Fabric Addiction 12-19-23

I grew up in a sewing family, so there was always fabric around.  My maternal Grandmother Marie lived through WWI, the flu epidemic, The Great Depression, WWII, five children, early widowhood, and a lifelong lack of money. She lived by "Use  it up, wear it out, make it do, or  do without." Her quilts were made from scraps and recycled fabric, even un-faded underside of pockets on aprons and skirts.  We saved every tiny scrap when sewing our clothing  and eventually they would go into a quilt.   Eventually we had enough money to go to Teeny's  Variety Store or even a department store, to buy yardage for clothing.  And for the scraps.  Anyway, I have always loved printed cottons  and cannot resist buying them, although I have a house full of fabric.   I try to avoid online fabric, but I enjoy eQuilter's owner Luana Rubin's posts about her quilting travels and excellent photos of quilt shows around the world.   And then I have to look at the sale fabric and try to just look.  Alas, I frequently breakdown and buy a few yards when they  are less than $10 yard.   Here are  some recent purchases.

Oranges for the orange quilt I will make someday.  Since I have collected orange prints for several decades I have enough to make about 20 orange quilts!  When I  need an orange fabric I try to cut very carefully lest I use up something I will need desperately later.

There are four fabrics here that I bought to make quilts or pillowcases for our Philanthropy group kids projects. The bottom two rows are  the same fabric which has horizontal rows depicting Noah's Ark. Above that is a barnyard of animals.  Then a spooky sort of lion print.  And at the top several yards of a bright print to use as the backs.  Whatever I make I will try to machine quilt myself as members who are willing to do the quilting are few and far between.    Long-armers are trying to make a  business with their work, they can't use their time for free very often.   

 

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More Fabric 03-09-23

Just to add some words to Wordless Wednesday.  An explanation of sorts.  

In yesterdays post the top picture of piles of fabric is mine from one of the times I was trying to reorganize.  The other two are of student's tables at Empty Spools, probably in Ruth McDowell class.  I try to take photos of what it is like in a classroom.  Students bring huge amounts of fabric - suitcases, boxes, bags, even rolling plastic drawer units.  And, of course, sewing machines, chairs, ironing "tables", every imaginable gadget and boxes of thread.  As the years have gone by I take less and less and leave my machine in the car in case I ever get to the sewing part, which I usually don't.   The classes I take are usually more about the design and fabric selection.  Here are some more fabric piles from Empty Spools, these are from 2012!

This student knew what she was going to create and was also very tidy and organized.  She limited the amount of each fabric.  There is an onsite shop provided by the Cotton Patch in Lafayette CA., so one can always do a quick shopping trip!

 
Maybe an ocean subject?

 
Could be snowy mountains?

 
Undecided, but lots of yellow - sunflowers?

 
Perhaps a field of poppies?

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Wordless Wednesday 03-08-23

 

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Another rainy day. 02-25-23

The other week when I went to SDiego for the ArtStream meeting my friend Deb gave me this great bird fabric.  It is upholstery weight and about 40" long and 58" wide.  The birds are woven in.

Particularly like this guy.  Check out the feet, guess he is holding the wire together.  Am I too literal?  

I have no idea what I might do with it, right now it hangs in my "viewing spot" at the end of the hall where I see it a zillion times a day when I go to the bathroom!  Deb's friend had a love seat recovered with it and ordered too much fabric. I don't need a love seat, but someone suggested a headboard.  I could also cut out some birds and collage them into a wall quilt.  

Rain all day today again.  We walked in it this morning, but managed to hit a dry spell this evening, although it was only 49F.  Lots of standing water in planters and along walls.  More yet to come. 

