The first load of finishes for 2018

Hello everyone,
yes, it's that time again when I finish a whole pile of projects all at once (happens usually about 3 times a year) and upload them all in the shop. I can't possibly share all of these quilts and other items in one post, there are simply way too many. So I will start with a few quilts today and share some more with you another day. Yes, you will have to be patient!

Ok so here goes. These 5 quilts are all very different and some of them took me forever to make. The Echo quilt for instance has been giving me such headaches and in the end I decided to make it smaller to actually be able to finish it.

The Kona quilt is a new love for me and as you will see I am using more and more solids and want to explore quilting with just solids a bit more. I have also been getting into more neutral colors, I know, very unusual for me. Normally my quilts scream of color. So watch this space, there will be more like that.

All quilts are already in the shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/QuiltedBlissByNadine

I hope you like these and watch out for the next lot of posts. I have so much more to share with you.
Lots of love, Nadine
 
Kona solids quilt with black velvet backing, I really want to make more solids quilts:

Flora baby quilt 

Chevrons quilt in peach and grey (I am really getting into the neutrals color schemes atm)

Echo quilt

Blue triangles quilt (my favorite color combo: teal and lime)

Hello, my name is Nadine and I am a Fabricaholic

Hello everyone,

yes, finally I admit it, I am a fabricaholic. Especially since I have done my taxes for last year and noticed I actually spent more on fabric than I made with selling quilts, plushies, etc., well I finally I realised

I have a problem. 

I can't help it. I am constantly drooling over the latest new fabric collections and I am every marketer's dream customer. Show me a pretty quilt using some gorgeous modern new fabrics and I am hooked, I go and buy it, come what may. And this means I can spend hundreds of pounds in a year on fabric even though I honestly have enough fabric to last a lifetime. I have fabric collections I bought 5 yars ago and haven't touched since. As we have recently bought a house and we are well and truly broke, I have to curb my addiction or else we will have no money in the bank when the roof comes down or the boiler breaks. So please support me in this challenge as this addiction is starting to become a problem when we have to hold on to every pound.

Here are a few images showing my stash in the new craft room. Yes, all those drawers are full of fabric, and pretty much every other box you see there, plus there are both Kona darks and lights on top of the bookshelf and lots more boxes under the table.

So for that reason I have decided to join the Fabricaholics Anonymous group and make a pledge to go on a Fabric Fast for (at least) 6 months.

I am copying the rules for the fast from Jess' blog where you can also find a list of the other FAA members:  http://theelvengarden.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/fabriholics-anonymous.html

I hereby pledge to follow the following rules of the Fabric Fast for one exception, I will need to buy sashing fabric when I run out (normally Kona Snow, white or grey), otherwise I will do my very best to follow the rules. The other half and I are even thinking of coming up with a bet. He thinks I can't possibly do it and I will proove him wrong. :)

I will keep you all posted how this is going. At the moment I have about 10 smaller quilts to quilt and bind and I have loads of ideas for more new projects, so watch this space. I will post about my WIPs very soon.

Lots of love and please wish me luck for this challenge, it will be hard,
Nadine

FABRICAHOLICS ANONYMOUS - FABRIC FAST

GOALS:

- To use the Stash I already have!

- Finish UFOs without distraction by shifting to other new beautiful fabric.

- Stop the insanity of constantly buying the latest and greatest fabric.

- Save the $$ I spend on stashing. For me, this is going to mean I start saving for a long arm. That dream simply isn't going to happen while I spend every little bit of my quilty earnings on fabric. And it's a dream I desperately want to happen.

- Destash the fabrics that I realize I am never going to use.

FABRIC FAST RULES:

1) No fabric purchases for 6 months beginning January 1, 2014.   

2) At 6 months reevaluate status and decide whether to keep going for full year.  Evaluation July 1, 2014.

3) Create a UFO list and complete them!

4) Exceptions

• Backing: purchasing a backing to finish a quilt top is permissible.  However, attempting to use fabric in your possession for a backing is preferable.
• Books and Magazine purchases are allowed as they are not fabric.  Notions acceptable too.
• Swap Mama Fabric: if hosting a swap you are permitted to by fabric to execute swap duties, but you may not join a swap simply for the sake of being able to buy fabric!
• Quilts for Publication: if you are making a quilt for a publication and need certain fabric to execute it correctly then that is a major exception - who can blame you?

If you are like us and would like to commit to not buying fabric next year, we would love the moral support. Solidarity in numbers and all that.

Festival of Quilts goodies

Hello all,

I know the FoQ is still on so I won't tell you everythign about it or show you pictures of the amazing quilts on display. But what i can do is show you the gorgeous fabrics I bought. I know, I didn't want to buy much at all, I was hoping to get some Tula Pink "Birds and th bees" fabrics but there weren't any. But I just couldn't resist these lovelies.

2 layer cakes, Tula Pink's "Prince Charming" and Valori Well's "Cocoon"

and check out these gorgeous fabrics depicting movie and rock stars (home dec)

What do you think? I love these and will now have to find a new home for them.

