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!

I don't remember what they were charging ----- I just looked and didn't buy. Probably a flat rate per block? Price of fabric X 2?

I love half yard cuts way better than fat quarters. I don't like pink (yuck). I love bright funky patterns and some of the"dark" stuff. Like some of the Alexandre Henry fabric. Love stripes, plaids, and retro colors.

Right now Scrappy is in! It's starting to really sweep the nation and I would bet you will see more and more people jumping onto the craze. Instead of offering a kit filled with scrappy colors, which may come across quite messy, I would sell fifty 10-inch squares. One way to present them which is very attractive is to keep all the colors the same, but vary the pattern. For example, a stack of 10-inch squares all in various shades of brown or green or blue. Not only will this appeal to those who are doing scrappy quilts, but you will also appeal to those who are building their stash and need a particular color. You can do the same thing with fat quarters, have a stack of four or five of them bundled together by color. Just a thought. And if you want an example, it shouldn't take hardly any time at all to do up something like a tablerunner in the French Braid pattern, which lends itself well to the scrappy look.

This year the "in" color is turquoise, which seems to be very popular. If I understand the art world, yellow is fading as a popular color, though we quilters will always need a splash of yellow in our quilts. ;)

My suggestion would be to set up a kit in two different color-ways, such as one in brights and one in calmer colors. It always surprises me how many people will decide they like a quilt based not on the pattern but on the colors. Someone will hate a quilt, but change the colors of it on them and they will suddenly like it and want to make it for themselves. Not everyone is like this but enough that it might make it worthwhile to go to the extra trouble.

I bet you've already guessed that I usually buy fabric over anything else. I have never purchased a kit. There are two reasons. Most kits cost around $65-$150, which is usually outside of my price range, and I have friends who love kits but often they encounter the problem of not having enough fabric provided in the kit to complete it. When I buy a particular fabric for a project, I always buy at least 1/4 yd extra because I know I will mess up somewhere. I would hate to buy a kit only to discover I botched up a cut and now don't have enough fabric to finish. :shock: :( :cry: So I have avoided kits, but I have a ton of friends who absolutely love them and will buy several every year. I recently saw a quilt and when I found out it had been a kit, I swear I would have done just about anything to be able to get it!!!!! Unfortunately the quilt was a UFO and the quilt shop had closed. I guess what I'm saying is that I think kits will do very well but that you should also have a variety of things for those of us who can't afford a kit. Long way to get to that statement. :roll: :lol:

thanks for the insight!
my kits are all precut and I always include extras!
So the log cabin kits and the star and mosaic ones that I do are already to sew. no cutting required.
making 2 colorways is a good suggestion
brights are easy
but are civil war, americana, victorian in?
or more the bright large floral and geometric motifs the thing?

IN GENERAL ---- It seems like the calicos, blenders, civil war repos, 30's repos, americana and victorian fabrics appeal to quiltmakers.

The bright large florals and geometics appeal to crafter's that make aprons, purses, tote bags, checkbook covers, eyeglass cases, etc....

Of course this is not a set in stone rule - just something I've noticed by surfing the web and looking at a ton of blogs.

I love charm packs-am currently searching for winter themed charms for the winter block swap.

IF i look at kits while traveling the ones i am maybe going to buy would be unique ones, maybe location (themed) or something that i do not see every day or locally. i would want something i can't find anywhere else. i would not spend my money on a scrap quilt kit, i have plenty of scraps, i would buy one that was designed by the seller, or that had unique fabrics from the area i am visiting.
and at a festival, i would be much more apt to purchase a table runner type kit; a whole bed quilt kit would really have to be something i just couldn't live without. my experience with craft shows the $10-$25 items sell out pretty quick...the items $50+ not so much. and just an added note...
i do not buy kits! at least not usually, i like picking out my own fabrics...that being said...
I do buy kits when traveling to new places, usually for gifts for the person who is Critter-sitting for me while i'm away, or maybe for a secret sister ect. so i usually will find a unique table runner/placemat kit, or something like that
good luck with your booth

I want you as my Secret Sister!!!


Civil War fabrics may not be all the rage like they were a few years ago, but those of us who like them are very loyal, and they can easily be matched up with other lines as companion pieces. Americana is always in and it's hard to resist a beautiful Victorian fabric. Darn, you are making me want to run downstairs and fondle my fabric! :lol:

If you sell a large floral, my suggestion would be to either have a couple books handy (for sale maybe?) to show the buyer how to use the fabrics, or else have a sample of a quilt effectively using large prints. Large florals may be a bit too much trouble since so many quilters seem stumped by what to do with them. If you don't have a lot of time, something like a Warm Wishes quilt will get across the general idea.

September isn't very far off. Are you getting excited?

More like overwhelmed!
I have several different kits that I have packaged and ready to go.Or an currently cutting! with samples and instructions but they are all scrappy quilts.
I am making 30 of each kit 8 different kits.
Then I decided to order precuts to sell from Benartex
which have arrived and I ordered more this morning.
Also purchased some of thier FQ boxes
have made a ton of FQ' for a big basket
also have table runner kits
This show is a week long so don't want to run out!
What will help me is their is a quilt show at this festival which should help with my sales!

I heard from the owners of my favorite LQS that30's/40's prints were almost none existant at the last trade show they went to. That they are beginning to get hard to come by. The ladies went out and bought up all the jelly rolls and charm packets. So there is still a market for them but the manufactures aren't producing as many.

LISTEN GIRLS: I had never in my life bought any kind of kit because the ones in the stores look like they're made of the cheapest fabric possible and are cut wonky on the grain. I took a chance because I loved her avatar so much and bought some from MLACERUBY. THEY WERE FANTASTIC!!!! I ordered two and love them so much that I've asked her for two more. I sewed one package into squares while I was on retreat last week and the ladies there LOVED them too. So, even if you haven't used kits in the past you might want to think about it. Super fabric, cut very nicely, pattern included, excellent price.

If you ever set up at the Covered Bridge Festival in Parke County Indiana, let me know where you'll be because I'd plan on traveling to it just to shop your booth. But I'd need to know several months ahead of time to save up enough money to go CRAZY!!!

Thank YOU!
you are so kind!

I try to make the kits out of quality fabric and cut as well as I possibly can.
I had purchased a few kits on ebay a few years ago and they were awful! But they did show me what I don't want!
Since I don't have a LQS I had never purchased a "shop" kit and as someone else had stated the ones from the shops online are so expensive.
after I got so many compliments about my quilts at this same festival last year and requests to purchase( because I was sewing at the festival) I decided to give it a try.

Windham has a line of 30's fabrics I may just have to buy them!

No kindness about it, just honesty. If they had been bad I'd have complained unceasingly to you in a pm but since they were so nice I'll happily shout it from the rooftops. Or post it on the board so it seems. LOL

So any chance you have a website where we can peruse through your kits and fabrics?

Not everything is listed here
but gives you an idea
http://www.scrappykwiltkits.etsy.com

Wow, looks like you have quite the selection. I imagine you'll do pretty good!