I’ve heard of several quilters recently who have been recycling men’s shirts into quilts. 

*These might be shirts from a family member and thus evoke memories.

*They could be shirts you’ve acquired at a second hand store and thought would make a colorful quilt.

*You might have some colorful shirts with Hawaiian prints that would be very striking in a quilt.

*They may be shirts you were going to get rid of and then had an “Ah! Ha!” moment when you decided they’d make good fabric for a quilt.

Lauren Smith and Derek Fagerstrom at Design*Sponge created an interesting quilt from some of Derek’s shirts and a duvet cover.  Take a look at: diy wednesday: vintage shirt patchwork “quilt.”  They also give you complete instructions for making your own vintage shirt quilt. 

For variation, you could use women’s blouses, old dresses, skirts, and other colorful fabrics.  Their quilt reminds me of popular ones I made when I operated my at-home quiltmaking business.  Those created with large squares went together quickly and could be priced more reasonably than time consuming designs.

(I used 7-inch or 5-inch squares instead of the 11-inch ones Derek  and Lauren did.) 

How have you become creative with older fabrics or by recycling fabrics?

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Memory Quilts from Old Shirts

Telling others about our successes and accomplishments often is difficult for some of us because we come from the generation where Mother said, “Don’t toot your own horn.  People will think you’re bragging. ”

However, if you wait solely for others to discover what you’re doing, the world won’t
hear about your or your quilting.  You can share, as I call it, without seeming “pushy.”  You can announce over forums and round-ups of success stories, as well as doing the traditional promotions. 

You might participate in a “success” post, such as the one Yvonne Russell, at Grow Your Writing Business has initiated, Marvelous Mini Milestones & Super Successes – September 2007.  Yvonne has begun doing this on a monthly basis. 

(She even mentioned the guest post I wrote for Grow Your Writing Business about blog tours, Virtual Blog Tours – The Latest Innovation for Promoting Your Writing.  Thanks, Yvonne, for “tooting” my horn!  Mother would be pleased that I hadn’t blown my own.)

Of course, the successes mentioned on Yvonne’s blog relate mainly to writing and publishing success, whether it’s print or online.  However, even if you aren’t a writer, you can apply many of the techniques mentioned to your quilting.

Why don’t you share your business successes here?  We can initate a monthly report of quilting  milestones and success stories.

Post from: Blisstree

Share Your Quilting & Fabric Art Successes With Us

Laura, at Work From Home Momma, mentioned in her comment to a post on Home Biz Notes, Basing Your Home Business Promotions Around Themes, that business owners can begin planning for next year when it comes to themes.  This idea also can apply to making quilts for exhibits and contests, many of which are based on themes. 

“It’s not too late to put it [pilot theme day...or any other] on your calendar for next year, either.  Especially if you are going to purchase or make items based on the theme, you will need some lead time.”

So begin planning ahead for theme days.  Then the date isn’t suddenly upon you without your having made any products, prepared a promotion, or developed a strategy.

* Put the various dates on your calendar. 

*Look at the dates periodically.

*Jot down as ideas occur on your calendar.

*Make items for various promotions, sales or themes ahead of time.

*Perhaps you can get others to join your for a theme day…either within an Internet group or your community.

Post from: Blisstree

Developing a Theme for Your Quilts & Quilt Business Promotion

Yvonne Russell, of Grow Your Writing Business, pointed out to me concering this topic of return customers, “There is quite a bit of research on the fact that it costs a lot more in dollars and time to get a new client, as compared with doing ongoing business with existing customers/clients.”

So often business owners seem to think once they have a customer, that person automatically will return…unless you sell one-of-a-kind items that don’t lend themselves to repeats.  However, you still will want a pleased customer who will recommend you to others.

I asked a friend today, who has a home based beauty and skin care business, ” Have you gotten in touch with Jenny?”  (This customer had purchased a large amount of products two months ago.)  

No, she hadn’t, except to deliver products after the order arrived.  So I suggested she call Jenny to see if she had any questions and to tell her about a new product.  Jenny was a good customer who was enthusiastic about the products.  So you want to make sure customers like her (and anyone who purchases from you)  have their questions answered, their needs met.  You don’t simply take their money and hope they’ll be a repeat customer.

(So translate the suggestion for Jenny into ones you can use in your quilting and fabric arts business…in fact, most any business.)

Once you have a satisfied customer, or one in the making, you need to spend some time, yes, but  not nearly so much as you will finding and developing new customers/clients.  So it behooves you to pay attention to your existing customers for repeat business.

For instance, at the dealership where my family buys cars, the salesman we work with has gotten to know us, sends cards and notes, updates, inquires how our car is working out, and simply keeps in touch.  He also knows our needs and keeps on the lookout for vehicles that will meet them.  To my husband and me, our daughter and son-in-law, he has sold many vehicles.  We don’t even consider going elsewhere when we need one.  (And the dealership is excellent when we need service on our vehicles.) 

