We have returned from Crozet, Virginia having had a SUPER festival!! I sold 11 quilts which is outstanding and exciting. I must have spoken with over a dozen quilters too which is energizing. It is fun to see the expressions on the faces of traditional quilters when they see my quilts, so NOT traditional. We talk about how the designs are created, they share questions and their fear of leaving the world of patterns. And me being me….I’m encouraging them to try some new things! There were also a handful of contemporary quilters with whom I talked who shared ideas…I just love this part of festivals! Many quilters talked about dabbling in free motion quilting so they were intrigued by my stitching. You can always tell who the quilters are 
as they move right in up close and personal with the quilts, eyes looking at the details. It is such a hoot! I love people taking photos and I willingly share the “how to’s”. Though the days are long, it is the conversations with customers and fellow quilters who make festivals such fun. I sold a predominance of landscape quilts – trees, beach scene, sunset, sunrise. Definitely need to get busy making some new landscape quilts for future festivals.
Along the way I’m always listening to customers to learn what they are looking for. It seems one of the options I don’t have is horizontal quilts that would work well above a bed. These probably need to be 24″ H x 48″ W. I have two customers who want to explore custom quilts in this size so we spent time at the festival making notes on designs they like. I think my creative focus for the next few weeks, before the next festival in Downingtown, PA, will be on making one or two larger quilts and possibly making some smaller quilts which could work with an existing quilt to create a triptych for a space above a bed (or a sofa though people were talking about a bedroom quilt more often). I don’t tend to think in the dimension of 48″wide but it would be good to have one or two in stock.
Last but not least….the new quilt rack for the extra quilts I can’t hang due to limited space, worked like a charm! You can see it in the picture to the left of the table. I actually sold two quilts literally off the rack. People were comfortable looking through the hanging quilts, pulling them out for better views. And it was so easy when I sold a quilt to go to the rack and pull one out to put on the booth wall. I tried a new booth layout this time too with my table against the wall and my chair out front. This arrangement felt so much more comfortable than being tucked inside the back corner behind the table. Everything just worked well this festival….YEAH!!
Time to sew!!