You know, the internet is a funny thing. Every day there are emails from out of the blue…..asking me if I know the value of someone’s vintage machine, or if I sell parts for them ((No, I’m just a machine lover who has too many!)) Or if I know someone who will do a certain kind of quilt for someone else, or asking one of 100 other questions…
Sometimes I feel like the Quilter version of “Dear Abby!” And I’m flattered…but sometimes dumbfounded on how I am supposed to supply level headed advice! And is someone going to say “Well, Bonnie said so…so it’s all her fault?!”
Today I received the following email:
((Names have been changed to protect the Quilty!))
I have been in quilting for the past six years and have a huge stash of fabrics and other necessities. I have made around 100 quilts but I have more money tied up in fabric and the rest to sink a ship. I have a huge amount of books, 10 tops in progress, and 15 quilt tops not yet quilted. I am always starting a new top............constantly looking for new free patterns online and otherwise. The problem is I am never going to use up my stash and keep making it bigger every day.
Do you have any suggestions about the stash problem? I would like to sell my stash and just finish the projects in progress. I have a habit of not finishing for a long time and nothing ever gets done.
Please help.
Is there any way a person can get rid of a stash at a decent price????????? If you have any suggestions or online sites that can help me regarding this, I would appreciate it. I just want to finish and get out of quilting, at least the easy quilts. I would like to work on a Dear Jane or something more complicated than the Moda Bake Shop type of quilts I have been doing.
M.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to answer this! I thought and thought about what I could say to help her feel better….but sometimes, what needs to be said, what needs to be done, has to come from INSIDE the person doing the asking!
How does an alcoholic stop the insanity? It seems to me that M’s problem is not in the wanting to sell her stash ((For a decent price?!?)) but in the admission that she feels she will never be able to “use up” her stash, and it keeps growing EVERY DAY.
Does that stop because she sells it off? No…the problem will still be there.
Does buying new fabric to replace the other fabric solve the problem? No, and if she is buying fabric all the time, her problem isn’t that she has only OLD fabric and is tired of it…..There is something that hooks her in with just the thrill of the purchase.
In the last paragraph she is talking about finishing and getting out of quilting…and in the next sentence she wants to start a Dear Jane or something more complicated? 
I really feel for M and wish there was something I could do to help…this was my reply:
M!
You need an intervention!
Stop shopping and start spending your time sewing and creating....it is up to you to fix the problem! Creativity is better fed by DOING...not planning and spending!
Stop starting new projects...pick one that is "almost done" and finish it, and do a happy dance of joy! Donate things you are tired of, look for projects that will use what you have....fulfill your love of beautiful fabrics by putting them to good use...
I don't plan on selling my stash. I loved it when I bought it, it's going to make beautiful quilts. What you have at home is no different than what is in the store.....SEW IT!
Bonnie
For an alcoholic to take control of his/her life, they have to recognize they have a problem. Just as an alcoholic person needs to not even GO IN TO A BAR…..I think she needs to stop and take stock in what she has. Finish some projects, start looking at things with a more critical eye. I’m not a psychologist…..but I have a tendency to think that there are many ways of self-medicating…and for some of us, the purchasing of fabric way beyond our means and control is a way of filling a need of some sort.
A support group of a quilting bee that spends more time SEWING might be beneficial! Spend more time sewing than you do shopping…buy when you need to to finish a project if you don’t have something, but chances are, you might have just what you need in your stash already.
I know from personal experience, when I was going through a deep dark time during my boys’ teenage years ---that some days all I could manage was to pet the fabric, and to buy the fabric and to bring it home because it was the one thing I had control of in my life….but the truth is, it had control of ME. I had to step back from it and see what I was doing. I had to face the facts that no matter how much I loved that fabric….IT was NEVER going to LOVE ME BACK. I was using it to fill an emptiness.
This may or may not be the case….but I just feel M’s desire to make a change, but at the same time…SHE is the one who has to make the steps to do it.
Good luck, M!
And on to my recent mile stone!
The floral border is finished!! I finished attaching the last two sections at the evening guild meeting on Monday eve!
I haven’t decided if I want to orientate it on point or straight set…..I’ve been puttering around with the graph paper trying to doodle how it might square up:
It’s such a weird shape to fill……I don’t want a hexagon shaped quilt..so I need to build it out square/rectangle…and that is a bit odd sized. Here I have echoed the shape of the outer edge with more rows of flowers and green borders…I dunno if I like it or not. Maybe I’ll keep doodling!
