Sunday Stash #70 – Rookie Mistake
Just when you think you’ve got everything figured out, the fabric gods come down and slap you in the face with a pile of wet, pre-cut strings. That’s what happened with a Craftsy order I placed late, last year–in a frantic rush–during one of their flash sales. You see, I was minding my own business, when I got an email stating they had a ridiculous 137% off on Michael Miller Mirror Ball Dot. I had been shopping around for Mirror Ball Dots in Snow anyway to back my No Value Does Not Equal Free quilt. So I immediately bought five yards; enough for the back and a bit extra for later.
However, when it showed up as part of the Magic Suitcase, it looked like this:
Wha? Wha? Why are they individually sealed? Where is the continuous yardage for my quilt back? Craftsy, what are you doing to me?! I must get customer service on the phone immediately. I reinvestigated my invoice, about to make the call, when I discovered the fabric was line listed as “Michael Miller Mirror Ball Dot 1 yd Cuts, Quantity 5.” One. yard. cuts. That language, the fine print that was before my eyes the entire time. How had I been so blind? I didn’t even know fabric was sold like this. So I warn all of you now, watch out for this “1 yd cut” business, as it could foil your best laid plans!
Did it foil mine? Puhlease. Even despite one of the 1 yd cuts of fabric having two holes, a stain, and dots that were curved beyond usage, I managed to merge the other four pieces together seamlessly. I’ve been posting progress over on Instagram (molli_sparkles) so you make sure you check that out.
You know what else you gotta check out? My Intrepid Thread $30 Gift Card Giveaway! It ends this Wednesday (AEST), and do you know what definitely happens if you don’t enter? You don’t win. Mmm hmmm!
Ugh! "Fine Print" … stop swearing at me!
Why would they do that? I'm sure if anyone can fix that, it's you! 😉
One of the pieces was unusable? Well that just stinks royally and needs to be corrected pdq by Craftsy. I'm totally surprised by that. I would have never guessed that they would sell something inferior but I'm assuming that since they were packaged, they didn't see it and therefore didn't know?
Ugh, I've been caught out by something like that before, and it wasn't even the manufacturer that prepackaged it, the shop had just apparently hacked everything up into FQs, so you couldn't get it continuous :o/
I got too excited a couple of weeks ago and ended up with some Anna Maria Horner rayon. It's gorgeous, but I have no idea what to do with a 1/2 yard cut of it.
Ha! I did that once too. I was so mad at myself for that! Not a rookie mistake, I don't think, but seriously. who sells fabric like that? Dumb idea!!
Working your sparkly magic again….aren't you!
Annoying!!! I'm hearing a few bad experiences of Craftsy purchases – they should at least refund you for the dud one! Wouldn't 137% off mean they owe you money anyway?!!
No linkup for me today but I am waiting for a delivery from the lovely people at Pink Chalk Fabrics and then today I may have snapped up another order from equilter.com. What can you do when they have 50% off blenders? I mean who doesn't need blenders? On your stained/stretched/damaged fabric, I would be whipping off a cranky email to Craftsy as by the time you add in postage its an expensive piece of unusable fabric which should be replaced or credited.
How disappointing! I haven't succumbed to those flash sale emails yet. I guess buyer should beware crafsty fabric. I haven't heard good things about their FQ sets that go on ridiculous sale either. Too bad. Glad to hear you were able to make it work though 😉
Those Mirror Dot balls are so gorgeous, no wonder you didn't see the fine print!!
I have seen that fine print, but you should tell the about the unusable one, that stinks.
good lord.
I would have done the same. Thanks for the warning. I hit another "flash" sale & just opened the box. They only sell quilting cotton but there it was staring at me some weird fiber content piece of something…:( I'd love to share my 6 boxes of stash that arrived but it's still (hiding) in the trunk of the car……
I ordered the Fairy Frost 1yd cuts but, luckily, I only needed 1 yd of each color. I understood that 'fine print' when they arrived in their prepackaged goodness. So, I'm keeping it in mind for future orders. Contact them about the bad one. I'm sure they will make it right. I've always had good service from them.
Crystoll at aol.com
Ugh, and then a pieced back might as well be fabulous, so there's days more of piecing for you. I'm sure it's going to look amazing, and if anything, there's the lesson of making do with what you have. I'm so excited for the No Value quilt.
That one yard with holes and wonky dots…hmmmmm. Glad it didn't slow you down! Thanks for hosting!
That sucks about those 1-yd cuts. I've noticed them there before, but had never bought one, so I didn't know they arrived sealed up like that. I mean, I knew (or assumed) they were pre-cut, but that sealed up business bothers me. Just like the (very bad) mystery box I got from them, they don't know what's going on with things when they sell it like that and it's their reputation on the line, ultimately (which is, I suppose, why they try so hard to make you happy after something crappy like that happens). (They sent me 20 FQs to replace the 6 that were missing from my box of unfortunate garbage. And gave me a free class, which as it happens I haven't looked at, but that's not their fault.)
Did you have some super unbelievably chipper person on the end of the line when you talked to Craftsy? The guy I was emailing with about my bad box was like 110% happy all the time! I think their offices are actually situated on a cloud at the end of a rainbow that hosts fluffy kitten vs unicorn races along the stripes all day long.
Oh crud! That sucks. I need to be more mindful when I order things. I'm glad you were able to make it work. Thank goodness!
I do that ALL the time! Not just with fabric. Some days I feel like a permanent rookie!
I've nearly been stung like that a couple of times in the past. Thankfully I thought to double check at the last minute before placing my order if multiple yards orderd would be cut from the bolt or sent as single yards.
137% off? How does that work out, did you send you bank account so they could pay YOU!? That made me giggle. Then I remembered my own idiotic online ordering error from last month – I ordered off Hawthorne Threads, which is a very good site in general, and I wanted to get 1/4 yard cuts of all the different Oval Elements from Art Gallery. So I put in the box "1" and selected "1/4 yard". I added other things and had to pay and run out the door so didn't really digest that the price was REALLY high until I got the confirmation email and realised instead of ordering one 1/4 yard cut of each I had ordered 1 and 1/4 yards of each….. Hmmmm. Good job I really like this fabric and can use it in lots of different projects!
Yuck! I haven't ordered from Craftsy before, but I almost bought some of the mirror balls recently. Glad I didn't! Good luck finishing off your quilt. 🙂
Dude!!!!! I totally did the exact same thing!!
Fine print grrrrr, been caught as well.
Liked your FB page.
whoa! one yard cuts? and you paid shipping to Australia? I'd be steamed…but thanks for your fun posts, always make me smile!
I hate the "fine print"! They know it's not really the right thing to do so they write it in print soooooo small that you need a magnifying glass to read the dratted thing. Makes me glad I'm on a fabric fast this year. But now I have to go check out Mirror Ball Dots!
I want those dots as well. In all shapes and sizes 🙂 Too bad about the backing idea. I'm sure what you'll make will be beautiful.