This past week, I have been on a mission to find some small projects that our guild area group can make for our shop at the show next year. Knowing it will take some time to find the right ideas, I’ve been looking for quick projects with pizzazz. Thank you, dear readers, for your input on this subject some days ago. Your comments were immensely helpful, and combined with my research, I am looking for specific things in a project. I think that items with embroidery will do well, as many sewists do not embroider by machine. So something cute may catch their eye. I pulled out a sewing theme print, and chose some thread colors to match.
I have a cute saying to embroider – Sewing Coffee Chocolate That’s All I Need. I loaded it into the embroidery machine, and started the stitch out.
It stitched beautifully. Next is to cut the jump threads and clean it up.
I used water soluble stabilizer, so it was washed away, and the piece was pressed. Because I already have the little tray design using 10-inch squares, I cut the embroidery piece to 10-inches square.
A 10-inch square of the sewing print was cut and placed right sides together with a layer of batting on the bottom. I sewed with a quarter inch foot around the edge, leaving an opening for turning.
Clip the corners, turn right side out pushing the corners to nice points. Press, taking care to press the seam allowance into the opening with a straight edge. Topstitch around the edge.
I liked the 2-1/2-inch sides on the last one, so I marked that line and sewed all four corners.
Well, crap on a cracker, I did it again. I put the folded edge at the top instead of the sewn edge. This results in an angled seam and an opening too small.
Doing a little frogging. If you don’t know that term, it is when you rippit, rippit.
When I re-marked it, I did it at 2-inches so the sides would be a bit shorter and the embroidery would show better. I didn’t get the embroidery exactly centered this time. I’ll have to try harder next time. I folded the corners towards the middle on the top and bottom, and pinned them.
I wanted to add buttons to this one, and set up my machine to do a button stitch. I added coffee color buttons to each folded corner.
Time to finish, about 90 minutes, including the 25 minutes it took for the embroidery.
So my question today, how much would you pay for a little tray like this that could hold spools of thread, notions next to your machine, or be a snippets catcher? Would you go $8 or $9?
From My Carolina Home 
It is very cute and definitely the things that I enjoy! I like to have little baskets on my sewing table, plus I do not embroider. I probably would go $10-$12 (probably depends on how much money I have in my pocket).
Thank you!! That helps! I was hoping to go to $10, but I am always scared of pricing too high.
I DON’T THINK $9.00 is too much. To me, anything with embroidery on it cost more.
I like the saying and I think many quilters would too!
I think you will make sales at a $10 price point with no problem. Will the buyers pay more? Maybe you can test market at your next guild meeting to see what the likely price point should be.
I turned 3 small embroidered pieces into a 10 inch by 10 inch quilts at a retreat. The 3 were destined to be sold at a quilt show for $10 each. If these Wee Little Quilts as we call them, sell before the show, they are $20 each. I sold all 3 before the retreat was over at $20 each!
I think you’ll do well with your embroidered merchandise!
Awesome, thank you so much for your feedback!
Cute item for your show. I would pay $8 or $9 for it.
What brand of domestic quilting machine do you own and love? I’m in the market to buy a new one as my Viking is over 20 yrs. old. I’ve been quilting for over 40 years so want a machine that can do a lot. Thanks!
Every machine manufacturer has models at all levels. There isn’t a bad one that I know of. I have Brother and Janome machines because my local quilt shop carries those brands. In the past, I’ve also had Singer, Bernina, White and Pfaff. I liked them all. I would recommend that you buy from your local dealer, whatever brand they carry, in the model that fits your needs. You’ll get much more than a machine, you’ll get service, and classes, and support when you need it. Let them demo their machines, tell you about the features, and choose the best one for you.
Carole, I would certainly pay $9 for it, since I don’t have an embroidery machine. It is definately a very cute project. It would make a cute gift for a sewing friend, filled with a couple of spools of thread and a bag of chocolates.
Love the little snippets catcher! I think it could even go for $10 because us quilters love that kind of stuff! How about selling just the embroidered piece?
$8 seems good. I have never tried my button stitch, I’m going to make a tray today and give it a try
That’s a cute idea, Carole. Rick’s mom is seriously into embroidered things (for the most part, not my thing but she loves it and has all the equipment!) She makes some cute holiday ornaments using them. She’s not a quilter, though. Most of her stuff is sewn — tote bags (I didn’t like what she put on it but I can always use another totebag), along with hair towels and all the fabric stuff. I don’t know how much I’d pay for something like that, not being into the quilting thing (and I buy my quilts as placemats, runners and quilts, as you know!).
You are right — many of us don’t have machine embroidery and so, yes! I would buy that for myself & friends. I can’t tell exactly how big it is but it looks worth $10. Love the saying in it and I think it would appeal to a lot of us quilters. I also like the idea of maybe having one sample hold some sewing notions and another one with some candy. We can’t resist either! Lol
That is a cute item with lots of ideas for use. I agree $10, especially if it will benefit Quilters, would work!!
I made a little basket like that with fabric coasters in it for a birthday gift a few years ago. I didn’t like that huge point sticking out at the corners, so I pushed the point in towards the corner, then sewed a button there to hold it in (on each corner, of course). It turned out pretty cute. I like to use that rubbery, nubby stuff that you put on the feet of toddlers sleepers, on the back of fabric coasters to keep them from sliding around.
What an interesting idea! I might try that on one.
I think $8-9 is a perfect price for it although I think it could sell for $10 (where I live anyway). Anything under $10 though feels like a real bargain so one doesn’t have to think too long to decide to grab it.
That is my dilemma, pricing high enough to get a fair price while low enough so it seems like a good deal. It may be that $9 is the sweet spot. Since we only have two days to sell, I’d rather get a dollar less and sell all we can make. Thanks for your feedback!
Embroidery sells! I made a ‘basket’ like that with higher sides for my daughter to hold her cloth napkins on their dining table. Many uses out there for cloth trays & baskets.
Price it at $10…if they aren’t selling well then add a few small chocolates to go with the basket. It’s a way of lowering your price but not really. I personally would be paying more than $10.
I would think that those would go for at least $10, maybe $14.
I agree with the nice round figure of $10. I would definitely pay that especially with the pretty embroidery in the middle.