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Organizing 01-26-23

I desperately need to re-roll and re-organize the 370+ quilts in the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection.  Some are small and live in acid free storage boxes, about a half dozen are 3-D and have their own storage box, and the majority are rolled around stuffies or covered pool noodles, covered with fabric and stored on shelves.  My friend Liz and I have tried to develop a storage order, but nothing we have tried has been successful.  The extra bedroom is honestly full of junk that I keep thinking I can donate somewhere and put all the quilts in the same room.  It is a massive undertaking that I have not had the strength or concentration  to do in the past year or two.  The fabric coverings are all discounted fabrics from years ago - all different prints of all different colors.  We use what fits.  It suddenly occurred to me, after all these years, that it would be helpful if multiple quilts by one artist were wrapped in the same fabric covering!  Brilliant.  So, when I was in SDiego at Rosie's Calico Quilt Shop a few weeks ago I looked through their sale fabric for a bolt with 15 or so yards to use for all the Ruth B. McDowell quilts, some of which are very large.  What was I looking for beside quantity?  Not dark, not red or black or white, unlike any of the covers I already have, and inexpensive.  Some of the fabrics I use came from years ago when discounted fabric was $1 or $2 a yard!   I found this print for $7 a yard and it fits the bill on all counts including 15.88yards on the bolt.  This picture is the width of the fabric on end and it is slightly more aqua than the computer will let me show.  Loops of fabric flags seem appropriate for Ruth's quilts.  So, I need to get busy and start this major project.  First to clean out the room, there are things that have been in there since moving into this house more than 30 years ago.  What will I do with my mother's cedar chest?  And what ever is inside of it?  And there are boxes of photos and boxes of unknown things.  Oh, dear, I'm tired just thinking about it!    Onward.  

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Fabric tonight 10-25-21

I definitely don't NEED any more fabric, but I do love printed cottons and there are always some that I cannot pass up.  Being at Back Porch Fabrics in Pacific Grove, CA, (the world's best quilt shop) was sooo wonderful.  But I did restrain myself and only purchased nine fabrics.

These four were all on the sale table.  Gail Abeloe, the shop owner, doesn't let fabrics sit around on the shelves.  If they are not selling she marks them down so that when you go to the shop there are always sale fabrics and lots of new fabrics to tempt us.  

When I went back the second time I was looking for a background for a Challenge quilt and there was the coordinate to the Challenge fabric of which I didn't take a picture.  I had changed my mind about the background for the Challenge and found the Grunge green which is a good color match. 

I also bought enough of this drapery weight fabric to make a tote bag for a chicken loving friend, using Gail's pattern sheet.  The red wattles are bright red. 

At PIQF I spotted these two which I had been sort of looking for.  Nelda in the art quilt group used the white for the background of her Himalayan Poppies quilt.  

 

While I was in Pacific Grove I set up my machine and planned to work on the Challenge quilt for Canyon Quilters in San Diego.  I had everything with me and bought the new fabric for the background and the backing.  But other things got in the way.  Since I have been home I have been working on the quilt.  

I sandwiched using a sample of Mountain Mist Cotton/Silk batting which has been on the shelf for years.  I quilted the sandwich in a plaid pattern.  

I fused the Challenge fabric and cut out the red flowers and a few leaves. But they are not enough to make the wreath I was looking for.  I am cutting leaves and dots from my fabric library to see if I can fill it out a bit. 

And this is the back!  I think I will need a binding of this same fabric. 

I will need to work hard at machine appliqueing the flowers because the quilt has to be turned in on Saturday.  Always a procrastinator!

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Great program - Teresa Duryea Wong 01-20-21

Monday evening was the January ZOOM meeting for Canyon Quilters of San Diego and they had one of the best speakers I have heard in many a year.  Teresa Duryea Wong presented a fascinating program about COTTON.  She covered some history, how and where it is grown today, information about American grown cotton, weaving and dyeing, and much more.  Very educational, but so interesting.  Teresa is a journalist, a researcher, an author, and, of course, a quilt maker.  If you ever get a chance don't miss her COTTON presentation.  Check out her website and her blog.   www.teresaduryeawong.com     www.thirdfloorquiltsblogspot.com

This is one of Teresa's quilts uploaded from her website. 

I was amazed when she recognized my name and says she reads my blog!!  So, Hello, Teresa, hope you enjoy this promotion.  It was a great hour.  

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Just a year ago. 01-12-21

Just a year ago today I was finishing this quilt "Palms" for an exhibit at Oceanside Museum of Art; an exhibit that is still hanging even though the museum is closed to visitors.  It is a very nice exhibit and it is sad that so few people have been able to enjoy it.  

"Palms"  Del Thomas  2019  39"W X 58"L

Cotton fabrics, batting, and thread.

Fused applique.  

These pictures are not in any order because I am unable to move them now.  Every use of Blogger is an adventure these days.  Change, change, change. 

Naturally, KoKo was a big help!  Keeping his ears from the needle going up and down kept me alert.  I guess it is just a demand for attention and I have to restrict him to his chair at times. 

