Catch up on all the latest news at The Crafty Quilter
And of course I have saved the best till last……….Patternista, the new collection designed by Paula Nadelstern for Benartex.
Paula’s latest collection features another of her wonderful full width panel prints
and super yummy co-ordinates
I’ve been busy playing with these fabrics so keep a look out for some new kits in the new year
Merry Christmas everyone!
Joanna x
Something a little different today; a subtle delicate collection from South Sea Imports called Serenade.
The collection features a floral panel that can be used as one piece or cut up within a quilt.
Together with some pretty co-ordinates.
Look out for part two of today’s uploads this evening……….
Today’s new fabrics are from the Kimono collection from Makower
Tomorrow’s fabrics are something a little different……….
Just a little collection today……………of cute little froggies from Makower.
The main print is a label print
with some equally cute frog co-ordinates.
Check back tomorrow for another new collection!
Just a small collection uploaded today and for the next couple of days.
Today’s collection is Sentiments from Makower featuring a cute centre panel which would make a great cot quilt together with some useful co-ordinates.
I have also uploaded a free pattern, my Centre Panel quilt design, that can be adapted to use this and many of the other full width panel prints that I sell.
Here’s the link to the page
Until tomorrow!
Joanna x
Well there will be come Christmas Eve!
I’ve been a bit remiss in uploading the newest fabrics in the last month or so and in this season of goodwill I ought to put that right. And so over the next five days there will be a new collection of fabrics uploaded to the website every day.
Today’s collection is the wonderful Patina Handpaints from Robert Kaufman.
Many of you may have seen the first few fabrics at the Festival of Quilts but a few more have arrived since then including the Autumn colourway above which has a fantastic electric blue with rust.
I love to make quick and simple quilts from fabrics and this is the quilt I have designed with just one of these fabrics.
Mitring the corners in the border really frames the quilt. I have to confess like most of my samples, I haven’t quilted it yet
*mental note to self “must do more machine quilting”
See you tomorrow!
Joanna
It has been a busy few weeks since the Festival of Quilts ended in mid August and there have been so many fabric deliveries not only just before the FoQ but also since then……….its going to take me a while to get all the fabrics up onto the website !
New collections in stock include:
Jewels of India
La Scala
Radiance
an Oriental collection from Makower
In the meantime I have moved house which meant not only moving my son and me out, but also ALL the business! They say getting divorced and moving home are two of the most stressful things you can do………I kind of did them at the same time!!
I am still trying to find homes for everything but will try and take a photo of the fabrics in their new home soon. I have also been catching up with my editing work which is why I may have seemed a bit quiet recently!
I have a few local events next week where I will be taking my fabrics and threads
Sat 1 Oct – Area Day at Kislington with Philippa Naylor AND Ferret
Tues 4 Oct – Market Cross Quilters near Toddington
Thurs 6 Oct – Log Cabin Quilters, Langford, Beds
Take care
Joanna
Arriving at the NEC, all you have is your space.
This is the scene after I have unloaded everything from the van.
Even though I know roughly where I want to put everything, it still takes several hours to put the stand together until it looks like this!
I’m really pleased how it all went together this year and I managed to get all the new quilt kits out on display.
Day One
It has been such a busy day today! However, as I am in one of the last rows of traders it is always a slow start before the customers start to filter through………so much so that you start to doubt if anyone will stop and buy anything………..but filter through they do and at times today it was very hectic! Whenever Mum came down to my stand to relieve me for a swift toilet break………i was too busy to be able to leave the stand!
The best selling fabrics today seemed to be the new Florentine collection from Robert Kaufman, as well as Imperial Collections 6 and 7 and of course King Tut threads were as popular as ever.
Looking forward to seeing what tomorrow will bring!
So! It is finally here….well almost!
The last couple of days have been making sure everything is ready for the show. The cutting of fabrics is done, threads topped up. Leaflets and patterns printed.
On Monday I picked up the van. It’s a little bit bigger than the car I usually drive and of course has a much higher driving position.
Its going to be interesting when I adjust back to driving the mini again next week!
Yesterday was packing the van day. It took me a while just to get these big items in the right order.
There is a certain skill in packing a van and getting everything positioned so that it doesn’t rattle or move around too much as you are driving. I guess I will see in a few hours whether I mastered that skill or not!
I did have a little helper with me as usual………
Although I’m not sure him climbing and getting stuck up a tree was the kind of help I was after!!
