fabric

Sunday Stash, Large-Scale Prints

| terriaw

I added a few new pieces of fabric to my stash recently for the first time in months. How could I resist when there was a shop quilt with over 10,000 bolts across the street from our retreat center, complete with a sale section, and coupons.

(my sewing friends confirmed that those prints above are definitely me!)

I like to make bags. I know, there’s a surprise! I’ve been making bigger bags these days, so I started to buy larger cuts of large-scale prints. I love the artsy, hand-drawn look of Alexander Henry fabrics.

It’s a whole new way of fabric shopping.

We stopped at a craft shop that had some great fabrics on sale ($3.00 a yard! 62 cents for 1/4-yard cuts!) I think some of these will make great sketchbook covers and shopping totes, especially if I decide to do a craft fair or two.

Now I need to save as many pennies as possible to stock up on the upcoming Field Study collection.

Hope you’re enjoying your weekend. Thanks for stopping by!

Happies

| terriaw

My friend Amanda Jean was in town recently to do a book signing at a new sewing hangout.

She brought me a bag full of “happies!”

Note: Happies are a concept invented by Rene and Michelle’s mom: “a small, unexpected gift given for no specific reason other than just because.”

She brought me so many wonderful things! A beautiful mini quilt in my favorite colors, a thread basket, a pincushion, (still hoping to see a pattern to come out for those two goodies),  a stack of fabric squares, another stack of fabrics, soap, lip balm and chocolate. What more could a creative girl need!

Photoshop tutorials

A Package From A Friend

| terriaw

I received this package recently from a friend. The envelope didn’t have a return address, but I had an idea who it came from when I looked at the postmark. I know my sewing readers and fabric hoarders out there will appreciate this package.

I had forgotten she offered to share some of her Flea Market Fancy fabric scraps with me. I never bought any of those fabrics the first time they came out, so she was kind enough to share some from her stash. I love the flat, soft colors in this collection, and the simple, whimsical designs. They make me think of gardening and summer days. Some of these prints work well as basics, enhancing a variety of solids and other prints, so it will be fun to incorporate these pieces in a project with more fabrics from my stash. I’m hoping to get a few fat quarters when the second round comes available. Thanks, friend!

Fabric Talk – Critters and Characters

| terriaw

I haven’t purchased a lot of fabric this year, mainly to save money, but also because I already have a ton of fabric on my shelves.

There was one collection that came out this year I couldn’t resist, so I allowed myself to stock up on enough to make a few projects.

I don’t typically buy novelty fabrics, but then, Outfoxed came out. How adorable!

I’ve been a fan of Marisa Haedke‘s artwork and whimsical characters for a few years now. I have one of her night lights and one of her paintings in my sewing room.

When I saw she turned her characters into a fabric collection, Meet the Gang, I couldn’t resist. Equally as adorable!

I bought a fat quarter set of each of these collections, hoping to make a couple fun mini quilts. It’s always inspiring to get a few new fabrics to play with.

Aqua Selections

| terriaw

I was arranging some fabric on my shelves recently when I discovered how cool an aqua print from each of Anna Maria Horner’s fabric collections look together.


These are all medium value prints, with not enough contrast, even with the addition of a solid aqua fabric. I’m thinking either black or extra dark brown would add some great drama.

In order to maintain a good life-work balance, I tend to be moving more toward making small projects, so I’m thinking about making a set of mini quilts to put on the nightstands in our guest room. Just need to decide what design to use. I definitely want to move this idea to the top of my to-do list.

A Pair of Notion Bags

| terriaw

I made a bag for a friend who shares my love for chocolate lollipop fabrics.

I use my bag to hold my sewing tools and notions in.

She fell in love with it when she saw mine at our quilting retreat this summer, so she requested one for herself.

She sent me a big stack of fabrics, so I thought it would be cool to make this into a trade. She sent me some fabulous dots and basics that I’ve never seen before, so I’m excited to find creative ways to incorporate these fun prints into my stash.

With my busy work schedule these days, it’s been awhile since I’ve done any sewing, so I was pleasantly surprised when this bag took me a little more than an hour to make. Relieved I still remember how to sew!

Adding To My Fabric Stash

| terriaw

I haven’t purchased much fabric this year, so I’m excited to share some new treasures I’ve added to my stash over the past few months.

First up, I was so impressed with my local quilt shop when I found out they are carrying Anna Maria Horner‘s new Loulouthi collection. I rarely buy fabrics for the backing before I make a quilt, so I’m happy to have yardage of that brown print on the bottom of this stack to back a future quilt with.

These are the fabrics I bought at Gruber’s Quilt Shop over my quilting retreat weekend. I picked up the Anna Maria print from the Good Folks collection first (one the far right), and then coordinated the rest with it, most of which ended up going into my Maverick Star Wallhanging. I didn’t use that polka dot print in the middle, so it will be a great basic addition to my stash.

I always need more basics in my stash, so I picked out this next stack for fun.

I missed out on the Flea Market Fancy craze so I decided to buy a few of my favorite prints from Denyse Schmidt‘s fabric collection for JoAnn’s. I think they will work well as basics too.

I also bought some silly summer prints to make a couple gift ideas I have in mind.

Finally, I almost forgot that I have a set of the Habitat fabrics by Jay McCarroll.

LOVE this collection, especially the drop cloth print!

I love that Jay’s fabrics don’t follow a collection formula, and I love the color schemes he put together.

That should keep me busy for awhile!

Missing In Action

| terriaw

I went missing in action this weekend! At the last minute, I decided to go to Minneapolis with my mom and two aunts to visit my brother.

We got to see the farm where my brother works.

We also got to climb around some of the silos and huge farm tractors and equipment.

My brother is responsible for ensuring proper storage and treatment of 4,000 acres of corn and for getting all that corn to the graneries.

We cleaned out his pantry closet,

and reorganized it for him, which I love doing. He said his kitchen looked like it exploded!

One day I made my niece go with me to Treadle Yard Goods, a fabulous fabric and sewing shop in St. Paul. Wish I lived near that shop because they offer a great selection of sewing classes.

I was looking for some of the new Loulouthi fabrics by Anna Maria Horner.

Then my niece made me go shopping at the Mall of America and Hollister, which had the coolest web cam window of the surf at  Huntington Beach, California. We both want to learn to surf, so we stared at that view while waiting in the check-out line.

Another day we got to visit my cousin Linda and her family on their alpaca farmette. Bummer that I forgot to take any pictures of her adorable alpacas! You would have loved seeing them.

I’ve never ridden on an ATV, so that was a fun adventure to ride on their trails through the woods.

It was a fun getaway, but it’s great being home again! I have so much to catch up on this week. Hope you all enjoyed your weekends too!

Making New Fabric From Scraps

| terriaw

I am always inspired by what Victoria is doing with her scrap fabric stash. I especially loved this project, where she pieced together new fabric with her bits of scraps, and turned it into a fabulous notebook cover.

In my efforts to figure out interesting ways to use my scraps, I made some new pieces of fabric. I tried to end up with a larger square so it would be big enough to make something fun, like a new Artist Tote. This piece below came to be an 18-inch square, so far. Not sure where I’m headed yet. I might stop with this piece. Or I might keep going and make a bunch of new patchwork bags for my shop.

It was so freeing for me to sew like this, just picking a scrap, any size scrap, out of my bin and adding a little here and a little there.

It’s going to be a fun challenge to think of unique ways to use these new pieces of fabric. I have lots of fun pieces to use up, so I’m excited about scraps again!