Monthly Quilt Contest - November Winner

Each month, the QQQ team has a contest with a theme and for November the theme was 'Christmas and Hanukkah'. 
The November Quilt Contest winner is Carol Ann from Moose Carol Quilts with her fabulous depiction of the Three Wise Men called Star Gazers

Wouldn't this gorgeous wall hanging look great on your wall at Christmas?

CONGRATULATIONS Carol Ann! Well deserved! 

To see more of Carol Ann's work, visit her shop Moose Carol Quilts

Here you will find gorgeous handmade bed quilts, lap/throw quilts, baby quilts, Christmas quilts, table runners, wall hangings etc. 

Shop: Moose Carol Quilts

Follow Carol Ann on: 

Facebook: MooseCarolQuilts 

Twitter: Moose Carol

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Monthly Quilt Contest - October Winner

Each month, the QQQ team has a contest with a theme.
For October the theme was 'Harvest / Thanksgiving'
The October quilt contest winner is Janet from Batiks by Sandcastle, with her gorgeous turkey table runner

Wouldn't this runner look great on your Thanksgiving table?

CONGRATULATIONS JANET! Well deserved!

To see more of Janet's gorgeous items, visit her shop Batiks by Sandcastle
Here you will find quality handmade table runners, children's quilts and bed quilts / bed runners, wall quilts, bags and quilts for the Holidays as well as batik bundles.

Shop: Batiks by Sandcastle

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Get to know the QQQ's - Susan of Susan's Passion

Hi! I'm Susan Murata of Susan’s Passion, https://www.etsy.com/shop/SusansPassion

How did you come up with your shop name? 

Stupidly, on a whim – I changed it from Maggie May and Me which didn’t sound correct, grammar wise. I didn’t quite think this one through –I am passionate about my work, but I realize now that my shop name sounds more like the name for a sexy lingerie shop. Maggie is my dog.

Where do you live? 

I live in San Tan Valley, AZ.

When did you start making quilts? Or, when did you become interested in quilt-related items (fabric, patterns, etc)?
I’ve been sewing since I was a teen, made some patchwork blankets throughout the years, but started quilting in 2007 after my husband and I retired.

Tell us about your first quilt or other important first in your sewing life. 
My first quilt was for my mother, a simple 9 patch block in pastel batiks. The blocks were huge so there was less piecing, and therefore less daunting for me as a first time quilter.

What inspires you? 
Looking at Pinterest or Google Images of quilts helps me get an idea of what kind of a project I would like to do next. Certain color combinations or designs will catch my eye and is great jumping off point.

Do you have any other hobbies? 
I have lots of hobbies, crochet, sketching, painting, card making, beading, jewelry making, but I mostly focus on sewing/quilting these days. 

Pets? A garden, kids, or volunteer activities? 
We have a Shepherd/Chow mix rescue, and a gray tabby cat (which was rescued from my daughter when she got married in 04). Thankfully they get along well together (the dog and cat. J )

I do enjoy gardening and lately have been growing birdhouse gourds with the intention of painting them…….. not enough hours in the day.  We have 2 daughters and 5 grandchildren, one boy and 4 girls, 2 of which are twins.

Do you do any charity sewing? 
Our local quilt group makes baby blankets for hospitals and this year Christmas stockings for fostered children of one of the church gals.

Running an Etsy shop means you wear many hats in one day. How do Etsy activities impact your other life activities, such as work, family, other activities? 
I am retired so it never affects work, however I treat my Etsy shop just like a business. I put in lots of hours, but since it is my favorite hobby, it never feels like a job.

How do you plan your projects? 
Once I have a project in mind I look for fabrics either in my stash and shop for the rest. I sometimes will tweak a pattern I’ve seen or create one of my own. Applique is a favorite and most often is done via my imagination.

Business tips: 

Always try to keep on top of the latest. It’s easy to get into a habit of listing an item and forgetting about it. Don’t list newbies all in one day – spread them out so your shop is constantly “busy” in Etsy’s eyes.

Organization: 
Bins and baskets! All shapes and sizes. I’ve been told I have “binitis”. I keep all my fabrics sorted by size. Yardage is on shelves by color, fat quarters in baskets by color, and then squares in labeled bins according to size and strips the same way. Any left overs between 1/8 yard and fat quarter size get folded and put into the fat quarter bins.

Leftover fabric from projects get thrown into a shoebox size bin and then eventually cut into strips or squares, etc. I hate having to go through huge bins to find the size or color I need, so this has worked great for me. 

