Sunday, March 6, 2016

Warm-Fuzzy Quilted Gifts and Stash Acquistions


How lucky we are to have talented friends.
That says, "mmm! quilts 'hearts' Pink Doxies."
Awwww...




Sandra from mmm! Quilts a.k.a. Musings of a Menopausal Melon and I hosted a blog hop a few weeks ago. We had a wonderful group of bloggers work with us, and we found how well we worked as a team. I think she'll agree, our friendship was cemented. As we were sending thank you's off to our bloggers, this arrived in my mailbox from Sandra. Isn't it beautiful? I shot a few pictures before I put it to good use. Yes, I use my beautiful things. Do you?


Thank you, Sandra.


She had been on a mission buying darling fabrics, and one was this by Aneela Hoey. I was out of town, but she would send me fabric texts, and we ooed and aahed together. She made sure there was some extra for me, and it's one I know I'll have a hard time cutting in to.


Lil Red by Moda


Perhaps she put me in mind of cute prints because when I saw this bolt of new fabric in my LQS, I snapped up a yard without hesitation. This is seriously sweet stuff!



Real Bargains


Rarely do I pay full price for any fabric. Sorry, folks, I'm just as happy with last year's prints unless it's really special. These two above were $6 and $7 a yard...



... and these all $6. I hunt through the flat folds, and 
most of the time find quality buys. Moda, Art Gallery, R.Kauffman, etc.

I look at this kind of buying in different ways.

~I shop out of my normal preference because I might not have chosen the fabric if it wasn't on sale, and this gives me a wider variety in my stash.

~Buying a limited amount of fabric means I have to chose more fabrics for each quilt, and gives me a greater opportunity to try new combinations. 

~Unless I've purchased a FQ bundle for this reason, I mix many brands of fabric in one project. My quilt rarely looks like someone else's. 

~I save almost half on the majority of what I buy.

                    Do You Cut Your Fabric Deck?

Everything is washed, dried, ironed, and ready to go into my stash. Each time I add fabric to the stacks, I cut the decks like cards. It keeps the fabric moving around, and I see things that might not have been on my mind lately. Just keeping things fresh, and getting new ideas.

Have you linked up here to #BraveQuilter?

You have a few more days to decide one new 
thing to try this month, and then get to it! 

*Link up at the beginning and end of the month
to be eligible for the Giveaway.

Come on, Doxie girls.
Let's go sew.


6 comments:

Bonnie said...

I too like to buy my fabric on sale -- and I seldom buy the most current fabrics. And, why should I -- I usually let fabric age in my stash a while before I use it. Like you, I don't buy big pieces of fabric (well, unless I can get a ridiculously good price on it.) But that does make it hard for me to find border and backing fabrics in my stash. Sigh. Love Little Red. It'll be fun to see what you make with it.

Vicki in MN said...

I'm with you, I rarely pay full price either, I don't mind older prints at all:-) And yes I mix brands and lines with no thought to it at all. Sandra is a really thoughtful person, isn't she!

Anonymous said...

I love your "cut the deck" idea! I'm going to start using it!

evaj said...

Thank you Julie for your participation today at the Show and Tell Monday !! hugs from Bambi

Stitchin At Home said...

Sandra does beautiful work. I am not a designer snob I mix fabrics routinely and sales are absolutely the best thing.

Sandra Walker said...

Eeep! Thanks for showing that, and so glad you are using it, yeah! I was at Alma Sue's this afternoon, bought MacGyver a java and Coconut Yeast fresh-made donut from Der Dutchman for him to sink his teeth into while I sank my teeth into a few more yards of $5/yard fabric, cut by Mary of course. :-) I'm with you...we need to TALK about that Art Gallery blue dotty one!! I have it in a wine colour, but THIS--!