I might have cut larger pieces for the fused fronds, but I wanted them to be many different fabrics.  Some came from my tray of pre-fused fabrics from previous projects, but I had to fuse and cut more.  Now I have  an overflowing tray of pre-fused greenish fabrics. 

I was surprised that I didn't need to prepare many additional brown fabrics.  When have I used brown fabrics before?  Can't remember.  

In contrast with the front I used a very busy tropical print with birds on the back. 

When the quilt comes home I will replace the red sleeve.  I was amazed that when the quilt is hanging on a white wall the red actually shows through to the front. 

Here the layers are laid out for basting.  I still use the basting "gun" that puts little plastic hooks through all the layers.  I know few people use it these days and I suppose I will some day run out of those little plastic bits and will not be able to buy any more.  Guess I will need to go back to either thread or safety pin basting.  

I have done very little quilt making during the pandemic.  I do have three finished tops that need to be basted and quilted, but don't seem to be able to find the get-up-and-go it takes to start them.  Maybe next week!  

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Another day at home 05-31-20

KoKo and I do our two walks each day - about 8am and 8pm when it has cooled off a bit.  This evening it was 75F  and the high today was 81F.  A little muggy.   I packaged the fabrics I had purchased for Ruth and a couple other people.  They can't go fabric shopping and actually FEEL the fabric, so I did it for them.  So, a trip to the PO is in order for tomorrow.  Goody!   When I was at Back Porch I found a backing fabric for the Little Houses - they represent our "isolation" - and the backing will represent the freedom that will come.  

This is a Windham Fabrics print called "Celebrating Women".

The only excitement today was when the garage door repairman came and repaired my garage door so it goes up and down on demand once again.   It was sixty bucks and worth every penny. 

I go to bed anticipating a trip to the Post Office tomorrow!

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Still working on the Little Houses 05-18-20

I just work on these blocks on and off, when I have time and interest. So, some days I don't even look at them and others I get on a roll and can't find a stopping place. 

Here are the house pieces I have cut out, ready to start stitching.  Top right are the cutout doors, and center middle are the roof/sky units ready to go.  

There are more striped fabrics that I haven't cut yet.  Don't know if I ill need them.  Could probably use another diagonal looking stripe like the black/yellow in the center. 

We had rain twice today, seems strange for May, especially with the daytime temperatures varying from 64F to 99F.  Just seems that nothing is as it should be.  Right?  

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Fabric purchases 01-30-20

Yes, I do have a fabric addiction.  Better than booze, smokes, or drugs, I think.  So, although I have a house full of fabric at home, I did purchase some while at Back Porch Fabrics in Pacific Grove and at Nimble Thimble Quilt Shop in Gilroy.  The colors are actually brighter than what is shown in the pictures, but this is the best I could do.  

Of course I buy orange and yellow - some were on the sale table at Back Porch.  . 

This is a detail of the fabric on the bottom of the stack - happy otters!

Nimble Thimble had this gauzy bird fabric for $7/yard. 

On the bottom is a pre-sewn Seminole strip 4.75" wide and I bought a yard to use in a tote or purse. It has a stiff gauze backing.   They had about seven different colors. $10/yd

This is a close up of the Seminole piece, sorry about the color.  The clerk said it is made in Africa. 

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Starting a new project 01-13-20

How can it be?  I have dozens and dozens of unfinished projects in bags, baskets, boxes and on the wall!  I have always been awed by people who do just one project at a time and either finish it or get rid of it.  Not something I seem to be able to do.  I get the urge to do some cutting or designing or even put something up on the design wall and I just have to do it.  But other things are pressing on my time and I know I cannot spend time creating another project.  This time I rescued some pieces, passed on by someone who was no longer quilting, that have lived on a shelf in my garage for, I suppose, decades.  I ripped out what I suppose were 5" prairie points, pressed them and cut them to 2.5" x 4.75".  All lovely autumn leaf colors (rust, orange, red, gold, purple, even some pink), a lovely selection.  What to put with them in a jelly roll style quilt"  I cut 114 yellow/gold strips and cut those into half.  Now they have moved into a plastic bag while I get back to what I should be doing. 

Autumn Flash  in progress. 

I know it will call to me and I may not be able to resist.  It is one of those projects I cannot picture in my mind.  So the only way to know what it will look like is to sew it together.  Soon, I hope. 