I’m here in Alabaster, AL for my two workshops with the Evening Star Quilt Guild. We’ve got Pineapple Blossom tomorrow, and Virginia Bound on Saturday! It will be fun to see familiar faces…I was last here 2 years ago. My how time flies!
As for tonight? I’m tucked into my hotel and I’m going to SEW!
M has made 100 quilts in only SIX years? That's 16.67 quilts per year... what is she doing with all those quilts?
ReplyDeleteM needs to find a blog group that is dedicated to NOT buying fabric and FINISHING projects. If they're "easy" quilts and she's tired of them... finish and donate them to a worthy cause / local women's shelter, Project Linus, to schools to raffle off, etc.
M may need to see a counselor or therapist to talk this issue out with an objective person...
Bless her... her email does sound a bit like a cry for help.
I think your reply to her question was perfect.
ReplyDeleteAs for the stash - If she really wants to sell there are multiple formats (etsy, ebay?).. but will that just trigger an urge to buy more?
For UFOs, she should really think about donating them. I've donated many UFOs to nonprofits AND to new quilters.
I was also the recipient of a fabric gift when I was first starting out and I don't know if I have ever received a better gift in my whole life. It allowed me to build a stash. Better yet, it allowed me to experience designer fabrics.. I was shopping solely at walmart and buying just the bare essentials for my next project.
As for UFOs, if she could just designate 1-2 hours, on a certain day, to work on it. More than likely that 2 hours will turn in to more and she might just finish it!
I think your advice to M could be helpful to her. She has made a big step recognizing she want to move in a new direction. Hopefully she can figure out what the real reason is that is holding her back and move forward. Best wishes to her.
ReplyDeleteStashbusters group at Yahoo.com - 5000+ quilters who want to use what they have instead of buying more. Several challenges: no-buy, 100 yd dash, finish UFOs, etc.
ReplyDeleteKatie is right - a more experienced quilter with more stash gave me a huge, wonderful batch of scraps when I didn't yet have much stash of my own, and it revolutionized my quilting. M could make one - or several - new quilter's days by giving them a bag or two.
ReplyDeleteI recently slimmed down my sizable quilt book collection by selling some of the books that I knew I was never going to make any projects out of. I went online to bookscouter.com which gave me the prices from about 17 different book purchasers. I ended up splitting the books between two sites that were offering the best price. It felt so good to unload part of my bookcase and feel that I had at least gotten something for them.
ReplyDeleteGreat advice, Bonnie. For me, just the process of picking out a cart full of bolts is enough. When I can't get any more in the cart, I go around and put back all of them except the two I allow myself to buy. It really cuts down on the fabric bill and I've gotten my fabric fix for a while.
ReplyDeleteI don't buy the bolts, just pieces off those bolts. LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteI think your advice was on the mark and heartfelt. I'm kinda in the boat with M, except the only part of the boat I want to participate in less is the buying. I don't want to quit quilting, I want to quilt more. As to the alcoholic reference, yup! That's me...I with the grace of God gave up that bad habit several years ago, but still have not given up my addictive behavior issues completely. I tell people all the time Fabric is my Heroin...and I mean it.
ReplyDeleteYour hexie quilt is amazing. I've been wondering as it has grown how big is it so far? I just can't tell by the pics.
Bonnie, your insight is astounding! What wise words you write. Selling the stash won't solve her feeling this way.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a psychologist either, although I'd like to play one on TV :) I can only relate to myself if I was in this position. Maybe she's just in a quilting funk. I get them when stitching. Maybe no-one appreciates all those 100 quilts she made- I'd need a standing ovation from my DH after every one if I had made 100 quilts in 6 years. Maybe her stash needs reorganising so that she can see other possibilities for their use rather than for the project she had in mind when she bought them. Maybe she should kit up some quilts and get them ready to sew.
And I agree with Kathy that joining an online stashbusters group is a great idea- lots of encouragement and kudos upon achievement! And also a UFO group too for the same reasons. Nothing like a pat on the back!
Or, she can start up her own blog called 'I want to sell my stash and don't know why'. But certainly more doing and less timewasting (ask me, I know all about online time wasting- reading blogs, saving free quilts patterns, browsing at fabric etc etc etc.) and actually start sewing might help her.
