I will interviewed live on Pat Sloan’s American Patchwork and Quilting Radio podcast today at 4PM Eastern Time. Wish me luck and be sure to tune in! 🙂
Click here to listen live at 4PM Eastern time. It should be fun! You can also listen to past episodes of the show and subscribe via Itunes (search American Patchwork & Quilting).
This week instead of Fabric Friday, I am going to share Thread Thursday with you today! Aurifil has released many new 50 weight thread kits and we are busy stocking them all!
Aurifil Best Selection kit – includes small spools of the 45 most popular colors!
I love that machine quilting with beautifully colored threads has become a large part of the modern quilting movement, and I will do my part to further the cause. 🙂
Many designers, such as Carolyn Friedlander have designed their own collections in beautiful hues to match their fabric lines. The Botanics set comes in a large thread kit as well as a smaller boxed set – choose which size best fits your budget!
Alison Glass’ booth was a favorite at quilt market, with her colorful fabrics and beautiful threads. Hew new thread set, Alison Glass Essentials also comes in both large and small spool versions.
I usually stock up on the large spools when I know I will use those colors for piecing or to machine quilt. I round out my color selection with the smaller spools which are perfect to have on hand for machine applique, embroidery details, or matching binding.
Edyta Sitar has just released a 4-spool set of Winter Essentials – darker neutrals that go along with original release of Quilters Essentials – lighter neutrals that are perfect for piecing and blending.
I love that so many modern and traditional designers are curating their collections with Aurifil. Additional designers’ offerings include sets by Tula Pink, Pat Bravo, Darlene Zimmerman, Minick and Simpson, Victoria Findlay Wolfe, Zen Chic, Me & My Sister, Pat Sloan, Vanessa Christensen, Camille Roskelley and many others.
Fresh, Modern & Timeless by Victoria Findlay Wolfe – Small Set Available Now.
Many more collections were previewed at this spring’s quilt market, which will be available in the fall, and you know I will carry those, too! Thanks for supporting my thread addiction. I hope I’m feeding yours as well! 🙂
Wow! It’s hard to believe this is my 10th post in the series on How to make Quilting your Business. You can get links to the other 9 posts here. Today’s topic is Monetizing Your Blog. This can be a somewhat controversial topic but still, I think it’s an important one to cover. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:
Paid Sponsorships
Most often, paid sponsorships are those square buttons to other shops and products that show up, usually on the right (or left) column of a blog. Though I have never had paid sponsorships on my own blog, I have paid other bloggers to advertise when I was doing the online quilt shop thing full time. Here’s what my button looked like:
If you think of going this route, my best advice would be to put together a media kit with your advertising rates and exactly what you will offer in exchange. For me personally, I loved bloggers who would offer a discount for booking several month’s advertising up front. That encouraged me to sponsor them for a longer period of time. I don’t currently advertise on blogs anymore since I’ve taken my business in a new direction, but it was fun to interact with the bloggers when I did. 🙂
Affiliate Links
Affiliate links are links to products, services, or stores where bloggers get a commission when someone clicks on their link, goes to the linked website, and makes a purchase. I think these can be very effective as long as they are not too “in your face” and as long as what’s being talked about in the blog post does not sound like a commercial.
The most effective links are when a blogger links to a product or service that he/she actually uses. Then it’s more like a helpful lead, rather than a blatant promotion. Some of the more popular affiliate links are to Amazon and Craftsy, but most larger business offer them, so it’s worth checking into if that’s something you are interested in. Some companies also offer affiliate links embedded with photos, but I personally think that’s pushing it a little too far.
Product Reviews
Many times companies like to reach out to bloggers by sending them free products like fabric, tools and supplies for them to use and review. While I have never received monetary compensation for any product review I’ve written, I’ve received a few fun freebies on occasion (though most of my reviews are non-sponsored – they are just for fun!) For me personally, I would never review a product that isn’t related to quilting, or anything I’m not actually interested in.
A fun freebie I received in exchange for a product review on another company’s website.
Don’t be shy about contacting the company whose products you are interested in. I’ve gotten many a free quilting book by reaching out to the publisher and offering an honest review in exchange for a copy of the book. I think that’s been a fun, fair trade. 🙂 Plus it gives me more fun things to share on my blog!
