Stock the quilt store....ideas welcome!
03-27-2011, 09:14 AM
#151
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: WV
Posts: 819
Swatches. One LQS here will cut a 2" wof without charge. Years ago I found one which had similar strips attached on the end of the row, with header cards to provide information about the fabric. a nearby cup contained pencils and strips of paper, stapler, and a scissors so customers could clip their own.
03-27-2011, 09:33 AM
#152
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: WV
Posts: 819
Originally Posted by Donna H-M
I often thought a bulletin board to post pics of projects customers made from your fabrics. Maybe a 2 week time allotment to show each picture may (hopefully) be necessary.
03-27-2011, 09:50 AM
#154
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: WV
Posts: 819
Originally Posted by mbake
The thing that always inspires me is to see actual quilts on display with the patterns available. These change all the time so that there is always a new inspiration.
03-27-2011, 11:14 AM
#155
Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Southern California
Posts: 26
Originally Posted by nuffsaid
I second the idea of places to put the bolts down so you can look at them. You could always have tables with shelves built under them and over them so that you aren't wasting too much floor space with the tables. I would also like to see a good selection of different kinds of rulers and other notions. Many windows with good natural light. So many quilt shops have poor lighting that it is very difficult to really see the fabrics well. One other idea that I liked was one shop had a special area where all the odds and ends of fabric and cut up leftovers from cutting fabric for quilts were in a huge box--you could take a bag and fill it up with as much stuff as the bag could hold for a standard price. This is great when you need just a little of something for applique or scrappy quilts.
As an additional comment on an area to place bolts while looking for other fabric and supplies, have laminated cards on the table for customers to put on top of their selection that say "bolt waiting to be cut" in some cute way that reflects your shop.
Good luck,
cd
03-27-2011, 01:54 PM
#156
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: North Oxford MA
Posts: 943
Originally Posted by Pam J
Fabric by the pound--all the scraps left from cutting (say at least 2 inches) put in paper bags and sold for a low price (scraps you might normally throw away). I love 2 and 2 1/2" squares of bright colors to put in my Project Linus quilts. They make a cute border around a square of novelty print. I take all my left-over scraps and cut squares and use them as leaders and enders. I would definitely buy "scrap bags"!
03-27-2011, 01:59 PM
#157
Super Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Somewhere neat!
Posts: 1,146
While following up some stuff, I happened upon this blog description of what this lady liked about three quilt stores she had visited - - and I thought her observations were so warm and sincere - - and maybe helpful. ;-)
http://kayzquiltz.blogspot.com/2011/...day-night.html
Marysewfun
http://kayzquiltz.blogspot.com/2011/...day-night.html
Marysewfun
03-27-2011, 04:20 PM
#158
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: altamont NY
Posts: 1,249
Friendly sales staff goes such a long way! Sometimes a porch or area with chairs is nice for husbands or family waiting, and a little toy area for young Moms. One of my faves is a large selection of flannels.
03-27-2011, 04:28 PM
#159
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: altamont NY
Posts: 1,249
My small quilting group of 5 meets after work on Thursdays and we love the shop hop in area. One store sells salesman samples in surprise bags, which we buy and at our next meeting open and trade like the kids do with Halloween candy. So fun!
03-27-2011, 04:29 PM
#160
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 7,312
I have loved reading through everyone's suggestions! I
"ditto" them all.
One quilt store I went to featured a special fabric or color every other month. Cutomers made 12" blocks using it and then brought them in where they were hung in the store. The next month customers voted on which one they liked the best (votes were $1.00 each to offset the cost of the backing and thread used for the quilt). The blocks were then put together by the store personnell and quilted by them. The winner got to chose which charity the quilt was donated to. It was amazing how popular this was!
Another store did an "art bra" contest and donated the proceeds to breast cancer research. I think activities like this promote civic awareness and are also lots of fun!
My LQS has an Idea Saturday every other month early on a Saturday morning. The owner presents 5 ideas which are also written up in a booklet free to the attendees. We love meeting an hour before the store opens officially for this and most stay to look and buy.
She also has a show-and-tell once a month, again on a Saturday morning, at which pople can bring in a quilt or other quilted project to show. People have brought in not only projects they have done but family/antique quilts so we have learned alot about quilting history. She limits it to 4 people at a time so that it does not go on too long.
My last suggestion is to put as many of your shelving units for your fabrics and other items on wheels as you can. You can get ones from the home improvement stores that have levers on them to act as brakes. When I was teaching early childhood, I had my husband put them on all my shelving units. It made rearranging my room, cleaning, and making special areas so much easier!
I am really looking forward to hearing more about your shop.
"ditto" them all.
One quilt store I went to featured a special fabric or color every other month. Cutomers made 12" blocks using it and then brought them in where they were hung in the store. The next month customers voted on which one they liked the best (votes were $1.00 each to offset the cost of the backing and thread used for the quilt). The blocks were then put together by the store personnell and quilted by them. The winner got to chose which charity the quilt was donated to. It was amazing how popular this was!
Another store did an "art bra" contest and donated the proceeds to breast cancer research. I think activities like this promote civic awareness and are also lots of fun!
My LQS has an Idea Saturday every other month early on a Saturday morning. The owner presents 5 ideas which are also written up in a booklet free to the attendees. We love meeting an hour before the store opens officially for this and most stay to look and buy.
She also has a show-and-tell once a month, again on a Saturday morning, at which pople can bring in a quilt or other quilted project to show. People have brought in not only projects they have done but family/antique quilts so we have learned alot about quilting history. She limits it to 4 people at a time so that it does not go on too long.
My last suggestion is to put as many of your shelving units for your fabrics and other items on wheels as you can. You can get ones from the home improvement stores that have levers on them to act as brakes. When I was teaching early childhood, I had my husband put them on all my shelving units. It made rearranging my room, cleaning, and making special areas so much easier!
I am really looking forward to hearing more about your shop.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Rachelcb80
General Chit-Chat (non-quilting talk)
95
08-17-2011 08:35 AM
kriscraft99
Links and Resources
10
11-15-2010 08:21 PM
