2021 Fabric Moratorium
08-04-2021, 06:25 AM
#651
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Central NM
Posts: 1,578
I have been very very bad. Fell off this wagon and hurt my ankle. Since I couldn't run to jump back on, I went shopping. No yardage but a few jelly rolls and layer cakes. I will not define "few".
And then joined a new to me quilt group and they have a WONDRFUL free table to shop...and I did. I brought a wheeled suitcase full of patterns, rulers, notions to get rid of and then... OMG...filled that sucker up with free fabric. All of it usable...of course. Now tomorrow going to a diff quilt group with that same suitcase filled with fabric. These women are like sharks with chumb...lol. Since I can't stay for the meeting I feel confident I will not bring anything home. (Cross my fingers)
And then joined a new to me quilt group and they have a WONDRFUL free table to shop...and I did. I brought a wheeled suitcase full of patterns, rulers, notions to get rid of and then... OMG...filled that sucker up with free fabric. All of it usable...of course. Now tomorrow going to a diff quilt group with that same suitcase filled with fabric. These women are like sharks with chumb...lol. Since I can't stay for the meeting I feel confident I will not bring anything home. (Cross my fingers)
08-05-2021, 07:19 AM
#652
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
Posts: 6,066
Rargle Snargle! Just when everything was going so well, on Tuesday Cranky Bernie just refused to work. I went in for a quick half hour of sewing and after a couple hours of frustrating error codes, packed it up and took it to the shop yesterday. If it isn't the thread sensor (already replaced about a year ago), it's a very similar issue. Estimated 6 week turnaround.
But that's ok -- it's not like I don't have back up machines. While I was going to start quilting down Aunt Debbie's top, I can't do that right now but with an end of the year deadline, I can float 6 weeks. And if it is going to be more than that, well, not ideal but Remy (my vintage Remington) actually does rather nice quilting for a standard neck machine.
Today is the day hubby and I are taking the Hmong Story Cloth to the Wing Luke museum. Museums typically have thousands of pieces in collections that may never be displayed, that's ok, it's better storage than in my fabric.
One of the Tuesday ladies took more of the craft things than I expected -- among other things for her own use, she is willing to take group ownership of the huge amount of official Velcro that was in one box. Still have a couple boxes left.
I am staying clear of fabric temptations as I continue to organize, the last thing I want to do right now is bring anything new in the house. I need to get Froggie Beach done so the loose pieces aren't floating around, but maybe some semi-forced organizational time isn't such a bad thing. Maybe.
But that's ok -- it's not like I don't have back up machines. While I was going to start quilting down Aunt Debbie's top, I can't do that right now but with an end of the year deadline, I can float 6 weeks. And if it is going to be more than that, well, not ideal but Remy (my vintage Remington) actually does rather nice quilting for a standard neck machine.
Today is the day hubby and I are taking the Hmong Story Cloth to the Wing Luke museum. Museums typically have thousands of pieces in collections that may never be displayed, that's ok, it's better storage than in my fabric.
One of the Tuesday ladies took more of the craft things than I expected -- among other things for her own use, she is willing to take group ownership of the huge amount of official Velcro that was in one box. Still have a couple boxes left.
I am staying clear of fabric temptations as I continue to organize, the last thing I want to do right now is bring anything new in the house. I need to get Froggie Beach done so the loose pieces aren't floating around, but maybe some semi-forced organizational time isn't such a bad thing. Maybe.
08-05-2021, 09:44 AM
#653
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Central NM
Posts: 1,578
Just got back from the quilt group. DH helped me wheel in the suitcase...I carried the tote. Put the suitcase on the stage and the quilters couldn't wait to start fondling!!! I used small baggies for smaller pieces. Not sure how much was left cuz I had an appointment but wished I could have stayed to watch the "feeding frenzy!" Repeat the process a week from Sat with dif quilt group. Bit by bit my undesirables are leaving. 
08-05-2021, 11:46 AM
#654
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Mostly Oklahoma (Army Brat)
Posts: 606
I also made sure that I actually took pictures of my July finishes-2 flimsies and 1 Quillow. The two flimsies also count for the UFO challenge because they are all from stash material and have been cut and pre-positioned for over two years and the quillow for over a year.
