I've had another breakthrough in my thinking, a good "aha!" moment.
I've been sewing steadily, making up lots and lots of new "fragments" for my upcoming show in February.
Part of what's held me back in getting down to work over the last few months is the sheer physical effort and time that goes into making a wall hanging. Many people think they are expensive the first time they see one--the smaller ones start at around $550 and go up--even though the time and attention to detail is evident to them. That's just not an impulse buy for most people seeing something so unusual for the first time, especially at a craft fair where they're not expecting to find a "big thing" for their home.
Things may be different at ACC-Baltimore, but I don't KNOW that yet.
I've experimented over the years with ways to get that initial price down--tiny fragments that were framed, tiny tiny fragments that had no hanging stick treatment, etc. But nothing really seemed to catch up. Many people suggested making vastly simpler compositions, but that never appealed to me. Part of the work's intrigue is the intense stitching, and part of what makes it interesting for me is all the little accents--the beading, the buttons, etc.
And it's been getting MORE intense--making my own buttons to get just the right sizes and colors, making more and more of the beads used for embellishments, etc.
Today it occurred to me that, though my long-term goal is make these so fabulous that no one blinks an eye at spending $5,000-$10,000 for one, those are going to be mind-bending to produce. And I still want to have F-U-N making these. I know it's a business as well as an avocation, but I still want to WANT to get up in the morning to make these!
I finally realized there are ways to simplify the construction that won't compromise on the quality, integrity and level of detail in the pieces. Things like--I don't have to make every button on the piece. And they don't have to be bound like a real quilt. People are getting used to frayed edges now, and seem more open to having the finishing be looser and more free-form. And people LOVE the little beaver-chewed sticks, so I must leave those in.
And although there's pressure nowadays to make big, big, big work for the new McMansion homes being built, there are still plenty of people who would pay a few hundred (rather than a few thousand) for a smaller, more intimate piece. For many, that will be what EXACTLY they want.
And for the other people who DO want the larger, even monumental pieces?
Well, they'll have a perfectly good idea of what I'm capable of from these smaller pieces. (And I still have a really big one left!)
Reducing the scale, going back to a mix of handmade and found objects, and simplifying the finishing has restored an element of fun that I so desperately need this winter, too.
And here's the clincher. Do you remember I said when synchronicity happens to me, that's when I know things are in the groove?
About a month ago, Connie Gray stopped by to drop off a surprise load of very small beaver-chewed sticks from a pond she lives near. She is my only source for these very small sticks, which are the perfect size for these smaller pieces.
I'd forgotten all about them til today.
Connie is a weaver/knitter/crafts teacher extraordinaire.
And she's the person who initially introduced me to--polymer clay!
Thanks for the sticks, Con.
