Look....

The editor of this magazine, Rhoda Parry has a new blog

It's really worth dropping by and visiting. The content is similar to the magazine, with hearty, warming recipes for this time of the year. Mentions and links to designers such as 'Clothkits' and Emma Bridgewater, blogs to visit, gorgeous photographs and it's still a very young blog.

She likes my .....fabric bundles! and I'm flattered.

I like my fabric bundles too. I'm always trying to find ways of overcoming the problems of buying fabric online when you can't touch and feel it and you can't move it alongside another fabric .... which might go... but then again... So, bundles are my way of trying to overcome some of those issues. What I can't decide at the moment is whether pictures of fabric swatches 'photoshopped' together, such as these...

...look as attractive as photographs of fabric bolts side by side like this...

What do you think works best?

Comments

[Jen]

Hi Julia - I love the bolts - they're just so scrummy. If I want a swatch view of one or more pieces, I just click on the links in the description - that works great for me. BTW thanks for the link to Rhoda Parry - the blog has such lovely pixs (and sewing ideas!).
Take care, Jen

[Helen]

I like the bolts too - it somehow makes it feel more like real shopping than internet shopping!
Loved the heather bailey bundle I just bought from you - the prints work so well together.

[Jenny]

I prefer the bolts, they look more inspiring,
I think you get a better idea of how the fabrics will work together.

[Jackie]

Definately the bolts. Keep up the bundles.

[Helen]

I like the bolts side by side pictures - so juicy!

[dottycookie]

The bolts - every time.

I love your fabric bundles too!

[penny]

I think either type of photo is good so long as you can get some sense of scale of the print from it. Why not use either as is appropriate?

Thanks for the link to Rhoda Parry's blog and from there to Clothkits. I didn't know they still existed, I've many happy memories of lovely little garments bought ready made or made up from their kits. Needless to say both sites are now in my bookmarks bar.

[Wild Rose]

I love the bolts too...and I discovered Rhoda's blog last month after reading about it in the magazine.

I do hope that your year is off to a good start and that you are not still experiencing freezing temperatures ~ you have had more snow than us, but I'm not complaining!

Marie x

[kelly]

i think the bolts look better, as you can get a better idea of the colours size of the prints together!

[Judith]

The bolts together make it much easier to see how they work. What about trying the swatches side by side?

[Julia]

Hi Dotty. Glad you like the bundles. They're a lot of fun to put together. Just between the two of us I get a lot of help from cutting orders for people. Suddenly there before you on the cutting table is a brilliant mix.... of colour and pattern. One day I'll have to get really brave and mix up different designers fabrics into bundles. Anna Maria Horner and Heather Bailey use very similar pinks for example.

[Julia]

Hi Penny - I think I'm going to enjoy dipping into her blog too. She's turning up lots of little gems at the moment. Thank you for the input on the fabric bundles.

[Julia]

Marie... However, did we manage to get more snow than Canada? That really can't be right. Fortunately for us we live in a part of the country we kept missing the worst of the snow. So, although we had freezing temperatures and solid, unforgiving ice (I live on a hill... so the car was off limits for about ten days.... no way was it safe to move it.) we didn't have the really deep stuff.

[Julia]

I think so far it's pretty unanimous.... the bolts are winning.