Fabric Hoarder

Yes, that is me.  I have so much fabric that it was stacked up in the corner.  It was time for an intervention.  I shopped all the antique stores in the area looking for a bookshelf that would hold my stash.  I was unsuccessful, and since time was of the essence I went for handmade, of course.  M made me the awesome bookshelf that is perfect for the fabric.  We went to Lowe's and picked up 7 four foot boards that were 10 inches wide and 1 inch thick.  We got them home, and in less than half an hour my bookshelf was ready.  I slapped on a coat of brown paint, and let it dry overnight!  Measuring 4 feet wide, 4 feet tall, each shelf is about 11 inches tall.  It was a quick and easy project - Instant gratification! I transferred my quilting fabric to the new shelf, and the old shelf (which he also made) will be the new home for the fabric I use to make my shopping bags.  The fabric for the  reusable coffee sleeves will also have its own area on the shelf.  I am going to be more organized, and no more fabric piled in the corner!

Now if I can just keep the fabric folded on the shelf.  It looks so good, and it makes me want to make a few new projects!  I guess I should finish the 9 quilts that are in varies stages of completion before I start another!

Fabric

So M just brought a bag home from work that was filled to the brim with fabric.  As he plopped it down on the floor he commented "I didn't know they made bags this big".  It is so big that I could probably fit into it, yes, that big.  Anyway a co-worker is a garage sale guru, big time, and she is always on the look out for something good.  We have sort of a deal where she gets fabric, I make her coffee cozies or bags in exchange.  Pretty good deal for me, because One I get free fabric, Two, she uses and gives my coffee sleeves out to friends.  Free advertising!!!  WIN ... WIN!!!
Be on the look out for some new bags, and coffee sleeves at my Threadbeaur Etsy shop.

Under Lock and Key

I had an idea for a modern way to store fabric. Something fresh. All the colors could be separated into lockers. Yes, like your old style gym locker. Or a fresh look with one that has a great see through front. So all your happy fabrics could be seen without opening the door. I think this might look really neat in a studio setting. Can you imagine having an entire wall dedicated to fabric stored in fabulous see through lockers. You could have lockers specifically for scraps of each color, then you would always know that they were ready for the next project.
There are so many ways to organize fabric and unfinished projects I could go on forever. I need a separate space for all the unfinished quilt tops, and those that have been backed and not quilted. I think I would choose wood lockers for my projects. They look great and it would keep the dust off of them. Wether your studio is modern, small, larger or somewhere in between, a fabric locker could be the next big thing in fabric storage! Then again maybe it is just fleeting idea.

Sneak Peek

Well for all you readers here is a glimpse of my latest project. Since I have not finished it yet, I don't want to let out the details. When it is complete there will be the grand reveal of the entire project. For now, this picture will have to satisfy your project curiosities.

I took these fabrics from my stash. Wait until the reveal, I think you will like it.

A second opinion

M's residency is over, thankfully, and I ran across his old white coats. They had been severely miss treated over the last 6 years. From the floors of the ICU, to the Emergency room, they have seen their way around the hospital. Stains on the cuffs, and pen marks in the pocket.
The fate of these coats was written on the wall. Or was it?

Ceremonial burning? Too Hot.
The Morgue? Too Creepy
Trash? Maybe

I felt bad just tossing the coats that were a staple in his wardrobe for so many years. I figured I could do something with them. So I cut the name out, and got to sewing. M is a big coffee drinker, and always is in need of a reusable coffee sleeve. I threw some blue fabric on the back (similar to his blue scrubs), and violia! A personalized, history filled coffee cozy!
It was a big hit in the office. The second calling for the coats, very useful!

Folded Fabric

Here is my stash after many days of sorting, folding, and purging. It is a great way to get rid of those unwanted pieces. Just take all the fabric from the shelves, and re-fold it. I took advice from Turning Turning, when it comes to folding. I improvised on the way she organized and folded her fabrics. My shelf is 10 inches deep, so I went with 8 inch square folding.
With an 8 inch square of cardboard, I folded each colorful fabric selvage to selvage. Then rolled it like a mini- bolt on to the cardboard, slip the cardboard out and finished folding it into a square.
Time consuming? Yes. Organized and beautiful? Yes!

