i went back home to MI last fall and went on a shop hop with my oldest friend from high school. at one shop i found this fabric that i had to have. as this tiny little old lady (80 if she was a day, complete with the big white bun in her hair) was cutting in, Anne asked what i was going to use it for...i said "i don't know but i need it"
the little old lady cutting my fabric told me this story:
when she was a new bride, she went shopping with her mother (who was a new wife @ the beginning of the great depression" the daughter had picked out some fabric & was purchasing it when mom asked what she was going to make out of it.. when the daughter replied that she didn't know yet, mom had a minor meltdown right in the store, because according to mom, you can't spend $$ on something if you don't know what it would be used for.
the daughter's response was "I'm going to take it home, wash it, and stroke it, and dream of what it could be, them put it up on my shelf, and on a bad day, i'm going to take it down, and stroke it some more, and dream of what it could be.
eventually, the daugher found the right pattern for the fabric, and made mom a quilt with it.
mom never said you shouldn't buy anything again, and i got a new term for what i do in my studio..
when the kids or grandkids can't find me, my dh tells them, "she's upstairs stroking her fabric"