Although this isn’t a home business, the principles this salesman practices would work well for home business owners, including those with quilting businesses…..taking care of existing customers.  This also generates new customers, because we recommend him to friends who need vehicles.

Do you have any examples you can share about taking care of your quilting and fabric art customers which leads to repeat business and recommendations to their friends?

Post from: Blisstree

Paying Attention to Your Quilting & Fabric Art Customers

“I’ve always considered myself a PR pro,” comments crafts business expert, Barbara Brabec, in her current e-newsletter bulletin, “but what I was particularly good at in years past was getting print publicity. 

       Yes, for many years Barbara has been considered a pro at helping crafts people promote their enterprises and has written several books on the subject.  Many of us have discovered, as Barbara has, that the PR field is a whole “different ball game” now that we can contact people all over the world through the web.  However,  Barbara has been adept at adapting her advice to help crafts people in this Internet age, as you’ll see when you visit her web site.

Also, the nature of our quilting and fabric arts businesses may change as the Internet opens up many possibilities, even when we have basically a business with customers coming into our shop or provide services away from our home office.

*We may produce an e-newsletter instead of a printed one mailed to customers.

For instance, the owner of a local quilt fabric shop asked my daughter for her e-mail.  She said she was going to send an e-newsletter instead of one by postal mail, simply because the cost was less (almost negligible), it was quicker, and reached her customers faster.  She would have a few printed newsletters in her shop for customers without e-mail to pick up.  But she wouldn’t send them out that way after a specific date.

*E-mail becomes a common method of corresponding with our customers.

*Orders will come to us via e-mail rather than, or as well as, the post office if we’re a mail order business.

*Customers/clients will find you via a blog and/or web site, even if you have a physical shop.

If you’ve operated a home business during both eras, what are some ways you’ve had to change?  Do share with us.

Post from: Blisstree

Promotion for Quilting Businesses Has Changed with the Internet

                          (Mary Emma)

Since many quilters are writers, or at least contribute patterns and information for books, so you may find the advice  Yvonne offers on her blog of great interest.  Her general advice also applies to businesses, which would include those offering quilts, fabric art, fabrics and other supplies. 

Much of what Yvonne offers here concerns promotion via the Internet and blogs.  She and I discussed this topic at length before she wrote this article.

Yvonne comments: “Bloggers and online writers [book authors and quilting businesses]  need to become e-marketers and look for opportunities on the web.  Our potential clients are not around the corner anymore.  If you’re on the web, you have a global market.  You have an international client base.”

How have you found your book and/or business promotion changing because you have the whole world wide web to explore?

Post from: Blisstree

Quilting & Patchwork Blogger Interviewed

When I was making quilts and other fabric items for customers and contact was by mail order, we often developed a friendship with correspondence continuing long after the quilt was made.  Nowadays, your correspondence  could be done by e-mail or hand written notes.  However, in this electronic age, people still like to receive hand-written notes in their mail box.

I’ve been attending a business seminar this weekend.  At one of the sessions, the workshop instructor talked about marketing, retaining customers, and getting repeat business.  She mentioned taking time to take care of the “little things” so your customers/clients know they’re more than a dollar sign to you.

Of course, you hope  they will purchase more or think of you when they need your type of product or services. If you develop a friendship, they’ll be more likely to return and keep you in mind if they have an occasion to refer you to a friend who needs what you offer.

In our busy world, we sometimes don’t take time for those acts of thoughtfulness to make people seem special.  For years, my husband and I purchased our cars from one dealership and one salesman because he took time to get to know us, learn what we needed for a vehicle, and what we could pay.  He would send thank you notes, how are you doing notes, and haven’t seen you in awhile notes.  Joe was a popular salesman at the dealership until his retirement.

      Of course, selling cars and fabric art aren’t the same items, but the same principles of customer relations do apply. The same care with customers/clients can be taken with your quilting business.

Post from: Blisstree

Taking Time for the “Little Things” in your Quilting Business

Others use the blog as a more personal contact with their clients than their web site where they might operate an online store, either as an entity in itself, or as an extension of a physical shop.  Some store owners conduct online tours, whereby you visit the various blogs or web sites with shopping prizes and discounts as rewards.

Quilters, especially those who are authors, too, might like to take some hints from author/editor/publisher Dorothy Thompson who recently conducted a virtual book or blog tour.  Throughout November Dorothy visited various blogs, and I had the enjoyable opportunity of hosting her on my author blog, Mary Emma’s Potpourri of Writing at http://maryemmallen.blogspot.com .

Dorothy said her blog tour has been the most effective way of promotion…of generating book sales and traffic to her web site that she’s ever experienced, particularly for her new eBook, A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published Book. (www.thewriterslife.net )

“I have never seen anything like it and only with I had done this before,” mentioned Dorothy.

You might find some of Dorothy’s tips, as voiced in her interview, a way to generate ideas for a blog tour of your own, either as a quilter or quilter/author.

Post from: Blisstree

Promoting Your Quilting Through a Blog Tour