Paid Posts
In my experience, I’ve never received any money for any posts I have written directly on my own blog. However, as many of you know, I blog for Craftsy and I do receive a small fee for each post that’s published on their blog, so that’s kind of fun.
I also have a couple of friends who have been successful writing for larger crafting and sewing blogs on a pay for post basis. If that’s something that appeals to you, start contacting these companies and letting them know you are interested. They are always looking for fresh, new content to share and it’s also a way for you to gain more exposure.
These are just a few ways I know about to monetize your blog. I did a quick google search for “monetizing your blog” and found several articles that delve into this topic in more detail. Here are a few (non-sponsored!!) links you can try for further reading:
http://www.blogmarketingacademy.com/top-10-blog-monetization-strategies-ranked
http://monetizepros.com/blog/2014/50-blog-and-content-monetization-strategies
http://wow-womenonwriting.com/34-20questions-MonetizeWebsite.html
This week I’m excited to tell you about some fun new fabrics that are just arriving in the precut store!
Shimmer by Jennifer Sampou – Love it!!
First up is Shimmer by Jennifer Sampou for Robert Kaufman fabrics. Thanks to social media, I learned about this line from fellow bloggers out there, even before my sales reps showed it to me! It just goes to show how word spreads quickly online. 🙂
Shimmer – swatch layout by Jason Watson, (copyright Christa Quilts Inc. 2014)
Shimmer includes a beautiful assortment of neutrals with just a hint of sparkle. Modern geometrics are always a favorite of mine! The precut line includes a 25 piece fat quarter bundle (one of every fabric from the line), a regular size roll up (4o – 2 1/2″ strips), and precut 10″ squares. I just checked my inventory and these guys are selling out fast!
Blueprint Basics by Valori Wells – a perfect set of colors!
Next is Blueprint Basics by Valori Wells for FreeSpirit. I’ve always admired Valori Wells’ work (as well as her mother Jean Wells’ quilts, too). The tagline for the collection is, “a collection of classic modern designs in glorious colors for your adventurous creative pursuits.” I think that’s a great description, don’t you?
Blueprint Basics – swatch layout by Jason Watson, (copyright Christa Quilts Inc. 2014)
Blueprint Basics precuts include half rolls (20 – 2 1/2″ strips), ten squares (layer cakes), charm packs and fat quarter bundles. As of this writing, not all of the precuts have made it to the store warehouse quite yet, so keep an eye out for them in the next couple of days!
Our goal is to add new precuts every week! Which are your favorites?
I’m not attending Spring Quilt Market this weekend like many of my peers. I had too many other commitments this time around. However, I do want to share a few “behind-the-scenes” pictures of a recent fabric show I attended locally. One of the things I love about living in Las Vegas (other than the fabulous weather) is the fact that we are a destination city, so smaller, regional fabric trade shows come here a couple of times a year, in between the big ones.
One of the most fun thing about attending trade shows, (besides the free lunch) is running into friends of mine who do what I do. From left to right are Linda from The Stitch Sanctuary, Stacy from Farm Road Quilts, and me. (Jason is kindly taking the picture!)
We swap stories and compare notes about which vendors we are going to see and who has the best stuff. Rather than viewing each other as competition, we network and encourage each other to succeed. Besides, there’s plenty of room for all of us in this business! 🙂
 This picture is actually from the previous local trade show, but I forgot to get some “action shots” this time around, LOL!!
Meeting with my fabric sales reps in person gives me a chance to not only check out the upcoming lines, it also allows me to get to know them on a more personal basis. Now that our reps all know that we are dealing with precuts exclusively, they can tailor their appointments to show me what I’m truly interested in.
Seeing the precuts in person, rather than simply ordering them from our vendors online allows me to get a really good sense of the colors and see how big each bundle is. Plus, it’s always nice to touch them and play with the pretty ribbons!
 
The vendor booths also feature tons of scrumptious eye candy – lots of fabulous quilts to show off their latest fabrics and patterns. This quilt was in the EE Schenck booth (they distribute Maywood Studio fabrics, among others). I don’t know which line it was featuring or what pattern, but I sure thought it was striking, and I love the quilting!
Fabric companies also include plenty of inspiration images to go along with their fabrics and many of them will direct their customers (with stores like me) to their free patterns to help promote the new lines. Now that I’m getting to know more quilt designers, it was fun to see this pattern by my friend Kristy featured as I was shopping Windham’s fabrics.
