Guest Blogger Month at the Quilting Gallery

Ralitza Boneva

Greetings everyone! Here is something about me and making quilts in my corner of the world. Cheers from sunny Bulgaria! It is a beautiful country with the oldest processed gold on the planet and talented people.

Quilting and blogging affected my life and my crafting during the last few years, so I am happy I can share this in the guest bloggers’ month on Quilting Bloggers!

Ralitza Boneva

I was kind of infected with the crafting bugs when I was 6, started quilting after getting my Finance MA and opened a patchwork studio a few years later. I started my blog Domoshar a year and a couple of weeks ago and have opened an Etsy shop this week. I am now a happy patchwork studio runner and crafting community founder. It all is so interesting in every aspect and it all started with a kid crafting passion!

My lovely grandmother taught me almost all fiber crafts when I was a preschooler – embroidery, knitting, crochet, fillet, sewing, doll making.., etc. All needlework arts and crafts were very popular when she was young. It is not quite the same now and I was fortunate to be taught by her.

The first patchwork I saw was laying on her bed – a simple patchwork blanket made of big squares – former coats… , no batting or fancy quilting, just adorable print backing, practical, smart, beautiful and warm. However I tried and learned to make patchwork and quilt myself many years after I saw the patchwork beauty.

Ralitza Boneva

My first patchwork was a bag for me, one I am planning to remake this spring. The second one was a big play mat for my baby. Yes, I was moving fast. It was all the time not quilting that made me hurry when I had the chance to start doing it. I have not stopped quilting since then, I might take breaks but if I am not actually quilting I am adding projects to my to-do list. LOL

Ralitza Boneva

I am happy to have the opportunity to experiment, design and play with colours and shapes, choose fabrics and print my own. Printing fabrics is one my latest adventures I dive into whenever I have the chance. Running a small boutique and building the crafting portal does not allow too much freedom for creating these days but the crafting bugs know how to make you find the time, right?

I started knitting again a couple of months ago. It is my new hobby since I knit in the evenings after quilting during the day. I form my style gradually, looking for things that make me feel happy with my work, which usually means making a quilt different from the previous one. Here are the last 3 mini quilts, so you can see yourself.

Ralitza Boneva

Ralitza Boneva

Ralitza Boneva

Quilting is a business for me. It is not popular in my country. However Bulgarians know how to appreciate beauty and patchwork is a rising star for the last few years. Do I have many customers? No. I do not have a quilt shop around either. In a charming way this means I have to be more creative. I have to find customers and work with what I have, not what I would like to have. It is fun. It also made me print some fabrics. I am happy it did.

My latest project is a crafting community. It was the logical step after making my online boutique and offering some talented ladies to join me. It is a big project and I love the way it helps people learn, practice and appreciate crafts and handmade. It seems the creative handmade bugs keep inspiring more and more people and I am happy with this. Blogging and all the talented people I have met and all the inspiration I have found on their virtual homes are incredible new experience for me. It led to my community and charity activities today and not practicing finance too. It is all about crafting!

Ralitza

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Ralitza Boneva from Bulgaria

5 thoughts on “Ralitza Boneva from Bulgaria

  • February 21, 2009 at 12:42 pm
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    Thanks for sharing your story!! it is so interesting to hear how your craft has evolved! I love your first photo… did you stamp those fabrics?

  • February 21, 2009 at 1:24 pm
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    Thank you as well from me. My first real community memory is sitting under a quilt frame while my mother, grandmother and great aunts tied a quilt for me. I called it Apache because it was patchwork. Isn’t it interesting what a profound effect our mothers and family have on our creativity. I made paper dolls, dressed dolls and made my own clothes since I was in junior high, which is more years ago than I care to admit.
    It is wonderful to hear your story.
    MaryLou

  • February 21, 2009 at 3:28 pm
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    Thank you ladies!
    Upstatelisa, yes, they are sort of stamped.

  • October 3, 2009 at 1:59 pm
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    Dear Ralitza,
    my name is Vyara. I’m a bulgarian. I live in the USA. I want to get in touch with you, because I want to be a quilting designer. Please send me an E-mail. Do you live in Bulgaria? In what city? Please write an E-mail to me!

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