This post is coming from a prospective business stand point. A sweet little brainchild has set up camp in my heart. From my passion of being a home maker as well as a financial contributor to our family's needs I have been exploring a few options.
Over the years I have created heirloom quality jewelry. Using only the finest elements that I could afford. That would include sterling silver, Swarovski crystal, semi precious gem stones, etc. However, a brick and mortar approach is what served us best (soliciting sales in town through local businesses and the school system). Very little business came through the Etsy shop. Which I understand. It is hard to capture, and feel the items in a photograph, not to mention every one has such different tastes. In some respect, that direction of creativity has expired. The joy of jewelry making remains, just not as a means of financial gain.
With that said, I am facing another approach. Sewn goods. Textiles. I have been quilting for a couple of years now, but I would not consider myself a true professional. My limitations are based on my experience, but certainly not my love of quilting. I am meticulous in all that I do. When I create quilts and such, it is not with a " quilting farm " mentality. I consider who it is being made for, the memories of warm evenings, snuggling underneath, the popcorn and movies that will be watched, and the comfort and love that a quilt exhibits. And I pray over my quilts. Especially ones that are created as gifts. That the recipient will know how much they are loved and feel a "hug" wrapping around them each time they use their quilt. I am a sentimentalist. That is how God knit my heart together and it presents itself in all I do.
Here is my conundrum ...
Do I create a quilt, and place it in my Etsy shop, where it could very well sit, untouched, for the duration Etsy allows items to be posted? Do I seek out custom orders, for specific quilt ideas? Or do I abandon the idea all together, enjoy the simple pleasure of quilting, and seek out being an entrepreneur some other way?
It is very easy to drop by Ross or TJ Maxx and pay little to nothing for a quilt that was made somewhere over seas, by who knows who, and has little to no quality about it. Our society is not a "make do or do with out" group of folks anymore. Not as a whole anyway. That thought remains nestled in the back of my mind as I explore the possibilities.
Well Trish, the only thing I can say to you really is "nothing ventured, nothing gained, your quilts are beautiful and I can see no reason why they wouldn't sell.......you just need a belief in yourself......it's very scary to compete with others, and that's really what it comes down to in the end, well that and finding the right marketplace.
ReplyDeleteI have been having similar thoughts about my sewn goods, and there are a couple of small speciality shops in our small town that I could approach...........there is a big movement towards handmade and buying British in this country at the moment, which helps.........I'm not sure if it's the same in the US.
good luck,
lily x
Hi Trish,
ReplyDeleteRight now etsy is the place to sell as far as homemade goes.
My daughter has an etsy shop, and she puts in long hours to make it successful. Lots of photography, marketing, packaging, not to mention crafting her items.
I only say this to let you know that a successful etsy shop is a full time job.
If you decide to list your quilts as you make them, make sure you relist them daily so that they always have new shoppers seeing them.
This is really long :) email me if you have any other questions :)
You have to do what you are feeling led to do. I have people I know in real life tell me constantly I should sew quilts to sell. I feel VERY strongly that I should not. I like selling patterns. For me, it's a lot of physical labor and materials and people want things cheap. I consider the cost of my time and it just pains me to think of working on a quilt for less than the wage of a burger flipper. You could set up an etsy listing for a custom quilt with pictures of your work and a link to your blog. You might have better luck with word of mouth. I have people I know in real life constantly wanting me to do things and I have to decline because...well, that's not where my heart is. People also love custom clothing. Put a ruffle on it and you can make some major bucks :) I think if you get started in your community, word of mouth will spread like wildfire. It wouldn't hurt to have an etsy listing up, but I do think the community thing will net you some commissions. Don't forget nap mats for preschool and other fun things to sew!
