Miniature quilt auction - What sells?

Just answering in a very general manner, Susan. Who is your 'market' ? Is it quilters who admire and would love to have a miniature of their very own? Is it doting grandmas who would pay anything for a quilt for their grand darling's doll bed? Is it someone decorating a foyer or a ballroom at the winter palace? I'm not hoping to give you an answer; just thought maybe I could trigger your thinking. Polly

Not from experience, but just an idea:

I have been making miniatures for years (not so many now) and I always home in on miniatures at shows etc. For 'appeal' (and so purchase?) I think the actual dolls house size might go down really well (scale 1:12

- over here that is the scale). . In message , Susan Laity Price writes

Thanks. And it is all of the above. We even have a few palaces in this area. We call them Mc Mansions, 6000 square foot houses built during the crazy housing days which they can't sell or even give away today. There are a few houses in our town with property taxes of $35,000 a year! Fortunately we have many more nice houses than Mc Mansions because I think the Mc Mansion people don't have money to spend at the auction. Thanks for your triggers.

Susan

Yes, most of our doll houses are 1:12. Years ago I had a beautiful dollhouse and enjoyed making miniatures, especially needlework on 32 count silk gauze. Once the rotary cutter was introduced and quilting became faster and easier I dropped all other hobbies in favor of quilting. Twenty years ago I donated my dollhouse to a charity auction to make way for a computer desk but have kept my most treasured miniatures in a room box. Recently I noticed the room box was looking a little bedraggled due to age and am in the process of refreshing it. Maybe this will spark a new interest in doll houses. Should I have the

1:12 quilt on a bed or just note that it would fit a bed?

Susan

The guild I used to belong to had a small quilt raffle every show [the shows were every other year]. A guild member's dad built little table top quilt stands, that fit a maximum 14" x 14" piece. Then many of us made quilt-lets for them; the stands were part of the win! I did a pineapple quiltlet in kokopelli and southwest fabrics [2.5" finished blocks]. There was a variety of techniques used for the quiltlets.

G> Like many quilt guilds we always have a miniature quilt auction as

If you had even one bed it would look marvellous. The others could be folded or draped on a sofa (can you get the furniture easily?). I do love these tinies. My first one is a wonderful teaching tool! I made every mistake one could make with a log cabin miniature. My 1/8th" binding is a sight to be seen - not >gYes, most of our doll houses are 1:12. Years ago I had a beautiful

What dimensions would a tiny quilt have? I just made one that finished

4" square for a friend's doll house and h>If you had even one bed it would look marvellous. The others could be

Susan I know it depends on the area you are in, and such. At the last show here in the Phoenix area, the quickest selling small quilts were sets of placemats and table runners. At the quilt/craft/sew expo this weekend the biggest request for books was one for bed runners. (which we didn't have....) It all depends on who is there and who is buying. We find that most everything sells, eventually.

Pati, in Phx

I would love for someone to make little stands to hold the quilts. Many viewers comment on how lovely the miniature quilts are but then ask what would they do with them. This is one reason the auction chairman encourages other types of quilted items. The highest price last show was paid for a purse. I personally don't like making other types of things so for now am sticking with the flat quilts. I might talk with my local shop owner to see if she would give the guild her wholesale price on a few wire stands.

Susan

Since ours is a silent auction we know that many items will sell for way below the cost of making the item let alone the true value. Some items don't receive any bids so I go along the line starting them at $5 or $10 just to get them going. I always "win" a few at the end of the day which I donated to the nursing home. I've not gotten into the bed runner idea but will propose that as an idea for others to make. We should probably have a picture showing how they are used on a bed. Table runners usually do well. Since I am first finishing my mini UFO's they will be little quilts.

Thanks. Susan

Let's create a bed with the least bit of effort and time possible - a tiny, sort of like those used at bed linens shops. Begin with a box the right size. You may have to eat Cheerios for a week to justify the cost but there's probably a size on the cereal aisle that will be just right. Cover it with something. Use the glue gun. Glue a ruffle around the edge for a pretend dust ruffle. Eyelet lace or pleated ribbon depending on the quilt's style. Fold some batting scraps for pretend pillows. Now. All you need is a headboard. I haven't stretched my imagination far enough for that. Anyone? Polly

It made me smile too, Susan. Who would have ever dreamed that Roberta and I, no tellin' how many miles apart, could make a bed? A word of caution - some glue + styrofoam are not a good match. I remember making a Christmas wreath and my liquid glue melted the foam; a pricey and painful disaster. It seems like a cool glue gun was a winner. Polly

"Susan Laity Price" <

What do the stands look like? By any chance would you have a link to a pattern? ........ Some of the challenges my guild has done were kept small (to encourage participation) and the final results would look good on a stand. And I'm keeping the idea of a "miniature" challenge in the back of my mind for another year. :) Thanks, Allison (a program director who needs inspiration)

There were made by a member's dad. Many years ago Quilter's Newsletter also had an article about ways to display quilts. One thing I have seen is to use to clear acrylic photo/document holders that have a little slant to them, make your piece about that size and sew a "cap" on the back so it just slips over the top and is secured. I have a 8.5" x 11" to try that out in the near future.

The ones I have are made like this: 18" x 3.5" x 1" piece of pine is routered with a simple step, or use a pretty piece of wood molding. 2 dowels placed one at each end, 2" from end. Dowels are 1/2" diameter x

15.5 " and sunk with glue into a drilled hold in the base. You could also screw them in from bottom of base. Each vertical dowel has a round knob finial on top, and an approx 3/8" hole drilled 1.5" from top of dowel, horizontally to allow a dowel crossbar to be strung through. The hanging dowel can have little knobby finials also, but make sure one end will come off so you can thread it through dowels. Paint or stain as desired. I am trying to get one of my co-workers to start making some of these. My not-so-LQS would love to get some to sell! People happily paid $15-20 per stand. Based on what I just described, this will accomodate a little 14" w x 12" high quilty piece/

HTH G> What do the stands look like? By any chance would you have a link to a