Launching QS Extra Wide Batik Fabric

Extra Wide fabrics are very difficult to get hold of as most manufacturers don't make any and those who do, only make a very limited selection.  These need to be generally ordered months in advance and then just arrive with no notice.  If a fabric is popular and we want to reorder, generally the chances are slim. Batik extra wides are even more difficult to get hold off.

Extra Wide fabrics are approximately 108 inches for standard fabrics and for Batik they are 106 inches wide approx.  They are fantastic for quilt backs, piecing, dress making etc and are of course 100% cotton.

Several months ago we made the decision to source a range of extra wide batiks fabrics of our own and import them from Indonesia.

It was a very long process and the hardest was actually deciding on what to have produced.
I have chosen 20 different colours/designs for our first order.

I asked the factory to send me pictures of them being produced.

Here is a link to a you tube video produced by Moda of the whole process, which really makes you appreciate how much work and effort is involved in this fabric.  Just click the link below.

The Traditional Batik Process


So when the fabrics were ready we then had to arrange shipping.  They took around five weeks by sea to get to the UK. Next they had to have all the correct documentation and payment of import duty and vat in order to clear customs.

This is the first ship which the fabrics started on, on their very long journey to the UK

and today they arrived!

Here are just a few of the bolts now in the store cupboard.

These extra wide batiks have been specially produced on 40's fabric which is slightly less dense a weave than standard Batik fabric which is generally a 50's.

50's fabric is too tight a weave to use as a backing fabric as the needle can damage the threads when quilting and create holes and in turn this can cause bearding (where the wadding pokes out of the holes).  By using the 40's fabric the needle goes between the threads.

The fabrics are now in the online shop here  - http://www.quiltsandwich.co.uk/#!quilt-backs-shop/c50p   click on the batik section. We have the largest collection of extra wide fabrics in the UK.

Minimum cut as usual is half a metre and in the online shop they are just £21 per metre.
As they are extra wide they are almost 2.5 times as wide as standard width, so in reality this would equate to just over £8 per metre of standard width - which is a superb price for high quality batik.

I shall also be launching these at Harrogate Quilt Show, so be sure to call by. I will be on stand 166 & 167.

Festival of Quilts 2016

This year I took my husband Tim to the Festival of Quilts at the NEC for the first time.

As usual I stayed at The Village in Solihull and drove in each day.

We had a great time meeting lots of lovely quilters we already knew, many of whom have attended our workshops and retreats and many which we had not met before too.  We also covered Sally Holmans stall whilst she went to teach.

We also visited Louise Mabbs. Louise is scheduled to teach at Quilt Sandwich at the end of October  this year - full details are on our website here - http://www.quiltsandwich.co.uk/#!workshops/c24c2

and of course caught up with our regular tutors too - Jenny Rayment, Jan Hassard, Gail Lawther, Angela Madden, Pat Archibald, Lynne Edwards,Kathleen Laurel Sage.

Here are some of the very many quilts which were on show.

