Quilty Box Subscription Box Review + Coupon – May 2017

Quilty Box is a monthly subscription box bringing you quilting supplies, from fabric to patterns to thread to notions, with a promised retail value of at least $50. Boxes are curated by guests (bloggers, designers, etc.). 

This box was sent to us for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

The Subscription Box: Quilty Box

The Cost: $48 a month (save with longer subscriptions)

The Products: Four or more themed quilting items such as fabric, patterns, books, threads, notions, and other tools.

Ships to: US (free), Canada ($10), International ($20)

Check out all of our Quilty Box reviews and see the Craft Subscription Box Directory for more great crafty boxes!

Keep Track of your subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

This month there was an information card with a list of items in the box. The other side profiled this month’s curator, Alex Anderson.

There was also this promo card in the box for a free membership to The Quilt Show.

There was also a mini-magazine; I believe this is a new feature for Quilty Box (eek, glare from the glossy paper).

10 Fat Quarters from the Mirage Collection (RJR Fabrics) – Value $34.78 (buy 23 fat quarters for $80)

I love this fabric. The patterns are great, as are the colors, and the variety of prints is also fun.  I like how there are some large-scale prints that draw the colors together from some of the monochromatic (or close to monochromatic) prints. And there are a whole bunch of other prints to try, too. I have linked to an Amazon listing of 23 fat quarters because I think this is kind of a new collection and it is hard to find online right now.

Quilters Select Appli-Stick Tape (1” by 10 yards) – Value $7.99

I have never done appliqué before, although I am interested in learning. This is a tape you can use to help position appliqué pieces. Fusing is done with an iron (I understand this is standard procedure for fusing). This tape version is meant more for quilt bindings or decorative trims. (There is a video here that explains it better than I could.)

I did not know what materials were really needed for appliqué before (I am non-adventurous and tend to stick to patchwork piecing with straight lines), but getting some products to try out is helping me get outside my comfort zone a little bit and learn something new. If you are more experienced with appliqué, the benefit would be either trying a new product or replenishing your stash with a product you already use, depending on the situation.

Quilters Select 5 x 5 Ruler – Value $13.99

This is a thick, transparent, hard plastic ruler for marking and measuring fabric. I have a giant 2 foot by 6 inch ruler, but as I learned over the weekend, sometimes that thing is unwieldy. If you are working with smaller pieces of fabric, this is a lot easier to handle. (This seems to be a new size and is not yet in stock at a lot of online quilt shops. One benefit to this subscription is getting new supplies before everyone else.)

Quilters Select 80 wt Para Cotton Poly Thread (400 m) – Value $3.95

This is a cotton/poly blend that has been heat treated to remove some of the undesirable properties of the poly part of the thread. This also comes on prewound bobbins, available separately. I actually think winding bobbins is about the easiest part of using my sewing machine so I don’t mind getting only the larger spool.

Quilters Select 60 wt Perfect Cotton Plus Thread (400 m) – Value $4.95

If you prefer working with cotton only, rather than blends, this thread is an option. It is Egyptian cotton (no blend) and comes in quite a few colors (see more at the link in the product name).

You’ll usually get some coordinating thread with Quilty Box. I am not experienced enough to have strong thread preferences (I am entirely self-taught), but I do appreciate getting to try new products and see differences in performance for myself.

Quilters Select Appli-Web Plus – Listed Value $3.99

This appears to be a smaller size than any of the commercially available products, so I’ve linked to a page with more information on the product and used the value from the information card. This appliqué product is designed with softness of the final product in mind, while still retaining tracing capabilities. There are tips and a video at the link above so you can read more about the product. This could also be used in making the pattern below. I’m just trying a few things with scrap fabric at this point to get a feel for how to use it.

Ladybug Cottage Pattern by Alex Anderson – Listed Value $10

This pattern isn’t on Alex Anderson’s site so I’ve used the value from the information card. (It is consistent with the values for patterns that do appear on her site.) This makes use of the fabrics you are provided with Quilty Box as well as some of the appliqué supplies. (Templates are provided on the other side but I have not shown all of them due to intellectual property issues.) You would need to supply a light colored background fabric and of course your own batting, backing fabric, etc.

Although I do like this month’s fabrics, the shape and style of the appliqué pieces here are not so much to my taste (although I agree the big square definitely needs SOMETHING inside it). But, if you really want a whole project in a single box, with minimal outside materials necessary (many of which you may already have in your stash), you get it here.

I knew I had no hope of finishing the pattern provided this month since I have never done appliqué before, but I had a pattern with a model done up in neutral colors I wanted to try out and see how it would work with bright colors, and I was able to do that with this month’s fabrics. This is a single block that I worked up quickly (i.e., no ironing, which really shows, and no idea where my rotary cutter is so I had to do this with pencil markings and scissors, which also shows in edges that don’t line up so well). I am thinking it looked better with the neutrals but I kind of had to put all the pieces together to see that. (This block is from Think Big by Amy Ellis.) It did save me from ordering more bright fabric, at any rate. Even though this doesn’t look so great in terms of technique, I learned a couple of valuable lessons in terms of color here, so it was worth the effort to me, anyway.

Verdict: I calculated a value of $79.65 for the May 2017 Quilty Box. Some of the prices quoted above are sale prices, so you could make an argument for a higher value. At any rate, that is comfortably above the cost of the box.

After reviewing a few Quilty Box shipments, I have noticed that everything for a particular month is generally tied to the month’s featured quilter/designer/curator. So some months could be misses for you, depending on who is putting the box together and your own personal taste. In fairness, I have never actually received fabrics I didn’t like, and as a self-taught, occasional quilter, I know there are gaps in my experience that the other supplies help fill in. If you are really experienced, you may not find what you need from this box, but if you are still at the stage of wanting to try new fabrics or techniques, or if you are interested in getting some supplies and fabrics before they are available to everyone else and/or some exclusive patterns, this box may be a better fit for you.

What do you think of the May 2017 Quilty Box?