SHOP:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SusansPassion

SOCIAL MEDIA:

www.facebook.com/susanspassion

www.pinterest.com/susanspassion

www.instagram.com/susanspassion

Get to know the QQQ's - Janie of Isabella's Whimsy

Hi I’m Janie of Isabella’s Whimsy, a shop of Handcrafted Quilted Items, Whimsical and Useful. 

You can find me on Etsy: etsy.com/shop/isabellaswhimsy

And on social media as well -

pinterest.com/isabellaswhimsy

twitter.com/isabellaswhimsy

facebook.com/IsabellasWhimsy

isabellaswhimsy.wordpress.com

I came up with my shop name by using my Jr. High Spanish-class name of Isabel, then by taking a poll among the college students who milled around my office: Isabel’s Whimsy or Isabella’s Whimsy? It was unanimous, Isabella.  Shortly after deciding on the name I learned that my Irish great-grandmother was named Katherine Isabell – can that be called a whimsical coincidence? 

I live in San Antonio, TX, home of the Alamo, the Spurs (basketball), and my little grandson whose birth prompted my move here. San Antonio has a rich cultural history seen in architecture and many festivals celebrated throughout the year. The main cultures that impacted the city are Spanish, Mexican and German. A very popular attraction here is the Riverwalk; I like it best at Christmastime with the colorful lights. The King William district is an area of large, ornate mansion built by wealthy German immigrants in the late 1800s.

Practical sewing and crafting have been in my family for a long time. My grandmother lived a poor life and developed her amazing ingenuity in order to care for her family of 5 children. My mother inherited that practical bent and surprised / shocked her home ec teacher when she decided to use her feedsacks to make underwear for her little brothers. My older sister was a bountiful seamstress making clothes and gifts for all. I learned about sewing with and without patterns at about 7 years old. The first project I made alone on the sewing machine at 11 yrs. was a very full gathered skirt with waistband, zipper and snap fastener. The fabric was an outlandish narrow red, white, yellow and blue stripe, like a circus tent. I loved it.

The first quilt I made was for my little boy. We call it the Monkey Blanket; he still has it as he is waiting for his first baby to be born. I used a twin sheet, a printed monkey panel, and for batting a piece of old blanket. To finish it off I popped in a decorative cam (remember those?) and hemmed the edges down

Then in 2008 I started making baby quilts for the young mothers in my office at Texas A&M University. Here is the first one, the one that started Isabella’s Whimsy.

My favorite colors are yellow, white, blue, and a whole range of teals/aquas, plus a nice punch of orange. I prefer applique over piecing when I design my quilts, but I do enjoy modern pieced quilts also.

I find inspiration in Scandinavian patterns, nature, and other people’s whimsical creations.

I have two hobbies in addition to quilting, reading and my grandson. My sister and some friends and I have a Facebook group for the SugarPop 2016 Reading Challenge. I look after my 2 year old grandson most afternoons while my daughter works on her own LeSnootyFox Etsy shop (www.etsy.com/shop/LeSnootyFox) and business (lesnootyfox.com ) designing and handmaking custom social invitations. My other loved activity is my church. I attend Ladies Bible Class, participate with the Seniors (not students…old people) in some activities, and regularly fellowship with a small group called Life Group. I think what I love the most about my church is that we try to focus on applying the loving teachings of Christ to our daily lives.

Running an Etsy shop means I wear many hats in one day. For the most part I do computer and household work in the mornings, babysit in the afternoons, and sew in the evenings, but I also hold the right to sew at any time the urge strikes! I can get away with this because I am a retired teacher.

The business tip I would like to share for Etsy shops is, find a wonderful Team, like I did with the QQQ Etsy Team. This team has shop owners of various levels of experience, is friendly and supportive, and stays current with marketing and business activities. I also encourage people to join additional teams that are geared to different aspects of their businesses. For example, a team dedicated to promoting that is made of a wide variety of shops (wider audience for you), a team that teaches about SEO, and a team that is related to one of your special interests outside of your business niche (this add an element of fun and life to your days). And then participate in your chosen teams; you will bless others and be blessed yourself.