Now when I go looking for my fabrics they are separated by color, and the patterns are easy to see on the shelves. I recommend this folding technique to anyone looking to reorganize their fabric stash!

30 Fat Quarters

Oh the things I could do with 30 fat quarters of fabric. Quilts! It would be fun to win that much fabric, right? Well, right now over at PigTale and Quilts, she is offer just that! You could score 30 fat quarters! Check it out, and make sure you mention Threadbeaur sent you over!

Snuggly Flannel

Who doesn't love flannel, whether it is in PJ form or part of a snuggly quilt, the soft fabric is just so nice. I ran across a great giveaway for a few fat quarters of flannel fabrics. The fabric being given away is Urban Flannel Collection By: Valori Wells for Free Spirit. The bundle looks so nice and soft, I sure hope I win. You can put your name in the hat too, just head over to Sew-Fantastic and check out her fabric giveaway. Easy to enter, and who knows, you could be the winner 6 fat quarters. She has pictures posted of the fabric up for grabs, check it out before the contest for fabric is over.

Turning to Japanese Fabrics

I have recently discovered fun Japanese fabrics. The designs are so different, among my favorites are the novelty animal prints. I was entering a contest to win a $20 gift certificate for fabric, when I discovered one of my new favorite etsy shops. It is clear around the world from me, and yet I can buy fabric with a click of a button. Over at the fabric shop called Matatabi, the selection is large, and the shipping is low. Check out this contest to win, there are 5 chances, so see if you will be hooked on Japanese fabrics.

Fabric Giveaway

I just found a great site that is hosting a fabric giveaway. They have done a feature showing off the fabrics from a great etsy shop, and they are giving away fabric along with the feature. The shop is Downshadowlane, and they have a great selection of fabrics, in all sorts of variety. From Amy Butler to fun Japenese prints, but check out the giveaway on A Heart For Home.
This giveaway won't last forever so get over to the blog for their fantastic fabric giveaway. The rules are simple, and the reward could be fabric, doesn't get much better than that!

Quilt... for the Birds

The time that I spend with the sewing machine is usually dedicated to the production of bags for Threadbeaur, however, I was in the mood for a new quilt. I looked on the shelf to see if one of my quilting books would lend me a little inspiration. Usually I will pick out the fabric then the pattern, this time I only had one fabric that I wanted to use. I picked up a book that I got for Christmas called Making Antique Quilts by Rita Weiss. The book has great pictures, and easy to follow instructions. I rarely use a pattern, so it is very important that they are easy to follow. I found a quilt called King David's Crown, and it was perfect for me. The title of my quilt will be Quilt...For the Birds. I took my fabric which happened to be Alexander Henrys Bird seed in yellow, and matched it up to all the fabric in my stash. I would post a picture of my stash, but it is a little messy at the moment. I will reorganize it and post pictures later. I had a ton of fabric to choose from and this is what I came up with.



I like to make a tester block, and this one came out great. I will finish this into a 3x4 throw blanket. Off to cut more pieces!

Project Un-Named

My latest project, is still unnamed. I started it a few days ago, and was in such a sewing frenzy, I made the 4 large blocks, and 3 small blocks in two days time.
The idea came to me as I was chatting on the phone, drawing out quilt patterns on paper. Then suddenly it appeared, the blocks with shadows tumbling down the paper, and it was perfect. The conversation ended, and the process of trying to piece the quilt started. My mind was whizzing, my pencil hardly keeping up, "I got it!" I said aloud, as if talking to a crowd. The only one there now, was the dog. She looked at me with her sad eyes, then rolled over with a sigh.
I grabbed my first color fabric and started cutting, and sewing, and I had a block done in no time. It was perfect. My favorite square I had ever made. Then more were following, I did not want to stop. The quilt is coming together, now I will applique the squares on to the starry night batik fabric that I got today. If only I could come up with a name.