Fabric Giveaway and a question or two...

I've been busying myself today putting together some new fabric bundles for the shop, which always gets me thinking. I know it isn't necessarily easy when buying fabric on-line, computer monitors don't always reflect true colours. Plus, it's not always easy to work out how large the fabric pattern is etc.....so how can it made easier?

... some gorgeous blues in these designs...

Some people, I know are brave enough to ask for samples... quite sensible if you're trying to match fabric with some that you already have or putting together a quilt. But is there anything else that might help given that we don't (yet) live in a Star Trek like world where samples can be 'beamed' across the airwaves in a nano second!

Does it help to see the fabric used in a completed project? I'm thinking particularly, of those designers who blog and produce sewing patterns using their own fabric lines, plus the multitude of other crafters who also blog. I know that sometimes that sends me off looking for paticular patterns and designs. Does this wealth of 'visual' information help you to have the confidence to mix and match fabrics for yourself? Would shopping on-line for fabric be more difficult without this?

What kind of information do you look for in fabric descriptions? I try to include a description of the colour but that of course is quite subjective. I'm going to resolve some of these issues with matching and contrasting some of the 'pink', 'roses' 'fuschia' and 'green' type colours in some of Amy Butler's fabrics by getting some of her 'solids' fabrics. But they've yet to arrive. I've also been wondering whether it's useful to include care information; details of washing and drying etc. ? At the moment I only supply this if I'm asked for it.

For now anyway, I'm holding on tightly to the belief that fabric bundles help. I get a great deal of pleasure in putting fabrics side by side and seeing the effect they have on each other, which is why I think that the bundles are helpful. (... did you think I was just being self-indulgent, tsk, tsk) Also I think that it gives you the opportunity to see the patterns side by side, you can see the sizes of the fabric prints in relation to one another and you can get an idea of how they interact and 'work' together.

These fabric bundles from the Daisy Chain range are based on Amy's own colour palettes. Look I even got a bit carried away and took a more 'draped' looking photograph to accompany them, just to show a little more of the fabric you understand.

But is that enough?

I should love to hear what you think about all this.

In the meantime I'm sticking to putting fabric bundles together.... it's fun, playing with the prints and the colours.... and I've all the Midwest Modern, Heather Bailey and Anna Maria Horner fabrics to work my way through....

So, how about a giveaway ? I haven't had one for a while. How about this?

and of course it's more drapey partner.

All you have to do is respond to this post by leaving a comment and I'll use the 'random number generator thingy' to randomly select a number.... and that person will be the winner of some lovely fat quarters.... all this excitement will take place on the 23rd September which is a Wednesday.

Speak soon

Comments

[Kelly]

think i might have missed the giveaway, but wanted to say that your photos for the fabric bundles really do help me get a better idea of colour prints, i also like the newly added 'draped' photos, x

[Antonia S-H]

Oooh, what lovely fabrics! It's my birthday today, so I definitely think I should win! I love fabric bundles - even if I put fabrics from one bundle into another bundle - and it's really useful to know the size and scale of the prints. Hope I'm not too late for the draw....

[Amy Lane]

Hi Julia,
I love the way you put fabric bundles together and for someone like me who lacks confidence in matching fabrics, it is really helpful. I also think it is great to see finished projects as this makes me even more likely to buy fabric as I can actually see how it could end up looking and gives me inspiration. I think if you really need to make sure a fabric matches things you already have in your house then you do need to request a sample though. I also like to see an everyday object in a picture if the pattern has a print on it so I know roughly how large the pattern will be. Thanks for doing another giveaway - you are fab!

Amy x

[tanya]

your site inspires me to mix fabrics I never would have thought went well together!

[mitmot]

love the bundled packs, and also like a coin to give indication of pattern size - i have been caught out with this in the past. completed projects are also great to get ideas for mixing fabrics.
keep up the great work xx

[naomi]

I LOVE the bundles - have just found you on the internet and put in my order today (had a sneaky peek at some of the fabrics in the 'real life' shops to see what they were 'actually' like at the weekend and was VERY pleasantly surprised at how good your images were). Unlike some commenters, I like the draped materials pictures in combination with the bundle pictures they give a good idea of the fabrics. I love Amy Butler fabrics, but I find them hard to put together sometimes as I am not very confident of my ability to match (and am very much a beginner!!).

Greedily, I would also ask for ideas on how to 'extend' the bundles by adding single fabrics from your selection if possible - e.g. if you need another fabric, X or Y are a good idea) - together with a coin for sizing.

Love the shop and hope to visit regularly to top up my fabric stash... Thank you so much :)

[Renee G]

I have to say that I am more inclined to mix and match when I can see the fabric in a shop. However, I do love your fabric bundles and I even like kits, layer cakes, etc.
As to the size of the print, I would recommend always taking the picture at the same distance away from the fabric. That way we are comparing prints on screen, their size is relative.

