Heathfield Show 2024

Big sales events have to be a family affair, I definitely couldn't do them on my own! From lugging around the really heavy stuff, to having an extra pair of hands to hold the poles, and at least two cars to transport the stand, the decorations and the goods in. 

This year I participated in the Heathfield Show for the second time with a stand in the Arts and Crafts marquee and it seemed to go even smoother than last year thanks to the routine we remembered from last time. 

My Dad has always been an excellent supporter of the bigger shows and is usually the one moving around the framework for me as they have a longer car than us and we know it all fits in. In an ideal world, I would have access to a van (preferably with my logo on the side because that would be super cool) but it seems a bit unlikely to happen at the minute as we have nowhere to keep a van, never mind not being able to afford one just for the odd occasion, I would need to be doing lots of shows to make the purchase of one worthwhile. Let's just hope that my parents don't downsize their current car!

We had it all figured out this time around and loaded up our smaller car with my stock and most of the hooped originals plus some framed pieces, then into Dad's car (or The Mother's, technically) went the frame, table, gridwall, shelves, display stands, A-frame... 

Last year I had ended up with a corner space with two sides open to the public, which was lovely and unexpected (usually you have to pay extra for those spots) but meant that Dad had to rush back to my studio to grab even more bits to make up an extra side - this year I checked first but I only had one front so it was ok. You just have to plan your space differently depending on your visible sides. 

The frame goes up really quickly, and I definitely have to thank a couple who sold candles and diffusers way back in 2018 who I was placed next to at the Kent County Show. At the time I had just got two stand-alone grid walls which went on their own legs and could be linked together, but they had a whole market stand frame, custom built for their requirements which just popped up, had curtains hung around it and shelves popped on, and then came down again really quickly! I spent the weekend chatting with them and learning about the frames, then took the plunge and bought one for myself and it has been one of the best business display investments! Not only does it go up really easily, but it is fairly sturdy and means that you can level out your stand better on uneven field grounds, you can hang things off of it and buy additional attachments for shelves or tables, plus with the curtains on three sides, you can just clip a tarpaulin across the front and top at night time or whenever you want to 'lock up' for additional security. 

Once we had the majority of the stand up, Reece arrived with our smallest 'helper' - who was actually no help at all, especially as he arrived fast asleep - and the boxes of kits and stock. We set up on the day before and I like to play around on that day with the presentation of the stand, checking how it looks and making sure I know where everything is going to go although, once it's all finished, I take photos of how it looks and then lie down or remove the items from the shelves in case the stand gets knocked. 

We have been the first ones to arrive for the past two years and last year I never met the person next to me until the day of the show. I've always found it easiest to get in, set up as early as possible, and then go again because you have more space to park and unload, you can leave boxes in the middle of other areas and, if anything happens, you have the afternoon to fix it. 

The little grumpy-pants sitting in the red chair had woken up hangry so Reece dealt with entertaining and feeding him whilst I got on with setting out all of my hoops and the Stitchscape Shop. This was the first proper event that I had the Stitchscape Shop (which is what I call the items that I buy in to sell as they are - sewing tools like threaders, needles, hoops and scissors, fabrics, felts and beads etc) and I was really pleased with how it all looked alongside the hoops, kits and handmade items. 

So, these are my set up photos for roughly how I wanted it to look. Cards and prints got added in later on, and I had the battery powered lights charging at home to be taken the following day. The only real to-do I needed to do that afternoon was to print off price labels for all of the original frames as some of them didn't have one. 

Once that was all done, it was a case of tidying up the boxes and making it all fit under that table. We actually ended up with loads of room because we were right at the edge with an empty corner between us and the person on the right hand side in this image. It worked out really well as we could store more boxes just outside our space, plus set up a little area for Baby F to sit in, and there was a gap in the marquee wall we could sneak in and out of too. 

Anything that wasn't needed was put back in the car ready for take down the following evening, and then all of the frames were laid down and everything covered with sheets and bubble wrap to protect it from any drips. 

Each of the curtain walls is actually two curtains and I always safety pin them together so that someone can't come along and open them in my absence (not that I'm expecting anyone to, you just never know and it's a real trust thing to leave all of your work and stock alone in a field full of strangers....anything could happen!

Then the front has a tarpaulin grippered on to it and we are good to go! 

It's always really exciting to leave the tent mostly empty and think about what it would look like the following morning, full of the most amazing arts and crafts. We left about half 12 I think in the end and there were only about five people setting up in there - it was a total transformation the following day!

Sadly I didn't get any photos of the transformed tent, it was straight to work fixing those labels and the lights, putting out prints and cards, up-righting the frames and just general tweaking. Reece was in the back feeding Baby F cereal and then went on a mission to find us breakfast (the most enormous hot dogs with bacon you've ever seen!).

This is when I really appreciate the set up work I did the day before. The lady on our right (if you are standing looking back at the stand - or on our left if you are inside the stand) was a jeweller and when we got there all she had put up the day before was her felt board stand, but no stock, signage, display pots or prices or anything and she was getting herself in a right pickle! She didn't seem to have planned where things were going so was exclaiming at how stressed she was whilst still putting out stock when the show had opened and people were walking round, but equally wouldn't accept help so there wasn't a lot we could do. Interestingly, at lunchtime, she also hid behind her stand on the grass floor and had a nap! Quite a character. 

Ah, my gorgeous Mr DT. He really is an absolute gem, manning my stand for me if I need a comfort break or a wander, going out to fetch coffee, snacks and food, and taking charge of Baby F for most of the day. 

Our little pickle was mostly very well behaved, although he did get bored in the afternoon. We always take as many different activities as we can for him; car toys, books, water paints, duplo, Youtube(!)... but he just always wanted to be out and about walking around (which Reece, my parents and I took in turns) and refused a nap which we'd been counting on - although he eventually just kind of ran out of battery and nodded off on Reece's nap. Last year he'd still been in the buggy so we could jostle him to sleep but he wasn't having it this time at all. Not now he's a strong, independent toddler.

It was a really nice show, not quite as lucrative as last year, but it was lovely seeing customers from last year come back and visit and chat! Plus you never quite know what will eventually come of these events as so many people take cards that you may get comeback from later on in the year. Last year I definitely got lots more workshops from it as people took cards and photos back to their stitching or WI groups and I got contacted afterwards to give talks and stitching sessions. It's about being seen as much as it is selling your wares. 

Thank you to everyone who came and said hello or made a purchase. And to my wonderful OH, sassy toddler and parents for all of their help.