Service for Quilters

Or a fine example of how to retain your customers

A while back, I ordered a Grace quilting frame. One of the few (only?) suppliers in Europe, www.cottonpatch.co.uk, is based in Birmingham, so the frame had to be shipped from the UK to Switzerland and go through customs. The supplier made an error on the customs form which meant I ended up paying more in duties than I should have. I told the supplier, they apologized and helped me get the difference back from Swiss customs. And a few days later, they sent me this:

A beautiful selection of "King Tut" cotton thread neutrals from Superior Threads!! I LOVE Superior Threads and use their "So Fine" thread for quilting, so I was all the more delighted to get this little gift. It was a bit of a pain having to deal with Swiss customs for a refund and it would have been easier for all involved if the mistake had not been made in the first place. But because of the service and support I received from the supplier, I would definitely buy from Cottonpatch again.

#mqgfabricchallenge - my first competition quilt

Last year, I had planned to enter a quilt in a local competition, but the deadline was around the time we were moving to Switzerland, and although I designed and pieced the quilt, I never managed to finish it in time. This year, I signed up for the Modern Quilt Guild Fabric Challenge and this is what I came up with.

The Modern Quilt Guild provided its members with fat eighths (I was super excited when I received the parcel!) from a new Michael Miller collection called Petal Pinwheels. I rarely make a quilt using an entire collection because part of the fun in designing a quilt is auditioning the fabric. And, to be honest, even if I were to use a collection, this is not one I would have gone for. Having said that, working with colours and prints you would not usually plump for is a real challenge, and I think it helps you grow as a designer because it forces you out of your fabric comfort zone.

According to the rules, I was allowed to use some or all of the fabric provided, any solids and any Michael Miller prints. I used all but one of the prints and added an off-white solid, plus Michael Miller's Mirror Ball Dot fabric in "laguna". I quilted it using a simple clam shell pattern which I think complements the angular lines of the design.

I am really happy with the design. I think it is a simple, yet effective way of showcasing the different prints. This quilt will go to a friend of mine who is expecting a little girl in October. The quilt is pretty small, but I used a low loft cotton batting, so it should be a good size and weight for a comforter a bit further down the line.

For this quilt, I think using the Mirror Ball Dot fabric in lime green instead of the turquoise "laguna" fabric I used could have completely changed the look of the quilt, and added more colour interest to it, but that is just a minor change. Overall, I am really happy with it and I am thinking about upscaling the design to make it as a queen size quilt. The next step will be to write it up in EQ7 so I can post it as a downloadable pattern on my blog.