Ready, Set, "Kitting" Ready to Go!

You know how you have those days that you wake up , you blink and before you know it its time to go to bed and it seems like you've accomplished nothing?  That seems to be a common occurrence these days...EXCEPT...from the boxes (and I mean BOXES) piling up in my storage area I know I've accomplished something.  Kit making!

As quilters we all seem to love kits.  You can usually see the finished sample before you give it a try yourself and you save LOTS of time by not having to pick out all the fabric and supplies yourself.  I love to buy kits (and sometimes I actually make them...other times I leave them to "age").  As a kit maker, I can appreciate the amount of work that goes into putting them together.  Some folks charge a kit fee to compensate for the time it takes to put them together.  Here at Pieceful Designs we don't...what you pay is what you'd pay if you were to go out and purchase the materials on your own.  And...sometimes I get a good deal on something and I pass it along to you so the kit price is is actually less than what you could purchase materials for.
Putting together kits, although time consuming, is fun.  The kit actually starts with making a pattern sample and tweaking fabrics and colors.  That means a trip to the "Candy Store" ie: fabric wholesaler, or hours searching on the computer to find the perfect fabrics.  I have wonderful luck choosing just the right fabric only to find out that it has just been discontinued...which brings up a whole new topic to be discussed in another blog!  If the kit requires notions I like to include those so that quilters who don't have access to fabric or quilt shops have everything they need right in one package.  That means more searching for goods.  Once everything is set and purchased the cutting begins!  I usually cut all the kits myself although I have enlisted help these days.  Deciding what fabric goes where in the kit packet takes a little time but once I determine a pattern we're off and running.  I have several people that help me put together and package the kits...otherwise I'd have yards of fabric draped all over everywhere for weeks.  After everything is in packages they get labelled and boxed.  It's actually quite a process.  This week my helper and I made MANY kits...some of which took 1/2 hr each to make.

You may ask, why don't I build a kit charge into the price?  Well, many people will come into my booth and ask if I have a show special or a discount if they buy multiple patterns.  By not charging a kit fee I feel like I'm passing along a "special" to all of you, provide you with a product that is complete and affordable.

So, now you have the inside scoop on kits...and on the Home Page of Pieceful Designs I said there may be an incentive for reading the Blog...check out the "Where I'll Be" area of the website, come to one of our upcoming shows, visit us at our booth and with your purchase if you mention that you read the "Kit Blog" you get a free fat quarter on me!
Off to more kitting.......