If you ever get a chance to go to a fabric trade show, whether for your own business or as the guest of another company, it sure is a fun and inspiring place to be! I will be eagerly watching many of the blogs I follow over the next week or so for their spring quilt market reports. It will almost be like being there. 🙂
I’m super excited to announce that I will be teaching a few quilting classes this summer at Quiltique, my favorite local quilt shop!
If you are near the Las Vegas area, I invite you to sign up for one of my three classes:
Modern Machine Quilting – Wed. June 4 & 11, 6pm – 9pmIn this 2 part class, learn to take your quilts to the next level by exploring modern machine quilting designs that will add depth and dimension to your quilts. The secret is learning to let go of perfection by quilting asymmetrical textures that require little to no marking!
You’ll learn how to create modern free-motion quilting motifs as well as some of my favorite “walking foot wonders!” This class is taught using a domestic machine.
Click here to register for my Modern Machine Quilting class at Quiltique.
Colorful Chevrons – Tuesday May 20 & 27, 10am – 1 pmMake this charming chevron quilt top from your favorite colorful prints or solids. Colorful Chevrons was on the cover of Quilty magazine and most recently, it won a ribbon at the AQS Quilt show in Paducah, KY.
I’ll teach you my favorite method for making half-square triangles so you can create your own show-worthy quilt! This class runs for 2 sessions during the day, so take time off work, or grab a babysitter if needed, and meet me for some fun sewing therapy!
Click here to register for my Colorful Chevrons class at Quiltique.
Modern Log Cabin – Thurs. May 29, June 5 & 12, 6 – 9pmLearn how to make a modern quilt from start to finish in this 3 week class! Fun “homework” will be given out as you create your own interpretation of this classic design. Along the way, you’ll learn a little bit of modern quilting history along with what I think makes a “modern” quilt.
I’m working on my version now, and I can’t wait for the big reveal here on my blog!
Click here to register for my Modern Log Cabin class at Quiltique.
Test driving my new machine at the shop – it was love at first stitch!
I first got to know the wonderful folks at Quiltique when I bought my new Bernina from them last summer. Later, I had the chance to interview one of the owners for my series on Making Quilting Your Business. One thing led to another, and now they’ve invited me to join their fabulous team of instructors, which I’m truly excited about. I love teaching others to quilt almost as much as I love doing it myself. 🙂
One of the reasons I’m so thrilled to be part of the Quiltique team is that they know how to create “the buzz” for their excellent classes and exciting events! In addition to amazing local teachers, they bring in “big-name” quilters all the time.
Quiltique quilt shop in Henderson, Nevada
Recently, Quiltique has included special events and classes from names like Natalia Bonner, Camille Roskelley and Me & My Sister Designs. Coming up this summer they will be featuring embroidery classes from Sarah Vedeler, art quilt classes with Katie Pasquini Masopust, and a special Sew-apalooza event with Kay England. So – yeah, I think I’m in great company!
Click here for the current Quiltique newsletter and class schedule. Even if you don’t live in town, a summer road trip to Vegas may be just the thing to inspire your creativity!
For my complete teaching schedule, or to inquire about having me come to your group or guild, please click here.
Original blog post starts here:
Now, you guys know I’m all about sharing with others. In fact, I often share some of my content with other bloggers, or on other pattern sites when they have asked my permission to do so.
However it has come to my attention that the website QuiltPatternsPro.com has stolen a large chunk of my blog content and reposted it on their site as their own. And I’m not the only one. They have also stolen content from many bloggers out there that you know.
We are starting to band together to get the word out. Here’s how you can help. Go to their site by typing it into google. I’m certainly not going to provide a link here. Then search your name or blog title into their search box and see if you come up.
If you do find that your blog content has been stolen, please go here and read the section about “copyright claims” and report it to godaddy.com. Hopefully with enough reports, we can get this problem taken care of!
For tomorrow’s post, I’ll return you back to my regularly scheduled friendly blog persona….. 🙂
Welcome to my continuing series on How to Make Quilting Your Business. I’ve been designing my own quilts for nearly as long as I’ve been quilting, but only recently decided to start turning them into actual patterns for sale.
My latest PDF pattern design – Modern X
First, I had to get over the idea that I thought it was somehow “cheating” for me to charge people money to tell them how many squares and triangles to cut out of a yard of fabric! I really enjoy figuring out the math when it comes to calculating yardage requirements, but I know not everyone feels the same way.
