I’ve been getting a good amount of visitors to both sites lately, so I just can’t understand why I’m not getting any sales or why more people aren’t leaving me comments on my blog. I’d really like some comments. I need the encouragement, motivation and inspiration. Having slow sales can really discourage a crafter and make them not want to continue making stuff. I just want people to like the stuff I make and enjoy it all. But if no one buys anything, it makes you think that no one likes it. But I had people telling me all day at the craft show last weekend that my quilts are “beautiful”, “adorable” and telling me “Great job!” or “I love this one!” but no one bought any. Are my prices too high? I’ve lowered the price on a few of the quilts already. I think my prices are reasonable. I’ve looked up other quilts on Etsy and I think my prices are much lower than some others.

Please leave me some comments, good or bad. Tell me what you really think about my blog and my Etsy shop. What you think about the stuff I make and my prices… etc. Do you have any ideas of other things I should make?

I really need the feedback!

Thanks so much!

Also I need to ask for some advise again, and I need it as soon as possible. I have been making new pot holders the past few days to sell at the aforementioned craft show next weekend, and don’t know which way I want them. When I first began making pot holders, I just tied a knot in the middle with embroidering floss instead of “quilting” them. I tried quilting a stitch around the inside of one the other day and like the way it looks. Now I’m not sure if I want to make all the new ones like that from now on, or like the ones I was making before. I sold all but three of the old version at my yard/craft sale last month, so I kind of know some people liked them the way they were, but they haven’t been selling in my etsy shop, so I don’t know if I should change them.

This is where you come in… Do you like the old one or the new one better? Please let me know.

Old One

New One (Please pay no attention to the bad stitching job, it was my very first time doing such a thing)

My messy desk, as it is today.

All of the thread and zippers that I've been wanting to sell.

My pile of almost finished pot holders.

My pile of completely unfinished pot holders.

Enough about that. The important thing is that I am here now, updating, so that must mean something. It means that I have been motivated the past few days because of two things…

The first being that the New Hampshire Etsy team is mentioned in the current issue of The Hippo, a local arts and entertainment newspaper. It is a very long article and it gives a lot of information on Etsy and the crafters in NH that use it to sell their creations. It names quite a few of us in the group and also gives links to either our Etsy shops, blogs or websites. I think it will bring a lot more buyers to our shops and will help to get our names out there in our communities so we can build a bigger “fan base”. That’s what I’m hoping anyway. You can either pick up an issue (most supermarkets have them) or just visit the website @ www.hippopress.com and read the article there.

If any of you are reading this right now because you saw my name in the article, I want to thank you for taking the time to check out my shop and blog and I hope that you like what you see and won’t hesitate to send me a message to just say Hi or to request your own custom order of anything you see in my shop.

The second thing that’s provided much needed motivation for me is that I am going to try to sell my crafts at a small, free craft show @ Presidential Oaks Retirement Home on September 19th. I went to this show last year, so I know it is small and will be a good test run for me to get some craft show experience. Plus, it’s free, they provide the table and it’s within walking distance of my apartment. Today I spent close to three hours cutting fabric for more pot holders and cat toys. I nearly sold out of both at my yard sale last month. Tomorrow I will do the ironing (my least favorite part of quilting) and sewing. I should have at least thirty pot holders prepared for the craft show, unless I buy more batting, since I used all that I had today. I will also have all the stuff that is in my shop, that doesn’t sell by the 19th, to take with me, which is a bunch of stuffed animals and eleven quilts (I think).

Hopefully nothing happens to me health wise to prevent me from participating in this craft show. *knock on wood* In May I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia the week of the first craft show I was planning to sell at. *knock on wood again*

I think that is all for now. If you see anything in my shop, buy it before the 19th or else it might sell at the craft show and then you’ll have to wait until I make more!

More another day.

Love Jessica Always

I love fabric so much, so most of the time I have a hard time deciding what to do with it, because I don’t want to waste it by having the finished project turn out ugly or looking like crap.

I’m contemplating whether or not to do a craft show next month. I have to call the lady tomorrow to see about it.

So, that’s what I’m up to now.

More another day.

Love Jessica Always.