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Ready to sew 12-01-19

I have cut more fabric to go with the "Discovered Triangles", some light, some red, and a few darks.  And I have them all arrayed on pieces of cardboard so I can move them from machine to cutting table to ironing table, etc..

I think a few of these that I saw as medium should actually be with the darks.  I'll adjust as I go along.  The colors in this image are more dull than the fabrics actually are. 

And these are the darks with seven new reds.  

In the upper left of the lights and the lower right of the darks are some pieces that are only one or two of a fabric.  Guess I will start with sewing them together.  

Unfortunately, I have a lot of stuff on my calendar for the next few weeks, so I won't be sewing very many triangles.  But eventually they will be sewn, trimmed, and made into something.  Any advice is welcome! 

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Great Day on the Road 11-26-19

Today our friend Liz, KoKo, and I drove up to Tehachapi, CA, to deliver some items to the daughter of a friend.  My GPS gave an estimate of about two and a half hours each direction, but this didn't account for heavy traffic.  So it took us more like three and a half hours.  But we weren't in a hurry and the weather was perfect.  

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One awesome thing about the area around Tehachapi is the widespread wind turbine farms which function well in this location due to that almost constant winds.  This picture was taken in March 2018 when there had been abundant rains.  Now the land is parched and seems almost completely bare of vegetation.  In the lower left corner is glimpse of CA58, which goes from San Luis Obispo to Barstow through vast desert country.  Driving home about sunset the colors were wonderful. 

While in Tehachapi we visited the Five Hearts Quilt and Fabric Shop which seems to specialize in floral fabrics and they have some lovely ones.  Liz was looking for something with a western or outdoor theme and found these place mats that even came in a kit!  I found some nice black on white prints. 

There is another quilt shop in town which we will have to visit some other time. It was well past lunch time and we were all hungry. We went west a block and across the street to Kohnen's Country Bakery.  Since we had KoKo with us we sat on the front patio right on the street and found out what a bustling small town this is.  

It was quite cool 48F and we ended up putting KoKo in the car for a nap.  We both bought bread to bring home and had the most delicious sandwich.  I will save that for the Friday Food this week.  

Total miles were 330 and our average speed was only 40mpg, which isn't bad considering the congestion on the highways.  We enjoyed the day so very much and each other's company even more!  KoKo - not so much, I think after an hour or so he just gets bored, but I think it is better than leaving him home alone for an entire day. 
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Miscellaneous 10-26-19

It has been one of those days when I did a million different things and don't seem to have accomplished much.  I have been working on clearing off my ironing table so I can work on a larger quilt and finally finished that today.  I needed to find a backing for the quilt so got into my shelf of large pieces suitable for backing, although I frequently piece the back in an interesting way, this one calls for just a one piece back. When I started pulling the large pieces of folded fabric out the shelf came down, dumping everything on my feet and the carpet.  I fixed the shelf and proceeded putting the fabric back (Why don't I donate some of this to Philanthropy?), and found a fabric to use.  

All shelves but this one are devoted to TCQC quilts, either flat or rolled.  

Don't know why the transfer from camera to blog washes out the color.  These birds are brilliant red, blue yellow.  I've redone the picture four times with no effect.  But, anyway, this is the fabric for the back of the quilt. 

Another faded image - sorry. 

One of our neighbors added this to their porch today. 

I had to leave KoKo on the sidewalk so I could take a picture - he was afraid of it.

Here is a KoKo closeup.  He needs a trip to the groomer this next week.  

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Setting aside another WIP 06-10-19

I am going to have to add this to my UFOs for now.  Does WIP (Work in Progress) sound more "professional" than UFO?  Since I am not going to be working on the quilt for a while, I don't want to claim it is "in progress".  

After looking through piles of fabric for something to use for a border I decided that the best border would be made from some of the same fabrics.  So, I sent off to the Nimble Thimble Quilt Shop in Gilroy, CA, where I bought the first jelly roll, asking her to send me another.  It came today.  But, like I said, I have to set it aside and try to make a few deadlines that are looming.  Who knows when I will be able to get back to it?  And the hundreds (probably) of other UFOs lurking in my house.  

One of the things I found difficult in sewing the strips together was the shredding.  I think next time I would buy a jelly roll with pinked edges .  And I will do some trimming on this one before I unroll it.  Might help. 

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