More pics and postings as the show progresses, including putting the stand together today :o)
Just quick update to show you what I have been up to the last couple of days.
I have had quite a few deliveries in the last week and lots of inspiration has struck! So I have been busy trying to create quick quilt samples to take to the Festival of Quilts in a couple of weeks to inspire you!
The quilt I have just finished is REALLY quick to make and uses the Patina Handpaints that were delivered from Robert Kaufman last week.
Its really effective isn’t it? And this is one of the less exciting colours!! Made from 1 1/2m of fabric. Hopefully I will have the instructions written up before the show and of course the fabrics will be there too………
I am now just starting something using the Florentine collection of fabrics, also from Robert Kaufman.
This is the main fabric in the collection and I have trimmed down two pattern repeats to make this the (almost) square centre of the quilt.
I’m thinking of a faux scalloped border next to echo the shapes in this centre piece and will be using Superior Threads method of fusible appliqué with their fusible thread. Will let you know how Ii get on!
I’ve had a couple of small fabric deliveries this week and hopefully there are more to come so that I have plenty of new fabrics to take to the Festival of Quilts next month.
There are some wonderful new Patina Handpaints from Robert Kaufman, this is just one of them.
These will look great just quilted, but I also have an idea for one of my quick quilts with them…….
Yesterday the first few fabrics from the Jewels of India collection were delivered together with some of the Radiance fabrics. The Radiance fabrics are sooo silky smooth; probably because they are 55% cotton and 45% silk!
They would make a fantastic wholecloth quilt…….and I think I need to order more of them!
You can also order Glitter threads from Superior Threads online now, although I still need to upload the thread images.
Talking of my quick quilt patterns, I’ve made a new section on the website for my kits and patterns where you can also download the patterns for free! Although I design quick quilts for a particular fabric collection, they can usually be used with similar style fabrics so keep checking for more free patterns as I upload them.
The Radiance fabrics are on the site already and the other new fabrics will be up as soon as I can.
I watched a fantastic video for making a Hunter’s Star quilt the other day, something I found on Facebook. Its amazing what you can find online! I tempted to have a go……….
I’ve managed to get some of the fabrics from recent deliveries on the website this afternoon……….whilst watching the Wimbledon finals of course!
First of all we have Imperial Collection 7 from Robert Kaufman which features a lovely floral full width print together with a variety of co-ordinates
If you have bought kits from previous Imperial Collections that I have stocked, then you know what a quick and easy but great looking quilt you can make with these fabrics.
The second collection now on the site is the Lakeside Cottage collection from Northcott that I blogged about earlier today.
I think my next job will be to upload a series of my easy to make patterns for free download. Many of the patterns can be used with different fabric collections.
So watch this space………….but don’t hold your breath of course!!
A quick pic of the Lakeside Cottage fabrics designed by Ro Gregg for Nortcott Fabrics.
So pretty don’t you think? The main fabric is a panel with appliqué design blocks. The red and off-white floral prints match the fabrics in the panel. The yellow print is a tonal floral and the green print a tonal leaf print.
Find them on the website soon………
I had a fun day yesterday choosing new fabrics from Robert Kaufman at my supplier’s open day……….along with the yummy cakes on offer ;o)
Already on order are fabrics from Jewels of India collection together with wonderful cotton silk co-ordinate called Radiance. Hopefully these fabrics will be in stock soon!
So…..what did I find to order yesterday?
The first collection is some wonderful Patina Handpaints from Artisan Batiks. The colours in these are absolutely wonderful.
The second collection is called La Scala and features a wonderfully rich main print.
My quickly taken photos don’t do justice to the rich colours in these prints.
The last collection is called Florentine which again has a wonderful main print
These circular shapes are approx. 15” in diameter and just shout out to me to place them in the centre of a quilt…….
These are the other colourways and co-ordinates
Again my photos don’t show the richness of colour in these fabrics.
And now the frustrating wait until the fabrics are delivered!!
It was only possible for me to be at the show at Sandown for one day this year as my son had a camping weekend with Cubs which needed him being picked up at 10am on Sunday morning.
So far the show has been very good and busy. I think originally it suffered from the appearance of the Festival of Quilts in August but it has suddenly found its way again, which of course is excellent for quilters in the south east. There were some lovely quilts in the show including of course Sandie Lush’s championship quilt……..
Below are a couple of pics of my end of the stand
Oh and this is how far I have managed to get with my Bali Pop quilt.
Hoping to fit in some sewing time today!
Its no use!
I have to do it!
