Tilkkunen "also" Antique Fabrics Shop

As a small local store and online store operating from Helsinki, I never imagined that I would sell fabrics to the United States or Australia. Everyone knows the American quilters and is jealous of their cheap fabrics compared to Europe. Here we pay value added tax, which varies between 19-25% depending on the country, in Finland it is 24%. I am extremely grateful to the Finnish quilters, my work depends on them; they buy fabrics from me including VAT.

When I opened my store, I targeted it only to Finnish quilters. I source fabrics mainly from Moda and FreeSpirit Fabrics, both of which are US companies. It is clear that the people there are not interested in supporting Finland's education and healthcare system by paying additional taxes by buying fabrics from American manufacturers through me. I have some clients in Sweden, Estonia, Germany and Italy, but that's all. Tilkkunen is a store of patchwork fabrics and accessories aimed mainly at Finns.

Anyway, a month ago, they contacted me from Australia and wanted to buy fabrics through me. And yesterday from the United States. My guess is that both of them desperately needed fabrics to finish their unfinished works after realizing that the fabrics were not enough and could no longer be obtained elsewhere. The need was so great that they paid four or even five times the price when taxes and postage are taken into account.

Have you ever been in a similar situation: In the middle of work, you notice that you have run out of fabric. What did you do then?

The picture shows fabrics from Moda's old collections, which were ordered from Tilkkusen to Australia and the United States, probably in such a situation. For fun, I added that the shop of antique fabrics. Maybe there are also collectors of fabric collections. At least I don't always want to cut my most beautiful treasures, I prefer to admire them whole on my shelf, and I know a few others like that.