I recently I had a great discussion with my friend Lee Heinrich (a prolific pattern designer and recent book author) and she convinced me that it’s okay for me to share my knowledge and get paid for it. She told me that some people’s brains just don’t work that way and they are more than willing to pay for it. I finally get that now – thanks, Lee!
Vintage Quilt Revival, co-authored by three talented pattern designers Katie, Lee, and Faith. See where pattern design can ultimately take you?
Today’s topic can be narrowed down to two main ideas: (1) designing the quilt (for business or even just for personal use) and (2) producing and selling the pattern.
When it comes to designing original patterns, there are a myriad of technological choices out there. It can be as basic as sketching your ideas out on graph paper, or as advanced as using specific design software.
Personally I use EQ7 for all my designs. My favorite aspect of the software is that I can import swatches of fabric from any manufacturer into the program. Although I’m by no means an expert, it’s been easy enough for me to learn the basics of what I want to do. I can even design modern “improv” blocks. 🙂 (I know – that’s kind of an oxymoron, right?)
I like to finalize my design digitally before I try it out in fabric. This was my working sketch that ultimately led to a darker background for Spiraling Out of Control.
Another good choice for computerized design is Adobe Illustrator. Several very talented designer friends of mine swear by this program and their work speaks for itself:
 Cartwheels by Lee Heinrich, designed in Adobe Illustrator
Lindsey’s latest pattern – designed using Adobe Illustrator
No matter which software you use (or none at all), once you have the basic “sketch” nailed down, you’ll need to do something with those designs to turn them into an actual pattern. I use simple word processing software. I copy and paste my EQ7 images into a Word document and then add text where needed. It’s very basic and gets the job done and at this point matches my skill set. 🙂
Herringbone, designed by me in EQ7. Graphic designers from Camelot Fabrics imported my sketches and instructions into their layout software to create a professional pattern.
If you’d like a more professional look, you can import your design images into a higher-end layout and publishing software such as Adobe In-design or Microsoft Publisher. This is on my “to learn” list!
You can also opt to hire a graphic designer if you plan to produce mass quantities of a particular pattern. However, Lee’s advice is to just bite the bullet and learn the software. She states, “It will really cut into your profit margins if you have to pay a designer every time you have a new pattern that’s ready to release or you need to make changes to existing patterns.”
My current quilt on my “virtual” design wall. I’m working on the pattern for it now.
Once you’ve created your patterns, the next step is to start selling them! I asked Lee if it’s really necessary to sell printed patterns, or if PDF’s will suffice. This was her answer, “I absolutely think someone can get away with selling only PDF versions of patterns. PDFs are great because there’s practically no overhead, no page limitations, and you don’t have to rely on distributors to get them out there. But it’s important to understand that PDF patterns and paper patterns reach completely different audiences, at least for the time being.”
Charming Chevrons, my first PDF Pattern design
For the beginning pattern designer, there are several options to get your patterns into the hands of your customers right away! You can sell them yourself on your own website, or from online sites such as Threadbias or Craftsy. I’ve personally chosen to start selling my patterns on Craftsy because there are no selling fees there!
Another fabulous selling model implemented by my friend Alyssa Lichner from Pile O’Fabric is her Aria Lane design company. Alyssa says, “As an independent designer sometimes you want to stop hassling with all the business details and just design! Aria Lane give designers the opportunity to publish patterns without worrying about those details. At Aria Lane we have a very specific modern aesthetic we are trying to achieve for our designs.”
If you have a design in mind that you feel would fit that aesthetic you can learn about the details of designing an Aria Lane pattern here.
Another fabulous Aria Lane pattern, “Hemispheres” designed by Megan Nichols
I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface of this hugely broad topic. Just remember, there are several paths to success, but the first step on that path is to start making. Don’t be afraid to dive in there and learn as you go. That’s usually my method of doing things and so far it’s served me well!
Thanks for continuing to follow along with my Business of Quilting series, exploring ways that you can turn your quilting hobby into a career. Today I will share my experiences as a quilt teacher, probably one of my most favorite jobs in the industry!
Free-motion quilting is one of my favorite subjects to teach!
I began teaching at a little local quilt shop back in 1997, which sadly is now out of business. My mom, a fellow sewing enthusiast (whom I taught to quilt) was browsing the newly opened store when the owner asked her if she had any recommendations for teachers. She replied, “my daughter would be perfect for that!” and the rest is history.