Hope she sorts things out! And I really need to stop delaying my quilting by reading blogs this morning and go and actually do some quilting!
you were right in your comment. I know I have a much smaller stash than some people but I still know that I have enough to last me 3 to 5 years I bet (or longer) - I might just need some for backgrounds and backings :) but no more than that. Last year I told myself I needed to be more careful in my spending and I have held true to myself. I buy very little now and really the best thing for a lot of us is to stop going to the quilt shops and stop browsing the on line stores so much - now I know that doesn't help the shopkeepers - but we have to do what we can to help ourselves conquer our addiction to fabric :)
ReplyDeleteKaren
http://karensquilting.com/blog/
Superb response! Hope you have a sweet evening :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Bonnie,
ReplyDeleteGood advice to M, hope she can find a way out of her funk.
Have to say I love the return to the old header for the blog, looks like Quiltville again.
Your hexie quilt is going to be stupendous, likes the doodle arrangement for the corner.
Marie in Rockingham in Western Australia
Your advice was perfect. Mine is pretty much the same as everyone else: Every now and then I donate some of my fabric that I know I won't use to a church group that makes tied quilts for missions, etc., or our small group will make a few charity quilts that don't require fancy designer fabric. I also have given some to my sister in law when she started out as a new quilter. I think M's problem is more serious that she is seeing it and hopefully can force herself to work on finishing her projects. I really enjoy your posts from "the road".
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on finishing the border. That is one gorgeous quilt!
ReplyDeleteI was having a stressful week and one day when I was particularly upset I spent about 200$ online buying fabric... it adds up bit by bit and here I am, feeling like an idiot with the start of an addiction. I appreciated this post for myself... i've only been quilting for 6 months, I dont want to spiral down a black hole. The pretty fabric will be there next month (or in a few months when I've paid off this month's debt with my personal spending money lol). I am making a pledge to create more and until I've finished the 6 blankets I have started, I'm not starting anymore big projects and I'm going to stop impulse buying. Feels good to get that out to a bunch of random people I dont know and who won't judge me... and if they do, I'll never know! :)
ReplyDeleteBonnie, thanks for showing your hexagon project. I came across your post about it a couple of months ago and backtracked looking for more info. I came across your graph. I have the center star finished and I'm ready to start the cream outline of the star. I love the portability of the project and I appreciate you showing your progress.... it gives me hope of having a beautiful 'Christmas Star' some YEAR..LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteI have quite a few unfinished projects. Part of my problem was living overseas for 3 years and not having access to quilt batting for 6-12 months at a time. I also designate my on going projects. I have one for the car pick up lane/doctors visits, my main project, and one near my bed that needs to be hand quilted. It sounds like M needs to set limits. I reward myself with a fabric shopping trip when I get things finished, but do look in the remnant bins when buying batting and thread.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, stop shopping and start doing. When I go with my gal pal to do some shop hopping, I start to feel myself getting stressed, and all I can think of is how much I could have got done if I had spent the morning in my studio instead of in the fabric stores. Don't get me wrong, I have lots of fabric and I still buy, but I'm VERY selective, it must be for a specific project. Stop planning and start doing!
ReplyDeleteopps, I forgot to say how fab your hexi project is. I like the corner doodle idea!
ReplyDeleteYour advice was spot-on, honest but not preachy. "Donate things you are tired of" was fabulous advice. I sew quilts for charity, and some of the best lots of fabric we have gotten has been from daughters who are cleaning out their mom's sewing room after she has passed away. Or who are cleaning out their OWN sewing room after clearing out mom's whole house. One lady said she didn't want to leave such a mess for her kids to deal with. Charity groups are always happy to have fabric donations!
ReplyDeleteYour hexagon project is astounding - I've been watching it grow and it keeps looking prettier and prettier.
Bonnie: Your answer to M was thoughtful, and I especially related to your comment that "fabric doesn't love you." How true! M sounds overwhelmed, which results in inertia. I've been there too with my stash. I've been culling and donating my less-favorites every week. It may be a small amount, but over the year it will add up! I remind myself that I didn't grow my stash overnight, and I won't hone it down overnight either! Kinda like excess weight!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all you do. Louise
I am a new quilter who also benefited from the generosity of others. I received 24 shirts from one woman and 3 grocery bags (the big paper bags) full of fabric (mostly fat quarters) from another.
