Sunprints and Massdrop

I got this lovely fat quarter bundle in the post yesterday!

It is Alison Glass's Sun Prints - 17 FQs all together in a 'cool' colourway. I got it for $42 including tax and shipping (which was free in this case) so less than $2.50/£1.70 a FQ. Bargain! A few months ago another quilter posted about Massdrop and I signed up for their emails so see what kind of things they had available. What with all the upheaval of recent months, this is the first time I've had a chance to participate in a 'drop'.

What happens is that someone (anyone) puts forward a suggestion for something they'd like to buy. This then becomes a 'poll' that anyone can vote on. Voting doesn't commit you to buying, but it helps the site owners work out what would be of interest to their customers. They then go off and contact the manufacturer and ask them if they'd like to offer a special deal. The manufacturer offers a deal so there is a start price if one person buys, then some percentage less if, say, 20 people buy, then another discount if, say, 50 people buy and so on. You can see current votes here and current drops here. Although there are a tonne  of quilting things you also get lots of audio equipment, shaving apparatus, high end pens, geek chic and pretty much anything else people might desire.

I am not affiliated with Massdrop, except as a customer, but they do have one of those "invite your friends" links so if you want to have a look and see what's what then click here to register and if five of you do, and then buy something, I get something. Not sure what so don't feel obliged! But I have been very happy with their service and will definitely be joining in future drops.

A Bonus Quilt

I went to lovely Scrap this morning. I was looking for plant pots, plant pot saucers and low volume fabric. I ended up being moderately successful, although quite a lot of high volume fabric came home as well. How much would you guess this lot cost?

There are about 30 bundles there varying from postcard sized to larger than a fat quarter and it includes Kaffe, Kaufman, Moda and half a dozen other recognisable names. $12 was my total - except that as well as a HUGE pile of fabric I also came away with a hand quilting hoop I could probably hula with (or at least my ickle niece could), a nice wooden picture frame, a load of plant pots, plant pot saucers and a finished quilt top. All for $12. I felt bad only topping it up to $20. The quilt top is pretty amazing.

My photos are awful as it was very overcast today and we still don't have proper lighting sorted out.

There seem to be about six different yellow fabrics in play. I assumed it must be machine pieced from the size (72"x84") but quickly saw it wasn't when I examined the back.

Tiny stitches and quarter inch seams! I can't imagine putting all this effort in and then not taking it any further - but it will not go to waste. As soon as I saw it I realised I could finish it and include it with my own Hands2Help quilt for charity.

I thought I had scoured every inch of Scrap when my eye fell on two large filing cabinets as I was leaving...

Ermergerd. There were thousands. I have a few wish listed vintage patterns that I must look up the names of before my next visit. Scrap is a seriously amazing resource. Then my eye fell on one other thing. I'm not going to embed a picture of it here, but those not easily offended might like to know what I spotted inside a bag awaiting sorting. Made me laugh - goodness knows what kind of art project those were part of!

Quilts of my own making have also been on my mind. I laid out the final section of my Mum's EPP quilt last night.

This is why I was so pleased to have found the hula-quilt-hoop - I plan to hand quilt this sucker once it is all stitched together. I have been doing a lot on it recently as the new flat is still in great disorder leaving me unable to easily access my supplies or sewing machine. Tomorrow brings a table and chairs and a sofa (we've been sitting on the floor since Saturday). You can imagine that I am greatly looking forward to the arrival of both!

Hands2Help Update

Moving has sucked up all my time so I haven't much to blog about at the moment. However, having now got all my possessions in one place for the first time in 18 months I am reunited with all my fabric. This is what I will be using for my Hands2Help charity quilt.

At least, this is it minus two other matching cuts which got separated from these ones and are elsewhere and yet to be unpacked. I bought them from the Fat Quarter Shop at least 2 years ago - possibly 3 - and they seem perfect for this as they are all half yard cuts.

As for pattern, I plan to make use of the excellent Craftsy course "Playing with Curves" to make a drunkards path type quilt such as the one below, by Karen Ackva.

Circles ahoy!