Knowing your own worth.

I am working on a piece today that I hope to be able to sell as a Fine Art piece and the difficulty that is haunting me is how do I price something like that. I have clocked up 13 hours on it already. If I was scrubbing floors or filing papers for a living the minimum that I could expect to get in this country for that time is £80.34. I am only 1/2 way through this project at the best estimate, so I'd be looking at £160 just on the creation, that doesn't even take into account cost of materials or and fee that a seller might require. The best I could look at for commission is 25%, most places charge a lot more. So when I release a piece with a price tag of £250+ what will people's reaction be? I guess most people will laugh, but then, wouldn't you want to be paid for your time? Where are the people who paid a fortune for a spirograph picture by Damien Hirst? Embroidery doesn't hit the same market that paintings do. I remember watching the play 'Art' by Yasmina Reza (and thoroughly enjoying it) where friends fall out when one of them purchases a white painting for a silly sum of money. This always comes to mind when I think about selling my work. I wish that I could sell my work for a sum that would pay me minimum wage. When you look at art do you see the time and skill that goes into a piece or just look for the gimmick? (OK now I'm singing a chorus from Gypsy) When I release this piece I will charge what it is worth in time and costs, I won't be able to put any value on for art or skill though. Who knows if I'll be able to sell it? Probably I won't, maybe I'll just end up with a house full of beautiful pieces but still no income. Maybe I'll find an art patron who loves my work because it isn't 'off the wall' and zany. Maybe it's all just dreaming.

Bespoke Art

I have been wanting for a long time to work on some 'fine art' embroidery pieces. Something larger scale and working with different styles and fabrics. I have decided to offer a High End bespoke design service to create beautiful individual works of embroidered art. I would work with the customer to create something personal to them, maybe to celebrate a wedding or a birth or just to be a piece of featured artwork to compliment their decor. Prices would depend on the types of embroidery involved and would be calculated to cover the amount of hours involved in sewing it and the costs of materials/frames etc. If you would be interested in this then please email me to discuss it.

New Ring Pillow design

Just finished my latest sample Ring Pillow. I've gone for a simple, sophisticated look with this one. A lacy edged Hardanger band with a feature centre. There's a lot of sparkle from crystals and beads and the names and date make it truly personal. This would be lovely if created using an offcut of fabric from the wedding dress or bridesmaids dresses if you are getting those handmade. This pillow costs £204 (£34 for the basic pillow and £170 for the Hardanger band) additional features such as the goldwork shown in pillow 1 could be added if you wanted(see the website www.indiagrace.co.uk for details and prices) Loads more ideas coming soon!

New bespoke range launched, Ring Pillows for that ultimate, personal wedding souvenir.

I am very pleased to be able to introduce my new line - bespoke, hand embroidered wedding ring pillows. A perfect souvenir of the big day for the couple who have a larger budget. Designed individually and made to order, especially for you. All the information about them is on my website http://www.indiagrace.co.uk/India%20Grace%20Designs%20-%20Ring%20Pillows.htm I offer a personalised design service, these three designs are just the first few ideas and you can mix and match to get the perfect design for you. If you have any friends that you think may be interested please share this.