Hmnnn.....I've never found any fabric shops in Mexico.

How very interesting, thank you for sharing, I believe beauty in a quilt is what we each find. One likes florals, another solids, We make what we have money for, what materials we can find, and enjoy ourselves. Some we keep and some we give. That is the beauty in quilting.

Or seersucker...?

thank you for this thread. i think you are very creative.
May God bless you and your family and happy new year.

Very interesting. Again I have the Lord to thank that I was born and live in the greatest country in the world with so many fabric stores. You can buy fabric on ebay.

So interesting. Thanks for sharing with us. And yes, it's true about Walmart not having much fabric any more, especially 100% cotton.

WOW I guess lucky to have that? Sounds like you are not suffering anyway.

Good for you I believe your work is just as lovely as those who have stacks of fabrics in there homes.

You are an inspiration to us all. Not spoiled by the vast choices we have here in the USA. Yes a more simpler life can avoid a lot of trouble and heartaches as well. However, it seems like you have adjusted and adapted to meeting your needs creativley.

I must admit that when my kids were young instead of buying them clothes, I would rummage thru piles of clothes garage sales for large size women's clothes and use that fabric. I hunted like mad for jeans to reuse the zippers and bought all kinds of shirts with buttons only to tear them off and reuse them on my kids "new clothes." I couldn't afford to buy my 5 kids new, so I became creative too. It worked and worked well for several years. I don't make clothes anymore; only quilts and table runners - stuff like that. But I know exactly how you are making it work for you too. In fact, when I first started quilting and didn't have much of any type of fabric, I found several linen table clothes at a garage sale and used them for backings. Worked very nicely and boy did that quilt have some heavy weight to it. My granddaughter loves that quilt and as of this posting she is asleep with it tonight.

Good luck and I hope you can get your hands on some of that cat fabric you really want.

Oh My Gosh! I guess it's all what you are used to! It is a beautiful shop though!

Thank you for your most interesting and informative message. I do have a couple of questions: (1) Are you of Polish descent or are you American living in Poland? and (2) The fabric shop that you showed pictures of--do a great mamy Poles sew and if so, do they wear garments of such "rich" type of fabrics as shown in your pictures? I am really quite surprised that quilting is not popular in your country.
Yes, we Americans are very spoiled; sometimes I think we are too spoiled for our own good. Too many choices and too much "stuff."
Again, thank you for your post.

Technology is fine. We've been behind the states, but are catching up. Prices are higher, but that is typically European.

There are some who have no computers or internet, and others, like us, have had DSL since it came into the area (a few years ago). Not all areas have it. But our town is thinking of getting free wireless for the center (like a public hot spot). I feel like it is so progressive! That is not the norm for here...they don't do things "for free" typically. :) I mean, you are supposed to pay for using the radio waves and watching public tv. It's on the honor system, but you are supposed to. :) --it's a monthly fee. Really weird, in my book. If they came into my house to check, how are they going to know if we watch tv or listen to the radio?

Our cell phone service was ahead of the states for a long time. Now the states is ahead of us and much cheaper as well. Very young children take phones to school, though (Kindergarteners, etc.). They are more or less a status symbol among the kids. They are very gadget-happy people. :)

The very poor almost all have a cell phone because you can get a cast off from someone else and then just pay for a number and keep it active with a couple of dollars. You don't pay to receive a phone call here, but you pay to make one (either land line or cell). Internet phone calls are different, of course, and are changing the look of that. We never used to have irritating sales pitches via the phone because it cost to make a call...people use the phone to take care of business quickly and make contact...not talk for hours and hours.

I hope people from other countries will also tell us about their life as a quilter.

thanks for sharing. Always interested in fabrics in other countries and the cost. thanks again

Our Walmart is discontinuing their fabric so we are getting lots of fabric at 50% off. We are being very choosy as some is not of the best quality. Both my daughters have started to quilt and we are all newbies. When we took our first class we didn't even know how to use the cutting board and the cutting wheel. I will be posting my first quilt soon. It is the Bargello and we did it. It's not perfect but we were so glad to put it together and see that we could accomplish something so difficult. Thanks for your pictures.

Joanne

WOW is that 15 Euro a meter? I have been to Poland many times (at least 8) for the pottery :D Love it.

