Fiber Fest in Fargo
What a wonderful weekend I had. Friday I headed up to Fargo for the Fiber Arts Festival. It was so hot and humid setting things up. Like 97 F and high humidity. We were in a huge metal building with AC but all the doors were open to allow people easy access to haul in their wares and booth set ups so it was HOT in there.
For the first time this year I was doing an event solo. I admit I was nervous about it. But with kind neighbors I can usually manage slipping out of my booth during quieter times when I need to. I have a cart that I use to haul things from my car into the building which makes things much easier.
At this show, I was provided one table so I only needed to bring one of my own. I came with 3 huge bags of fiber and yarn, 1 tote of samples, 3 mannequins, 3 glass heads, baskets, and other display items.
I get the tables positioned how I like it, usually in a L type format, which leaves one side open for me to sit and spin while the front is open so multiple people can walk in and see my yarns and fiber. I then start with tablecloths, next a lot of the samples are pulled out of the tote and layered on top of the tables. I start putting fiber usually on one table and yarn on the other to make it easier for shoppers. But this time I had kits and fiber on one table while the rest of the yarn is on its own table.
This table had the kits and fiber on it. I had kits for Aeria which is the shawl using short rows to make leaves, the Crazed Scandinavian Cowl, the Rams and Yowes blanket and Evenstar shawl.
I use wire baskets mainly to display my yarns. They make it simple for people to touch and feel everything. It is fun to keep switching out and rearranging as the day goes by, making sure the yarn is front and center!
It takes me a couple hours from start to finish to get things how I like it. Then I go to the hotel and collapse! When I arrive for the morning of the first day, I usually take a hard look at everything again and then often rearrange things one more time! Every spot is different, what worked last time, may not this time. It is a true puzzle sometimes getting everything just right. I still get nervous at every show. Hoping I have what people are looking for, or what they didn't yet know they were looking for. smile. And I stay nervous until I make my first sale! Then my insides calm down.
The event was so much fun. The weather changed dramatically over night from setup to the morning of the event, we went from 97 degrees to 67! I wore my Nightshift shawl both days as I was actually cold! (Nightshift is the shawl in the last picture) Nightshift is my shawl of many colors.
After two long days of wonderful conversations with new and old friends, it is time to do it all over again, but in reverse. I admit packing up is MUCH faster than setting up. With a partner, I can be packed up and in the car heading home in about 20 minutes. On my own it took about 45 minutes, but I was heading out before 5 and got home around 8:30. Tired but a good tired. Until next year Fargo!
And next up is NCFF in Watertown, South Dakota, September 17th and 18th and then DFW in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas! I will be there September 23-25th. Oh man I can't wait!