ReplyDeleteTrish, I have seen your work and I have sold my sewn goods on etsy for a while now. Etsy is the way to go. It reaches far more people than you could ever do locally or with a craft show. Your customers are at etsy exactly because they are looking for handmade from somewhere other than China and they are willing to pay for that! Your quality is excellent, your eye for color is wonderful. And as scary as the risk of someone not buying is, (I know, all artists are afraid of indifference!) you just have to try to know what will happen. I am sure there are many people out there who would love one of your fabulous quilts and who are willing to pay to not dothe work themselves. Go to etsy, search handmade quilts, see what is available and the going price and check to see if those shops are actually selling their quilts for those prices! That will help you make the decision:>) Love you friend ♥
ReplyDeleteHi Trish!
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of the above! :) Advice given to me was to sew in YOUR style and then people who love your style love you! I've had success with custom orders, but you do need a boat load of fabric and it definitely takes more time to do. I would do some small quilts to start~ baby, toddler & lap size and see how it goes. I sell much more of the baby/toddler size than any thing else. I think moms like something unique (not store bought looking) and the color scheme is more flexible. Good luck with that!!
I agree with Lily--nothing ventured, nothing gained. If you want to try it--do it. I also think Etsy is the way to go unless you know of a boutique shop to carry your items. I "favorite" a few quilt shops on Etsy that seem to do very well--and their items are not cheap--but they do mostly small quilts--baby, toddler and lap. Pray about it, do some research, etc. I also agree that selling on Etsy can be time consuming, but I'm sure you already know that. Good luck, I know what ever decision you make will be the right one for you.
ReplyDeleteMy advice would be to try and specialize in some form of quilt. It seems to me that baby quilts are always in need and there are a lot of grandmothers and aunts out there that want something created just for there little one.
ReplyDeleteI know the owner of the small quilt shop here in town specializes in making T Shirt quilt and adds to her business that way. Personally,you couldn't pay me enough to make a T Shirt quilt, so I am sure she has found a need and filled it. I think that your quilts would be handquilted would be a big draw. Most others would be machine quilted. Unfortunately, most people doon't have any idea how much it cost to make a large quilt, that is why I would suggest small quilts. In the end I would say follow your dream------but pray, pray, pray. The answers will come to you.
Trish, I wonder if you have a quilt shop near you that would allow you to add your name to a referral list for quilts. You could even start with just baby qulits. And if there is a shop you could place a few quilts on consignment. Just enough to get your feet wet and maybe earn some money to put back into your business.
ReplyDeleteI say make custom orders, OR just make a quilt how you like it, and no one buys it, you ow have another quilt you will love dearly. Handmade is hard sometimes, when you know how much love and thought and consideration it takes to make it, while many choose to buy from a box store...but the people who do understand, will love your creations all the more. :)
ReplyDeleteMine are what I like, it's not so fun to do something you don't want to do. I've also had people be shocked when they asked how much to make a quilt, and I gave a price, oh well. If you make sure someone can realize what goes into a quilt, for example, take them shopping to purchase the fabrics, batt and supplies, and tell them the time involved...sometimes that makes an impression.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm only restating what others have said, and Vanessa had the right attitude.
Hoping you are able to sift through and do as the Lord leads,
:-}pokey
Trish, I agree with everyone's statements above about believe in yourself and do what you love. If you find yourself overwhelmed by custom orders or pressured by the need to "fill" a store, you'll soon be unhappy and the joy you have in quilting will be overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, if you find that you have any type of crafts that you'd like to sell, I do have an alternative to Etsy. I have an online fabric store at www.heavenlyhillsfabrics.com and we will debuting its sister site, Mountain Masterpieces this next week - it will be a place for crafters of all types to sell their goods to a much broader market. It goes live on Wednesday, Sept. 7th - if anyone is interested, you may contact me at barbara@heavenlyhillsfabrics.com.
Above all, Trish, do what you love and love what you do.
God bless!
Barbara Jones
Oh, I think your quilts are so lovely! Best of luck to you as your start your Etsy adventure! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Trish, I know I'm late to the party. You are echoing my thoughts exactly. I would love to hear what you decide. Love you knew motto and of course, pray, pray, pray!
ReplyDelete