2013 was a good year, all told.
Unlike 2012, 2013 had a great deal of momentum in all sorts of parts of my life, not just in Fibres Exotica! It’s still stuck in a couple of ways, but I’ve got plans in place to move these on also.
Technically, the change to the back end of this website (after the initial work to get it transferred) has made life way easier. No longer does the shop break when any form of update is applied and administration is so much faster. I’m also hoping that it’s made your shopping experience easier and more intuitive. If you can think of more improvements, please do let me know
In the real world, the first two shows of the year were wonderful in terms of meeting people but financially? Not so good.
The focus at Five Lakes was PaperCraft and Beading, not the type of show where my “higher end” yarns sell, so regretfully, I won’t be exhibiting at that company’s exhibitions again. The people that did come fondle, chat and buy from me were lovely though.
The Spring Knitting and Stitching show (previously “Stitch and Craft”) at the recently re-fitted Olympia didn’t quite work either. The new layout at Olympia confused people with people entering the front entrance not realising that there was another hall behind the one they were in and visa versa. Also, some of the aisles were very narrow, causing congestion that could have been avoided. We also found that the attendance was very weighted to people attending on the Saturday, which made some of the layout problems worse and caused problems for visitors and exhibitors alike! As of now, I’ve not signed up for a stand at the 2014 show, but if they offer me a good last minute deal on space, you never know!
Knitting and Stitching at Ally Pally worked very well all round however; the layout I used made the silks really sing out, the new labeling system worked well and so people could find what they wanted more easily. I actually made a little bit of profit, the first time in 4 shows, and the coffee trolley next to my stand this year was either a blessing or a curse, depending on whether you like coffee or not! 😉
So, looking forward…
I’ve got big plans for 2014. As previously mentioned, I really want to get back into the dyeing and also (finally!) broaden the fibre range I offer. I’ve about 12Kg of hand-dyed that I have to get photographed to upload.
I’ve also signed up for some smaller shows as well as the usual big ones.
- Waltham Abbey Wool show – 19/01/2014 10:00 – 16:00, Marriott Hotel, Waltham Abbey, EN9 3LX
- This is a brand new show, Diana at The Crochet Chain approached me at Ally Pally to come exhibit, she’s looking to create a small yet exclusive content show.
- Possibly maybe: Spring Knitting and Stitching – 13-16/03/2014, Olympia Central, Hammersmith Road, London, W14 8UX
- Notes as above
- ICHF Creative Stitches – Stand C03 – 3-5/04/2014 10:00 – 16:30 (Sat 17:00), ExCel, London, E16 1XL
- This is this show’s second year. I’m really hoping that we fit here, with a new show, you really can’t tell, but there seems to be a nice balance of stalls attending
- Awaiting confirmation: Warner Textile Archive – Textile fair – 11/05/2014 times to be advised, Warner Textile Archive, Silks Way, Braintree, CM7 3GB
- Kate from the Archive asked me to attend last year when she saw the stall at Five Lakes, but the show schedule clashed horribly with some unavoidable life. So, I’ve applied to attend this year and I’m just waiting to hear back.
- Knitting and Stitching- London – Stand TGA13 – 10-13/10/2013, 10:00 – 17:30 (Thurs until 19:00, Sun until 17:00), Alexandra Palace Way, Wood Green, London, N22 7AY
- Need I say more? 😉
You’ll notice that there is a big gap in the middle of the year, so I’d love to attend some smaller shows; anything offering a “table” within 1.5hrs drive from SE London considered. If you are having a local craft fair, get in touch!