My Stash!!

Yes, I am embarrassed to say that my stash is getting bigger despite my determination to only use my own fabric. Since December, I have gone to:

– A quilt store to pick up batting for my mother. While I was there, I saw so many original prints. They just hopped into by basket. I am also trying to build up my stash in the colours of which I have few. (Well, few depends on the beholder.) And what a selection of unique books!

– A big quilting fabric sale at a different shop. I am planning on making another quilt for the cottage. This time, the colours are in the shades of water and sky. Despite the fact that blue is my favourite colour and thus the largest of my stashes, I actually needed a few more shades for my quilt. (Yes, I did finish my first quilt for the cottage last week. Today is very sunny but since the temperature is -28 C (-18 F), it will have to be a later post.)

– Yet a different quilt shop to pick up fabric for my sister. I was honestly doing her a favour. I seem to be low on plain fabric so this was a good chance to pick up some fabric with warmer colours. But alas, there was a sale on some fabrics. I really did get a good price.

– Back to the second quilt store. I was just in to get a few fabrics for my challenge quilt. Oh, I have not told you about the challenge in our guild. Our guild is having a big quilt show in May and of course they need lots of quilts to display. One of the categories for display is the quilt challenge. This year, the challenge is that you can make any size and type of quilt you want (bed size, runner, wall hanging, clothes) but you need to include the participation of someone that does not quilt. I have heard from others and on blogs that you learn much from being pushed to do things that are not in your comfort zone. So, isn’t is great that I decided to take on this challenge! Well, back to my original reason for going to the quilt store. I needed to get some fabrics for this quilt. But when I got to the store, there was a big event that afternoon. Yes, there were several different areas displaying different quilting techniques. How cool is that! I even had to go home and come back with my daughter. Well, I was a happy shopper again.

If you have not noticed, I have a weakness for fabric. Beautiful fabric!!

Now to know me is to understand that I am very good at budgeting, saving and being organized in my finances. So if you consider my stash as my bank account, you might also appreciate that I might hoard some of my more beautiful fabric, especially when I have a small piece. I tend to imagine that I will make something so beautiful with it, that the colours will inspire me and that the finished product will be wonderful. I think that I dream in Technicolor. Or perhaps, I should say technifabricolour!

The other day, I was working on a project that was not grand, that was going to be washed very often and that was probably not going to be admired a whole lot. I was auditioning quite a few fabrics. And then, I auditioned a fabric that I have been admiring and of course hoarding. I loved the colours of my fabric. This fat quarter was going to be the inspiration for a quilt. The cathedral window pattern, which I have yet to try, is one of my must try patterns. But over all, I saw much potential from this little piece. Hmm! Well I kept on auditioning fabrics, but kept on coming back to this fabric as it seemed to brighten up the project.

So here is my fabric. It might not be much to you, but I had a soft spot for it. So, I cut up in pieces. What would possess me use a fabric that I really liked for a something that was not grand?