I have spring buying fever
 

I am daydreaming about a fabric buying excursion this weekend. Now rationally I know gas is 4.19 a gallon and fabric is 12 a yard (including tax) and I have 19 UFO's. But it is 75 degrees out, I am itching for a new project and a day trip.

I have Mapquested three shops I have not been to before and my favorite shop. Total drive about 120 miles suburban driving round trip so that shoots the whole day.

I guess it comes down to tonight. I sat down in my sewing room last night, dug out a few UFO's and didnt sew a stitch. No inspiration. Some of these things wont take an hour but it would not be a "fun" hour.

If that happens again tonight, I am going on the shopping spree.

yup but maybe set a budget and only get one new project to work on. or blow it all and have fun.

I know the feeling. Next week my LQS has batiks for $8 a yard and it's less than three miles away. What time do they open on Monday? I have my eye on two in particular - no, make that three.

That must be my infliction this week ... I've bought lots of fabric this week from 2 de-stashers traveling 400 miles. Now that I've said it, it sounds ludicrous ... why did I do that? :o

Go Girl Go and dont look back !!!

It is definately in the air here .. I have the same "affliction". I might see you at some of the shops. Which one are you going to first?

I hear you. The Shop Hop is next weekend and honestly with the price of gas and fabric I cannot afford to go to all of them. So I will go to the three that are close and save gas and time.

I've got the same urge. but my problem isn't the distance, It's that I have too many projects in mind. lol

go for it

Yes, seems it is going around I have the same bug!!!!!!!!!!!

I get the urge to go to a quilt shop hopping, off I go for the day. I like going alone. I get a lot of my thinking done on these trips. It is my therapy and I'm worth it, every mile. :o

It must be contagious! :)

I've got the bug, but not the cash, so I guess I'll stay home, and shop in my stash!! (I'm a poet, and don't know it:D)!!

Well I solved my affliction. Saw a cute tablerunner pattern here on the QB. My mom LOVES to dress out her table. Grabbed my Mom and ran to the LQS on my lunch. Picked up a bunch of 1/4 yards in pinks, oranges, yellow, turquiose and purple. Enough to make two tablerunners. Will whip them out tonight and tomorrow. Easy Peasey, not much in gas or time and little project.

better make sure those stores are still in business, so many are going under

Maybe you will be motivated after a shopping spree. Have fun. Gotta enjoy this nice weather.

Oh MY! I had the same feeling today! I got out of class early and it was such a beautiful day and my favorite LQS is having a Buy one yard, get one yard free sale. I was planning on going tomorrow but I just couldn't wait! I got some batiks for a couple projects I want to do, some binding fabric for another baby quilt that I need to finish and and then I decided I needed to spoil myself sooo.... I bought a 1/4 yard of all the fabrics in the Moda "Ruby" collection! I am so obsessed with this collection and I have big plans for a quilt for myself out of it! No buyers remorse at all! In fact, on the way home, I rolled down the windows, turned up the radio and sang along - out loud!!!

Oh yes, when the weather turns nice our hearts turn to shopping (and I am not what you'd call a big shopper, except for quilting things)!
But here's the question: WHY is it so nice in March?! We're having 80 degree days. That's just not right. I'm enjoying it, but it's not right.

I'm so glad I'm not alone!! I was able to take advantage of a sale & get 50 fat qtrs for $49.95. I received them soon after, then took a friend to our LQS & bought another bag full!! It's very inspirational though! LOL!! ;-)

Definitely contagious! I have it too. My favorite shop is Roberts...which ones are on your map?

Well I ended up going to Rockford and bought a few things. Roberts??? Hmmm will have to put that one on my list. I was going to Pieceful Hearts in Lisle then to one in Downer's Grove and then Willowbrook. Was going to try to catch Batavia on the way. Maybe another day.

Got home and am working on my mom's table runner.

I think we need to sometimes do something fun for us! We are so busy taking care of everything else, we just need a fun day, you could being doing far worse things :) Enjoy!

I must admit my favorite part of quilting is the fabric shopping!!!

Our Quilting Guild had a bus trip to the Lancaster, PA Quilt Show on Thursday (3 hour ride each way). Weather was beautiful and buying fever definitely in the air. One member even bought herself a Bernina!

I thought only I did that!

My favorite shop is The Fabric Center in Morris, Il. Next I like Roberts in Joliet and the one in Princeton,Il.

