Last week I told you I’d share all that goes into doing a quilt show. Lots of quilters head to shows and go to the vendor mall and see our smiling faces in the booth. But to get to that point takes some work. So here’s what I do to get ready.

Before the Show

A few weeks before the show, planning begins. I have to go over my inventory of patterns and decide what I want to feature. For this show, I had two new seasonal patterns so that started the lineup.

And since I participated in this show last year, I went through my inventory to see what newer patterns of mine were not available then. Those are instant adds to the inventory list. Then I look for patterns that have been stellar sellers. That leads me to believe they will be well received at the show again. Finally, I look for some of my patterns that may be older but are classics and haven’t been to a show in a while. Then I gather the patterns and get some printed if I don’t have enough for the show. Here’s a container packed and ready.

Then, it’s on to making kits (and a mess) for those patterns of mine that I kit up.

Then it’s time to pack it all in the car! I let my husband do that. It’s kind of like a game of Tetris for him!

Set up Time

Now it’s time to make an empty space look like a mini shop. All in 6 hours! Preview for the show opens at 5pm. So, this is what my space looked like at 10am as we were hauling supplies in:

From the photos above, you can see I like to also decorate my booth with antiques along with my quilts. I think it creates a “homey” look.

The first thing I do after loading in is to decide which quilt is my focus and get it hung up. The focus quilt is usually one of my newest patterns. This year, it’s Sun Catcher.

Then I start building around that display deciding where I want to feature each quilt. Here’s a series of photos showing the booth as I get to the finished product.

Now it’s time for people to come on in and shop! This venue was very well lit so I did not need extra lighting, although I tote along small flood lights in case they’re needed.

When Showtime is Over

We do everything in reverse! I start by taking down all my quilts and getting them safely into the suitcases that carried them.

And we also start packing up all the decorations and other items used throughout the show.

Then it’s time to pack up the vehicle. Once again I leave that chore to my husband, the professional packer. LOL!

We are done! Look at the space now:

So next time you go to a quilt show, marvel at the vendor booths. They look like rows of little stores. Seeing how they looked before and after shows you the work we put in to give you a fun shopping experience. 

Here’s my sign I always bring to my booth. It gives many a laugh as they are walking the aisles.

That’s it for this week. Now it’s time for me to unpack and get everything back in its place. 

Happy Quilting!
Deanne