Quilting Business
quilting business Learn To Start A Quilting Business Quilting can be addictive, you start out making garments for yourself and your family and then see many other projects that you would like to d...
quilting business
Learn To Start A Quilting BusinessQuilting can be addictive, you start out making garments for yourself and your family and then see many other projects that you would like to do. Every time you visit a fabric store, craft shop or quilt shop you get ideas and sooner or later want to make up these projects. This is where your hobby can turned into a money making endeavor. Earn income by doing something you love is one of the best ways to succeed and to enjoy a happy life. You can start your business with your family and friends, let them know that you are wishing to sell your items and if they could recommend your work to their friends and acquaintances. If you are wishing to take on the craft side of sewing or sewing home wares then you make up a sample range and maybe they would like to have a party for you to help get things off the ground. The winter months and the time leading up to Christmas can be the best time to make sales. Contacting anybody who might be attending a baby shower or needs a gift for an expecting mother can also be a great way to make sales. Craft markets are another good outlet. The first time you go will be a bit difficult, in most cases that is, mainly because it takes the people time to get to know your products. You could also get ideas from these shops but not entirely copying from them but just getting ideas and adopting techniques for your own creations. You can find unusual materials at factory outlets, try the interior designers or any retail outlet that has sample ranges of fabrics, you could buy them by bulk or wholesale at a very cheap price. Another good way for your product line of quilts to get noticed are in retail outlets who would take consignment stock, that means they take your stock and only have to pay you when they sell it. You put your price on the item and then they add their markup onto that. Another way to get started with your business is introducing it to the World Wide Web, this is a good place to advertise for the wide array of people that could access your website and see your products, more potential customers to see it means more chances of making a sale. Using the various auction sites can be a very economical way to sell on the internet. About the Author Hunter Crowell is a researcher, avid money maker, and creator of Machine Quilting Business, a web page setup to help quilters earn cash. http://www.make-money-explained.info/quilting.html |
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Start a Quilting Business: Make Reproduction Quilts
If you have a little patience and love to pay attention to detail, maybe making reproduction quilts is the home-based business for you!
Almost everyone has a beloved quilt in their home, one made by a dear family member. Those quilts are often passed down through several generations. They eventually start to show wear and can be used for nothing more than display.
There are people who would actually love to use those quilts, but know that normal everyday use would destroy them. Those people would pay to have someone reproduce a likeness of that quilt.
If you decide to make reproduction quilts as your quilting business, you will need to know your customer's wants very clearly. Maybe your customer would like the quilt to use the same color scheme but to be sewn with new fabrics. But what if they want exactly the same fabrics?
There are fabrics being manufactured today that are reproductions dating as far back as the 1800s. Those fabrics can be costly, though, so make sure you pass that expense along to the customer.
Another option does exist, but there are several "ifs" involved: "if" the fabric is still in good condition; "if" the customer understands the new quilt will look as worn as the old one but will be much more stable; "if" you have digital direct to garment printing available in your area, you can create the same quilt for much less than the reproduction fabrics.
Digital direct to garment printing is a process that apparel decorators use. It is NOT screen printing. It is NOT sublimation printing. It is NOT a transfer. Do not try to reproduce a quilt using any of those methods. Any of those methods will fade and wear quickly over time and will not feel natural.
Digital printers lay fabric on top of the printer platen and print onto the fabric as we would print paper from a printer at home. The inks are water based,actually penetrating the fabric fibers to become part of the fabric. A heat press is used to dry the water out of the ink, leaving only a soft natural looking fabric!
To create a reproduction quilt, you or your digital printer would scan in the fabrics and create your very own "yardage." The print area is generally around 14x16 inches, so your fabrics would be printed in segments that size. If your customer doesn't mind and if you think the fabric quality is good enough, you could actually scan in the entire quilt block and print it. You'd still have to piece the blocks to each other and quilt them.
To find a digital garment printer in your area, start by calling the t-shirt printers listed in your phone directory. Ask if they provide water based digital direct to garment printing. When you find someone who says yes, pay them a visit. Ask to see samples. You will not be able to feel any ink on the products at all. You also will not be able to see a line around it like transfers tend to leave.
If you choose to reproduce quilts as your quilting business, you will have truly selected a niche market. You can reproduce quilts that customers bring to you, or you can reproduce quilts that you love to resell at craft shows or in your own online store.
If you choose to reproduce quilts to resell at shows, be sure to attach a small tag or note that tells a little about the quilt's history and a photo of its inspiration if possible. Sometimes knowing a little about the quilt's past is the difference between making a sale or not!
About the Author
Penny Halgren
http://www.TheQuiltingCoach.com
Penny has been a quilter for more than 27 years. She enjoys exploring all aspects of quilting and sharing her knowledge with all quilters. If you are looking for an Internet quilting club with a wide variety of resources for all level quilters, check out http://www.TheQuiltingCoach.com .