We know this is a blog for quilt retailers, but this week instead of providing inspiration or business ideas we’re going back to the basics.
Reflect
Think back to the first quilt you ever made. Who helped you make that first quilt? Do you remember why you wanted to try quilting? Do you remember the feeling you had after your first quilt was done? Hopefully that same feeling returns every time you clip the last strings off a completed quilt.
There’s something about working with your hands and the process of turning nothing into something. It may be therapeutic for you, or exciting, or even nostalgic. There’s probably a few other people you know who share in your love for quilting as well.
Surround
Think of the fellow quilters in your circle. How did they start quilting? What do they like about it?
Across the country, quilters just like you gather in community spaces every month to make quilts. On the surface, these quilters share the same skills, but on a deeper level they share something much different. Likely, it has something to do with community mindedness, and the bond that creating art with a group can bring.
Act
Have you thought of ways you can create that sense of togetherness in your retail space? How can you create a space that encourages story telling, learning, experimenting, and all the other adjectives that end with -ing that quilting produces?
Every quilt has a story. Making a quilt is a part of that story too, and by getting at the heart of why you love quilting, and why your community loves quilting as well, you can spread the community of quilting farther than you ever imagined.
If you’re looking for more information to guide you in owning a retail business, subscribe to American Quilt Retailer today. Already a subscriber? No worries—join our Facebook group for insights and dialogue from industry specialists like you.
