patchwork show Long Beach spring 2013
Where does the time go…
It really does seem like yesterday when Nicole & I were sitting in the backyard drinking cheap vino and talking about producing a craft fair done right in OC. Back then, in the Summer of 2007, we didn’t even have a name for the event- it took us a few weeks to decide on the name Patchwork Show (with a ton of scrapped pages of brainstorming clusters). We really had no idea what was in store- let alone we would still be doing this 6 years later.
*Nicole made the card, those are my hands sewing and the orange on the upper corner is a felt orange Nicole cut out and Photoshopped drops on- OG (original gangsta)!
Back then, it was a whole bunch of “what the hell are we doing” mixed with “i hope we can pull this off!”…we were scared and so nervous! The day before the first event, we measured the parking lot with 2-25ft measuring tapes like surgeons operating the most complex of operations. In addition to getting the lot/area ready, i still had to prep my shop, so i spent that entire night cleaning and doing displays…by morning i was like a zombie heading into a final exam.
But the show was a success (in fact, it was more than that) and with it voices from the crowds saying, “so when’s the next one?”. My favorite was always, “so you do this every month/week?” … and with that, Nicole & I began looking at each other and wondering what is next???
I don’t know if it is because Patchwork is almost 6 years old or that the shows were really busy this season but as i walked though the aisles i met a number of people remarking about how they remembered how it started- many of them were so happy to state that they were at the first one with 28 vendors in a corner parking lot off the 5-fwy.
Ironically, while preparing staff duties, i happened upon the very first map (above)- so amazing how far all of us have come!
Below are some images of the Long Beach event- it was a fantastic show! if you’d like to see even more images from the show click here to go to our gallery.
-delilah snell
delilah! oh my gosh! i can’t believe THAT map! remember how crazy stressed we were before that first show and there were only 28 vendors! also nice to see how far my graphic design skills have come since then 🙂
love these pictures! Long Beach was PACKED!
Awesome memories! I missed the first one, but the rest have been awesome to do. Keep it up girls!
thanks yolanda! glad to have you as a long time vendor with us 🙂
hi Yoli!
miss you! hope to see you soon! XXOO
thanks for the awesome thing you have created, for all your hard work, and for letting me be a part of it! so blessed by you gals 🙂
cheers,
veronica
thanks Veronica- looking forward to more events!
Wow Delilah and Nicole…what an amazing event you guys pulled off! Wish I was still in SoCal to check out the amazing talent! x
thanks toni! you’ll have to schedule your so cal vacation around patchwork— ha ha!
What advice would you give to someone who would like to sart a craft fair in their city? You guys have done such a great job with the festivals in each city you do. Did you find it difficult to get your first space, how did vendors react to your idea in the beginning? How did the city treat you regarding permits and insurance? overall what would change if you could do it again and what have you learned in this long process? Thanks for any advice you can give and a BIG congrats on your success. lisa
hi lisa, first off congrats to you for wanting to start a craft fair in your city! as far as getting our first space-delilah had a brick and mortar shop and we did our first fair in the parking lot of her shop. i think the best advice i can give you is too look at the resources you already have and start small. for spots, maybe you have a big backyard or driveway, or you know someone who has a shop with a parking lot, community centers are another good place to start. vendors were a little hesitant to join our first show since it was in orange county and most of the vendors were coming from la, but we made our booth fees inexpensive so they weren’t risking that much. as far as permits-that varies a lot between cities. i suggest going down to your city hall, heading to the permit dept and letting them know your idea. ask them about all the things they would require and how much they cost. if you do it in a house or residential yard-you can probably do it under the radar and see how the first one goes before you go full force. as far as things i would change—nothing. we took it slow and started small. best of luck! -nicole