What babies want!

Here is a sneak peek at something I am currently working on. Being on Etsy a week (no sales yet :( ) and having a proper snoop around showed me that large handmade (and therefore expensive) items don't sell so well. So I am thinking I need to start making baby quilts, because that seems to be the the way to go when it comes to quilts.

So I am currently making this baby quilt, and it is a handmade reversible quilt again, hoping I will stand out a bit from the masses of quilters on Etsy.

So now the question is of course "What do babies want?" or maybe it should be "What do new mums want?".

Should it be lots of cute fabrics with animals and toys etc.?

What about colours, very colourful and bright or rather muted baby pinks and blues?

I am also thinking of offering personalisation, an extra feature where buyers can let me know what name or word they want me to add to the quilt and I can applique it on by hand in large letters. If I do that should the fabric used for the letters be the same fabric used in the quilt or fabrics that are slightly different so the letters stand out?

Should I also add buttons and ribbons and other decorative object or not?

Any advice? What would you want? Sorry, of course I know you are not a baby :), but maybe you are a new mum, or a mum to be or you have friends who have a baby. What would they want? Or maybe you know what works well with babies and toddlers? What would a toddler like?


I am also currently working on some other projects, I had quite an exciting idea and am trying to develop some patterns, but that will have to wait until one of the next posts.

Take care.
Love, Nadine


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We have a winner!

Hello everyone,

thank you all so much for your lovely comments and all the well-wishes for the Etsy shop. I have had a lot of exposure over the last week and some items have almost 200 views which is really good for a new shop. I have received a few hearts, and the shop has been added to favorites by several etsyists, which shows that people like the items in my shop. I have also joined (or been added to) a few circles (... please add me if you are on Etsy, the more the merrier).

I am trying to learn more about Etsy by following the forum and I am trying to find out how to optimize the shop appearance. It's amazing what a lovely community it is and how everyone is trying to help a newbie like me. I will keep you all posted on developments and will of course also keep you updated on listed items and new projects. I am currently working on a few new quilts (some handmade, some on the machine) which will probably go on once I have finished them, so watch this space.

Now to our winner. Thank you all for entering the giveaway. It was great meeting you, or meeting you again.

And the winner is ...

no 4 = Betty.



Congratulations, Betty. I hope you will like the bag, my first successful handbag. Hurrah.
Could you please email me your address, so I'll get the bag in the post first thing tomorrow morning.

Keep an eye on the blog and the Facebook page because I intend to host giveaways on a regular basis. It's fun and I always meet new people.

Now, the fabric is calling.

Love, Nadine

ETSY shop opening and a Giveaway!

Yay! I finally did it. I listed 17 items in my new Etsy shop today called Quilted Bliss by Nadine

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

and to celebrate the shop opening I am having giveaway here on the blog.

You can win this funky new tote

and the winner will be picked at random a week from now on Sunday 22 May. All you have to do is go to my Etsy shop and have a browse and then leave me a comment telling me what you like best.

I would also welcome any advice on selling quilts and other items on Etsy. I am new to this and could use your help.

Oh, and if you are new to my blog and become a follower you get an extra chance in the giveaway. Just leave me another comment and tell me you're now a follower.

I am so excited I think I need to sew something to calm me down.

Love, Nadine





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Bloggers Quilt Festival Spring 2011

I am participating in Amy's Bloggers Quilt Festival again. It was one of the first things I did after starting my blog last year and I thoroughly enjoyed the process, browsing through so many lovely blogs full of inspiration.

I am entering the quilt I just blogged about a few days ago, because it is quite significant to me. I have only started using a sewing machine in January this year, after receiving it as a Christmas present from my other half. Before that I only did everything by hand, piecing, quilting, binding. and I always make reversible 2 in 1 quilts often using the Quilt-as-you-go-Method. But on the sewing machine I just couldn't find out how to do that properly without something going wrong or looking a bit odd, especially on the back.

And this quilt, the Soul Blossoms & Stained Fassett Glass Quilt is the first quilt where I figured out how to do it properly. I was so chuffed when it finally worked out and I made a reversible QAYG quilt on the sewing machine and it looks really good. I think I will use this method a lot more in the future because making a quilt the 'normal' way just does not do my back any favours.





the sashing in Kona Ash


The back using Kaffe Fassett charms and Kona Snow for the sashing



I used red thread for the quilting on the back


I hope you like it.

Love, Nadine

Soul Blossoms & Stained Fassett Glass

Finally, I took some pictures of this quilt, about time, it has been finished for a while now. I will have to take some outdoor pictures too to show the colours in a more realistic lighting. These pictures were taken indoors on the iPhone and are not very good unfortunately.

This is another Quilt-as-you-go-Quilt and reversible too of course, like all my quilts. It is a bed quilt but will have to measure it to tell you how big it is exactly.

I had a pile of Soul Blossoms strips that I had to cut off a layer cake to fit it into my fabric storage drawers and I decided to make something fairly simple with them.

I quilted the blocks in a spiral pattern and then attached them using thin strips of sashing. I think I will use the QAYG method for all my quilts from now on. I nearly broke my back again the other day basting the newest project I am working on and was cursing all the way through, very entertaining for my other half, mind you. He loves watching me crawl around the floor. I just wish I could teach him to baste so I won't have to do it anymore and throw my back out in the process.





the sashing in Kona Ash

Quilt sculpture over a chair (actually there is a massage chair underneath that, I can really recommend that for strained quilters backs)

The back using Kaffe Fassett charms and Kona Snow for the sashing



I used red thread for the quilting on the back


I hope you like it.

Love, Nadine

PS: I need some advice for my ETSY shop. How would you send a quilt like this in the post? Any idea how much the postage costs if it is sent abroad from the UK? With insurance and tracking or something like it? I really need to sort out the shipping before I can list anything on Etsy.


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Moo postcards have arrived

Etsy- here I come. Well, almost. My Moo Postcards have now arrived and also the spoonflower labels and I am slowly getting closer to my Etsy shop opening. The to-do-list is shrinking, just a few more things to finish:

- sew new smaller labels to small quilts
- determine shipping prices for smaller items (there will be free UK shipping on quilts)
- add shop policies (the banner, avatar and shop announcements are already up)
- wrap everything nicely, add ribbons and pack parcels
- put labels on packages
- add business cards and postcards
- upload images and

... GET LISTING!

Not long now, hurrah.

Any advice you experienced Etsy-ists can give me would be appreciated.

Love, Nadine



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A quilt top in a day!

Finally, I managed to try piecing a (fairly small, maybe single bed sized?) quilt in a day. Been meaning to test how long it would take me. It is a really simple design though, the Bridges design I used before. I couldn't do it that fast with a more detailed pattern.

But good to know it's doable, certainly a first for me.

How long does it take you to complete a quilt top?

Love, Nadine







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