day 3...fabric frenzy

First of all I must give a huge shout out to all of our Veteran's!!

Thank you all!

Now back to the material business. Hi! I'm Suze and I am a fabriholic....a real material girl.

Now I am being told that I need a 12 step program for my problem...and my DH agree's.

Today I am touching on the subject of why we buy this beloved fabric.

Is it really an addiction?

I buy what I love... it might be the color...

...I collect greens.

It may be the print...

...or it may be what I know I will need in the future.

I make rag bagz and I collect for that. Crab fabric and ocean prints, things that people are into.

I have a long to-do list of things I want to accomplish and I think I have enough supplies to last me until I die and I hope to be able to use it all before that happens.

The thing is that you have to buy the fabric while it is being printed. Don't think you can come back six months later and still find the print you loved but didn't purchase.

Ways to purchase...

You have to love today's technology. You can buy fabric in your jammies...and I do. It's as easy as pushing a button on your computer.

These on line companies have my number and they use it. Always letting me know when there is new stuff and discounts.

Last week at lunch, my friend Jan asked me if I knew that there is New York City subway fabric.

What?! Where?

Here it is and it didn't even take a week for me to score it.

...and in three colors!

Whilst shopping on line at the City Quilter I also found this fat quarter bundle of New York inspired prints. Had to have these too. (Love the taxi print:)

My favorite quote...every day that I buy fabric is a good day.

DH's favorite...what are you going to do with that? Or ...you already have all that material at home!

Yes, I do. BUT I don't have this material.

Are you understanding now?

It's a good thing.

I tell him I am not out drinking or on drugs.

And I am always prepared for projects when they pop up. I don't have to go out and search for the perfect fabric..it's here...I just have to find it.

Tune in tomorrow for "collections"

stashing your stash

The definition of stash is to put away for safekeeping or future use.

Today I am showing some of my fabric hideaways.

Baskets!

....a good source of storage ...

I found this metal one at Target.

It's good because it lets the fabric breathe.

Color coded for easy access.

...hanging from the rafters.
This is a bag of selvage edges.
In certain circles I am known as the selvage queen.
I will touch on that in a later post.


...bins in the attic.
Sorry for the low quality photo...poor lighting in the attic.
We have two attics and both contain bins of fabrics.

When we moved here a little over three years ago I had 49 of these large bins of fabric.

I have since weeded out and donated a good amount of it.

...another basket.

Guest room closet.

...and the garage.

We have two garages and yep, both are storing more fabric.

There are a couple more places...not so picture worthy. I have the slide under the bed bins under all of the beds. These serve as a double duty. They keep the cats out from under the beds. For some reason they like to get under there and lie on their backs and claw the bottom of the box springs. Crazy cats.

Tomorrow's topic...

...Why we buy.

Have a great Tuesday!

fabric hoarding 101

I have been challenged!

It seems that not everyone believes that my fabric stash is real.

Soooo...this week I will be devoting my blog posts to fabric and what I do with it.

So on Friday I was wondering if I could squeeze out 100 more different prints for my quilt.

I did that in the first hour. The laundry basket (above) is what I got out of 8 full hours of rooting around in the studio closet. I lost count but believe it has to be 300 different prints or more.

They are paired up to make one block using 2 different patterns per square. And some left over for the other quilt.

...a material explosion!

Yep, I took a perfectly (semi) organized closet and created this mess.

And what fun it was.

I found so many patterns and prints that I had forgotten I had.

...and Harley, the studio cat approves.

Tomorrow....where to stash your stash.

weekend update

After a long painful week (multiple mouth x-rays and giant needles in my foot) I am ready to have a fun weekend!

It's once again time for the Girlie Show.

It's not what it sounds like.

It's a fun art show put on by all girlies.

I believe there are 44 vendors this year...

I can't wait to see what they have in store for us.

Last year I had to have this one of a kind bracelet.

It's one of my favorite vendors called Skip to my Lou.

She makes amazing new jewelry designs from old vintage bits and pieces.

...then there is my other project.

...the ever growing quilt in progress.

The table is filling up and I want to completely cover the top.

My goal for this weekend is to seek out at least 100 new fabric designs.

I have to find these in the house...no new purchases.

Think I can do it?

We'll see on Monday.

SP out!

Have an artful weekend!

kitty playtime

Yesterday whilst getting ready in the bathroom, Miz P was torturing my plant. A favorite pastime for her.

....the sunlight was pouring in....

I like Autumn in Oklahoma.

It stays pretty sunny whereas back home on the East coast it gets very cloudy and dark and then so does my mood.

...trying to hide?

...don't even think about it!

Quilt update:

Yesterday I cranked out another 178 different squares.

Today I will add some more.

Then over the weekend I will scavenge some more packed away goodies.

It's like opening your stocking gifts on Christmas.

I love simple pleasures!

Happy Thursday wishes!

a new challenge

My newest project was sparked by our President's challenge quilt for this year. We are to make a 40 by 50 inch quilt using what we already have on hand. No buying anything NEW. Well, I have been going through my fabric stashes for the last month and I must say that I do have an impressive amount of yummy material.

I plan on making the challenge quilt (two sided) BUT I also want to make a king size quilt for my bed. So for the last couple of days I have been arranging my squares in color combinations.

...so far...

...I have put together 244 blocks...
...using 488 different prints.
...no repeat patterns.

And I thought my memory was failing me. I know by the end I will have a couple repeats here and there but it will be hard to spot. I keep finding more fabric here and there in boxes and under beds, it's like finding a hidden treasure. DH found two big plastic bins in the attic last weekend...more fun to be had!

...sew something pink today!

Halloween treat

My treat for Halloween came in the mail from a friend.

A box of assorted art goodies...way better than any candy!

....and calorie free...

Thanks Debbie!!

...one of my favorite things in the box?

Bulbs! Vintage Christmas and flash bulbs.

So I needed a box for them ...right?!

Right!

Like my new lunch box?

It's the itty bitty size that tootsie rolls come in.

I put my crayons there to show the size.

...and this is the back.