Liz Wheeler - Negative to positive

Claire Wallace - Transformation

Suzy Sparrowe - A million and one mistakes

Rachel Tyndall - C & G applique samples

Claire O' Rourke - Carousel

Jennifer Green - Labour of  Love

Christine Davidson - All Encompassing Vision

Yvonne McKie  - Florigia

Fine Cell Work - Stella Quilt

Esperanza Blanco Ruiz - My Country House

Joanna Holomiej - The Kitchen Gods Wife

Judith Wilson - Humming Bee

Joy Salvage - Blue Cabin

Cal Boal - Custard Yellow

Annalise Littlefair - The Journey

Pat Scriven 1+1=19

Kay Bell - All Airs & Graces

Lynda Jackson - Changed my Mind Again

Kimberley Follington - New York Beauty

Anne Hill - Never Again

Bridget Corrie - Charlottes's Quilt

Brendan Sanders - Becky's Garden

Judith Lynch - My Old Dutch

anette Chilver - Dresden in Bloom

Elly Prins - Vermere & More

Trudi Wood - Priory Squared

Sandie Lush - Pearl Princess

Valerie Eames- Not a Patch on Jane

Frances Meredith - Nearly Insane

Diane Dixon - Last but not least

Linsey Upton - Tartan Tatoo

Catherine Carlyon - A Sparking Dear JAne

Jenyy Otton - Mediallion Quilt II

Sheena Norquay - Charming Checkmate

Susie Cooke - Southern Girls

Sandie Pirie - My KNOT Garden

Sandiy Chandler & Jo Colwill - Paracombe Quilt

Hilary Beattie - Bulrushes

Bara Bartosova - Geisha

Natalie Manley - Grey Days Reverie

Olivier Battais - Discovered Waters

Isobel Munroe - Light & Shadows

Joke Buursma - The Vuew

Kate Jackson - Theres no Place Like Home

Helen Godden - Galloping Wild & Free

Derek Snoxall and Sheila Wilkinson- Summer Garden

Angela Cotter & Kay Bell - For Lucy

Bianca Ruddy & Drene Ruddy - To Madiba with Love

 - 3rd Prize  Sue Watters & Sandlie Chandlier - Abigail Rose

Juliet van der Heijden - Hunted

Bara Bartosova - Frog

Maggie Farmer - The Wapley HillTree in Winter

Louise Jessup - The Dung Beetle

Mermaids - Claudia Pfeil

3rd Prize Liz Jones - Sunseeker

Paramjit Panesar - Illusion

Lynne Hanson - Colour Wheel

Chris Mason - ISBN Quilt

Brenda Sanders - Atom

Fiona Mcintosh - Sursum Semler

2nd Prize

Mayte Rodrigues Rodrgues - Betelgeuse

Brenda Thomas - Postcard from Devon

Laura Kenshall

FIRST PRIZE WINNERS

Janette Chilver & Mary Telford  - Vintage Moments

Sunset Spectrum - Dyeversity

Robyn Fahy - Paradise in Bloom

Sandie Chadler

Jane Bonnie - All that Remains

Sandra Newton - Other Places

Oksaner Mader - Kaleidoscope of My Life & Love - My First Quilt

Leah Higgins - Ruins 6

Elfrieda Grooten - New Beginning

Holly Neave - Thats the Way to do it

Matilda Tate -Under the \tropical Sea

Burgess Hill School for Girls - Sittin in the morning sun

Malou Cecille Van Draanan Glismann - Sea Views J Pennecamp Beach

Minatures

Lisa Gibbs - Colours of Namaqualand

Pam Garland - Trio Sonata

Janette Chilver  - Waltzer

Charlott Sundahl - Over the Edge

Diane Dixon - Fire Island Hosta

2nd Place - Fern Rising - Claudia Pfeil

Claudia will be coming over from Germany to teach again later this year at Quilt Sandwich. Full details on the website soon - http://www.quiltsandwich.co.uk/#!workshops/c24c2

Maggie Barber - Hidden Message

Annalise Littlefair - New Beginnings

Jean Bell - Sunburst

Sandy Chandlier - Enigma

Maaike Bakker - Tribute to William Morris

Caroline Wilkinson - Not so much sunshire plenty of shadow

Marcia Baraldi - Blue Metamorphosis

Helena Butcher - Box Section

Rosalind Harvey - Made with Love

Isabel Muzos - Tropical Cardumen

Bara Bartosova - Fata Morgana

Gillian Theokritoff - Floribundance

Creative

2nd place - Kathy Knapp - The Morning Coat

Japanese Showcase

Russian Showcase

Hope you have enjoyed my photos. If I have pictured your quilt and not named you and would like to be added, please just let me know.

Workshops, retreats and the largest selection of extra wide backing fabrics can be found on my website here. www.quiltsandwich.co.uk  You can also subscribe to our newsmail list to be kept up to date with new retreats. Just send me an email - fiona@royalhotelbrid.co.uk.