For those of you still going to the FoQ have a great time and try to keep your money tight, it's so easy to start spending and realise you're broke at the end of the day. :)

Lots of love,
Nadine

Lush fabrics

Hello all you lovely craftmonkeys,

feast yours eyes on these gorgeous colors. I invested in a fabric bundle from Patty Young's new Lush collection and I am in love. I haven't bought much fabric for ages as we are not doing so well financially, but I had to get these, and they are a good investment too.




But you know what, after someone mentioned on the Facebook page that I should maybe make more things with mute colors, it has occurred to me that there seems to be a clear pattern, I always go for these super bright colors and patterns, always lots of turquoise, orange, lime green and hot pinks and maybe they were right: I NEED TO USE SOME LESS OVER THE TOP FABRICS to appeal to more customers and hopefully sell some quilts and plushies.

We have certainly noticed how we are struggling financially when I am not selling anything and we really depend on the Etsy shops. So I need to adapt to what the market wants.

But I need your help. What sorts of fabrics that are less colorful would you recommend for quilts and plushies? I really don't know any good and popular pale fabrics in mute colors and I haven't been paying attention to trends.

Any suggestions and photos for inspiration are very welcome. I absolutely love my colorful bright fabrics but I am willing to change what I make to increase my chances of selling something. So your help would be very appreciated.

Lots of love,
Nadine xx


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Flea Market Fancy

Hello all,

look what has arrived yesterday. I got my set of Flea Market Fancy Legacy reprint fabrics from Hawthorne Threads and they finally arrived. yay. Now what do I do with them?



I have to come up with things to make for my first craft fair in Seaham, Dawdon Community Centre, on 5 May.

Any suggestions? I am thinking more Owls, and Penguins, but what fabrics to use?

And what about quilts? I have been making smaller quilts lately but wonder whether I should have larger ones at the stand too? I have also started using super soft fleece for the backs of my baby quilts lately, rather than making reversible quilts like in the past. Maybe I should go back to making reversible ones again?

Any help and advice is very welcome.

Hope you're enjoying the weather.

Lots of love,
Nadine

Current Fabric Crushes

You know how I said, I am not craving any fabrics and haven't bought any for some time?

......................... Well, those days are over. I am full on in fabric craving mode and wish I could buy all of these and then some. I haven't really invested in any fabrics in ages (apart from some white and snow Kona) and avoided all websites that would get me interested in fabric shopping again. .... Until I came across that gorgeous quilt by Elephantstitches using Laurie Wisbrun's Brrr and bang, I was all back crusing the web and drooling all these lovely fabrics. If we win the lottery I'll get full sets of all of these.

Patty Young's Lush, the woman can't do wrong



Laurie Wisbrun's Brrr as seen in this gorgeous quilt by Elephantstitches



Khristian A. Howell's the Woodlands



Joel Dewberry's Heirloom



oh and not to forget Patty Young's re-release of Andalucia



Which fabric collections are you crushing on at the moment? I honestly have not been paying attention to what's trendy right now, so I really don't know what is happening in the world of fabric.

So anything you think I should definitely check out?

Lots of love
Nadine xx

Fabric Bliss

I have splashed out on 2 fabric lines this month. (Yes Monkey, I kept my promise. but we only said this month, not THE NEXT MONTH :)

Tina Givens' new line Haven's Edge has already arrived and is absolutely gorgeous.



... and Patty Young's Sanctuary should arrive today or Monday, and as always Patty has managed to create something stunningly beautiful and contemporary.



But I need all your help. Here is my dilemma. I have these wonderful fabrics, whole collections sometimes and I absolutely adore them, but I keep looking at them, drooling over them, caressing them, but I never have the courage to use them. I keep working my way through old scraps or leftovers from previous quilts and never actually get to the big beautiful fabric lines.
I think it's because I am afraid I might ruin them and the quilt or gift I make will disappoint me and then I won't have any of the fabric left. And especially now while I am working on my Etsy shop, I don't want to ruin any of my fabric.

So what should I do? What should I use these fabrics for?

Maybe I should rearrange my fabrics and sort them by colour as many quilters seem to do these days? Maybe that way I would actually start using them more? At the moment I keep all the collections together, Tufted Tweets in one drawer, Flora and Fauna in another etc.

Let me know what you think, all your advice is greatly appreciated.

Love, Nadine

Christmas again? Already. Yay.

Look what beauty has just arrived. Oh I am sooooo lucky, this bumper pack truly feels like Christmas again.

This box is packed full with lovely goodies from seamstar.co.uk



including some of the amazing designer fabrics Courtney offers in the shop. It's absolutely beautiful.

It also contains a collection if Anna Maria Horner Voiles and ribbons, zippers and a cute tin of sewing pins.

Now I have a few more questions for the experienced sewist:

- When using ribbons how do you avoid the ends unraveling?

- What can I do with these adorable voiles? I shouldn't use them for quilting, should I? They're too precious for that.

Love, Nadine

Wordless Wednesday - sneak peek

Things to come. hurrah.

:) xxx