ReplyDeleteI am amazed at how quickly fabric can pile up. I have hit two sales, spent about $200, but with the fabric received added to what I've purchased, I have enough to do several projects!
I wish I had a stash!! I don't know how all you lovely ladies can afford to tie up so much cash in fabric ...
ReplyDeleteMy sin is being full of envy? Any solutions to that problem?!
Wait, my fabric doesn't love me back? Yeah, I definitely know I'm doing the self-medicating thing and that needs to stop now that I'm doing better. stupid surgery. congrats on your hexies - i love it just like that. you don't happen to have a round table that would go on perfectly do you?
ReplyDeleteDear quilty Abby....I mean Bonnie, Great answer!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like it struck a chord with a lot of quilters;)
Regarding your hexagon quilt: No, do not just continue the pattern until the quilt is squared off to the size you want. Outline the shape on your graph paper and design something new for that shape, but something cohesive with the rest of the quilt. It will be better by far!
ReplyDeleteLove the hexies and your old quiltville header. The lady with all that stash could donate her extra to Quilts of valor, quilts for teachers of young people. She could ask in her area who is donating quilts. At $10 a yard she has quite an investment.
ReplyDeleteThis is such sage advice (which I really should be heeding)I really think I am going to print it out for those moments of weakness when I think I "need" another fabric!
ReplyDeleteOh, that sounds familiar! Only, the "stash" I built happened to be comfort food =^{
ReplyDeleteI was feeling closed into the house with a baby and a toddler, no social life left, and I went buying veggies... way too much to eat. That problem used to solve itself by rotting away.
Evening courses stopped this addiction, and eventually I found myself with 4 small children between 1 and 7 yrs old, divorced.
Be it stash, alcoholics or name it what you want, "something you can't hide, is when you're crippled inside..."
Being my sane self now, I shop for stash the proven "Bonnie Way" : thrift shops for shirts. Ripping shirts up gives me a nice thing at hand in stead of watching tunnel vision, sorry, television ;^}
I have to go and fill in the hexies gap for more fun now! Secretly I would like to end up with one ginormous hexie, filled with so nice a pattern that it might compete with yours!
love from a rainy Amsterdam, Irene
Great advise Bonnie. Good advise in lots of the comments.
ReplyDeleteLove your hexies. can't wait to see where you go with them next.
You gave her a sensible answer. That's a large subject!
ReplyDeleteOne thing I always want to say to all the gals on the lists, with blogs, in classes, e-mails -- stop thinking about how to store, how to organize, what quilt books to inspire, how to stack it, what kind of bookshelves to buy, or cabinets to save it ... Just USE it, USE it, USE it!!!
First, what a great hexagon quilt you have! However you finish it, what you have done so far is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI used to struggle with two addictions - books (not just quilty ones) and fabric. I bought most books online and discovered that keeping a blank looseleaf notebook beside my computer and writing down the titles of books for which I'm experiencing that impulse to buy is enough to satisfy the desire in 99.9999999999 % of the time. And so is making orders for fabric which I delete. I do sometimes buy a book or a piece of fabric, but rarely. I have more books in the house than I quite know how to shelve and all the fabric I can store. It's beautiful fabric and very fun to pick out the bits I want to make something....Being aware of the problem is a big step toward solving it.
kjalics@rocketmail.com
One point in your message I think can never be overemphasized. Company/companionship. Especially the company of women, or "quilt girls" who listen when we gripe about our stash, husband, kids, pets, jobs and still love us.
ReplyDeleteIf 'buried under stash' does not have a group of women friends who can understand where she is coming from and give the kind of tough love advice she needs to hear; she must cultivate a group immediately. My "quilt girls" are the first ones to point out the overboard behavior and when the "retail therapy" is taking place of what really needs to be done.
Open your heart to a group of women friends and soon you will wonder how you ever stayed sane without them.
A.D.O.S - I love you all!
I so feel for "M" as I am a fabricholic too. I really like what you said about filling an empty space and not being loved back by a "thing".
ReplyDeleteYour old blog heading is a welcome sight. The new one was great but even on super fast cable it always had to load twice...more like a hiccup.
How can you bear to be away from home and animals and family? I bet you are itching for some alone time.