Students working on their Charming Chevrons quilts in 2013. We had such fun!
From there, I went on to teach at a larger national chain store and then regularly for my quilting guild over the years. I took little breaks from time to time as I raised my family and dabbled in other things, but I always came back to teaching. I love the personal interactions with my students and the look of joy on their faces when they proudly proclaim, “I made that!”
I ran into Kathy, a longtime student of mine, at Road to California. I was excited to see that she was taking an improv log cabin class from the amazing Jacquie Gering!
When I decided to get serious about blogging, that became another avenue in which to share my love of quilting, reaching hundreds (possibly thousands) more through my online quilt alongs.
I’m happy to announce that I will be teaching a regular series of classes later this summer at Quiltique (my favorite LQS). I’ve also been invited to participate in a week-long teaching event on the east coast next year. (I’ll provide more details once contracts are finalized and dates are set.)
Teaching with a friend is fun, too! This is Stacy, one of my BQF’s (Best Quilting Friend).
All of this background brings me to a few summary points to consider when you embark on your teaching career:
Attending workshops with well-known instructors (like Laura Wasilowski) is a great way to polish your teaching skills. Don’t be afraid to work in a different style!
Family and friends make great practice teaching subjects.
My daughter was excited to win a ribbon on her very first quilt!
I hope these ideas and my experiences can inspire you to do what you love. Even if you aren’t interested in the business of quilting, hopefully you can better understand what goes on “behind-the scenes!” Please feel free to share your thoughts and questions below so we can all learn from each other. 🙂
During my many quilt-related business ventures over the years, one of the ways I tried to make money from my craft was by producing quilted items to sell. This led to commission work and then eventually into online fabric sales which I blogged about previously.
This is the first book I ever bought when starting my business!
In my experience, I found that creating custom quilts on commission paid much better than simply making a bunch of quilts and trying to sell them at craft shows and consignment stores. Smaller items that could be sewn together quickly and sold cheaply performed well, but mass producing these items did not satisfy my need to create. Instead I just felt like a one woman factory. However, I did get a lot of quilting practice from it!
Making quilts for sale was great quilting practice!
Connie Campbell from Freemotion by the River got into the market by creating small quilted items like wall hangings, table runners, placemats, and coasters. She started pursuing small venues at first, which weren’t super profitable; however, they did lead to invitations to sell at larger craft shows and stores on a full-time basis. Since that time she’s gone onto other ventures but she’s proof positive that you can sell your wares and make a decent living from it!
Connie still shares with others via her weekly Linky Tuesday party!
In figuring out what to charge, Connie said, “I would always make 3 of an item and figure out the materials used and the time to complete them. I kept a detailed notebook with average fabric prices and amounts needed for my items and kept a timer close-by. I was able to figure out the cost of materials and found wholesale sources for most of my supplies.”
There are always fascinating discussions to be had when it comes to determining a price for your hand-crafted goods. In fact, Josh from Molli Sparkles has held several thought provoking and somewhat controversial blog discussions on how he values his work.
Even simple quilts can be time-consuming to make when working on commission!
In fact, they went viral so quickly that he was able to share more on the subject recently at Sew Mama Sew. He calculated the cost of what it would take to make the simple, yet beautiful quilt above, if he were to be paid for it. The bottom line is this – you need to decide what the market will bear and decide whether or not that is fair compensation for your time.
The explosion of online commerce has made it much easier for artisans to find a wider audience for their work. Talented quilters and sewists can build up a good reputation over time, and word of mouth can spread quickly. A good way to test the waters and see if this is something you’d like to do, is to open up a little shop on Etsy and make a few samples.
Modern Baby Quilt for sale by Home Sewn Studio on Etsy
A good rule of thumb is to give it at least 6 months and then evaluate your progress. Keep an eye out for what others are doing and how they price their items. You never want to undercut anyone or copy others’ creations, but many pattern makers out there are fine with people making a limited number of their designs into items for sale. Just be sure to check first.
As I said at the start of this series, I’ve tried just about every business related quilting topic I’m blogging about, and it’s taken me nearly two decades to finally determine what I’m passionate about (designing and making modern quilts).
I’m hoping that through this series, you’ll find your answers much more quickly than I did!
Christa Quilts 