I’ve been feeling twitchy for days and need to get it out of my system!
Yep I need to crack this baby open
and have a play and make the quilt pattern I found online the other day. Its going to make a great class……….
Sometimes you just gotta do what ya gotta do!
Its been a funny couple of days since my son came back from his School Journey residential break in Devon; a combination of having been busy while he was away and not sleeping well has meant I had very little energy to get on with things today
This year’s block of the month programme has just started. Starstruck was designed by Terri Straats from Sweet Treasures and uses quick machine piecing techniques.
The colours of the BOM quilt are pink and green and use fabrics from Robert Kaufman and the finished size of the quilt is approx. 79” square. Full details of the programme can be found on the website or you can email sales@craftyquilter.co.uk for a registration form.
The next quilt show of the year is almost upon us; the National Quilt Championships at Sandown Racecourse, Esher, Surrey. The van is packed and its setting up day tomorrow. The show runs for three days from Friday.
Do come and say hello if you are going to the show!
This collection is now on the website featuring a tree panel which runs across the full width of the fabric together with some coordinating fabrics.
I have also finally got some shade cards for the King Tut threads in stock. These cards are made with the actual threads and are sold at cost. There are three cards in total one with the original 50 colours, the second with the newer 50 shades and the final card has the latest solid colour threads. These newer solid threads are being delivered tomorrow!
That would appear to be the question.
Having been woken by one of the cats at 5.30am I find I have a bit of extra time on my hands today.
Many of you are friends on facebook or like my page on there…………some of you are both! Is that being keen or stalking? lol. I find I usually post things to facebook as its quicker and more immediate and you can see more clearly any feedback and reaction but of course on my blog I can write a bit more at length.
Some people have all their social networking sites connected…………their blogs, facebook and twitter accounts etc ……but they say the same thing on each site and I have to say I find it a bit tiresome reading exactly the same thing over and over again…….or is that just me? I think maybe another reason I don’t blog as often as I should is that I want to avoid doing that.
Where do you find it easiest or prefer to read about updates?
Anyway mini moan over………….
I have had a couple of small fabric deliveries in the last couple of weeks. Firstly Wildwood from Camelot Cottons
which features this wonderful full width tree and co-ordinating branch-like fabrics.
I also have a rust colourway in stock.
The other delivery this week was Imperial Collection 7 from Robert Kaufman.
I have been so busy editing this week I haven’t had the chance to take them out of their wrappers yet!
As usual, my creative juices start flowing whenever I get new fabrics in stock and I have a couple of quick quilts planned for both these collections………..
Newly ordered this week but not due for delivery until the autumn at the earliest are the 4th Bali Pop collection.
The colours in this collection are just so yummy I can’t wait to get them in stock……especially when I discovered a wonderfully simple but effective pattern for using pre-cut strips this week.
Where DOES time go?
I had plenty of it 10 days ago…….I was going to announce this new thing on 1 April, and what’s the date today? Yep its the 2nd and I haven’t finished what I was going to tell you about yet.!
Let me see if I can at least take a photograph over the weekend………….
Don’t anyone hold their breath though ok?
A little seed is growing in my head
A tiny idea for something new
Place– here on my blog
Time – tbc
Date – 1 April
(its no joke)
The April issue of Patchwork & Quilting has just come out and I have some fabrics and a project featured in the magazine.
The fabrics that are featured on their Retail Therapy pages are from the Strawberries & Cherries collection from Sevenberry of Japan. These fabrics are lovely and summery.
I have made a tablecloth in the blue colourway which will be available as a kit shortly.
The collection is available in the pink shown here, blue and a light coffee colour and costs £9.60 a metre.
I have also uploaded the fabrics from the Daydreams collection from Fabri-Quilt. The panels from this collection have proved to be so popular at the spring quilt shows that I have sold out of one of them already. The image here is of the Sunflower & Poppy panel that is still in stock.
I have more of both panel fabrics on order and hopefully these will be delivered in a month or so.
Finally to the project I have designed for P&Q magazine. It is a really simple quilt to make using the Cuddle fabrics and is so soft and warm! Thomas kindly modelled the quilt for the styled shot for the magazine……not bad considering he usually does a runner as soon as he sees a camera!!
Kits to make Monkey Cuddle are available on the website in a choice of 4 colours; lime as shown here, turquoise, gold and pink.
Don’t forget you can also keep up to date of goings on at CQHQ by ‘liking’ The Crafty Quilter on facebook
