The 2nd Best Kind of Mail

I'll admit it.... when I see other bloggers posting about the packages of fabric they have received in the mail, I get a little twinge of jealousy.  It's my own fault, with my self-imposed Fabric Fast for 2012.  I've been good, only cheated once!  (By the way, the splurged FQ bundle with the ladybug on it is now a quilt top... but I'll save that for another day.)

Since I can't order fabric, I splurge on the next best thing... new sneakers and compression sleeves in fun colors!

I know.... this has absolutely nothing to do with sewing / quilting / crafting... but it sure does make me happy!

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

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

Missing: My Willpower

If you've visited me here before, you might know I made a resolution to not buy any new fabric in 2012, unless it was specifically requested by someone who needed something very specific.  I intended that to apply to charity quilts and special requests only, and even then only if absolutely necessary. 

But then I ran out of batting.  

Already you can see where this is headed, right?

A few days ago I posted about a little hexagon baby quilt I wanted to make.  The pattern I came up with would have a green background and pink flowers -- dark pink centers with light pink petals.  I mentioned in that post the challenge of finding enough coordinating greens in my stash, especially since greens are so hard to match.

So yesterday I was at Joann's to buy batting.  And only batting.  With a 50% off coupon.

On my way to the register, I noticed this sweet little bundle, which had 2 lovely greens (and 3 lovely blues).  It was 30% off.  Did I mention I also had a "20% off your entire purchase" coupon?  

My 9 year old daughter - who knows I'm trying hard not to buy fabric - was with me.  As I was caressing looking at this little bundle, she leaned over and said, "Don't worry Mom, I won't tell anyone.  You deserve it."  I *so* love that kid! 

I knew those 2 little fat quarters wouldn't be enough for my entire background, but I did have some green at home already.  Then I saw one other single FQ in a pretty paisley.  OK, it's just one more, right?

Oh my gosh, they had purple bundles too!  I had toyed with the idea of doing green and purple for the background of the quilt and how sweet are those??  And hey, I don't want to break the fast more than once, so I might as well enjoy it now, right?

Wait, a Fat Eights of pinks?  That would be enough to do *all* the hexie flowers for the quilt.  Lights and darks.  They look so nice with the green and purple, too.  And come on... how often do I find a 30% off sale *and* have a 20% off everything coupon?  

I can probably stop adding commentary now, since you probably realize by now this is not going to end anytime soon....

A few more light pinks for the petals, just in case.

Just to be on the safe side with the darker pink....

What does a beige FQ bundle have to do with the hexagon baby quilt you ask?  Not a thing.  But at this point, I was already so far over the line it didn't seem to matter, really.

One last fun little bundle because, well, it had a ladybug on it.  No other reason is required.

In case you're wondering what a a "Fabric Fast" looks like, well.... here you go.

*sigh*

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

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kat ~

Finishing up some WIPs

I feel like it has been forever since I finished a quilt (it's been about 3 weeks... that's forever!) but I promised myself I'd finish off some of my non-quilt WIPs before I tackled another quilt.  I managed to get 2 done this week, with 1 more not too far behind.


This first one is (obviously, I hope!) an apron.  My sister attended a catalog party in January, where they were selling purses, aprons, bags and other items.  Her friend was interested in a cute black and white apron, but the pricetag was $30.  I had made an apron for my sister in the past (using Butterick See & Sew pattern B4585).  It took less than 1 hour to make and about 1 1/4 yards of fabric.  She asked if I could make a black, white and pink apron for her friend Amber.  Who am I to say no to a sewing project??

I swear this looks cuter in person! 

My husband pointed out that the "A" looks like the logo for the Atlanta Braves (baseball team).  I'm hoping Amber won't think so!  The waist ties are made the same way as the neck strap, using polka-dot fabric with pink grosgrain ribbon sewn down the middle of each one.

This pocket *is* actually straight.  It's my photography skills that are crooked!  I used a ruffled ribbon along the top of the pocket to add in a bit of color.

My second finish this week was a pillow, which will be a gift for my older daughter's BFF, Ashlee.  Her birthday isn't until early May, so I'm super happy to have this one done in advance!  I got the idea from AmandaJean, and used some leftover blocks from a quilt I'd made Ashlee for her birthday last year.  I just cut the blocks into smaller pieces then sewed them back together again.  Easy peasy!

Here's a photo of the quilt I made Ashlee last year.  I forgot to take photos before the party (ok... the truth is we were late to the party because I was waiting for this to come out of the dryer and I didn't have time to take photos... but let's not get too hung up on the details, OK?).  This photo was (obviously) taken at a bowling alley between cake and the 6th frame. 

That's my redhead (Rachel) on the right and my little one (Jessica) peeking out from underneath.  Ashlee (Rachel's BFF) is on the left.

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

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 ~*~