what's your favorite online fabric store?

As my Stoffvorrat slowly comes to an end, (not really, but it seems that my fabric is going quickly), I was thinking about ordering some more. Where to buy? Unfortunately, there is no fabric store around me that offers the most current collections from big name companies including precuts.

When I buy fabric, there are usually two ways I do it. I either buy according to a project, or I buy what I like, usually within a collection, so I don't have to figure out if it matches or not. I LOVE precuts! - strips, charms, layer cakes, and fat quarters.

I used to buy loads of reduced fabric, because by the time it gets to me, it won't be current anyway considering transport and Customs. I stopped this simply because I was buying too many country and civil war fabrics. Most of them have been weeded out.

In the early years, I didn't really know where to find pretty quilting fabric that was "up-to-date" or modern. I am not really into flower prints. I prefer tone-on-tone (TOT) or geometrical fabrics. I like a range of print scaling too - large, medium and small or no print aka solids. I remember buying up some Berenstain Bears fabric called "Welcome to Bear Country" and thought the artist didn't get the memo on designing fabrics for quilters who need a range of different scaling. The collection consisted of primarily medium prints with one large scale. It helped by bringing in alternate solids.

I made a really nice pattern using the prints from the main characters by stacking them, slicing and sewing back together. If anyone has sewn together this quilt, I would love to see it. You can get the pattern free on Craftsy. There are directions for two different sizes. Brigitte Heitland did the most beautiful job at quilting it too especially with "Berenstain Bears" text at the top!

Back to fabric stores...I found a couple of really nice online fabric shops over the last few years. If you are a big online fabric shopper, these are probably not new to you. If you are new, this will be a good starting point. They are in no specific order.

• The Fat Quarter Shop - good for most current fabric - great for precuts, not so good for yardage unless you are willing to order full yard cuts.
• Hawthorne Threads - great for up-to-date fabrics. Great service. They run a very professional company; it usually takes six weeks for me to get my fabric due to Customs. They have a great design board which really helps to match up fabrics! Sign up for their weekly newsletter for your chance to win fabric!!
• fabricworm - fresh modern fabrics. I have never ordered from them, but think they have a great store.
• The Quilted Castle - good prices, good service!
• Creative Quilt Kits - very nice kits. I have found some really nice children's fabric there.
• Keepsake Quilting - they publish an awesome catalog featuring current collections and "medleys". It costs a little bit more for shipping but no problems. I was at their shop once in Center Harbor New Hampshire. I was in HEAVEN and started to daydream about retiring there next to the water in a lake house. Girls, if you have access to this shop, go there directly in person. They have summer closeouts too! >>screaming<<

Within Germany:

• Quiltmania by Ines Khasani - a wide range of current products, lots of precuts and magazines. Good service on time!
• Stoffsalat - good quick service - yummy fabrics!
• Quilt et Textilkunst - I first discovered this one at the convention in Karlsruhe

In Switzerland:

• Cotton & Color - I have never been disappointed with this company. They are timely and correct. The prices are great too. Their website is in English, French and German!

Do you have a favorite online fabric store for quilt and patchwork? Or do you prefer to visit a fabric store in person to touch, feel, caress the fabric the way all of us do? I would love to hear from you! Don't forget to sign up for post updates via bloglovin, Google or email on the right. Happy patching...

Slice & Roll Kinderquilt Pattern

I am really excited to share with you my newest quilt pattern, the Slice & Roll Kinderquilt featuring the Berenstain Bears - Welcome to Bear Country fabric for Moda. If you have been following my blog and posts, you may know that my family and I love the Berenstain Bears. We have quite a few books - maybe 30 in total from the original authors, Jan and Stan Berenstain. I started reading the books to my first-born when he was three years old. He really enjoys them and understands the lessons behind the stories. as well.

When I found out there was a fabric line coming out from Moda Fabrics, I was completely beside myself. The "I got to have it look" as quoted from The Green Eyed Monster quickly came over me. I designed a block with the fabrics depicting the original four main characters (Mama, Papa, Brother & Sister Bear) and a few other solid fabrics taken directly from the books. I also went a little modern with an offset border. With the great novelty fabric, I was able to make a "book" in the lower right with a selvage tag.

This really is a great pattern to use with all children's and novelty fabrics such as Dr. Seuss & The Cat in the Hat, Olivia, and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

And as always, if you make this quilt, I would love to see YOUR creation!

Pattern Features:
selvage tag
offset borders
partial seams
easy sliced blocks

You can download your PDF pattern at the following locations:

DaWanda  |  Craftsy

Ich freue mich sehr, Euch meine allererste kaufbare Patchworkdeckenanleitung vorzustellen. Sie heißt Slice & Roll Kinderquilt {Patchworkdeckeanleitung}. Und sie liegt mir echt sehr am Herzen. Wenn ihr meinen Blog verfolgt habt, dann wißt ihr, daß wir die Berenstain Bären - Bücherreihe lesen. Es ist eine amerikanische Kinderbuchreihe die in den 1950er herausgekommen ist. Sie erzählt alltägliche aber sehr wichtige Lektionen, die die Kinder erleben, wie z.B. das Lügen erzählen und die Konsequenzen hiervon. Wir haben sehr viele Bücher der Reihe, ungefähr 30 Titel. Ich fing sie an vorzulesen, als unser Erster drei Jahre alt war. Er mag sie und versteht den Hindergrund.

Als ich erfahren habe, daß Moda Fabrics eine neue Patchworkstoffkollektion mit den Bären raus brachte, mußte ich sie sofort kaufen. Ich habe den 4er-Block mit den Stofffarben der Kleider der vier original Bären - Mama, Papa, Bruder und Schwester Bär entworfen. Die anderen Farben habe ich passend zu den Farben aus den Büchern dazu gewählt. Ich habe die den äußeren Rand (Bordüre) asymmetrisch entworfen. Der illustrierte Stoff aus der Kollektion ist ein schönes Beispiel für die Illustrationen in den Büchern. Dazu habe ich ein Zettelchen aus der Stoffrand in den Block rein genäht, so sieht es ein bisschen wie ein echtes Buch aus.

Man kann hierfür alle novelty Stoffe verwenden, wie Tante Emma Stoffe, Kaptän Sharky oder Prinzessin Lillifee.

Anleitung Schwerpunkte:

Slevage Tag

Asymetrischbordüre

Partial Säume

"Stappel" Schneidetechnique

Die Patchworkanleitung in Englisch kann hier als PDF herunter geladen werden:

DaWanda  |  Craftsy