Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Garage Sale for Quilters

The last few days have been packed with activities - line dancing, teaching quilting, a Central Florida MQG executive committee meeting and general meeting, more line dancing, and a social media presentation given to Big Cypress Quilter... so much that I haven't had a moment to post about the quilter's garage sale I was part of last Saturday. 

The Garage Sale is an annual event hosted by Quilting Guild of The Villages. Only unfinished quilting and sewing related items such as fabric, patterns, books, kits, notions and the like, may be sold. The four hour sale was at a regional rec center where each of the 19 chapters of Quilting Guild of The Villages was permitted three tables. So, for a bargain price of $5, I got a table.

Initially, I thought I'd share a table with someone. Ha! After a couple evenings spent digging through the closet, shelves and containers in my sewing room, I realized I had more than one table's worth! It took hours to price everything. Batik, normally $12 a yard, began at $6 a yard; quilting cottons, normally $10 a yard, began at $5 a yard. I say "began" because most often each piece wasn't entirely intact, so I measured and priced only the complete parts. Any fabric beyond that was included at no extra charge. Even a $1 fat quarter was sometimes more than 18" X 21".

I put every batik I own into the sale. I just don't like them anymore. Pretty much any fabric that I haven't touch in the three and a half years I've lived in The Villages, is what went into bins and boxes to take to the garage sale.

This is my table full - and more! I brought along a portable table and set it at the end of the provided table!

Let me tell you... those batiks were a hot ticket! Only three small pieces and six fat quarters (dark colors) remained at the end of the sale.

The room got pretty crazy.

And at one point, my own table was several people deep. 

Sadly, among those visitors was at least one thief. I had only six patterns to sell (all marked half price), and one of them was the "Tuffet" pattern. I had decided that if it didn't sell, I would offer it here as a blog giveaway. Well, I waited on every customer and I'm sure it wasn't sold, nor was it among what was left at the end of the sale. Someone liked the pattern enough to just take it.

Still, I was thrilled with outcome of all this. Remember? My 2016 word of the year is "lighten." I'm accomplishing my goal, returning home with less than half of what I'd taken along. If I can find a place to store the large bin of fabric that remains, I might just do this again next year. Linda

9 comments:

  1. Yay for you, I know it's very freeing to let it go!!

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  2. I'd be buying the half price batiks too! Isn't it funny how our tastes change over time?
    And what a shame that one of the visitors decided to pop your pattern in their bag and walk away with it.

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  3. Oh I wish I had this kind of opportunity. And I do think the few batiks I have would be right up in front too. My tastes have also changed! I have dozens of patterns I would sell...when I started we lived in a very country house and my style reflected that, the entire house was wood, ceilings, walls, floors...etc. I have kept a few of those early quilts but the fabric and patterns will stay unused in now. Hope your doing well, this looked like fun and you are always busy!

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  4. What a great opportunity to de-stash and make some money! What is one (wo)man's trash is another's treasure! I'm with you- batiks have never had much appeal! I did win some once in a giveaway but have hardly been touched...

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  5. I do this every year at our local quilt show where I have a stall. As you well know you'd be surprised what quilters will buy!
    It keeps my stash turning over nicely. Not to mention the income to buy new fabric!

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  6. Linda, this is sure a great idea! When I once are ready to part from some of my quilting supplies, I'll see if I can also arrage a Garage sale, but then at my house?? ;-)

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  7. Oh my, you parted with a lot of items! Glad you sold so much. If you're like me, once I've decided it needs to go I really don't want to come back home with it. And you fed that understanding (that I have anyway) of "other people's fabrics are so much more interesting than mine." Bargains galore. Honestly, the whole concept of taking things is upsetting among quilters. I'm always surprised when it happens because I think of quilters as above that. We were in a quilt shop yesterday where you had to go get a restroom key from a clerk because the sign on the door began with "Due to excessive shoplifting..." So disappointing. But I digress... you sure did a lot of work to prepare for this. And the pics tell what a success it all was.

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  8. Good for you to clean up and clear out! I have a box that I plan to take to a store in Denver that buys quilting fabric for resale. Just haven't made the trip yet.

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  9. So sad that people will steal - but maybe someone just picked it up by mistake. I've ever hopeful. :) Even in the Christian book store here they have theft. And isn't that ridiculous! We have a little gift shop at the mission and when someone asks if I need ID for the checks I just say, no because God knows who you are. :) blessings, marlene

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