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, Masako Wakayama.
There was also a magazine inside. This is a relatively new feature for Quilty Box. The magazine highlights some products from the box in greater detail and also provides additional instructions for the quilt pattern from this month. These additional instructions are super helpful because the quilt pattern is in the Japanese style, which means lots of pictures and minimal written instructions. (That is great for things I’m familiar with, like origami and macramé, but I could use some help with the quilt pattern.)
17th American Country Collection from Lecien (11 fat quarters, 3 10” squares, 1 half yard, 1 panel) – Listed Value $48
This fabric collection was designed by this month’s Quilty Box curator, Masako Wakayama. I have used the value from the information card because it’s not clear to me that you can purchase this collection from the manufacturer’s website, and also there are some odd fabric cuts (like 10” squares) that I’m not sure how to value. There is quite a lot of fabric there, and Quilty Box information card values have been pretty close to retail values in the past.
I think it is interesting to have a curator from another country (Ms. Wakayama lives in Japan and Lecien is a Japanese company.) I do like to see what is popular elsewhere around the world, and this is the 17th collection Ms. Wakayama has designed for this company. I find some of the fabrics a bit unusual (some have a reading glasses motif in the print). It is also interesting that her style involves classic Americana themes and colors, though I guess I have seen plenty of Western designers who like Asian themes, so why not?
Wildflowers Quilt Pattern by Masako Wakayama – Listed Value $5
This is a combination patchwork and appliqué quilt and I found the extra magazine extremely useful in understanding what to do here. The fabric supplied (see above) is meant to be used with this pattern. I know that some people would like to get a full project each month and this one is a bit ambitious for a month (for me, at least, with a full-time job, working out, sick pets, and writing for MSA), so you won’t see a full quilt top below. I’ve used some of the fabric for something else, instead.
Two Pouch Patterns – Value $5?
These were listed as bonuses on the information card. They’re patterns for small pouches that you could use to hold makeup or sewing supplies or whatever you need. You can use some of the fabric from the box to make these, though you’d need to supply your own zipper.
Cosmo Embroidery Floss from Lecien – Listed Value $1
1.5 x 0.4” Zipper Pull and Hexie Templates – Listed Value $2
These are a few small extras that can be used with the quilt and/or pouch projects provided herein. The URL on the information card doesn’t work and Lecien is a Japanese company that only sells wholesale, so I’ve used values from the information card. I was intrigued by the possibilities of working with hexagons and I thought these templates were fun to play with.
I wanted to play with the Hexie templates so I made this from them. Once again, my desire not to iron anything defeats me; it was kind of difficult to get the edges lined up. (I hate ironing.) For size reference, if finished off, this would make a decent potholder. I am not sure this is how the Hexie templates were designed to be used, I think they may have been more for appliqué purposes, but this basically worked.
Verdict: I calculated a value of about $61 for the June 2017 Quilty Box. That is a somewhat lower value than usual but I actually think some of the items might have been undervalued on the information card this month. Patterns usually go for a bit more than $5, for example. At any rate, that value is higher than the cost of the box by more than $10.
After reviewing a few QuiltyBox 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. 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 June 2017 Quilty Box?
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