Here is a quote from American business legend Zig Ziglar that encourages the way the Etsy Teams work,

“You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”

My Etsy shop:

etsy.com/shop/isabellaswhimsy

Social Media: 

pinterest.com/isabellaswhimsy

twitter.com/isabellaswhimsy

facebook.com/IsabellasWhimsy

isabellaswhimsy.wordpress.com

Monthly Quilt Contest - September Winner

Each month, the QQQ team has a contest with a theme.
For September the theme was 'Autumn Colors'.
September's quilt contest winner is Susan of Susan's Passion, with her stunning pumpkins wall hanging

This cute wall hanging would make a great addition to your autumn decor

CONGRATULATIONS SUSAN! Well deserved! 

Visit Susan's shop Susan's Passion to see more of her handmade items. Here you will find quality quilted table runners, placemats, lap- and bed quilts, baby quilts, mug rugs etc as well as knitted scarves and beanies. 

Shop:

Susan's Passion

Social media: 

https://www.facebook.com/SusansPassion

https://www.pinterest.com/SusansPassion/

https://www.instagram.com/susanspassion/

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Monthly Quilt Contest - the August winner

Every month, the QQQ Team has a contest with a theme.
For August the theme was 'triangles', and the winner is Indra from Quilty Patches Online with her amazing art quilt 'Intriguing Flying Geese'

Wouldn't this art quilt look great on your wall?

CONGRATULATIONS INDRA! Well deserved!

To see more of Indra's work, visit her shop Quilty Patches Online Here you will find quality handmade art quilts, table quilts, pillows, quilts, wall quilts etc.

Shop: Quilty Patches Online
Facebook: Quilty Patches Online


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Get to know the QQQ's: Raven from Purple Raven Quilts

I am Raven Pletcher. My mother Doris, is my business partner at Purple Raven Quilts, https://www.etsy.com/shop/PurpleRavenQuilts

Our shop name came from a combination of my personal love of purple, my name and that it is a quilt shop.  Etsy allowed only a certain number of characters so the name was shortened from the original The Purple Raven Quilt Shop, that is my dream of a B&M quilt shop, to Purple Raven Quilts.

I live in Northern California in the mountains.  Doris lives in central Pennsylvania.  We speak on the telephone a few times a week and mail fabric, notions, quilting magazines/books, quilts and other such goodies to one another.

Doris began making quilts before I was born and continues to make them.  I have been actively quilting for 12 years.

I received a FQ bag, filled with FQs of a Jinny Beyer palette, as a birthday gift from Doris.  It was like giving a new box of crayons to a child.  I HAD to sew something with my pretty new fabrics!  I drew a design, hand sewed and hand quilted my creation and joined the threads textile group at the local library.  This was sort of like a sewing B with ladies knitting, embroidering, beading or quilting that met for a hour each week.  I learned a lot from that experience about quilting techniques.  My friendships in this group eventually led me to the local quilt guild. My first quilting creation is still special to me because it led me down the wonderful world of quilting path.

I love to garden, fish, do Genealogy research and make music. A cat and 2 dogs share my home with me.  I attend craft events and charity events in nearby communities as a vendor.  Doris loves to sew, garden and listen to music.

I make Preemie Quilts for St. Joseph's Hospital in Eureka, CA.  Preemie quilts are 12-14 inches square. They are made of 100% cotton fabric and cotton batting. These tiny quilts are placed in the autoclave (medical instrument sterilizer) for many hours to be sterilized. They are then placed above the incubators of preemie babies. Hospital lights are bright for the babies so the quilts help with that. Family visitors can only view the babies through the window of the preemie ward and the quilts help identify the babies to the families. The mothers of the preemie babies gets to keep the quilt given to their baby. I like to use colorful children's fabrics for these quilts. The one rule I do have about fabric choice is no black backgrounds no matter how cute the fabric is. I think of the babies as I sew and it brings me joy to add color to the life of such a tiny new person.

Doris has donated many quilts to a wide variety of charities some of which include, Veterans, homeless shelters, battered women shelters and a summer camp for children.

Shop orders take priority in my day.  I check my shop 4-5 times daily for new orders and respond to convos.  Orders are packaged immediately.  Cat toys, that are made to order, are constructed within hours of being ordered.  Errands are always planned around shipping any current orders.  I also keep an eye on tracking daily with orders that are out for shipping until they are delivered.

Doris packages and ships orders of shop items that she has promptly after my notifying her of the order.  I send the email regarding the order with item and customer information to her.  She tends to special special orders that are for her right away.  Doris has the shop fabric stash in mind when she is attending quilt shop sales.

I am inspired by color.  I love color and see the color combinations all around me.

