If I had known I was going to be a quilter I could have started collecting fabrics many years ago.....so unlike some I don't have a huge stash, but I am building quite a collection of certain types of fabric.For many projects buying fat quarters is useless cause if you really like a fabric you will need yards of it. Not all projects are like that though.Scrap quilts aren't and nor are I Spy quilts.They both require small amounts of a huge variety of fabrics.
For My boy's Eye ( I ) Spy Quilt many of the fabrics would be termed children's prints. My current project has meant I have expanded my collection of those prints.( so I intend later to make a girl's I Spy ) Some fabric is a really good buy if you can fussy cut several different motifs from one fabric.( the clown faces are like that; there are 10 different ones ) In the photo you can see 4 new fabrics I got today, which should give me the variety I am seeking to make the final row of Hex on my quilt a bright interesting one. When I last laid out all the hex to see how it was looking I noticed that the final end had too many duller coloured backgrounds ...it needed more green and yellow. As I am still sewing together row 14 ( of 21 )I can do a little swapping around and insert some of the new ones to get the colour blend overall that I desire.
I have decided:
1. If you see it and know you have a use for it and can afford it, buy it now ...it won't be there later when you go looking for it.
2. If you love it and just have to have it, buy several yards ( if you can afford ).( we all need a few of those )
3. If you don't like the feel of it or something about it leave it there; it won't improve.
4. If you have a project in your mind's eye that you hope to make, start collecting suitable fabrics in advance.
5. Never pass up the opportunity to visit a fabric shop just for a look!
I too have a smallish stash. I sewed for years but used a lot of polar fleece, not suitable for quilting. Well I did make a polar fleece quilt but it is too stretchy to make a precise job. Right now I am shopping for black and white fabrics. And I need reds. I love your new fabrics. Too bad quilting fabric is usually so expensive.
ReplyDeleteJoyce I have seen polar fleece successfully used as the backing on kids' and babies' quilts as it is extra snuggly. We'll just have to keep expanding that stash eh.
ReplyDeletehave been reading your blog and finding all kinds of stuff in common....love to quilt, bake,write letters, garden. must try that yummy bread!
ReplyDeleteI just read Laura's blog where she was talking about the disadvantages of having a big stash, and all the comments agreed with her. I thought from my past that there were many more people who encouraged a big stash. So here you are.
ReplyDeleteI bought a lot of novelty prints for an i-spy quilt too. and as you see, some fabric can give you lots of cuts, and others just one or two. I am going to have to make a couple more i-spys to use up this fabric, but I need to prepare myself again for all that fussy cutting.
Really good advice there! If you see it & love it, buy it!
ReplyDeleteIt is too bad quilting fabric is so expensive. It seems it is much more affordable in America.