Rock that Exhibition - FREE eBook download

Have you ever participated in an Exhibition or Craft Fair or Craft Show whatever you might call it and been overwhelmed by all the work you need to do to get your stall up and running? Or is this the first time you intend to participate in one?

I have written an eBook which will give you a clear step-by-step plan not just to prepare for the exhibition but also to make a profit that you desire.

Here is a quick sign-up link for you to download the ebook.

If you want a quick sneak peek at what you will find in the eBook, here's a small excerpt from it.

The second chapter in the book deals with how to prepare for preparing all the stuff that you will need to make for the exhibition. The following is a part of that chapter that helps you decide which products to choose to make.

What products to make

            If you are anything like me, there is a list of 1000 ideas for products that you can make ready in your head at all times. It becomes VERY difficult in choosing what to make for an upcoming exhibition. Word of caution, It makes sense to make only 8-9 different categories and then making a lot of variety in each category, especially if you are short on time.

            If you have a lot of time, go ahead and make anything that you want. Choose the best 15-20 products that you make and make 50 of each (or even more)!

            If you are short on time, here are a few guidelines to help you decide what

to make:

• How much profit margin does each product have? Choose the ones that will make you the most money – you will reach your target faster. If I make exclusive tote bags I can earn a 100% profit per bag i.e. ₹1250 as against the ₹70 profit that each pouch will earn me. I will have to sell 18 pouches or 1 tote bag to earn the same amount of profit. So if I was short on time, I would make 20 tote bags instead of making 360 pouches.
• Select the products that you have made numerous times. Now is not the time to experiment. It will be a time waster. Work on products that you’re confident about. I am much more confident with tote bags with magnetic snaps. I will not usually start making zippered tote bags for the upcoming exhibition. But I will definitely learn how to make one as soon as this exhibition ends so that I can make them for my next one.
• Can you get help? Hire somebody or ask your friends to make some things for you. More often than not, help is just a phone call away. I am very lucky in this aspect. I have a bunch of friends who come over to help me with fabric selection, packing and pricing. I also invite my students (who already know how to make the item) to help me with preparation of my exhibition.
• If you have a product that is simply unique to you – MAKE IT! Even though you have a strong suspicion that it might not sell, make it and display it prominently just so it attracts the crowd. Sometimes, your intuition works best. So even if you have a product that takes longer to make and earns comparatively lesser margin go ahead and make it!

Follow your gut!

Don't forget to sign up to get your link to download the FREE eBook. Click here to sign up.

Whats more? I have even made a Facebook group for all the people who are using the book to help them increase their sales at the Exhibitions. The link to the Facebook Group will be in the email that you get when you sign up. 

I'm hoping you will join all of us in the Facebook Group to cheer each other as we slay our goals!!!

A weird Monday!

Every Monday brings to me a feeling of a beginning of completing something! Now that's weird you'd say. "Beginning of Completing" doesn't really make sense.

I usually decide my weekly targets and plan my week on Monday Mornings. So it marks the beginning of the weekly tasks. And I usually (okay mostly) complete those by the end of the week and am off to a fresh start on the next Monday!

Now Beginning of Completing makes sense, right?

So this Monday, I woke up with a sense of purpose, like every Monday! As I looked at my calender, I just turned the page to look at the next month and realized "THE CRAFT FAIR IS JUST TWO WEEKS AWAY!!!"

I am usually a girl who keeps her cool in all matters...

But yesterday I just flipped out!

The entire day I was worried that I'm going to go there with nothing to sell! I have already paid the rent - so at least I have to recover that!

I went into complete panic mode! I even realized my heart was beating a bit fast!


The main thing was I realized, or I thought, I did not have enough to display at the fair!

I had started some cool "Solid Love" range of baby quilts on Saturday.

I had made four. But that was not enough!

 I had 6 aprons, 10 crayon rolls and the quilts that I have made over the last year! How am I going to recover the cost???

I was totally freaked out. Pacing everywhere and accomplishing nothing!

But then, I decided to do what I usually do in a situation thats getting out of hand.
1. I realized I had ENOUGH time! Two weeks is a full 14 days! Id I work for 10 hours everyday I will have 140 hours!!! Phew. I calmed down a bit.

2. Next, I sat down and made a list of things I needed to do. I realized that I did not know the size of my booth or the surroundings - was it a corner or in the middle, would I have 2 walls or just one on the back! I called up the organizer and rectified that. In fact, today I will be visiting the venue to have a look at the location. The other stall owners do not bother to "make up" their stalls. I made an effort last year and people loved it. I will be doing that again this year.

This was my stall last year.

This was my stall at Cocoparra.

This year, I'm going to make it simple. It is going to be colorful with all the bright stuff, But I will mute down the other stuff! I planned out a lot of stuff.