No. We do not use the Euro at this time. We use zlotys. It is 3/1 so if it is 15 zl it is $5 a meter.

good thing you aren't using Euro! Yes, I remember the zlotys. I hope to get back over there one day. I really liked it in Poland.

interesting pic's and story..thanks for the show and i think it's a nice store .

I enjoyed your story. Thanks for sharing.

I enjoyed looking at the pictures you sent.

Thank you for the story and pics,very interesting.
Most of all thank you and hubby for the work you do.
Hope you enjoy Egypt and everything works out for you.
Happy New Year and God Bless. :D :D

Not very many prints. Do most of the people over there dress in solid colours?

Like you fabric selections. Thanks for sharing these pictures with us. Your English is very good!!

Great post. Thanks for opening my eyes since I've never been to Poland. I'd love to see pictures of some of your quilts. And I agree about creativity when there is a shortage of raw materials.

Thanks. I also got that response when I went to Egypt or Tunisia and told them I was from Poland. "Wow, your English is really good." :)

I just smiled.

1. No. I'm not of Polish descent. My mom's maiden name was Gruetzmacher (German) and my dad Tillman which is Swedish.

2. They wear these kinds of fabrics for dressy events. Most people look pretty much like Americans though, they seem to tend wear dressy blouses more than I remember Americans wearing. It was hard to find a white cotton blouse, for example--almost all white blouses are extra specially fancy (and sheer).

Most Polish women do not sew nor do they have a machine.

Thank-you for sharing that. I found it very interesting. :lol:

I went back and re-read U post on ur Charity Quilt giveaways. U r an AMAZING woman!! If u r the Polish ladies role model from the West, they will do well :) Yippee for strong tatented women everywhere!!!!!

Thanks leonajo.

How interesting! I love to see other places and other stores... I did a double take when I rolled up picture #4. The blue fabric that is hanging down from the shelf is the exact fabric that is covering a tube that holds all my knitting needles. Its not too unusual until you realize that my DM gave me that 'holder' and knitting needles with I was about 13 or 14.. I'm 64 now.. Either that is very old fabric or that pattern is being used again! It was fun for me to scroll down and find it!

Judie: That blue fabric with the vibrant flowers also looks retro to me. And I have been sewing for over 55 yrs. now. I remember having some of that print long ago. (You and I are the same age!)

It is classic "folk costume" fabric. It's beautiful. I've begun to try to figure out how to make a quilt out of it. It's definitely a woven.

I can just see that beautiful floral fabric in a classic folk costume... The fabric that covers my knitting needle holder is blue with flowers.. Just like that in the 4th picture... I love that print. It must be very good fabric as it is as good today as it ever was.. Hasn't worn thin anywhere, not even on the bottom where it stands all the time.

Thank you for sharing with us, and sending the pictures. I too am Baptist and have been on quite a few mission trips outside of the U.S. I have been to Mexico many times, to Brazil 3 times, and to Thailand once. Quite an experience each time. Are you very careful about what you are saying concerning your work there?

I was fortunate to find fabric stores to look through and have purchased some beautiful yardage in each country. Mostly that fabric is still waiting for me to make it up into something. I love people and have had the most wonderful times visiting with women from these countries. I have found lovely people where ever I've gone. I am always surprised at how many people, all over the world, who know some or even speak great English. I can understand some Spanish, but butcher the language when I try to speak it! I don't understand much of any Portuguese, and I'm even worse when I try to speak.. In Thailand I can't even make sense of their alphabet! Yet, a smile is always understood the world around. I wish you a good year, good travels and hope you will check in here and let us know how your work and your sewing is progressing.

I have one thing to say to you, Thank God for the internet. You most order a lot of fabric online. And you are right about most of our stashes are bigger than your selection.

Thanks for the memories. My family is from Poland and I have been able to travel there once. Loved it, the people and the customs. Hand carried back some of the crystal to add to what my grandparents brought with them. Keep up the good work and hope you continue enjoying your quiting.

Have fun and be safe. Sounds like a very interesting trip.

Thank you for sharing your experiences with all of us. It's been very interesting for me to read about life in Poland. It sounds like a much simpler existence, rather than the hustle and bustle of our busy part of the world.

Do you children like living there?

Have you learned Polish or do people speak English there, too?

My husband and I are going to Poland this summer. Do the large cities have fabric stores?

I was thinking seersucker?