Rhonda K

Not a special beau/girlfriend! LOL! Do you have a favorite fabric that is gone forever?

I have one pink batik that is one of my first purchases. It was used in one of my first machine embroidery quilts. There is still about a half-yard left in my stash. It only goes into special quilts or projects now.

This second fabric was on the rack at a local fabric shop. It was always in the back of my mind to purchase some for drapes or valances. Alas, it was in the sold-out-forever status by the time I decided to get it. They weren't getting any more...ever.

Imagine my surprise yesterday looking through old bookmarks! Found with an on-line vendor! I almost deleted the bookmark but decided to take a look. Yes, four yards later...



So was there a special one in your fabric life?

Onebyone

That is pretty fabric. I can't say I have a fabric that is my favorite. I will buy fabric I fall in love with and the next time I go fabric shopping I find another I love and have to have. And it continues.

NZquilter

Yes, I too have an one special fabric in my life. I bought 3meters of this lovely cream with pink roses calico in a thrift store in NZ, way back when I had barely been quilting for a few months. I didn't take much fabric with me when I moved to America, but that fabric came with me. It's in at least three twin size quilts, baby quilts and several scrap quilts. When my sister visited us three years ago she saw it and said, "You still have that??" Yep, you don't understand quilters, lol! I've put it into so many quilts, and still have about a FQ worth left.

It's the cream calico in the Ohio Star blocks in this BH quilt.

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Jordan

Very pretty fabric. I think I like all the fabric I see. LOL. I especially like civil war and repo 30's fabrics.

Tartan

I saved a chunk of black fabric with tiny white hearts on it. It is perfect for the center of appliqué eyes. The little white heart adds a sweet accent to the eyes.

Iceblossom

There are certainly fabrics I would buy again if I had the opportunity!

I've been quilting about 40+ years now and I used to have a terrible time using up the last little bits of fabric. I still knew their stories, remembered when I bought them, what projects I used them for, etc. Was obsessed with waiting for the right project at the right time.

Then I had some changes in my life, mostly due to my progressive vision loss. I changed a lot of attitudes and one of them is my current mantra: The best use is whatever use I have for it now! And sometimes that includes sending it off to someone else.

I just had a battle over myself last week with sending someone a variety of themed fabrics, I had two pieces of something I loved which would be the perfect amount for the other person. Could have kept one piece which wouldn't be quite enough for the other person. Went back and forth and finally sent both pieces in the box because it was the right time, and the right project, and the right person even -- even if it wasn't me!

I hold a little ceremony now when I cut/use that last little bit. I spend a few moments going over the memories, and then I stitch it down and move on. Did the same thing when I sent that piece out, funny thing was it didn't really have memories or anything, it was just a cool piece of fabric. There will be other cool pieces of fabric for me in the future!

thimblebug6000

I kept a Hawaiian cotton shirt from my Dad (the only one he ever had), and I have sparingly shared little pieces in family quilts... there is only a few small odd shaped pieces left, from the collar and button areas, but I am still saving them for another perfect project.

zozee

Maybe I’ve grown colder or maybe I’ve matured in wisdom, but these days I have a much easier time letting go of stuff I used to love but now only admire.

One thing that helps with keeping just enough fabric from past projects is to cut a 2.5x whatever inch scrap . I have sewn a little bit from every quilt I’ve made into a beach quilt that’s in progress.

Mousie

I have a favorite fabric and I think it's remarkable bc I love so many.
It's a lovely airy iris? (pale lavendar) color with white. They make up the
background and there's raspberry, deep purple flowers and lots of
greenery.
I have never cut it. My plan is to make two pillow shams bc this fabric
is not cotton. It is 54" wide and I bought 1.5 yards on a whim not
knowing it was going to be a favorite.
I ask myself, "If I had bought more what would I have made with a
floral non-cotton?" I do sew. I began at age ten and didn't start
quilting till my fifties.
It didn't get away completely and I'm always looking for a coordinating
cotton for a quilt. I probably have one, idk. I got ready for the retirement
years and now it's time to downsize some. If there is a match or a
close match in my stash, I'm pretty likely to come across it.
If not, I'll make my pillow shams and live a lonely life, pining away and
....mousie, stop! You will not! I'll manage somehow. That's what
the days of downsizing and acceptance is all about. I'll be satisfied
with what I've been blessed with and enjoy my shams

Jingle

I don't really have any. I have had lots of yardage I really liked but am able to sew them all into quilts and donate most. Some I make into quilts for our bed.