Adding to the Fabric Stash

I'm not a big one for buying fabric.  I used to be and, probably like all beginner quilters, I was pretty indiscriminate, buying anything and everything, especially if it was on sale.

Now I make a lot of the fabric I use in my art - usually hand-dyeing and sometimes painting.  And I've culled my commercial stash over time down to fabrics that still appeal.  I use them to make more traditional quilts, gifts, or functional items.  But I still add to the hoard from time to time when something particularly calls my name.  After all, I still love a beautiful fabric!

One of my quilting BFF's and I took a trip to two of our closest quilt shops (an hour long drive) recently when I had to get my machine serviced.  Of course we browsed and of course I heard the siren call of some fabrics.

I think a lot of them are Alison Glass (but they are fat quarters so the selvedges are not always complete), there's a Moda Grunge fabric and the yellow flower print is a beautiful linen.

The Alison Glass fabrics caught my eye first and then I pulled fabrics to fit in with them, then added to the collection from the second shop.  Playing with fabrics can sometimes take me hours, but this pile only took about 30 minutes to finalise.  Something about it worked right from the beginning.

And now I have to find or design a pattern to use them with.  I've been looking at the quilt currently spread on our bed and thinking that it's time to change it up a little, and this collection will be perfect, as long as I can come up with the right quilt design.  Something that makes the most of the fabrics.

So, does anyone have any suggestions?  I'm currently thinking 60 degree triangles, with some triangles big and some made of several smaller ones - varying sizes but all fitting together - if that makes sense.  But if anyone has any other brilliant suggestions - let me know!

Meanwhile, if you need me, I'll be petting my new fabrics.....

Northland Quilt Shop Hop and Podcast Episode 4

I don't visit quilt shops often, because I don't have any close to me.  I have to drive for about an hour to get to one.  So when I do visit, I tend to have a list of needs and wants and it always feels like a splurge!  Here are three shops I visited last weekend on my way to Auckland.  In my podcast episode 4, I talk more about each one.

These are photos from The Country Yard, my favourite quilt shop.  The staff are just the best and they even have blogs.  Click here for Raewyn's and here for Leeanne's.  I love their range of Stof basics.

These were my purchases, I think I was on a neutrals kick.  I also got some crushed walnut shells and a little bit of batting and a new rotary cutter blade - but they don't looks so pretty in a photograph!

I had to take a photo of my country bumpkin car next to the shiny city ones!

Above are photos from the Northland Sewing Centre.  The second photo shows you the fancy acrylic boards that they are wrapping their fabrics on.  It makes for a really clean look and much more room on the shelves.  And I bought clean modern looking fabrics to boost my stash.  The duck egg one is from Art Gallery Fabrics (I was trying to remember the name on my podcast).

And then The Apple Basket in Kaiwaka.  A cute little cottage with a nice choice of fabrics.  And here are the purchases I made from The Apple Basket, three subtle shot cottons, a linen, a Sweetwater fat quarter and a Lucien fat quarter.  I took a close-up of the Lucien fabric because it had a divine texture.

I also talk about what I've been up to, with some project updates, dyeing and running classes.  You can listen to Podcast Episode 4 here at Podbean, or wait a little while and it will upload to iTunes.  Thanks for listening and I love getting feedback, it's really helpful.