So here she is, in all her glory- my market booth from Spring 2015 International Quilt Market Minneapolis. I know many of you have wanted to see details and hear all about it's creation but I'm also writing this post so I can have the memory of it to look back on.
Many people asked me at market where my inspiration comes from. They also want to know if I think about my booth all the while creating the fabric collection and the answer is YES. Usually I know from early on what form my display with take.
Sodalicious was a little bit different in the fact that I knew i wanted to a soda shop feel but wasn't exactly sure how to carry it out. The main reason is that every idea I had didn't lend well to the fact that I was flying from UT to MN and was trying to stick to a small budget- meaning I didn't want a heafty shipping bill.
Not long after the planning began I got the boost of inspiration I needed in the form of an
These chairs were not easy to find. I searched high and low and was coming up empty. Of course I found chairs similar but they were super expensive. My other issue was that I wanted to paint them aqua and thus needed to have them early enough to ship and they couldn't be heavy. I finally stumbled on the pair in a shop called
Home Again in Midvale, UT. The table was an easier find at
IKEA which I knew would be purchased in MN.
The other element I knew was a must would be the awning. Lucky for me Michael Miller Fabrics had the perfect stripe from their
BEKKO collection. The fabric part of the awning was made prior to market which I packed in my suitcase.
Of course a big part of my market booth are the patterns I design to show off the fabric. I'll write more about them in a later post.
I divided my booth into colorways and showed the "Diet" on the left and the "Regular" on the right. Along with the quilts I set up shelves (IKEA) to display items relating to a soda shop including striped paper straws, colored candy and gumballs and Soda bottles.
The soda bottles were wrapped in Sodalicious labels designed with the same print and flavors as the fabric. A few other elements completed the look including fat quarters, applique pillows, a little bit of greenery and my Sodalicious bottle cap signs. The signs were actually a clearance Hobby Lobby find that featured a St. Patrick's day motif. A little spray paint and some vinyl stickers and they were perfect.
Another element that I found which was one of my favorites is the marquee "S" (battery operated) which I found at
JoAnn's. (I only saw red in my store but apparently they come in white, black and metal as well)
My logo wall hanging quilt hung front and center. Originally I made a dresden plate but once I had the idea for the applique bottles in each print there was no stopping me. Due to popular demand at market I will be publishing it as a pattern.
A few other fun finds were the wood six pack holder that I painted red. It also had a bottle opener on the side which came in handy sunday afternoon when we needed a drink.
We also found the red gumball machine at Home Again and knew it had to come with.
And can you see that amazing bottle cap basket? Thanks to friends with a good eye we found that in an antique market in SLC. It was priced a bit higher than I would've liked but I knew if I left it behind I would've regretted it. So glad I got it.
Lastly you might see the cup of soda. Well that was my drink. It went along with the decor so well I kept it on the shelf instead of trying to hide it. :o)
All of the ideas and work really come second nature to me. I don't say that to boast, in fact I told many people it's a blessing and a curse. Sometimes I can't shut my brain off. Or I get an idea I'm so stuck on it's difficult to move on even when it seems impossible. However I am truly grateful for the talents I've been given and the avenue in which I have to develop and share them.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was awarded the ribbon for creativity at market. There are lots of amazing designers with crazy creative booths at market and I'm thrilled to be among them. But being singled out and honored with an award is awesome and makes all the hard work and craziness worth it.
Thanks Everyone!
