The Importance of Authenticity in Quilting and Crafting
- Tori McElwain
- Feb 12
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 3
In a digital world where AI-generated images flood platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, standing out as an authentic quilting or crafting business is crucial. Customers are increasingly wary of overly polished, computer-generated images. Many are losing interest in platforms saturated with them. You may have encountered a few seven-fingered hands, quilts blending with sewing machines, or pillows awkwardly placed in spotless kitchens with blurred edges.
As quilting instructors, pattern designers, and handmade business owners, we have a unique advantage: our process is deeply human. By showcasing our real work, we can build trust with our audience and educate them on why authenticity matters, especially regarding purchasing our designs and classes.
Customer Education: Why It Matters
AI-generated content presents a challenge in marketing and affects how customers perceive the value of real craftsmanship. Many quilters and crafters might not realize what they see online is AI-generated. They may unknowingly purchase AI-created patterns that lack proper testing, clear instructions, or the thoughtful design process authentic artists provide. Worst of all, they risk falling for a scam.
By actively educating customers about what sets authentic work apart, we empower them to make informed decisions. This builds trust in your brand and provides the tools to keep themselves safe, fostering community connections. Negative perceptions of quilt patterns online can hurt us all.
I found Julia Wachs's article on How to Spot AI-Generated Quilt Patterns enlightening. Sharing information like this with your audience is a great way to educate, giving credit appropriately.
How to Make Your Images Stand Out as Authentic
Given that platforms like Pinterest and Instagram are flooded with AI-generated images, it's essential to highlight the human aspects of your creative process. Here are some effective strategies to make your content visually stand out:
1. Show Your Process
Create collages showing the different stages of your quilt or craft project.
Share behind-the-scenes photos of your workspace, from fabric cutting to final stitching.
Post time-lapse videos capturing you piecing a quilt, sketching a design, or generating a new design on the computer.
2. Add a Simple Caption Like "Not AI"
A small text overlay on your images saying “Not AI” helps reinforce that your work is handmade.
3. Show Your Hands and Face
AI-generated images struggle to create realistic hands and faces. Including photos of yourself working on your craft signals authenticity to viewers.
4. Embrace Imperfections
Keep small, real-life details in the background, like fabric scraps, quilting tools, or a coffee cup.
Show your quilt before trimming or pressing to highlight the real-making process.
5. Change Up Your Backgrounds
AI-generated images tend to reuse similar artificial-looking backgrounds. Instead, capture your finished product in different environments:
Outdoors in natural light (quilts in nature are so fun!)
In your sewing room, whether messy or during a brief tidy-up—just don’t make it too perfect!
At a quilt guild meeting or workshop
Next to your sewing machine as you put in that last stitch
On your cutting table
Against a mural at the local ice cream shop
Experiment and have fun with it! Here’s a candid shot my husband caught of me—you might even spot a rainbow!
Demonstrating Legitimacy on Your Sales Pages
Authenticity isn't limited to social media; it's essential when customers visit your website or shop page. Many AI-generated and scam listings use odd pricing and lack real images of the making process. Here are ways to ensure your sales pages appear trustworthy:
1. Use Pricing That Makes Sense
AI and scammers often employ strange price points (like $7.01 or $4.56). Stick to standard pricing strategies such as:
$9.97 instead of $9.02.
Even pricing like $10, $25, or $49 for simplicity.
2. Include Process Photos
On your product or pattern listing pages, showcase:
In-progress photos
Multiple angles of the final piece
Close-ups of stitching, texture, or fabric choices
3. Show Your Workspace or Materials
Including a photo of your work table with fabric stacks or a video flipping through pattern instructions adds a human touch.
4. Share Customer Experiences
Share the work of pattern testers, students, or testimonials from real people using pictures they have taken.
Your landing or sales pages are excellent spaces to reuse images from your social media. Familiar images help build trust and authenticity with your audience.
Build a Connection Through Authenticity
As AI continues to shape the online landscape, real makers have a significant opportunity to stand out. Focusing on transparency, storytelling through demonstrating your process, and detailing the realities of quilting and crafting will help you forge stronger relationships with your audience. This is vital in a marketplace increasingly crowded with AI-generated content.
More important than the images we use is generating real connections. For more insight, see my blog post Navigating Social Media Changes in 2025: How to Stay Positive and Thrive.
Do you have strategies for making your quilting or craft images stand out as authentic? Share your ideas in the comments!
Take Your Marketing to the Next Level with Expert Coaching
Navigating the ever-changing digital landscape can feel overwhelming, especially with the rise of AI-generated content. However, you don’t have to navigate it alone!
The Digital Marketing Magic Coaching Program is tailored specifically for quilting and crafting entrepreneurs like you. It helps you craft a marketing strategy that stands out, builds trust, and turns your creativity into a thriving business.
As a member, you will receive:
Expert coaching tailored for quilt and craft businesses
Live group coaching sessions to provide clarity on your next steps
Social media strategy support to showcase your work online confidently
Quarterly business planning to set goals and stay on track
A community of like-minded creative business owners
With AI content making it harder for customers to distinguish between real and fake, having a strategic, human-centered marketing approach is crucial. Join the Digital Marketing Magic Coaching Program today and take the guesswork out of marketing to focus on what you do best: creating and teaching!
Ready to stand out and grow your business with expert support? Join the Digital Marketing Magic Coaching Program today!
Special thanks to Nancy from Patchwork Breeze for the insightful discussion during our Social Media Social that inspired this post!
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