The first flimsie is all child prints and lap quilt size.
The second is a miscellaneous assortment of scrap blocks I have had that were left over from other quilt tops over the years. I did the-toss it in a bag and sew it as it comes out attempt. Surprisingly enough, no prints are sitting right next to itself.
The last three pics are of the quillow for a coworkers daughter. He left our organization and came back. Before leaving he married a nice woman with 3 kids. For the wedding gifts, they got afghans and the kids all got quillows so they would not be left out. They also had a baby before he left. I finished the top before but did not finish it. We have the front, back and it folded.
The first flimsie is all child prints and lap quilt size.
The second is a miscellaneous assortment of scrap blocks I have had that were left over from other quilt tops over the years. I did the-toss it in a bag and sew it as it comes out attempt. Surprisingly enough, no prints are sitting right next to itself.
The last three pics are of the quillow for a coworkers daughter. He left our organization and came back. Before leaving he married a nice woman with 3 kids. For the wedding gifts, they got afghans and the kids all got quillows so they would not be left out. They also had a baby before he left. I finished the top before but did not finish it. We have the front, back and it folded.
08-05-2021, 12:20 PM
#655
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Mostly Oklahoma (Army Brat)
Posts: 606
I finally have pictures of one of my May finishes, the Big Boy Quilt. It has hand embroidered hot rod cars and the top is all from stash 
. I did buy some blue shark fabric for the backing, but it just wouldn't due with what I had on hand.
. I did buy some blue shark fabric for the backing, but it just wouldn't due with what I had on hand.
08-06-2021, 04:58 AM
#656
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Carroll, Iowa
Posts: 3,386
I'm happy to say I've been on a fabric moratorium since Nove 2018. So far I've only had to buy 3 fat quarters to finish a quilt after the gal said she wanted it queen size instead of full size. Had almost enough to finish the border and binding but needed just these 3 fat quarters. The bad news is she died from pancreatic cancer before I could give it to her. It was a gift to her. When she went into the nursing home I decided to try to whip up a lap quilt using the same fabrics as I had enough scraps excluding the border but she died within a week of going into the nursing home. Now looking for someone else to give the quilt to once I get it quilted.
On the happy note, I haven't purchased fabric, thread or batting since that time. Too many UFOs in the main stream to finish up.
On the happy note, I haven't purchased fabric, thread or batting since that time. Too many UFOs in the main stream to finish up.
08-06-2021, 10:19 AM
#657
Power Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Between the dashes of a tombstone
Posts: 12,716
Originally Posted by ckcowl
It is kind of (amazing?) the changes we have all gone through this past 2 years- in ways — in my mind- I should have been crazy productive during the lock down- but … well, you know.
since my TBI happened on October 1, 2019 and I had been pretty isolated, only leaving the house for therapy and neurologist appointments- when the lockdown started in March I thought “ we’ll this isn’t going to effect me- I’ve been isolated for 6 months already “ but you know what? It was different, and it did effect me. Suddenly I couldn’t even go to therapy or appointments- everything was on line. I think it was April, maybe May when my husband asked me what was loaded up on the Longarm. I’m sure I looked at him like he had lost his mind. Nothing! I hadn’t even opened the door to my studio in 7 or 8 months- I had lost the ability to write my name- I couldn’t even think about trying to sew. He said- “ I’m worried about your well being- I want you to go in and load up some practice thing and quilt it. “
I sat around for 2 or 3 more days- thinking about that- then finally got brave enough to go in and load something up, wound bobbins, threaded, everything ready and walked away again. I think it took another week for me to finally go in and start sewing. I grabbed those handlebars, one line across the top then started to write! I couldn’t write At All with a pencil- but with the machine my penmanship was Beautiful! I wrote and wrote and wrote all over that practice quilt.I think that was a major turning point for my recovery, my life was not over- I could still quilt. Even though that was 14 months ago I’m still not productive like I was before the injury. I can sew for about an hour sometimes 2 on blocks/ projects. I can only quilt for 45 minutes to an hour before a headache starts or things start going wonky. And I don’t have a lot of motivation. I have been back to work full