Craft Show.

I'm doing my first craft show in April, and because I have no idea how long it will take me to sew up all the things I want to sell I've started getting ready. I've had dismal luck with this kind of thing in the past; while other people have amazing skills selling at yard sales and the like I have had none, a lot of work for a total of five dollars.

This is what my sewing room looked like this morning. EAK!

I'm hoping this experience is different. One strategy I have is to try and keep the prices of things really low. In order to do this I'm putting a couple of methods into effect to cut down on time and cost. The fist thing I did was to gather as much fabric from my stash as possible and to inventory things like zippers, and bias tape. Then I washed all my fabrics so they would be ready, and sorted it into piles. One pile for bibs, one pile for change purses, one pile for collapsable grocery bags and one pile for messenger bags.

After that I started cutting. I put on something from Netflix I could watch but not really pay attention to in order to help the process along (in my case Star Trek the Next Generation reruns), podcasts would also work well for this step. I cut all the pieces to the change purses and then put those pieces along with zippers into a ziplock storage bag, to keep it all together. Then I cut out all the pieces to the messenger bags and piled them up together (I still have more cutting to do for bibs and grocery bags) the key is to cut all of the same thing at the same time to streamline the process.

Zone 1 from left to right: Bib fabric pile along with bias tape,
pieces to change purses all cut in a bag with the zippers,
paint chips and paper for paint chip notebooks.

Zone two: fabric for collapsable grocery bags, not yet cut,
Pieces to messenger bags, cut, with interfacing applied, half finished.

Next I ironed on all the interfacing to all the pieces of the messenger bags. Then I sewed all the pockets for the messenger bags, then all the flaps, then the outsides, then the insides... you see where I'm going. You do the same step over and over until it's done (I got really fast at pockets).

Then I walked into my sewing room one morning and discovered that all the cutting and trimming and sewing had led to a sewing room covered in string, scraps and well I'm not even sure what that is... So I cleaned it. I made sure everything was back in it's appropriate pile. Nothing worse then working on a project and not being able to find that one piece because it's under a pile of unrelated things. Now my room is bright and clean and I can clearly see what I've already finished, what I need to finish and what I still need to start.

After: with everything in it's place and a clean floor for cutting space and
space to walk.

In case you need some inspiration to get your hands dirty and dig in to all those projects here's a playlist. The first two songs are to inspire you and the rest are to keep you working hard!

Have you had any luck making money at craft shows? We'd love to know your tips and tricks.
Happy Sewing
Love,
Jessie and Sue