Tips for Quilt Show Boutique?
 

Hi, I'm new to the Quilting Board, but I'm working on an article that will highlight some tips for quilters getting items ready for a Quilt Show Boutique. I've interviewed three people and am looking for a few more ideas -- so my questions are:

1) What has been your biggest success in putting quilted items into a Boutique at a quilt show?

2) What advice would you give to someone who's doing this for the first time. Why should they do this?

3) If you have made items for a Quilt Show Boutique, what brought you the greatest satisfaction?

Thank you and hello from Beth

Just curious, but what exactly is a "Quilt Show Boutique"? I've never heard that expression before. Is it a west coast thing maybe?

Hi, Ghostrider. Some guilds offer a 'boutique' or shop selling quilted items made by guild members as part of an annual quilt show. It's another way for the guild to make money for other projects and to offer guild members the opportunity to sell their work. The most common items range from quilts (baby, lap, full-sized), quilted items (book covers, pin cushions, e-reader covers, handbags, etc). The guild earns a commission (typically 15-25%) of the sale price and runs the boutique throughout the quilt show. Does that help?

our guild, located in northern ca, has very good luck with towels, quilted bags, pot holders. also, baby quilts are big sellers.

something new that is happening is pet items. one member had a lady purchase a beautiful minkee baby blanket for her dog, then came back the next day to special order another one. pet things are hot sellers everywhere.

I agree with the pet items. Also, Ipod, Kindle and Ipad holders are great sellers.

One of our local guilds made fabric chickens (look like the log cabin pincushions but these were fabric, 10" x 10", had a zipper down the back and were filled with scraps) - they sold them for $6.95 and they were gone within the first couple of hours. Also used quilting books and patterns. You get some money, the Guild gets some money ....

Thank you all for these great suggestions. I'm including them all and think the pet ideas and fabric chickens are especially neat ideas. Thank you for being so specific about what has worked. Our guild has a library and we sell magazines at guild meetings, with a once-a-year 'yard sale' for books. Currently, we don't want to sell anything in our Quilt Show boutique that would compete with vendors, so this means no fabric, patterns, or books. But your suggestions will help a great deal! Thank you.

Now if I could figure out how to add a pic to my profile . . .

Hi from Beth

Beth
I am co-organizing our Boutique for our next show - We are considering doing baskets this year. Trying to get info on that. The problem we've had in the past is that we sometimes get junkie stuff and it doesn't sell.
Have you gotten any more ideas from your question?
Nursnis

Both guilds in our area(South Carolina) have boutiques with items made by guild members. They are very successful.