That is sooo funny. Yesterday a QB buddy came over for a "playday". Well, she wanted to run out to "Goods", if you live in Eastern PA, you know Goods. I thought I would check for something for backing for a current project, but didn't really have anything in particular in mind. YAH!!!! $177 later I have the coolest batik jelly rolls to make another bargello, and some cloud fabric that was on sale. And you know what???? I feel a whole lot happier!!!!:D

Time to car pool. Did so with a friend yesterday just to hit one shop on the way to class. Found beautiful batiks on clearance for $6 and prints for $5. Good quality, good brand. $50 later and the pack of bobbins I went for..............

I ran to the lqs with 2 projects that I needed fabric to match. Yes, I found what I needed but they had a table and a section on the wall of clearance fabric and baskets with "ends of bolts". $215 later I have tons of fabric. But I have 6 baby quilts to do, 3 quilts for the grands as they move from toddler beds to twin beds and a wedding quilt for October. And to that a round robin I'm in- you know darn well someone will do a center with colors you never had in your stash in 5 years of quilting. Not to forget the 2 reunion quilts for July and August. I will use it all! (and I was on a mission to find a piece that I bought there a while ago- I need to make 2 table runners for my dd and gf. I bought it all- 4 yards on the clearance rack- I saved at least $16 on just this!)

I told the lady this is my smoking and drinking money. Figure- $5 a pack at a pack a day x 7 days is $35 a week, and a case of beer is about $20 (for the stuff on sale) so I spent a months worth. At least I have something to show for it. :) Now to save some more money!

....And you are feeding a healthy habit. Congrats to you. I still find myself stopping at the wine shoppe, though.:D

I buy a lot online. I also live far from any quilt stores, the nearest is about an hour away. I have lots and lots of beautiful fabrics coming in the mail next week. I'm so stoked.

It sounds like so much fun but I have made myself stop for a while. I am cruising to Alaska soon and plan to find fabric shops in every port and buy......"souvenirs" for myself!

Glad I can't "catch" your fever thru the computer. LOL I've lost weight and have to buy some new clothes and I'm dreading that. Hate to shop for clothes! Now shopping for fabric is a different matter entirely.

I also justify my quilting by saying I do not drink or smoke, but where do you find a pack of cigs for only $5.00 Up here they are almost $10. LOL...

It's time for a lot of us to quit worrying about our UFO's. Maybe it's possible through this board or local quilt guilds to hook up with someone equally jaded and you could trade UFO's. Or donate them to a quilt guild that sews quilts for charity.

If there are any quilters near you, maybe your shopping trip could be car-pooled and would be all the more fun.

I just figure collecting a stash is part of the entertainment value of the hobby and don't worry too much about it, but I'm lucky enough to have a DH with a very expensive hobby of his own. Good grief, the price of a beer after a round of golf is probably equal to more than a fat quarter or two. He recently went to Las Vegas with a golf buddy. So I should worry about the cost of a little fabric? Don't think so!

Too many women have a tendency to feel bad about the little things we do for fun. If you are not cramping the family budget with out-of-control spending, just cut out the guilt trip! If you really can't afford it, that's another matter. Perhaps you can make some items that will sell on Etsy to support your hobby. Whatever you do, don't make yourself miserable about quilting. Either you love it and deserve it or you need a different hobby.

I seem to have 'almost' the same bug. My problem is that I want to shop for fabric but when I do, nothing NOTHING at all interests me enough to buy. I must be sicker than I thought. HELP!

Must be contagious, I have been trying to talk myself out of an order from Connecting Threads. I also have several UFO's kitted and ready to cut but am not in the mood for them.

No decision to be made, it's shopping, of course.

I have so many projects that they are sitting on top of each other, but that doesn't stop me from buying more. New fabric really talks to me. And I am the kit queen of America. I buy kits from Fat Quarter Shop online and go to LQS that sell kits. Plus I buy lots of fabric lines. And then I spend a day organizing and find all kinds of fabric and kits I totally forgot about. I feel guilty. I gave away a huge box of kits to a gal here just to ease my conscience. Now I don't have to look at all those kits and know I'll never do them. Shop hops for me are so expensive. I travel so far and buy so much at each shop and if I win, it's always something little, something I can do without. So I don't shop hop except to do my own shop hopping (especially online). It's an illness. What is the name of it? Fabraholic? Quilt-sickness?