I work from my head when designing a new project.  A fabric will peak my interest and the process begins.  Placing possible fabric combinations with the beginning fabric, I choose colors and fabrics. Next, ideas for the quilt's pattern begin to flow.  I draw the quilt plan on grid paper so I can get measurements correct when cutting and to choose the approximate finished size of the quilt.  A test block is sewn to see the fabrics and colors still create the desired effect.  It is not uncommon for changes to be made after the test block has been sewn.  Sashing, borders, binding and backing choices are made as the quilt is coming together.  Once again I audition possible fabric choices for each as I get to that stage of quilt construction.  Depending on actual fabric choice, sashing and border widths may be altered at this stage so the fabric makes the desired statement or effect for the quilt.  Choosing the pattern for the quilting stitches is where I hesitate because it can change the quilt completely for better or for worse.  Silly at it may sound to one who does not quilt, I do a lot of staring at a pieced quilt top until I can make the final decision.  All of my UFO's are stuck at this stage.  My personal rule related to UFO's is, I must finish a UFO if I start a new project but I am pretty sure they breed in that project tote.

Doris designs her quilts in much the same fashion I do.  She also works from patterns at times.  She is a natural when it comes to choosing the quilting stitches and has also become quite proficient with her long-arm quilting machine.  Many of the quilts Doris makes are hand quilted.

Shop:
https://www.facebook.com/PurpleRavenQuiltsShop

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/PurpleRavenQuiltsShop

QQQ's UFO COMPETITION - We have a winner!

Each year, the QQQ team has a UFO competition. In quilting language, UFO means Un-Finished-Object. Many of us quilters always have UFO's that are not finished for several reasons. The beginning of the year is always the best time to take action and finish those UFO's, or at least some.
The UFO competition began February 1st and ended July 31st. The 'fee' for participating in the competition is 1 Fat Quarter per UFO.

There were 19 entrants, some with several UFO's they wanted to finish before deadline; bed quilts, baby quilts, wall quilts, table runners/toppers and quilted bags. Now the UFO competition has come to an end and we have 48 finished quilts. Click here and you will see them all.

The voting is done and we have two winners!

DRUMROLL PLEASE!

Voter's choice goes to Beverley from More Than Just Quilts with her stunning scrappy twin/queen bed quilt

The random choice win
goes to Elizabeth from Lightside Creations with her Walking Dead tote bag 

CONGRATULATIONS to both winners! Well deserved!
Fat quarters will soon find their way to your mail boxes!

THANK YOU to all entrants for participating and CONGRATULATIONS on ALL FINISHED UFO'S! Well done!


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Get to know the QQQ's: Jessica from Sky Dancer Threads

Hi! I'm Jessica Chyko and my shop is Sky Dancer Threads

I live in Bloomsburg PA, USA

I've always had a love of sewing and started when I was 3 years old. When I was 12, I made my first quilt; a pair of baby quilts that I tied with yarn for my neighbor's new twins. I continued making baby quilts for others who were expecting. I always loved star quilts, the broken star one being my favorite. My first full size quilt that I completed was a queen size bear paw that I hand quilted and gave to my husband's parents. 

Looking at it now, I can see how far my stitches have come since then. I continued to make a few queen size quilts for friends and family members as wedding gifts. I always enjoyed quilting. When I joined a local quilt guild, I was introduced to new techniques and ideas. I started machine quilting (a learning process that continues to this day, as I'm always looking to improve on techniques and patterns) and opened up the way for new styles besides traditional piecing. 

One year, we had a challenge at my guild to use a very funky, colorful fat 8th of fabric in anything we wanted. I had a great idea and enlisted the help of my talented friend, artist Kristin Tuberville Haffey, owner of Tree House Illustrator , to help me design a Beatles tribute quilt. 

It was my first applique project and I won 3rd place for it. After that, applique wasn't so scary to me, and I expaned my designs to more art quilts, including a portrait of John Lennon (also a guild challenge project).

When she (Kristin) was going to be married, I wanted to make her a very special quilt. I knew she loved Celtic designs, just like I did. I had always wanted to make a quilt with Celtic knots on it, so this was the perfect opportunity to learn! I checked out a book at the library and went to work. I made er a queen size quilt with matching pillowcases and a throw pillow (first photo top). 

I loved the technique and designs so much that I started creating my own traditional knots and making wall hangings and table runners. It was so much fun! I loved the rich colors of batik fabric and soon expanded to adding inset pieces to make stained glass style designs.

