I bought quilting fabric for years before I ever made a quilt. At first my whole stash could fit in a shoe box, then it graduated to one of those really huge clear plastic bins, then two, then three. Now my fabric takes up an entire wall of my studio and more!
When I and my shopping cart overflowing with bolts are waiting in line at the cutting counter, people often ask me what I am making. “Oh, quilts,” I say nonchalantly as if I know exactly what I am doing. Most people seem impressed, as if I were attempting to build a thermonuclear reactor out of paper clips or something. Sometimes I feel like that’s what I’m trying to do, although these days, I know my ability better, so I am able to tell when a quilting pattern is way over my head.
Occasionally I do make quilts, but they take a really, really long time, so mostly I buy fabric. All the sales staff at Hancock Fabrics know me and they also know the quilting police will never in a million years ticket me for speeding through my quilting projects. So when they ask me these days what I am making, I simply answer, “Its for my stash.”
happy quilting!
You know, you should be sending this to a magazine. Your writing is fun & interesting. Another Helen Kelly!
Oh do I understand! I saved quilt patterns and picturs for years because “Some day I’m going too make quilts”. All the while needlepointing away while waiting in hospitals, at boring meetings, etc. Finally, after I retired I took a beginner’s class and began quilting, but by this time my hands were so arthritic that I make quilts slowly, very slowly. But, I make them. Your blog is fun to read.
I used to manage a Calico Corners store (fabulous home dec fabrics and trims). We loved our regular fabric junkies who came in just to look and touch. We also sold a ton of fabric to people (including ourselves) who just “had” to have some of something, with no thought as to how it would be used. I have a 7-8 yard piece of Bruschwig & Fils polychrome toile (fabulous!) that I’ve never used–but I just had to have it. I saw someone’s writing recently who described herself as a fabric collector. Why not? It’s just a little bulkier than stamps!