Fabric Fast 2012

There is no such thing as "too much fabric."  There's just not.  If you believe there is, come on over to my house to meet Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.  My kids are keeping them as pets in our back yard.

Unfortunately, I do believe there is such a thing as "too little space" and even more unfortunately, I'm pretty sure I've reached that point.

Back in January, I decided it was time to collect all of the fabric that I had stashed in various places around my house (I sew in my dining room, so lots there... my home office has a day bed, so it got piled there... the guest / play room closet was supposed to be my fabric & craft storage closet, so oodles more there).  I folded it, sorted it and put it all back in the closet where it's supposed to live.  The jury's still out on whether that was the best possible move or the worst possible move.  Here's how it looks when it's all in one place:

Oh, and in these places (and perhaps a few more not pictured):

OK, so maybe it's a lot of fabric.  But it's certainly not too much fabric, right?  (Right???)  Look how it's so nicely sorted by color (for the most part).  

(Am I the only one who thinks "well organized" or "color coded" are valid justifications for pretty much anything?)

Pinks, purples, whites, blacks, reds, yellows and oranges.

Greens, browns and blues.

Novelty fabrics and "sets" of matchy-match prints.

Alas, I have decided that 2012 is a year of "simplicity" for me... for making the most of what I have and of saving money for some (TBD) big and really exciting thing I've always wanted.  Granite kitchen counter tops?  A trip to Costa Rica?  Fully funded pre-paid college accounts for my kids?  I guess I have some time to decide. 

To that end, I have declared a Fabric Fast for the calendar year 2012.  (Ouch... it hurts to put that in print!) I am allowed to buy batting, thread and other quilting supplies, but I am not allowed to buy any fabric.  The only exception is if I am requested (by a friend or family member) to make a project with something very specific which I do not have, I am allowed to buy fabric for that but only for that.  (Not 2 extra yards that will end up in my stash.)  

I am determined to find new ways to be creative with what I already have... try some of those stash-buster and scrap-buster patterns I've been admiring for years... clean out all this fabric that (in some cases) I don't even remember buying... make room for all the fabric I will surely buy on January 1, 2013 after my Fabric Fast officially ends!

I am low on a few colors -- blacks and orange, in particular.  I will try to find some "fabric swaps" (I'm sure those things exist, right?) to do a little trading.  I have a few projects in mind that are going to require at least some scraps in those colors.  (If anyone knows about fabric swaps, please leave me a comment to let me know!)

Has anyone ever gone on a Fabric Fast?  How did it go?  How long did you last?

PS -- To my family, friends and/or anyone inclined to send me a "just because I love you" gift ---- fabric would make my day!! Just sayin.... 

~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~

Back to Blogland

Years ago when my life seemed less complicated, I wrote several blogs about various things.  I love to write and it was therapeutic for me, but after a while they became just "one more thing" on my ever-growing to-do list.  Over time I stopped posting, but I've always missed it and hoped that someday I'd find the time to blog again.  Starting today, I'm making the time!

I've been sewing and quilting for a little over 5 years.  I've never had a formal lesson and I rarely follow a pattern the way the pattern is written.  I'm afraid of bold colors, I tend towards "matchy-match" fabrics and I've never made a quilt that I didn't already have a home for in advance.  Scrappy -- though I love it when I see it -- terrifies me. 

About 6 weeks ago, I decide it was time to overcome some of my quilting fears, and I began searching for blogs and websites of other quilters.  I love to read and see what other quilters are working on and find new inspiration (courage?) for my own quilting.  I was so happy to stumble upon AmandaJean's blog, Crazy Mom Quilts.  Not only is she tremendously talented, but she provides tons of tutorials with pictures and easy-to-follow instructions.  Best of all, she has a link-up every Friday called "Finish it up Friday," where dozens of other talented crafters link up with their weekly finish.  More crafting / quiltling blogs to read, all right there without any more web searching.  **LOVE IT!!**

Anyway, I've been lurking and reading those blogs for a while now.  I've bookmarked dozens of "must do" projects and I've even gathered up enough courage and inspiration to try a few new things (like free motion quilting -- WOO HOO!).  I hope that this blog will lead me to even more ideas, inspirations and hopefully some feedback and advice (on my work) from others who have tried this all before me.  I hope to post at least a few times/week and will start uploading photos soon. 

For now, I'll start with a photo of the quilt that's in my profile picture. 

(I know this isn't the best photo... but I wasn't blogging yet when I made it and therefore, wasn't taking a whole lot of awesome close-up photos.  I'll do better in the future, I promise!)

This quilt was made for a dear family friend, Rita (pictured with me), as a Christmas gift.  Last summer when I was in New York visiting my friends and family, Rita gave me some dresses that she made for her daughters about 40 years ago.  She had kept them all these years and was sad to part with them, but she thought I could use the fabric for some of the quilts I make and donate to various organizations.  Of course, I knew as soon as she gave it to me that she'd be getting it back for Christmas! 

I chose the heart pattern because my maiden name is Valentine, so the heart shape has special meaning for our family and friends.  I selected white for the background so the hearts would "pop" more, and really be the focus of the quilt. The hand embrodiered quilt tag reads "You can't outgrow memories."

Thanks for stopping by.  Please leave me a comment with a link to your blog or website.  I'd love to stop by and see what you're working on!


~*~ May your day be full of Love and Ladybug Hugs ~*~