Prints to Polka Dots - AVOID AT ANY COST!

I've been holding off on writing this post for a while because to be honest I wanted to give them as long as possible to "make good" on this situation. However, I've accepted that its never going to happen and its irritating me to know that they continue to trade despite their awful treatment of me. So here goes...

I placed an order with Prints to Polka Dots on the 6th May for some metreage, 2 quilting rulers (which I had been waiting AGES to be able to buy) and a layer cake of Sherbet Pips (I never buy a really good expensive fabric like that but I decided to treat myself). The total order came to around £95 but I had a 20% off voucher as part of a recent competition they had run so I paid £75.

After about a week I received 2 bits of metreage and both of the rulers with an email stating that the other bits of metreage were out of stock but would be despatched in about 10 days. The Sherbet Pips was pre-order. I received the rulers (24" and 12") and fabric in a plastic delivery bag with absolutely no padding and no cardboard between the rulers so inevitably one of the rulers was snapped. I emailed via the online form about it and waited a week for a reply. After a week I also replied via the shipping email. The reply basically said "well RM will just say it was insufficiently packaged which it was so Ill either replace or refund". I asked for a replacement but stated that I would be happy if they put it in with the OOS metreage to save a bit on postage for them.

On 17th May (2 days before I got a reply about the ruler) I got an email saying the Sherbet Pips had been shipped. This didn't arrive but I waited 2 weeks from it being shipped before emailing the store to say I hadn't received it (1st Jun). On the 5th June I received an email to say my other metreage had been shipped but no reply to my email of the 1st about the non-arrival of the Pips. I replied to this on the 7th asking if the package included my replacement ruler and the Sherbet Pips layer cake as I hadn't received either.

By the 9th June I still hadnt had a reply (but received the metreage with neither of my missing items in it) and visited the web store to see a notice saying that the shop was going to be on holiday from June 11th - June 19th so I emailed again stating that I had sent two emails to which I hadn't had a reply and that I wanted an email from them before the shop went on holiday to confirm that I was either receiving a replacement package or a refund.

Still no reply.

I gave 3 days grace after the shop-owners returned from holiday to perhaps clear some backlog but then emailed them copying and pasting the 3 emails that I had sent them and the dates. I stated that I was getting fed up having to chase them about a £75 order constantly and being ignored. I sent this in reply to the emails that the store sends to which states at the bottom please reply to this email if you have any questions. I also sent it using the contact us webform on the store page.

After posting about this on the Crafteroo Forum for advice I also emailed the store owners personal email address (which I wouldn't normally do as I believe that personal and work life should be seperate but this business has £42 of my money for which I've received nothing and they don't provide a phone number so I felt like I had nowhere else to turn). Then they posted on their blog stating they were having email problems for a few weeks so I emailed again stating they had to get in touch with me or I would make a claim against them. However, I was being ignored long before any email problems.

So despite my repeated attempts to bring this to Prints to Polka Dots attention I am down a ruler which cost £17.50 (less 20%) and a layer cake of Sherbet Pips costing £35 (less 20%) that will probably be out of stock everywhere else now.

Im frustrated, angry and actually pretty upset. I have been shopping online for about 8 years and I've NEVER ONCE had a problem or been "conned" out of money so this leaves a really sour taste in my mouth. And you don't expect it from such a wonderful community that we crafters have. Whats worse is they still manage to get business.

I just hope that by writing this no-one gets stung as bad as I have been.

First attempts never look good

Behold.....

This is my very very first attempt at free motion quilting.

Tell me I'll get better?

This is the last of it...

... I promise.

Last week I went to visit my sister and family who live in Lancaster. I haven't been in nearly 2 years and it's beautiful where she says.

When she first moved there she told me about this fabric place called Standfast and Barracks. It is a fabric printing company but attached into their building they have a warehouse shop where they sell off fabric (mostly seconds at ridiculous prices).

So whenever I visit my sister I have to visit this shop. First off I got bump interlining for £3 a metre and they have told me if I need more I can just call them (01524 598222) and they will courier it. They offer this service for £7.50 for 25kg of material.

I definitely wanted to pick up some silk scraps. They do a bundle of 3 pieces of silk, which last time I got them made 9 jewelery rolls for the paltry sun of £1.50. I also picked up 2 metres of silk at £5 per metre.

I need fabric for the kitchen to make a new window blind and to cover a new cabinet we put in there. I found a fabric I liked at £5 per metre but then I found it in a 2 metre pack for £7! Bargain! I also picked up some other 2 metre packs, mainly to use as linings in bags and things. My stash is low on coordinating fabrics for that kind of thing.

And finally... I kept the best til last...they also do liberty. I picked up 2 metres for just £4! I also got a scrap pack for £1.50 and another piece for not so much.

I would genuinely say if you are in Lancaster or closeby and you like bargains in fabric you need to visit this place.

Right. Thats it. I am officially on a fabric diet and on stash-busting duty. My OH tells me I'm getting locked in my sewing room until it's all used up.

Want to know what £120 of fabric looks like?

.... And the best part of it? it only cost me £48.

Mandors is a fabric shop in Glasgow and a few months ago they ran an offer with Itison whereby you could buy £40 of fabric for £16 pounds. I snapped up 3 of those vouchers and the picture above is what I bought.

This is what I picked up on my first visit. I just love the new way they are displaying the fat quarter bundles. All of these are quilting cottons.

This is what I picked up on my second visit. My favorite is the blue, white and red dress fabric. They had some of this fabric made up into a dress on a display and it was hugely inspiring so a dress it shall be. The white with love hearts on it is a jersey/ knit so I am going to get that made up into a top/t-shirt. I also plan to maker a nice little jacket using the black cotton drill that is hiding in there. And finally the black with sequin flowers is to be made up into jewellery rolls and possibly some make up pouches.

I can't wait to get started!

Love!

I think that finally the time has come that I will actually become a more active blogger.

What has brought about this massive change you ask?

My new phone. I recently got a Samsung Galaxy s 2 on my upgrade and seriously the amount of things I can do on it is incredible.

I figured out this morning that not only can I post blog posts direct from my handset but I can put pictures directly into the post from the camera gallery on the handset. That was always the part I hated the most; getting my camera, photographing, trying to find a.camera cable, putting the pics into computer, then uploading them into Blogger. Now its just one fluid process and it is done.

Wa-hey! Are you glad to have me back?