Sunday {Spoonflower} Stash

I’ve been wanting to do something about spoonflower for ages, but I waited until I'd actually ordered, received and sewn with their prints before posting.
 
If you’re not familiar with them, spoonflower are a digital fabric printing company in the U.S. and anybody can upload a pattern and order fabric from them.  Most of these designs are then available to the rest of us to order.  It’s like a kind of fabric flickr!
 
This is what I’ve had from them.  They are all lush and crisply printed and generally yum.
 
early bird by isabelle (aka) troismiettes

birdhouse by Isabelle

   

carousel by zesti

cheater friday by melanie sullivan
(texas freckles)

 

you may recognise this from when I bought a swatch and used it for hexies  but I knew then I’d be back for more, so I bought a full metre!  It’s divine.  I may use it for hexies, or just make a cheat quilt with some hand quilting.  I don’t know yet - no hurry!

fox in the snow by crafty mcgee

I bought a swatch of this to see if it would make good hexies.  It does, it does!

newspaper boats by Heather Ross

I love this Heather Ross fabric and I can see it in so many potential projects.

mellophones by marchingbandstuff

I made an ipod case using this and it sewed up really beautifully.

These are spoonflower’s current prices: 
 

Everything I ordered was in their standard quilting weight.  On reflection I think I might try the organic cotton sateen or the linen-cotton canvas next time.  There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the quilting weight, but it is quite light and I’m so in love with linen at the moment that I think it would be worth the extra $5.

I did have a little set-to with customs because I had ordered over £18 worth - I didn’t actually get charged any customs as such, just VAT … but then our glorious post office added a whopping £8 ‘handling fee’ which I think is a bit rich, considering that’s their job!

If you are in any doubt as to what the UK rules are, have a look here:

Link to HM Revenue & Customs International Postage FAQs

It hasn’t really put me off, although I obviously need to bear that in mind for the future - especially with our VAT rising to 20%!! 

But if you order within the limits (or are prepared to swallow a potential charge) then I can only recommend it as a really good way to find new designers and some really fantastic prints.

My next step is to design a little something myself maybe?  Hmmmmm.

That’s what I like about spoonflower.  It opens up a realm of possibilities.  

Have you ordered from them?  What were your impressions? Leave a comment, do!