Saturday, April 5, 2014

I have a stash???

I recently was surprised to discover that I have a small but usable fabric stash.  Really, I was surprised.  I usually buy just what I need for whatever quilt I’m making and there is usually just a bit left over.  The bits started adding up, but for a long time I felt they were all just so different that there just weren’t enough pieces that went together to make anything. Was that collection really a stash?

Recently I realized I might have enough pieces, but those pieces were all small and were the last bits of some fabrics I really liked.  I didn’t want to use up the last bits because, well, they might be just the perfect piece for some project down the line.

Finally I had that little moment of clarity that whispered “What are you saving the fabric for?  Ummm…a quilt???”  So I dug through the bin of bright and novelty fabrics that I was saving and made a quilt.  Here’s the unquilted top of Baby Steps.

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And you know what?  It hardly made a dent in the bins of fabric. My variety of yellows and lighter purples is a little lower than it was before.  I had a little moment of panic when I realized I was using up the last of that really cute purple dragonfly fabric but I survived and now it is in a quilt which is what I was saving it for anyway. There are still a few quilt tops’ worth of fun fabrics in those bins.  And you know there will be new additions to refresh the variety at some point.

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Today is a gorgeous day (finally!) so I’m going outside to do yard work, but I believe there is rain in the forecast for the next couple of days so this quilts might get sandwiched and quilted by the middle of the week. 

9 comments:

  1. I really like the addition of the star.

    Funny how a stash can sneak up on you!

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  2. Amazing how the stash grows! Very cute use of your scraps - the star is the crowning glory :-)

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  3. If your fabrics worked in earlier quilts, (and they certainly did!), there's no reason the scraps wouldn't still work well together, AND they certainly did! The addition of the star is a great attention getter. ---"Love"

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  4. I had that ah-ha moment with my stash not that long ago, too. But I'm like you, buying only what I need (maybe a little extra or a really cute fat quarter at a show now and then), but one day I had a stash! I've also been trying to work from it - controlled scrappy if you please - but the dent is minimal here too. And I've had to get my "saving it" problem under control as well. Just last week, I cut into fat quarters I'd been saving for no good reason and it felt good! I love your quilt and I love the big start in the center. It's very bright and happy and inspiring!

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  5. What a great use of your fabric! The star sparkles!

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  6. What an adorable little quilt! Love the shining star with your rainbow of colors.

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  7. I love your bright, colorful quilts. They are so cheerful! I usually only buy fabric for a project but occasionally find some fat quarters that will be fun to play with. All of my fabric fits into a five drawer dresser, so it is not huge but I want to use as much of it as I can before I buy more!

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  8. The quilt is so very fun and colorful. A perfect way to use up those fabric pieces. I have fabric that I 'save' too. LOL

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