Well, I finished my first official big-time craft fair this last Saturday. I was excited and nervous to find out I was accepted into Patchwork show, and both those feelings continued until the day of the event. During those weeks, I finished hundreds of stitched envelope and note card sets, thirty-something zipper pouches, 48 weaving kits (my newest kit addition), scrap fabric earrings and necklaces, bunny ear teething rings, and other projects. I lost track of the number of hours I spent making things. Add to that the work of buying, preparing, setting up, taking down, and putting away everything for the show and you end up with a lot of hours.
Despite all my efforts, I didn't really sell much. I sold several of my Maker Kits for Kids, particularly the Stitch Kit and Stamp Kit. I also sold a few stitched envelopes and a zipper charm. All told, it was about $600 in sales. After subtracting the cost of goods sold and the cost of renting space and buying displays, I don't think it was worth it. I got lots of compliments on how pretty everything is, how unique the kits are, and how talented I am, which was nice. But I'm starting to doubt myself and my ability to earn any real money selling at events like this. The only thing that might make it pay off is connections that lead to future sales in my Etsy shop or teaching gigs. While I wait for my last two events of the season, I'll try to work on a few leads and see what I can make happen.