Thank you and bye bye from Nina (BossyOz)

It's almost the end of my week as host for 52 Quilters.

If you have followed me on Instagram you have seen quite a few photographs, whereas Twitter has been a bit more neglected. This is also typically the case for my own online presence. The ease of using Instagram has almost "killed" my blog and definitely Twitter. It's hard to show quilting in only words and photos are so much better on Instagram.

During the week I posted twelve photos on Instagram and below I'll tell you a bit more about some of them.

BossyOz as 52quilters on Instagram

Fabric and quilt shops:  I am fortunate to live in London (United Kingdom), which means I have lots of shops selling quilting fabrics and haberdashery around me.  For lists of quilt shops, check e.g. London Modern Quilt Guild (Poppy in Stitches), Needles and Lemons or Tilly and the Buttons.

UK fabric designer: I have been rather taken by Karen Lewis and her screen printing adventures! With excellent online work and always being super friendly, she has been asked by Robert Kaufman to design her own fabric line. The formal release is in November, but some shops are already stocking her fabrics. Click for the Blueberry Park collection. Karen also sells some other screen printed designs directly from her own shop, here.

Cornish Wonky Cross quilt

Quilt inspiration: The black and white wonky cross quilt was inspired by the Cornish flag. Cornwall is a county in the United Kingdom which is miles different from London. If London is stress, pollution and congestion; then Cornwall is relaxation, sailing, and peace (if you avoid the tourist spots!).

Improv mini for the Easy Swap UK #easyswapuk

Swaps and customs duty: Having taken part in a few international swaps, I decided to set up and run swaps for quilters in the United Kingdom. This way, we can keep postage costs down, and we avoid getting caught out by customs charges.

What many international swappers don't know is that items sent from outside the European Union are liable to customs duty and VAT if value is stated as over £15 (approx 23USD). If it is marked as a gift, then the charges hit over £36 (approx 55USD) if marked as gift. If a parcel is sent to the UK from, say the United States, and the value is set as 100USD, then we end up paying around £23 (35USD) to release it from the claws of UK customs. Not all parcels get checked, but many do. If you are sending internationally, please do your research, or ask you swap lead / organiser. Remember, all countries in Europe are not members of the European Union, and every country has their own thresholds!

ScandiBee - the blocks I have received

Quilting bees: I have been taking part in a few bees and so far I have been lucky that everyone has lasted for the full duration. I am still not sure if bees really are my thing. On the positive side, the friendship and inspiration they offer are fantastic. On the negative side, sometimes the blocks are not that exciting to make; it can be the pattern, the fabrics, the size or just the fact that I just made 20 of them for myself...

Thank you to everyone who has liked or commented on my posts on Instagram during this week. It was great hanging out with the "big crowd".

Love
/ Nina


Post by Nina @ BossyOz - week #40

Nina is a working mum running her own project management and strategy consultancy, whilst "stealing time" to design, create and sew useful items for the home, the three kids (not so often for the husband) and to give away as gifts. Originally she started out designing and making clothes for herself, but after the kids arrived she has entered the fascinating world of quilting. She is mostly active on Instagram @bossyoz