time for 8 months now and the people I work with have been wonderful- looking out for me and seeing progress. I want to get more done in the sewing room- I want to get that stack of quilts quilted that Ben made, I want to be creative- but something has changed. I’ve changed. I’ve thought seriously that I need to really get in gear and get the ufos finished up then sell the machine and move on- but then I wonder- would I be ok? I don’t know why this is where my mind goes… guess time will tell. I’m tired of funerals- I’m tired of angry people, I’m just plain tired and I know I’m not alone. We all hate change and when it’s so drastic and sudden….oh well- ( spilling my guts- again, is over) I don’t know why I’ve had this need to ( share) so much lately…just another phase on my journey I guess…
thanks for being here. 🤗
since my TBI happened on October 1, 2019 and I had been pretty isolated, only leaving the house for therapy and neurologist appointments- when the lockdown started in March I thought “ we’ll this isn’t going to effect me- I’ve been isolated for 6 months already “ but you know what? It was different, and it did effect me. Suddenly I couldn’t even go to therapy or appointments- everything was on line. I think it was April, maybe May when my husband asked me what was loaded up on the Longarm. I’m sure I looked at him like he had lost his mind. Nothing! I hadn’t even opened the door to my studio in 7 or 8 months- I had lost the ability to write my name- I couldn’t even think about trying to sew. He said- “ I’m worried about your well being- I want you to go in and load up some practice thing and quilt it. “
I sat around for 2 or 3 more days- thinking about that- then finally got brave enough to go in and load something up, wound bobbins, threaded, everything ready and walked away again. I think it took another week for me to finally go in and start sewing. I grabbed those handlebars, one line across the top then started to write! I couldn’t write At All with a pencil- but with the machine my penmanship was Beautiful! I wrote and wrote and wrote all over that practice quilt.I think that was a major turning point for my recovery, my life was not over- I could still quilt. Even though that was 14 months ago I’m still not productive like I was before the injury. I can sew for about an hour sometimes 2 on blocks/ projects. I can only quilt for 45 minutes to an hour before a headache starts or things start going wonky. And I don’t have a lot of motivation. I have been back to work full time for 8 months now and the people I work with have been wonderful- looking out for me and seeing progress. I want to get more done in the sewing room- I want to get that stack of quilts quilted that Ben made, I want to be creative- but something has changed. I’ve changed. I’ve thought seriously that I need to really get in gear and get the ufos finished up then sell the machine and move on- but then I wonder- would I be ok? I don’t know why this is where my mind goes… guess time will tell. I’m tired of funerals- I’m tired of angry people, I’m just plain tired and I know I’m not alone. We all hate change and when it’s so drastic and sudden….oh well- ( spilling my guts- again, is over) I don’t know why I’ve had this need to ( share) so much lately…just another phase on my journey I guess…
thanks for being here. 🤗
08-06-2021, 10:31 AM
#658
Power Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Between the dashes of a tombstone
Posts: 12,716
I have been AWOL. After2+ weeks of Family in and out I am hoping to get back to doing what I love. In the meantime I did buy some un necessary fabric..mea culpa ! And to compensate I have started the OMG quilt. From scraps I have the HST'S and squares cut out. I am getting the 4p and 9p made. Finally just had to start on the blocksand have 5 of each style done. According to my calculations I will have 7 yards of fabric just in the 9p and 49 made from 1inch widths. That's a lotta scrap! Is it making adent? Maybe!
08-09-2021, 05:50 AM
#659
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Mostly Oklahoma (Army Brat)
Posts: 606
2 August finishes--Yay!
I was able to get another two flimsies done this past weekend (even around a crochet lesson). Both of these have been staged for over two years. The first one just 5-1/2 inch squares with sashing. The second is a "Zero Waste" Quilt from the YouTube channel. Having a senior moment on the young ladies name. Of course, I couldn't leave the pattern as is. I added sashing which changed the borders, but I did get it up to twin-sized. Now I know what to do with the second one that is waiting to be sewn. 
These two are packaged and waiting for my Labor Day trip to get dropped off. I am definitely going to work on something simple next.
These two are packaged and waiting for my Labor Day trip to get dropped off. I am definitely going to work on something simple next.
