Just before the end of 2008, I was contacted by Jen Madsen of Stitch Simple, asking me to make and review one of their quilt kits. I had never heard of the company before, and was intriqued. Personalized quilt kits? The cutting is done? Hmmm. Sounded intriguing!
{Note: I am not paid for my review, but they did comp me the quilt kit, in the spirit of full disclosure.}
I took a look at Stitch Simple’s site, and decided that I’d have to review the WHOLE PROCESS of ordering, unpacking, and completing the quilt- because that’s what any of you would do. Today I’m going to talk specifically about “meeting” the website, it’s usability, and online ordering.
First, a word about the concept of Stitch Simple: it’s an online quilt-kit company, with lots of fabrics(at this point, 60, to be exact) and limited patterns to choose from. They offer to “take the tedium” out of quilting by pre-washing and cutting the fabrics for you. You choose the fabrics, they sent you your customized kit. I wasn’t sure how this was going to work: I’m a touchy-feely person, I like to see and touch my fabrics myself.  But considering how many folks like to shop online, in their jammies after midnight- like me- there is a market for this kind of service. In addition, all of the quilt kits I’ve seen through magazines and quilt websites are the fabrics THEY think you should use… no choices available to you. So this really is a unique concept.
At this time, there is only one quilt pattern available. When I ordered my kit, it was a lap quilt pattern…as of January 14th, it’s a wall hanging. It’s a good reason to check back in, to see what’s new.
However, even if there is only one kit, there are LOTS of fabrics to choose from. When you click on the “Create Your Own Quilt” tab, you are taken to the page that features the current kit. You’ll see fabric choices as they scroll down the left hand side, and the quilt pattern front and center. As you click on a fabric, it will pop into a box so you can see it in a larger area- then, below that, it will ask you where to place the fabric choice in the quilt pattern. As you select them, it will insert your choice of fabric into the template, so you can preview what your quilt will look like. It took me a few minutes to get the hang of scrolling through the fabrics, so hang in there- but once I got the hang of it, I spent the better part of 45 minutes with this function. It was fun to “audition” colors and patterns, and then, Presto! seeing exactly what my finished product would look like.
In the end, I took the safe route and used coordinating fabrics from one collection, as I had a hunch that the fabric colors would match. If you’re not in a hurry, I’d recommend requesting swatches so you can see the fabrics in person, and maybe be a little more daring. However,  all of the fabrics were recognizable name brands- like Moda, Hoffman, and Rowan,so I felt assured that they were quality.
When I was all set, with the fabrics just as I liked them, I just clicked the button that added the item to my cart. They promise to send me my quilt kit, in my fabrics, all cut out and ready to go…..so let’s go!
The checkout procedure was quick and painless, and they take all of the major credit cards.
NEXT UP: The kit arrives!
- Spooky Spider Halloween Bookmark Craft - October 24, 2018
- Review and Demo of LDRS Hybrid Ink Pads - October 15, 2018
- Review and Demo of Nuvo Hybrid Inks - October 1, 2018
- Craft Studio Tour and Organization Ideas - September 20, 2018
- Wax Paper Resist Background Technique - March 20, 2018
- Comparison of Liquid Watercolor Markers/Pens - March 16, 2018
- SAI Japanese Traditional Watercolor Brush Markers- Review & Demo - February 23, 2018
- Rinea Metallic Foil Paper & Ghost Ink Review - February 21, 2018
- Jane Davenport debuts at Creativation 2018 & Watercolor Card - February 13, 2018
- Creativation 2018: New Product Showcase - January 20, 2018
Robert says
Under “categories” you have listed “Quilling”–which is what I am interested in learning about, but the link takes you to “quilTing”. Do you have anyone here who teaches the paper craft of Quilling, or can you give me a link to someone who does? Thanks——R.
Jenny says
Thanks so much for catching my clerical error….I’ll post tomorrow about a book I’ve used. Thanks for the idea!
Jenny says
Here’s your link to a Quilling book review and some links…..
http://www.crafttestdummies.com/2009/02/25/twirled-paper-quilling-kit-book-review/
Happy Crafting, Jenny