Last chance

Last chance for the 20% off Quilt Sale, it ends today. So better get them while they're cheap.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/QuiltedBlissByNadine

Maybe this one:



or this one:

On the ETSY UK Front Page again

My Treasury The Mermaid's Tears is on the Etsy UK Front Page today, all day. Hurrah.

http://www.etsy.com

If it takes you straight to the US Etsy you can change the country at the bottom of the page on the left hand side. and you can easily change it back to your country or any other country if you like. xx

Doodle stickers

Hello everyone,

thanks to all of you who voted for my Treasury Lucifer's Thumbprint on Etsy. Unfortunately, I didn't win, but maybe next time.

I want to show you a quick sneak peek at something I have been working on lately. I am planning on opening an Etsy shop for paintings, prints and drawings (and stickers, accessories etc. made form those) and have done a lot of doodling lately.



This is an A4 sheet of stickers made from an original drawing which is ca. 14" x 14" in size. I have been playing with the actual stickers and made other artwork from them which is really exciting. I hope you like them.

Lots of love,
Nadine xx

Finalist Treasury - please vote for me!

Hello everyone,

I made it to the final, so please go to the STATTEAM blog and vote for me. The poll is in the top left hand corner. The poll is only open today.

Thanks and have a wonderful Sunday.

Love, Nadine

Katy's Wisdom

Katy from I'm a Ginger Monkey posted a great blog entry on how recipients of quilts just do not appreciate the crafter's time and skill not to speak of the cost of the material that went into a quilt.

And right she is.

We live in a time when you get everything cheap, mass produced in China and we have lost the understanding of handmade value. Most people just don't "get" handmade. Sad but true.

I have given hand sewn doublesided quilts as gifts many times, never to see them again. They now live hidden in some closet and I spent up to £100 pounds in material and several months of my time handsewing the quilt. Just makes me sad.

and angry.

http://imagingermonkey.blogspot.com/2011/09/interesting-reading.html

EDIT:Katy's post was a reaction to a post by the girls at Ink & Spindle about THE FORMULA on how to price handmade work. You can find that post here: http://inkandspindle.blogspot.com/2011/09/formula-how-to-price-your-wares.html

If I did the maths for let's say a large double sided hand sewn quilt like this one or this one 'the formula' would mean I'd have to ask loads for it.

Let's do the maths for the Sand and Sea Quilt:

Fabric: 2 Jelly Rolls, binding = £50
Wadding: = £30
thread, tools etc.: estimate =£20

= £100 materials

Time: well, I can't remember exactly but probably about:
2 hours cutting
2 hours design
15 hours hand piecing
2 hours basting 
5 hours hand quilting
4 hours hand binding.

= ca. 30+ hours at let's say £10 hour = £300

Cost (time + materials) = £400
Wholesale price (Cost x 2) = £800
Retail price (Wholesale x 2) = £1600

So according to the Formula I should ask £1600 for this doublesided hand sewn quilt. Sound right to you?

Is anyone willing to pay that? NO. Is anyone willing to pay half that? NO. Is anyone even paying LESS than a quarter of that (less than the COST as in time and materials)? Not yet. But maybe one day?

Baby Boy in Central Park

Hey everyone,

I have been really busy and am still behind in blogging the newest creations. So here is another new quilt, a baby boy quilt, which I absolutely adore.




The back is so soft and fluffy made with super cuddly blue fleece and on the top I used some Central Park fabric which I had been dying to cut into.



I used a simple design, you know I like those best because they bring out the lovely colors and fabrics better, and I used some Kona Charcoal for the first time ever and I love it. It creates an amazing contrast to the strong bright colors in the Central Park. And as per usual I quilted it in straight lines, outlines actually, I still can't do a meandering stitch on my machine and really need to get that sorted.



It is 42" x 42", so should be perfect as a baby quilt, right?


What do you think? Do you like it?

I listed it on Etsy but it was hard, I tell you. I would definitely keep this quilt if I had a baby.

Lots of love from York,
Nadine xx

Reversible Advent Calendar

What do you do when Christmas is over? Exile your advent calendar to the back of the wardrobe to only get it back out one year later?

Well, not this one. When Christmas has come and gone you just turn it around and use the back as a decorative wallhanging. The hanging sleeve has been attached to the top rather than the back so both sides of the quilt can be displayed. 

It's my first finished advent calendar and may I just say IT TOOK ME FOREVER, I can make a quilt faster than that, but the numbers and the pockets took forever to sew. I will make more advent calendars but need to figure ot how to make them faster or they won't be ready in time for xmas. I also just bought some more Christmas fabrics for children, so I better get back to it.

What do you think of this one? Do you like it? The blocks are a little wonky, especially on the lefthand side, and I made that clear in the Etsy listing too. Do you think that is ok?

Lots of love,
Nadine

On the Etsy Uk Front Page. yay!

When waking up this morning I could not believe my luck, one of my treasuries made it to the Etsy Front Page, the UK version, which is great because that treasury is on ALL DAY, not like in the US where there is a new treasury on every hour.

I am so chuffed.

Hope you're having a great weekend.
Love, Nadine xx

Odd Owl O for baby Olivia's mum

I went on a sewing marathon last night and completed Odd Owl O within one evening. That's a record. She was ordered by a customer who wants to give the Owl to her friend who lost her baby Olivia. That must be one of the most horrible things to happen to a person and my heart goes out to her.

It happened to a friend of mine too, her baby Betty died only a few weeks after birth, and it was the most devastating thing I have seen in my life.

All my love goes out to the mums who have lost a little one. I cannot even imagine the pain you have experienced.

Love, Nadine xx

HELP - I must be sick

Hello everyone,

I just realized today that I haven't bought any fabrics lately and only picked up some nice ones at the Festival of Quilts, but for once I am not actually craving any new fabrics.

Normally there is always some fabric that I REALLY REALLY REALLY WANT, something that I just have to wait a little and save up for, but right now I want nothing. Is there something wrong with me? I must be ill (apart from the nasty cold I have at the moment).

I think I need some more Christmas fabrics to make more Christmas goodies for the shop, but I don't necessarily want any new fabrics.

So have you got any suggestions for me? Any new fabric lines that you totally adore and that I need to check out? Feel free to post links.

This is a lovely picture of a fabric bundle that I have added to my 'Eye Candy' Board on Pinterest.
















This is a very strange feeling for me.

So please help me with some suggestions.

Love, Nadine xx