XOXOXOX Subee
no advice for "M", you answered beautifully
ReplyDeletehave been watching the progress on your hexagon quilt
WONDERFUL!!
can't wait to see it finished and then quilted
you are a fine example of "just do it", and I am honored to know you
I loved the snowy blue header but this one is more for spring. And it does load faster....
ReplyDeleteI love your hexagons! Really beautiful!
M could use some of her stash for quilt backs.
She should join a quilt guild as they usually have community service projects and are looking for fabric.
Our guild has a couple of fabricholics and they get together nearly yearly to have a sale of their stash and books/patterns. They email everyone else in the guild as to the date and place and it is a win-win sale for all!
I think we all psych ourselves out (or is it up?) to get projects done and use from our stash. There are a variety of ways to challenge yourself. We each have to find the way that works best for us.
By giving this brilliant advice, you really are setting yourself up to be a Dear Abby for quilters! I think a lot of times when quilters mention this type of problem (and so many have it), they are supported in buying more. There are so many beautiful new fabrics out there, and you have to support the LQS right?
ReplyDeleteThis quilter has done a great job of recognizing her issues, and has come up with a great plan maybe without realizing it. I think making more challenging quilts is a great idea - despite the availability of the quick and easy and free patterns.
Oops, sorry I forgot to say, that I disagree with the advice to join the groups. Sometimes these groups show you that there is someone else worse off than you, so you aren't so bad, plus seeing other fabric, and maybe the opportunity to acquire more is sooo tempting.
ReplyDeleteI think that some of M's issues could be burn-out. 100 quilts in 6 years is a lot of quilts. My goal is usually 1 a year and my standard New Year's resolution is to finish more than I start. Most of my quilts in progress are from a class or workshop I attended to learn a new technique and haven't had time to finish. There's no harm in letting projects "marinate" while you take up a new challenge. On days when the creative juices are flowing, I work on my more difficult projects, when I just need the comfort of sewing, I work on strips, four patches or crumbs. I have to say that I broke my spending habit by bringing ALL of my fabric out into the light! I didn't realize how much fabric I did have because I kept hiding it. Once I placed all of it in one place where I can look at it every day, I rarely buy on impulse. I'll buy a new piece now and then if it is for a current project and I've already gone through everything I have, but that purchase will be a lot less than my previous fabric grazing. Now that fabric prices are rising, my husband says it is time to make a profit and sell, sell, sell! So if M wants to sell online, I would recommend that she includes a picture of the selvedge showing the fabric manufacturer and name of the fabric. That information increases the selling success of the fabric.
ReplyDeleteAnd Bonnie, I love your hexie project. I have a grandmother's flower garden project going that I hope to have finished by the time my daughter gets married (she's currently 11).
I think that M would benefit from professional counseling. It's not that it's quilting stuff--it could be yarn, or scrapbooking supplies, or model trains, or shopping for the sake of shopping. A counselor could help her understand (and overcome) why she begins projects but doesn't finish them, why she is reluctant to take on more difficult projects, and why she gets a rush from acquiring but not using supplies.
ReplyDeleteThe hexagons are wonderful!
Bonnie, your hexagon quilt is turning out beautifully. Have you thought of stitching you initials in hexagons in the border??? After seeing the video of the red and white exhibit on The Quilt Show earlier tonight it may be something you could add by changing the colors of the flowers a bit. Using one color for your initials and the other as spaces, they may be hidden a bit, you could also do a year, a phrase.... not really sure just pulling ideas.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I think people get so much stuff in their sewing room it gets unruly and difficult to be motivated to create. Maybe giving away a sizeable amount of her stash will clean things out a bit and get her motivated to move on. She could even donate some of her UFOs. I say donate instead of sell, because selling would bring in more $$ which might encourage more shopping. If she looks at her stash as a sunk (no pun intended) cost and gives it away, it might help her realize how wasteful it was to spend that money. So, I'd give it to a guild or something and ask them to sell it to their members for whatever they can get for it and to donate the money to some charity. Or just allow the guild to have it to make their charity quilts, challenge quilts, etc. out of. There are probably many things that have to occur to solve this problem, not just one. There are probably many issues at hand.