It was after learning all these techniques that I was finally able to finish a quilt I had started 11 years earlier for myself; a broken star quilt that I was hand quilting. I had reached a point where I had blank space in the corners and couldn't figure out what to do to enhance them. Now that I know how to do Celtic knots, I had the idea to add them with some insets to the blank and otherwise boring corners of my quilt. It was well worth the wait, and I'm so happy to have gained all the necessary skills to make it what it is.

I've continued to sew, whenever I'm not chasing around my 6 kids, that is! My friends and family kept saying I should sell some of my creations and it was Kristin's encouragement that led me to open my shop on Etsy. I opened up my shop in Sept 2014 and I love the opportunity it gives me to work with people all over the world to make something that is unique and special just for them!  

My shop: Sky Dancer Threads

Facebook: Sky Dancer Threads

Monthly Quilt Contest - July's Winner

QQQ team has a monthly contest with a theme. For July the theme was 'Vacations', and the winner is Susan from Susans Passion with her popular Retro Camper Mug Rug

Wouldn't this be a great mug rug for your camper? It would make a perfect gift too.

CONGRATULATIONS Susan! Well deserved!

To see more of Susan's work, visit her shop Susans Passion Here you will find a variety of quilts; baby/toddler, lap and bed quilts, table runners, handmade for your kitchen, beanies, scarves, cowls etc. 

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Get to know the QQQ's: Roni from Roni G's Quiltings

Hi! I'm Roni Granot and my shop is RoniGsQuiltings 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/RoniGsQuiltings

How did you come up with your shop name?

I wanted to have "Roni G" in my shop's name; and this was the combination Etsy allowed me J

Where do you live? 

I live in Ra'anana, a small town in the center of Israel 

When did you start making quilts? Or, when did you become interested in quilt-related items (fabric, patterns, etc)?
I started making quilts in 2004. I saw on TV the film "How to Make an American Quilt" and I knew immediately that I have to learn to quilt. Before that I took some courses in sculpturing, painting and jewelry – but never lasted more than a year.

Tell us about your first quilt or other important first in your sewing life.

My first quilt was a small sampler (6 squares), hand sewn and hand quilted because my teacher believes in learning the basics first (or as she said it- you need to learn how to walk before you start running).  

What inspires you?

Colors, nature, fabrics, patterns.

Do you have any other hobbies? Pets? A garden, kids, or volunteer activities? 

I have 3 cats ( Glen, Stella and Becks) and a dog (Swampy). The cats love to sit on my quilts. Any quilt. Or even just on a pile of fabrics.

I used to do puzzles (jigsaws) but I don't have the time for it now. There is one puzzle I saw once on the internet and I hope to do it one day – a cat on a quilt.

Traveling – I traveled in New Zealand 7 years ago, and after passing by a quilt shop I decided to make a quilt when I'll get back home. So I started buying FQ whenever I saw a shop and a year after I returned I made a wall hanging out of all the fabrics. Now I have to do something to remind me of my trip to Norway and the trip to Iceland. 

Do you do any charity sewing?

Not at the moment

Running an Etsy shop means you wear many hats in one day. How do Etsy activities impact your other life activities, such as work, family, other activities?
My Etsy shop is not very active. I work full time and doing other jobs from home in the evening and weekend – so I don't have much time to sew.

How do you plan your projects?

I don’t really plan my projects – sometimes I can work on a project from start to finish, and sometimes I'll finish most of the top and then let it sit for a while until I'll find the perfect fabric for the border or until I'll decide what I want it to really look like. 

Shop: RoniGsQuiltings

Facebook: Ronigquilting

Pinterest: rgranot

Get to know the QQQ's: Susan and Sharon from Ms P Designs USA

Sharon Andersen and Susan Hatcher are sisters and owners of 'Ms P Designs USA'.
Our shop link is: www.etsy.com/shop/MsPDesignsUSA

Our maiden name was 'Passmore', so that's where we came up with Ms P. We design quilting pattern and are based in the USA. So that's why we're 'Ms P Designs USA'.

We live in Houston, Texas.

Sharon is left-handed, and on the left.               Susan is right-handed, and on the right.

We've been sewing for most of our lives; we learned when we were just little girls by watching Mom and our Grandmas Passmore, who always has a project going. We both began quilting about 30 years ago, and haven't stopped since. You could say that it is kind of an obsession with us, but we'd be willing to bet that you could say that about most quilters.

