. The 8 coordinated FQ and pattern that takes 8 beautiful FQ altogether is $21.95.

Michele,

The Log Cabin kits were the only item being sold at that booth. They had every price and combination you could think of. They offered pkgs of just one block or you could buy pkgs with enough blocks to make a king size quilt with every size in between. They had pkgs for table runners, too. The had one large quilt hanging up and I think they were offering 6 different colorways. I remember they had baby colors (pink or blue) another was brights that included novelty fabs (I didn't care for that one) a manish style with a lot of plaid - blue, brown, tan - and a couple colorways of calico and floral print. I think that was all.... I hope this helps!