SolveYourProblem
Article Series:
How To Start
A Craft Business
Choosing
a Quilting Design that Sells
by SolveYourProblem.com
Quilting
is a huge hobby industry right now. While in the past, many quilted purely for pleasure and only
gave their quilts to family members, people are now seeing
lots of business opportunities. With advances in technology,
it is easier than ever to sell your quilts for profit.
But making a quilt, especially making a full size quilt is
a big investment of time and money. You have to buy the fabrics
and spend a great deal of time designing, sewing and quilting.
You want to be sure that there will be a market for the quilts
you design. Here are a few simple suggestions of things to
keep in mind when trying to decide on a quilt decide you hope
will sell.
1. Size Matters
When just starting out on your homemade quilt business, you
might want to start with smaller quilts. You can start out
trying to create lap quilts and wall hangings. See how those
sell and what your most popular color and patterns are – this
will make it easier to know what kinds of full quilts to design
when you take that next step.
2. Tradition
Though there are always new and exciting techniques and patterns
to try out, a lot of your customers will be looking for traditional
types of quilts. They are purchasing something that will hopefully
stay in the family for generations so they will be looking
for a quilt that is timeless. Your customer will probably not
be as excited by these new trends as you are, but you should
try any new items you feel comfortable with. The majority of
customers are looking for a family heirloom, not the latest
quilting craze. Log cabin and double wedding rings are two
of the most classic patterns and will appeal to a really wide
range of customers. It’s important to try new things and not
lose your passion for designing, but it might be best to try
some of these new designs on smaller pieces – just until you
see how your customers respond.
3. Stick to Safe Colors
Many of the same things apply to your color selection. You
want to try and select fabrics that will appeal to a lot of
different customers. Not everyone is going to like the same
things, but there will probably be very few customers interested
in a quilt of hot pink and fluorescent yellow. You also need
to try and keep your personal preference out of it. The colors
you like may not appeal to a lot of your customers.
It is important to know about current interior design trends,
but you do not want to base all of your selections on the “in”
color of the moment. It can change so quickly and as was discussed
earlier, your customer is looking for something that will last
many years and through a dozen interior re-designs.
Softer colors or “safer” colors are best when designing quilts
with no specific buyer in mind.
4. Research
It is good to get as many different viewpoints as you can.
Be sure to talk to family and friends when you have a new design
or color scheme in mind. They can often bring a different perspective
to the mix. Also be sure that you are in touch with your customers.
Talk to as many customers as you can at local craft shows and
see what kind of designs and colors they like.
5. Diversify
Making large quilts is quite an investment of time and money
and the result is that your price point is quite high – not
in terms of the work put in to them, but in terms of what the
average craft show customer is willing to spend in one weekend.
Try to diversify your products. There are lots of things that
you can make applying the techniques and methods of large quilting
products. Consider creating placements and table clothes for
your next craft show. This can be an excellent way of using
up all of those bits of material you gather over time and these
smaller, less expensive products will appeal to a broader range
of customers.
Wherever you sell or market your quilts, be sure to specify
that you will do customer orders depending on size and the
customer’s time frame. Your customers will appreciate knowing
that they can customize their own quilt design and colors –
if they’re willing to wait a bit for that personal touch! # # # # # SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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