I’ll briefly summarize why I can provide you with quilt business information.  In addition to operating a mail order quilting business from my home for several years, I’ve written about quilts, quilting, and quiltmakers.  For 8 years I wrote “The Business of Patchwork” for the now obsolete Quilt World Omnibook.  Then for 3 more years, I wrote “Work Patch” for another magazine.

During this time, I taught workshops, gave talks, and visited schools to introduce quiltmaking to students studying early American crafts.

I’ve not operated a quilting business as such for several years, but have continued to write and teach about this topic.  Thus, you might say, I’ve gone into the business of quilt writing through blogging, column writing and with my book, The Magic of Patchwork.

I’ll share this information about quilt businesses with you and hope I can help you develop a business or increase the productivity of the one you have. 

• If you have questions, send them to me in the comments or the e-mail on this page.
• If you’d like to have your business featured at Quilting and Patchwork, let me know.

(Amazon image)

Post from: Blisstree

Quilting Biz – What Do I Know About Quilting & Business?

 The higher price of gas/petrol unquestionably affects quilters and quilt businesses, as well as other segments of society. 

At the b5media Business Channel, where I co-blog on Home Biz Notes, we featured a round-up of posts with various opinions on this newsworthy aspect of our ecomomy.  My co-blogger, Yvonne Russell, mentions the effect of $6.40 per gallon for fuel in her country… Australia.

For an interesting read on various slants to this topic, check out, “Not So Fun” Outloook on Gas/Petrol Prices from the Business Channel.

How has the higher price of gasoline/fuel oil affected your life? 

How are you managing? 

Do you have some fuel saving techniques you can share with us?

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Higher Price of Fuel Affects Quilters, too

 Many quilters quilt for the love of this art and find it a relaxing and enjoyable hobby. Others develop their hobby into a business. These businesses, money making endeavors, can take many forms.

I’ll list 13 ideas today for Thursday Thirteen:

1. Making quilts for sale
2. Teaching quiltmaking and fabric art workshops
3. Teaching how to dye and paint fabric
4.  Giving talks to groups and at conferences
5.  Designing and developing kits for related projects
6.  Designing and selling patterns
7.  Doing longarm quilting
8.  Publish ingmna newsletter or magazine, selling subscriptions and ads for it
9.  Coordinating quilt and fabric art shows
10.Writing books and magazine articles about quiltmaking
11.Operating a quilt fabric shop
12.Writing novels that incorporate quilts and quiltmaking
13.Combineing a number of these activities into one business

What do you do?  Share with us!!

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Thursday Thirteen – 13 Types of Quilting/Fabric Art Businesses

 As my daughter, Beth, and I were running errands today, after the snow and sleet ended, we encountered the owner of a local fabric and quilt shop.  We had been to her shop in her home, when she held an Open House this past autumn, and enjoyed browsing and buying, along with the view of the mountain landscape from her yard.

“What are you doing now?’ we inquired.

She informed us she now was designing and selling Quilted Tote Bag Kits.  These seem to be very popular, I’ve noticed, and I think this shop owner/designer is wise to become involved with this trend.

You can’t follow every trend or fad, but if you see quilters and fabric artists becoming interested in something new, and it’s within your realm to follow this, you may find it fun and profitable. 

Are any of you making quilted tote bags these days?  Do you have any pictures of them on your blogs I could suggest my readers view?

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Quilted Tote Bags..Oh! So, Popular!

   If you have a quilting/fabric arts business, you may have items that you’d like to place on sale for an “After Christmas” or “beginning of the year” special promotion.

For some ideas on how to plan this, check out my post, 5 Tips for Planning “After Christmas” & “After New Year’s” Sales at Your Home Business., at Home Biz Notes where I’m a co-blogger with Yvonne Russell.

Shoppers often look for “after Christmas” and “after New Year’s” sales.  So home business owners can utilize this as a shopping promotion, too.  The manager of a mall store told me shoppers are always coming into her store looking for special sales after Christmas and for new sales to start out the new year.  So her store regularly plans specials.

(c)2007 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Do You Hold “After Christmas” Quilt Sales?

Preparation generally is the key to having success at a show…in terms of people coming to your booth and items sold.  (Yes, there are some variables you can’t control such as weather, conflict with a school program, office parties, etc.)  However, you can become knowledgeable about the strategies you can control for quilt and craft shows.

I came across a very informative item at A Patchwork World, The Do’s and Don’ts of Craft Shows. 

Even if you finished with quilt and craft shows until 2008, you may find these tips helpful in your future planning.  You may have that “Ah! Ha!” moment, when you wonder why you didn’t think of something so simple as one or more of the tips.

 You’ll also find more information about craft shows and business in Barbara Brabec’s books.

Post from: Blisstree

Preparation Tips for Quilt & Craft Shows