Storybook panels

I'm in love with all of the nursery rhyme, storybook fabrics they have been printing lately. I don't necesarrily buy the panel because you often have to cut them apart and reassemble. That drives me crazy. I do however love the companion fabrics. Because my school duties now include the library, they fit perfectly into my life. Today I bought (just as I said I don't buy them....LOL) the Brown Bear panel. I have the companion fabrics. I also have the Hungry Caterpillar companion fabrics but no panel. I have to get busy and get these made! School starts in two short weeks!

More about Houston

I don't know if I posted these or not but here they are. I just couldn't walk away from the booth at School House Quilt Shoppe without buying them. As usual, there is a story.....

School House Quilt Shoppe is the home of Judie Rothermel. Don't know Judie? Perhaps you are familiar with Aunt Grace Fabrics? Civil War Repros? Well, she is the designer. Hers is also the first quilt shop I ever visited. School House Quilts was the first place I ever took a quilting lesson. I do have proof.....unfinished proof, but proof. The class I took was beginning quilting (mid 80's) and it was all templates and hand sewing. This is the one and only thing I semi finished in the class. It is hanging in my sewing room.
I loved that quilt store. They had this gorgeous six pointed star quilt hanging. I used to go in and hope that somehow the kit miraculously became more affordable (I was a young bride, a new mom and broke!) I almost cried when I went home to visit and they had closed the shop. I guess she got too busy. But, they are always in Houston and I always drool over the fabrics. Even though I don't use Civil War repros often, they are my very favorite fabrics. I think that the influence of going in School House Quilts really stuck with me. When I was in Houston, I told her that this entire obsession is her fault! I also asked her about that quilt. It seems it's hanging in her house. She said that she would take a photo of it for me and email it. Well, today I got brave and sent an email. I sure do hope that she is able to take that picture!

Confessions of Quiltaholics

This is a note Mollie sent both me and CCCAt after her and I visited Mrs. H's house.



Hi fellow Addicts:

I need help.....................yes, I entered into the world of a major problem yesterday and am finally realizing I have to reach out and ask others to join me in my sad state of "material addiction"! The symptoms are as follows in case you are going through the same malfunctions:

1. When older quilters pass away you are the first one at their door with a garbage bag hoping they left fabric behind.
2. You take any kind of fabric regardless of what "lies beneath" the surface, i.e. mouse droppings, roach eggs, bird poop, etc. Keeping in mind while sifting through the smelly, dirty, cluttered mess you can go home, wash it and it will be as good as new. (Your washer and dryer may have to be replaced, but what the heck - it was free fabric!)
3. You go to bed at midnight after separating the stash you have just received and then toss and turn all night waiting for the first sign of daylight so you can take one load out of the washer and put the next one in.
4. Get up up at o'dark 30 pretending to go to the bathroom, but sneak out of the bedroom, close the door and make your way to the dryer where you take out the first load washed and get a thrill out of seeing what you actually brought home.
5. Standing for hours folding, caressing, and admiring fabric you normally would not have bought at any cost due to it's low thread count and color content - but, what the heck - it was FREE!!!!
6. Drinking coffee, trying to concentrate on other important things in life (like learning lines for an upcoming play), but descending into the fabricaholic world after each sip.
7. Dreaming up ways to use the hundreds of yards of fabric already amassed from a now admitted addiction of over 20 years and trying to figure out a clever way to let others know without causing a "snit" among fellow quilters.
8. Sending out a plea for others in the same shape to join me and maybe we can overcome this terrible malady by becoming one combined union of quiltaholics and leave this world a better place.
9. Last but not least - IF YOU HEAR OF ANYONE WITH A LOT OF FABRIC AND FEELING POORLY - DON'T FORGET TO CALL ME- MY NUMBER IS: 555-5555
Love,

Mollie

The note I sent back to them....
As with any 12 step program, the only way to fix your problem is to first admit that you have a problem. I too am ready to enter this scary arena. I am ready to "talk" at this, the first meeting of our sad and pathetic group.....

My name is Morah. I am a fabricholic and I have been "new fabric free" for 24 hours. One little online fabric purchase could push me over, back to the dark side so I am here to maintain the strength to remain "new fabric free." .

I too have been sucked into the dark abyss of another womens version of "a sewing room." Mouse droppings, bird poo and roach eggs posed no threat as I merrily dug through bags and drawers determined not to miss even one fabric treasure.

I have been caught in the "I have to buy something and use this coupon because today is the last day" syndrome. Circling and circling Joanns just to find something to buy so as not to lose the 40% off.

I have derived intense, almost sexual pleasure, while shop hopping with friends AND in finding the last fat quarter of a much coveted fabric While my quilty friends all wish that they had found it first.