[tubakk]

Hello. Glad I found your site. If I order fabric online, I always try to buy all the fabric for a project one place. I know that the persons working there are experts, and will tell me if one of the fabrics does not fit in. Of course I must tell that it is for one special project.
I like when you put fabric together in a picture, and never order online the one-and-one fabrics, unless I know them in the first place. Good luck to you mixing fabrics.

[Anna]

I am not sure if there is a way to get the true color of fabric in a photograph but I am often surprised by how accurate the colors are on the computer- especially when gets a close up of them.
Your fabric selections are gorgeous and someone will indeed be fortunate to win the sumptious fat quarters.
Thanks for putting my name in for your giveaway.
Warmest regards,
Anna

[Clare]

Hi Julia
I've only just started buying fabrics online, but your bundle pics are great. The other thing that would help me is maybe some pics of bundles with the different colours in the range placed together? Tanya Whelan's Darla or Paula Prass's Summer Soiree ranges have great contrasting colours which I use together in making childrens clothes, bags etc. The ruler / coin idea is good as well, as I have been surprised by the scale of the pattern before!! Thanks for thinking of us!

[Kristin @ www.whatthestitch.wordpress.com]

I love the "draped" shots. This fabric is so beautiful!

When I shop online for fabric I usually just try to find photos of it in finished projects, which usually gives me a better idea of the scale of the print, etc. I had an experience once where I ordered willy-nilly and the print was much, MUCH bigger than what I was wanting...it was AB, so still gorgeous, but unexpected. I ended up using it differently than I originally planned! :)

[Joyce]

Love the color combinations. Not sure what advice to give on the bundles. I love the idea of seeing them all together. Thanks for the chance

[GReg]

Those are some nice fabrics. I can always find a current project to use them in, if not I'll start another!!

[Jocelyn]

Wow what a great giveaway. I have just recently ordered some fabric because I could not find what I wanted or needed locally. I do think bundling fabric collections makes a big difference when making selections. Your giveaway fabrics are very beautiful! They look great together. Thanks for entering me in your giveaway!

[Rosa Robichaud]

As for print size, I find it ALWAYS helps when the person posts a measuring tape nearby.

Unfortunately, I rarely order on-line - shipping to Canada is INCREDIBLE!!!

Tks for putting my name in the proverbial "hat"... !!!

Rosa Robichaud
Saint John, New Brunswick
Canada

P.S. Yes, pictures of bundles of fabrics, side by side sure help! *grin*

[arlette]

Love the bundles pictures, the fabric is gorgeous!

[Julie Beales]

i think the close up picture helps me because of the detail and depth of colour is show when the pieces are all stacked together , but the photo of the fabrics helps also because i myself throw fabrics onto the bed to see how they would work together from a distance, and in multiple pieces of one print necessarily don't work together , it helps to virtually step back and take a cyberspace look at the bigger picture. Although all the amy butler fabrics are fab so what you don't use in one project you would certainly use in another if you made a mistake in your purchase.
Best wishes Jools

[Sandi]

Your bundles are a great way of showing how fabrics relate to one another, both in scale and color. Another way to show scale is to put a small ruler or coin in the photo, so we can see the actual size. The bundles help when you are buying two or more fabrics, but if we don't already have one of the fabrics and are buying just one, the size is still relative. Thanks for putting so much thought into your offerings!

[Joanna Perry]

You know all of the questions you just put into your blog for today are like some of the things I agonize over when I plan a project. Are these colors okay, are the patterns okay, is that color of yellow close enough to the yellow in the print, etc.? I think picturing the group together gives a good idea of the match. Hope I win.

[Minsiemom]

I love your combinations. The bundles really showcase how the fabrics go together, but you are right, the "draped" compositions lets us see more of the fabric. Thanks for reading our opinions!

[Kaye Prince]

Putting completed projects up in the fabrics may help some people, but when I'm buying fabric on-line I generally look up more pictures of it on the internet and just come up with a general feeling of the colours in my head. I don't know if others do this, but frankly I think there's no real way to know exactly what a fabric looks like unless you've seen it in person.

I would love to win some of this fabric; I love Amy Butler!

[Muckla]

Oh - I would love to win! Such great colour combinations!

[Jessica]

I like seeing the fabirc in action so to speak, maybe highlight photos in the flickr group which uses fabric brought from the shop?

Other than that you give alot more info than other online stores, some dont even bother putting the width of fabric or if its heavyweight or light etc

[Nicole]

Some gorgeous fabrics there and such great colour - I'm a big fan of teals and turquoises :)

[SewCalGal]

I thnk these fabrics would be quite fun to make a project out of. Lovely colors prints.

SewCalGAl
www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com