Berry Picking Picnic Blanket
You guys are the best! Thanks sooooooo much for your insights on the Craft Show Pricing post!!! You've got my wheels turning for sure and I've already decided to make some changes, like rounding up to prices ending in 5's or 0's so it's easier to handle cash payments and so that folks might be less tempted to make me "rounded" offers. I'll also be thinking about pricing my products so that I can offer combo deals and taking a strictly "no negotiating" price policy, which I think will really help my stress levels as a seller!
All I can say, is that if you are struggling with pricing your products, talk to people! Talk to your friends, your family, and the online community. It really helps to get lots and lots of opinions. Also, one reader pointed me to Etsy Success: The Art of Pricing of Pricing for Profit Workshop. This is a fairly long video, but it really has a lot to say to folks who are make-to-sell crafters. Good food for thought.
On with the making! Last time I was at Ikea, I picked up 2 yards of this summery Annbeth stripe. Since it's 60" wide and a nice, heavy weight, I was totally thinking "picnic blanket." So.... off I went to Pink Castle Fabrics to find some fabrics to match!
What do you see? Reds, a touch of pink, aqua, teal, mossy greens, plum and a bit of dark brown for value. No orange! No yellow! That part was hard. But it's always good to stretch oneself! Working a color scheme from an favorite print is really straightforward, but still it helps me see color in new ways every time.
Pink Castle Fabrics has the full 20-print fat quarter bundle all cut up just for you in case you're after your own picnic quilt (or other patchwork masterpiece). It's my Berry Picking bundle cause the kids and I soooo look forward to outings with our friends to pick strawberries in the spring and blueberries in the summer. The red and purple berry-hues combined with the colors of leaf and sky reminded me of sunny days spent outside this year. And that's definitely where this picnic blanket wants to live - outside!
So, um, I promise I won't call these "picnic blankets" at the show. Nope, they're "summer weight quilts". (According to Rachel of Suz Made Me Do it, "Summer Weight Quilt. Perfect for the beach, a visit to the park, a day at the lake, a picnic or a lazy day in your own back yard or even a summer quilt for your bed. 100% colorfast quilting cotton was used in the creating of this one of a kind quilt. It is 100% washable. 60 x 60." Yep, I've got some marketing signs to make for sure!)
I've also used mine as a party tablecloth, Easter egg hunt kiddy-coral and general photo op. But, then, I heart patchwork.
Did you notice all the butterflies? Yep, and berries too. Literal ones. Watering cans... clouds floating along the sky... I think it's safe to say this collection is all about being outside. (Except for the clocks. I think those are best left at home).
Anyhoo, I'm happily enjoying the way this set coordinates with my inspiration stripe. Apparently I can work without yellow. Who would have thought?
All of my "summer weight quilts" have an attached strap for tidy storage. That's another one all rolled up and stashed in my inventory cabinet... along with a lot of other goodies from this weekend's Saturday sewing session. I'll be back with more tomorrow!