I've been known to walk through a fabric shop with my hand bouncing off of bolts of fabric like Huck Finn walking along a fence with a stick. Humming generally accompanies this activity.

I don't really, really, care that there is no way, in my lifetime, that I will use the fabric I own now let alone what I may buy once I fall off the wagon. Ownership is half of the art of quilting.

Like Mollie, I too enter an almost trance like state when folding, stacking or rearranging fabric, regardless of color, type, or quality. The aura of calm surrounds me for just so long before I begin to suffer withdrawal symptoms. These symptom can usually be fended off by at least sitting in my sewing room for 30 mins. per day.
\
I have been known to drag unsuspecting friends into my periods of fabric frenzy.

When I'm not acquiring fabric, thinking about fabric or wondering how I'm going to use my fabric, I am reading about fabric, blogging about it or surfing the web for new ways to buy fabric.

For these an many more reasons, I'd too would like to be a part of your 12 step program....as soon as I find a reformed quilter who no longer overindulges in fabric purchases to be my sponsor, I'll be on my way to recovery.

Morah

This is the note CCCat sent back. About 10 months ago, one of our friends, "K" quit quilting and gave away all of her stuff.


Do you suppose we could enlist "K" to be our sponsor? I can't think of anyone else who is a "reformed quilter" to help us. I always thought it was "once a quilter, always a quilter" until "K" reformed. She must have been so slightly infected by the quilting bug that her body and mind threw it off or discovered a vaccine for it. As far as for me, forget the vaccine. I'd rather tough it out (or fall off the wagon). I can't help but think of all those babies growing up now who will have a chance to go through my stash. They will have a ball!

I thought these correspondences were absolutely hysterical!!!!

Pictures from Saturday

Isn't this a cute little print!!! The girls said I need to take this and make it for my first grandchild.

Another little kiddie print.

Look at the top fabric. I love it. The rest is just ho hum stuff but good fillers.

A few of the 40 blocks. These are mostly hand sewn and sooo , soo, uneven. The seams run from 1/2" to 1/16th of an inch. You must enlarge the photos to see the fabric combos.
Look at the bottom right block.

Look at the block with the pink and red outer triangles. The triangles are pieced.

Enlarge this one and look at the middle bottom. The lower left triangle is pieced.

These stars are hand pieced also.

Up n' atem Saturday

Good thing I got up and “at ‘em” early on Saturday. Before noon I’d already visited Joanns, Big Lots, cleaned up my house and was in the grocery store. I ran into my friend Mollie and she told me she was on her way to a deceased church member’s home. She was a quilter and her family asked Mollie if she wanted to come over and sort through the fabric and take what she wanted. Well, being the pushy broad I am, I quickly switched gears, stopped shopping and volunteered to go. Little did I know what we were getting into….

When the daughter of Mrs. H. opened the door, the smell of closed up house, dust and moth balls was immediate. They were so grateful to see us that they had trash bags ready. We first began with the few boxes they had put in the hallway. They kept telling us that not to be alarmed as we walked around the house. The hallway and living room were cluttered but I attributed that to them breaking up the house. Not. As we were sorting, daughter A came out with a huge box of clothespins and beads for crafts. Pay dirt for me the preschool teacher/camp director. Of course I wanted them! “Come with me” said Daughter A. She took me into one bedroom that was filled with boxes, bags, bags and bags of stuff. She dug through unbelievably cluttered closet and found all sorts of crafting treasures for me. By the time I returned Mollie had finished sorting the 3 boxes and I thought we were finished. Once again. Not.

Daughter B now took us to the “Bird Room” It seems Mrs. H not only collected crafts and fabric but also finches. Now the full scope of the situation hit us. Poor Mrs. H saved every bit and snippet of fabric, thread, notions ect.. Plus, because she was obviously not well mentally, she didn’t clean plus bags and bags and bags of these snippets filled dressers, cabinets, boxes and tabletops to the point that two people navigating the room was difficult. Oh I did mention that this was the bird room so there were obviously bird cages at one point…..so all of the tops of things had bird poo covering them…..plus we do live in Texas so cockroach droppings…. And dust. Mounds and mounds of dust. Through this all though, it was a big adventure. We ended up taking tons of crafts and two bags of fabric. Afterwards we went to Mollie’s house, invited over CCCat and sorted the fabric. Wait, did I mention that we did this for less than top quality fabric!!!!

I didn’t even bring my fabric in the house until today. I left it in the garage! It smelled and I was terrified what may be attached to it. I got it all washed and as soon as I fold it all, I'll take a picture and post it.


I did walk away with one great find.....Blocks made by Mrs. H. I can't tell if they are original or reproductions but as soon as they are all clean and pressed I'll post pictures of them also.
Plus my partner in "bird poo" wrote the funniest thing about the entire incident. All to come in later posts......