majormom

Does this make me the same when I see a quilt on this board that I particularly love and think is exceptional, I highlight it and print it out so that I will not forget it amongst all the other beautiful quilts and will have inspiration when I want to make another quilt? Oh well, to me that is a compliment to the quilter and if I were EVER to be copied, I would consider it a compliment! However, I do know what you are all saying. Some people are really putting you down when they say they can do as well, but I'm saying, 'Your work is so beautiful, it is an inspiration to me'.

BJSEWS

When I go to a craft show of any kind and especially guilts, I am amazed at what these people do. Beginning to making all the quilts or whatever they are showing, all the notiions that are there, I personally like buying what I don't see locally. Just think of getting all that ready to go, and than packing it up, shipping maybe or getting your vehicile packed and ready to go, then getting to the site and hopefully it is ready for you and then setting it all up and GET READY FOR THE PUBLIC. U need at leased 3 other people with U , so you can go to the restroom, eat and just in case U R BUSY. I really like when they showing you a project--DEMO, DEMO,DEMO AND I LIKE IT WHEN YOU GET SOMETHING CHEAPER THERE, that you have seen in quilt mag.
I started out working in a Ben Franklin 5 n 10 when I was 16 and had the best time of my life. I was told if we don't have it and you know someone else does, you send them there. They will remember you for it and come back to you.
Unfortunately, the public is not as happy as they should be, because I have heard them with the venders and after awhile, the vender will no longer be a happy camper. That could be a dime store, grocery, drug, movie theatre, afterall the customer is always right. BUT ARE THEY NOW.
When I go to these shows I don't but a lot only what I am comfortable carring and toting on a bus, if I have my car THEN LOOK OUT. If they ship and it is on sale and I really really really need OK. BELIEVE IN WHAT U ARE DOING AND PASS IT ON--- whether selling or buying and be GRACIOUS.

Qwiltylady

You can say what you want about puffier quilts but one summer while I was in an accident while on vacation I bought a used machine and fabric and made a quilt. I knew a woman who had a quilt machine in the area and she had begged me to show her how to use it. After the quilt top was pieced I took it to her shop and showed her how to load the quilt and thread her machine. And as I quilted it I showed her how the machine worked. I brought the quilt back to where we were staying and did the binding that night. The next day was July 4th and they were having activities on the commons so I took the quilt to the senior center because they still did not have a raffle quilt for that year. They said they had never had a skinny quilt before but since it was already July and they didn't have one they guessed they would accept it. They hung it right up and started selling tickets for it. They had never sold out of the 5000 tickets they had printed each year until that year. They even sold out a second 5000 tickets they had printed. And they said that instead of just buying 1 ticket everyone was buying lots of tickets. When they asked people why they said, You can always add another thin quilt if it gets cold but if a thick one is too warm there is no way to fix it! I only quilt thin quilts with cotton batting and if someone wants a comforter they can find someone else to make it!

taylorsgmom

So true!!!

ThayerRags

We do Craft Shows as well, and get most of the same remarks. The one we seem to get the most is:
“That is (so cute, just darling, too neat, etc)”, spoken while putting it back down and leaving. They take photos of our items at shows too, and as a matter of fact, they even do the photo thing inside of our shop sometimes!

It can get annoying, but we kind of expect it, especially at the shows, and even in our shop. We sell the supplies to DIY crafters, and we expect them to frequent our booth and our shop for ideas, so why wouldn’t they be there to gather ideas? While the patterns for our items are all created by us, we can’t claim the original idea for all of our creations. So, we expect others to be inspired and create similar items themselves. We don’t sell copies of our patterns. They have to come up with their own.

As far as the complaint about the price being too high is concerned, the best response that I’ve heard was at a yard sale, of all places, but I think it could apply at a Craft Show. The middle-aged vendor had all of his items marked clearly, but a shopper asked what his price was on a two dollar item anyway. Once the written price was confirmed, the shopper declared that the price was too high, and continued browsing, only to come back to the first item again and ask the price again. The vendor replied with the price, but this time it was a dollar more than the last time. When the shopper pointed out that the marked price was a dollar less, the vendor responded that the item had gotten mis-marked, and it should actually be marked (this time the vendor raised the price two dollars higher). The shopper began to say something, but the vendor interrupted the shopper with the statement “It’ll go up another dollar every time you ask me that question, so you decide how much you want to pay for it!” The shopper left in disgust. Haggling the price down didn’t seem to work at all that time.

CD in Oklahoma

IBQLTN

Amen to this one!

TexasGurl

LOL Been there, done that ... I did craft shows years ago and heard all that, and much much MORE ...
Funny how people who've probably never made ANYTHING (by hand OR machine) in their entire life, are so quick to critique the work of others ! :roll:

noahscats7

I guess I need to be the odd voice. I do many crafts and I have always gone to craft shows to get ideas and to see what's new. I seldom buy, for many reasons, but sometimes I also just have to have an item.
To me it's a cheap afternoon out with my sister, and we throughly enjoy window shopping.

Also at shows in our area....no photos are allowed.

CarrieC

Now that is a great idea!!!!!!

KS quilter

I am not too crazy about most crafts, but on occasion I do
see something that is unique and 'cute as the dickens". I go
on this assumption. If you only want one, buy it. If you
want one for everybody you know..make them. You absolutely
can't buy what you need to make for the same price they sell
them for. You may have to buy a bag of 50 something or
another to get the 2 or 3 you need. Craft supplies are expensive. Give the seller credit for knowing what they are
worth. Most probably don't count their time as worth much
anyway, when they set their prices.