3. Next I needed to rectify the fact that I do not have enough stuff. Yes, that is true. I have a lot to display. But little to sell. I need to work on that. I asked my cook if she can sew and if she can help me make some stuff. Not only did she agree, but she also roped in another friend to help!!! Plus I have two students coming in to learn from me who have volunteered to help!!!

So now, I will have a lot more Solids love Quilts (I plan to make 25). I have 17 done by yesterday. I think together we will finish the 25 today!

Next I need to make more crayon rolls and more aprons. I am thinking 25 of the aprons and about a 100 crayon rolls. Numbers look like a lot? Divide it by 5! Easy peasy!

I have also asked a friend if she can make some eyeglass cases for me. She has agreed. And I'm looking forward to how many she makes.

I am also thinking of 15 quilted samosa pouches!

Some fabric envelopes.

And of course Band-aids. I have asked my maid to make them for me. Her son is mentally challenged and she would liek to sprovide him with some kind of employment option. I thought the Band aids would be a great thing for him to make and earn some money! So he's got busy with them!!! I should have about 200 of them by the end of two weeks!!!

Oh, and I have about 20 of the scarfs too!!! I just remembered!!!

 I'll throw in some bookmarks, key hobs, scrunchies and maybe 20-25 of cushion covers and I should be covered!!!

Yay!!!

Yeah, the Monday began weird. Because I'm not normally a person who panics. Okay, if there's a lion in front of me, I will. But surely not about these things! But I did and that made it weird! I'm not sure whether it was the amount of work I thought I had to do (alone!) that scared me or it was just a hormones thingy!!!
But the point is, now everything is under control and I am feeling much more confident about showing off at the fair!!!

Whats up with you guys???

Coco parra!

I'm at a flea market today...

In Pune ...

I booked a stall along with 2 friends and we're planning to have fun!

There's live music and much more...

About selling, it will be wonderful if I manage to at least break even!

But I do not have high hopes...

This is the first time I'm exhibiting my products in Pune...

I have brought along the portrait quilt and will be taking custom orders for them!

If you are in Pune today, do drop in...

The sew-in and the craft fair!!!

I told you I had a sew-in at my place early last week...

It was awesome! I was joined by Kausalya, Sneha and Ruby! And we had a lot of fun!
Yes, fun that included fabric, sewing, eating and a whole lot of laughing!


We started off right after the girls arrived! Here's Ruby and Sneha with the rotary cutter!

I wonder what could be so hilarious in The Practical Guide to Patchwork! 

We had lunch at 5 pm! So we decided to go out for some chaat instead of dinner! We shared a lot over paani-puris and bhel!

 That was when the poor waiter wasn't sure whether we were laughing at something he said or we were just - you know, crazy!

I gave the girls those hexie strips remaining from DH's quilt! They are taking them out of my sight! I just dont want to do Y seams again!

Did you know it took two people to iron?

I taught the girls how to make my samosa pouches! I also gave them lessons in quilt planning and FMQ!

We made some aprons for the craft fair... Here's Kausalya modelling for me!

This was one of the most exciting and fun sew-ins ever! I know there will be many more now! Its addicting!

Now coming to the second part of my post - The Craft Fair!

 So how was my craft fair???

It was SUPER!~!! I sold about 60% of the stuff I took there! Considering that a lot of it was for display and I sold mostly smaller items, it was a HUGE success!

So here's a photo treat for you guys!




My booth design was highly inspired by Rachel from Stitched in Color. She did this fabulous series on how-to's for a craft fair that included EVERYTHING you needed to know! Check out the series here. Never hurts to bookmark it! She was so cool when I asked her if I could use her idea for the backdrop! Thanks for the inspiration, Rachel!

So here's my booth!

I had two tables, but the second one was set at a right angle leaving me to enter my booth from under the table! So I moved things about that gave me a perfect display space for my pillows!

I got a new board made...

Isn't it adorable?

I used jelly roll strips of Kona Solids from my stash for the backdrop! It looked so cool! And it gave me an easy way to hang all the sample mini quilts... (though I did not get a single order for them ~~ I guess Sangli is not yet ready for them ;).. Ha!)

On the table were my quilts - sample as well as those for sale!

I sold 7 quilts! That was awesome!

And here was my hottest selling corner! Anything I put here, just got sold fast! I have no idea why!

There were crayon rolls (I sold about 50 of them! - I had made only 10 so I made the other 40 at night after coming home!) Aprons! - I sold 10 of them and I had taken only 3 with me! Kitchen Napkins! The eyeglass cases! ALL of these were sold!

This is a look at my least selling corner! I did not sell ANY pillow covers - a friend buying 3 after I said they're not selling does not count, right?

I was surprised to see that I did not sell many Samosas either! Now that was a bummer! I had made 20 and I sold just 5!

Didn't they look as delicious to others as much as they look to me?

No idea!

BTW, are you guys following the Know Thy Machine Blog Hop! You sure are going to enjoy the next 6 weeks!

Keep reading!