ReplyDeleteThat hexagon quilt is stunning! If you're stuck on the border, look up Islamic geometric designs. It's a very typical type of pattern for those, and there will be oodles of good ideas about how to make it into a square or rectangle, not to mention borders. "Islamic hexagon" in Google Image brings up quite a lot of gorgeous stuff, for instance, though you may need to hunt further to get the square/rectangular setting.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to the stash problem. I started quilting about 100 years ago, because I made clothes for myself and my kids, and had a box of scraps I wanted to use up. Now, I have a room full of scraps I need to use up! I worked in a fabric store part time for about 15 years, and that didn't help. (School teachers do NOT make too much money - I wasn't the only one with a second job)
ReplyDeleteThe stash drives me crazy, but the idea of parting with it is worse. My advice: take a day and sort it out again. By color, theme, amount, whatever. This can inspire you to start another project - or ten.
Then, this is harder, assign yourself one day, or one hour, a week to work on the UFOs. Make a list of what needs to be done, so you have something to check off.
Lots of quilters are ADHD and don't even know it
I posted my reply to this on your Facebook wall.
ReplyDeleteBut will re-iterate it here, too.
Call For Quilts For Japan is great way to donate those 100 quilts. No way anyone can possibly use 100 quilts.
As far as that ever growing stash, we all have our stashes, but if excessive then make quick quilts with the fabric and donate, donate, donate. Children's homes, cancer centers, homeless families, etc. are found in our own communities. Great way to give back, pay it forward, and fill our hearts with love.
Your comment was good. Although I have known many over the years who jump into quilting and buy all the stuff just to find out they are still quilting because they spent the money and their friends are still shopping, so they go shopping with their pals....
ReplyDeleteI've learned to go shopping with only enough $$$$ to buy my lunch. That means I don't purchase any additional fabric. Do I add to my stash? Of Course!!!! But only colors that are hard to find: clear yellows, grays, browns. If I see something I MUST have on a shopping trip, I'll come back for it. If I'm not willing to come back for it, then it wasn't really destined for my stash.
Have belonged to Stash Busters on Yahoo and the group is great for using up stuff. I save everything: 2.5" squares, 5" squares, 2.5" strips and schnibbles...just have to find a use for it, even if I start getting pushed out of the house by sewing stuff. One of the things that works here is to make pillows for the animals in the No Kill Shelter. The pillow is used for no more than 6 days, or goes with the animal should it be adopted prior to pillow change day.
My friend and I have decided that we have reached the next to last stage of having too much quilt stuff. We both built a room on to our houses, sized just for quilt machines, fabric storage, natural light all day at work stations, etc. We refuse to get to the point where we have to buy a new house to contain the madness.
When I realized I had way too many patterns I turned to fabric! Now I get it from where ever I can and make dog beds for the SPCA. Sometimes I get it for free - sometimes I get it by the pound from e-bay. Dog's appreciate it for sure. I make the blankets the size of a crib quilt.
ReplyDeleteI REALLY WISH I KNEW WHO "M" IS SO I COULD CONTACT HER. I am starting a charity, my "Warm Beds" project. I am going to make quilts for every bed in every homeless shelter in Polk County (here in Florida). I need all of the materials I can get to be donated. Otherwise, I'll have to buy it all myself, which will be an extremely expensive charity for me.
ReplyDeleteI too have a huge stash and more than 50 unfinished quilts,it keeps me going. I set a goal to finish one tablerunner a month and work on other projects. I write the projects in a little calendar book each month.. it's great to met the goal of a finished project each month. I am a parttime quilt teacher,I am always making samples. It's my joy, my stash is like a kids colors, my design tools. I love to get it out and play with grouping it for the next quilt.. after I put together combinations for a quilt I put it back into the closet and the next time I need a project I pull that grouping out. Give up quilting, sell my fabrics.. no way! Your site is great.. I love your quilt Bonnie, keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteYour posting for M was excellent. Might I add this? GET THEM MACHINE QUILTED, or at east a few of them. Honey, if you can afford many buying trips to a quilt shop or two - spend some of the buying money on quilting them. Most LAQuilter's charge are reasonable, and then you HAVE A QUILT!
ReplyDeleteI did resist this idea myself. Now that I bit the bullet, and have had 2 long armed, I feel so much better. I can hand quilt those that are extra special, and save up up have the others done for me. PLEASE think about this idea seriously.
Julie
for me the problem is the enjoyment she gets from the social activity of shopping for the fabric. Those quilt shop ladies are such a freindly bunch, I spend less money when I fulfill that social need with sewing time with others, It gets lonely in the sewing room all by yourself.
ReplyDelete