The first quilt that we designed for our company was our 'Down on the Farm' quilt, pictured below. It is special to both of us because it is a reminder of our childhood on the family farm in Montana. We had lots of different animals, although not all of the animals depicted on the quilt. It was a great place to grow up, and we have lots of happy memories of spending time together and with our extended family. 

We're inspired by the world around us. Life on our planet is so diverse, and there are many interesting and beautiful animals to learn about; we've just scratched the surface with our designs so far.

Sharon has a dog (Rowdy) who keeps her walking and playing. Sharon works full time as a science teacher. She also enjoys reading, mostly mysteries and historical fiction, and baking. Susan has three grandchildren, dogs (Bella and Baxter), rabbits , and chickens. She reads, watches television, and works in her gardens in her limited spare time as an oil and gas lease analyst.

Not recently, but Sharon has a stack of pillowcases ready to donate as soon as she can find out where to take them. It is difficult to find time for charity sewing when we both have full-time jobs, but it is definitely something we plan to do when we're retired. 

We have notebooks for making lists and planning our designs. We have ideas to keep us busy for at least 4 years, but we're trying to manage our time wisely, and to pace ourselves. the process begins with Susan's animal sketches and Sharon's design(s) for the pieced offset blocks, and ends with our patterns ready to sell as digital downloads. The magic involves lots of tracing, cutting stitching, manipulating files. 

Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/MsPDesignsUSA

Our social media links: 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/MsPDesignsUSA

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/mspdesignsusa

Twitter: https://twitter.com@mspdesigns

Get to know the QQQ's: Sarah from Issabella's Quilts

Hi there! I'm Sarah and my shop is Issabella's Quilts issabellasquilts.etsy.com My shop name came about as my first Siamese cat Issabella decided every single quilt I made was for her, and in the way of cats, chose to curl up and go to sleep on them as soon as they were made...in fact sometimes before they were even finished! 

I live in a beautiful part of Northern England with my man, daughter, 2 siamese kitties and our cavalier pup. 

We are about a 5 minute walk from the beach and, weather permitting, the North Sea makes a cameo appearance in more than one of my Etsy photos

3 Custom made quilts for 3 little ones

I've always been interested in sewing since being a little girl. Every Sunday afternoon we'd head to my Nana's house for tea and she would sit me on her knee, at her sewing machine, and help me sew up doll clothes, even now the hummmm of my sewing machine reminds me of those relaxed afternoons.

I do all of my sewing on a Janome Horizon

I take my inspiration for everywhere, colours that catch my eye, my team mates on Etsy, women I'm in quilting bee's with, beautiful fabric and of course the internet has a wealth of inspiration to delve into - Instagram & Pinterest are two of my favourites for when I have a free half hour!

My Etsy shop takes up a good portion of my day. Between making ready to buy quilts and helping customers with their custom made quilts I spend a good 4-5 hours each day working on it. That is normally a combination of sewing, ordering fabric which I mainly do online, I love finding the perfect stand out print for each and every quilt! then the "behind the scenes" part of having an online shop like the merchandising so people can find what they are looking for, replying to customers emails, marketing which I mainly do through Etsy teams, Instagram and my blog, these things all take up time - but I wouldn't have it any other way :D 

One of the questions I get asked a lot is how do I go about planning custom quilts for my customers. The answer is it varies with each one! Normally I'll be approached through Etsy and we discuss exactly what they are looking for, size, colour, if they have seen a pattern they love, what style of fabrics they would like, how detailed they want the quilting and importantly what time frame they are looking to receive the quilt in. Once those details are sorted out I get my thinking cap on and come up with a couple of ideas and send them through with a price quote. If the customer love the ideas I then get straight to the fun part...choosing fabrics! 

Ivy really likes picking out fabrics too!


If they don't fall instantly in love with the design we work together to iron out any misunderstandings about the plan and come up with something they will love! This whole consultation process can take anything from an afternoon to 2-3 weeks depending on the customer. 

When I do have free time that isn't spent "selfish sewing" I love to cook, I try to cook each evening meal from scratch without using prepackaged goods whenever possible. My current favourite cookbook is Nigellissima by Nigella Lawson, it has some really yummy recipes! I am addicted to audio books and could spend all day with a good story on my headphones :D I also crochet and embroider to relax on an evening, when I don't have some hand quilting nearby to work on. 

I can be found at my shop issabellasquilts.etsy.com

Blog issabellasquilts.com

 Instagram @issabellasquilts

And

On Facebook issabellas quilts

Pop over and say Hi! 

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