Exciting Times--Busy Times

Between trying to keep up with Christmas sewing, finding suppliers for some of my upcoming projects, voting for and promoting the MOMpreneur Award of Excellence, it has been a very busy few weeks. 

As if I don't have enough on my plate, I have been accepted to instruct a 2-day Bargello Quilting class at the Saskatoon Quilters' Guild Spring Retreat in May!  Which means that I need to start prepping my samples now, because we all know that if I wait until after the New Year it will be May 1st and I'll be scrambling to get everything put together.  Word of caution to all friends and family members, if your Christmas present is not exactly "finished" and comes with a "return for completion" tag on it, you might not get it back until after the Retreat.  Sorry, but the best way to teach a technique is to show it in various stages :)

While in Canada we celebrated Thanksgiving last month, our American neighbours will be celebrating this week.  While I am very thankful for being Canadian, and while our culture can sometimes be best described as "Not American," there are sometimes I wish we celebrated in a similar way.  I learned a new thing this year as a result of American Thanksgiving called "Small Business Saturday."  It's the Saturday after "Black Friday" but before "Cyber Monday."  The aim is to support local small businesses, which can often be left out of the big shopping rush of that weekend.  This year it falls on Saturday, November 24.  Conveniently, around Saskatoon atleast, there are a few show options that I'm aware of:

Martensville--First Annual Shopping Extravaganza 9am-5pm at the Martensville High School

Saskatoon--Wilson's Greenhouse 11th Annual Christmas Craft and Tradeshow (Friday-Sunday, hours vary)

I'm sure there are others going on, but I'll be at the Martensville one and a good friend will be at Wilson's.

So, whether you're looking to help Santa out with his gifts, or checking your own list twice, remember to support local!  It's well worth the effort.

Getting Ready for Market

Balanced Needles Knitting & Quilting is off to the Community Market at Wilson's Greenhouse this Saturday, September 29!

While it is very exciting to be part of this blossoming community, it's also a little daunting.  The grand question for any crafter is always "how much should I bring?"  Here's the list of questions I ask myself each time:

1.  What time of year is the show/market happening?  If it's a one-day/one-weekend seasonal show, bring everything you can fit into your booth (with room to set it up appropriately) that fits that season.  If what you sell is large and difficult to transport, think about taking one or two and the appropriate signs indicating whether the item(s) are for sale/order. 

2.  How much stock do you have?  If you've only got three owl stuffies, bring all three.  If you've got more than what will fit nicely in your display, bring one less than that.  This can help convey the popularity of the item.  If your display area allows for easy (hidden) storage of extra stock, bring some along for really popular items.  Restock throughout the day as necessary, or bring more along the second day if possible.

Don't sacrifice quality for quantity. If you're known for selling good quality, your customers will keep coming back and recommending you to others. But if you're rushing to make "just one more" for sale, you're apt to make mistakes that could cost you a sale.

3.  How old are your items?  If what you're selling was very trendy five years ago, it might not be as popular now.  Simple, "classic" items however could still go for the price you've already marked, provided there is no indication of dust, or other "imperfections" that may indicate the item has been going back and forth between your home and the market for some time.  Consider reducing prices on older items - selling something at a bit of a loss is better than at a total loss, right?

There's always the question of "how much should I charge?"  But that's another topic for another day.

 

Upcoming Craft Sales

Meghan and I are busy at work getting ready for a few sales over the next few weeks.  A major part of my preparation is completing the move from garage to studio, as well as finishing up the arrangements of the studio space. 

Our first show will be Saturday, September 29, at The Community Market at Wilson's Greenhouse & Gardent Centre  in Saskatoon.  Details will also be posted to facebook.com/balancedneedles.

Looking forward to seeing you there.