The Moving of the Stash!

STASH HAPPENS!

One or two pieces at a time over the past 39 years.

THIRTY NINE YEARS?!

Yes! When the Hubster and I tied the knot in August of 1981, and moved to Washington state to start our lives together, my meager fabric stash consisting mostly of garment fabrics filling 2 apple boxes were carefully placed in the back of our Uhaul trailer along with my mom’s old Kenmore in the cabinet. 

Off we went carrying all of our hopes and dreams with us.

That Kenmore took a beating those first few months of apartment life.  Couch covers, curtains, table cloths and placemats, and within a few months, moving on to maternity clothes and flannel PJs for my nieces.

It wasn’t but a few months into our life as a young married and expecting couple that I discovered quilting magazines at the grocery store and the rest they say – is history.

That “She who dies with the most fabric wins!” mantra danced in my head and set a course for what I am dealing with 39 years later.

This is yesterday, the beginnings of relocating my stash from North Carolina up to Virginia.

The job was to move the contents of my fat-quarter shelves up.

And the job wasn’t THAT difficult even though I had to carry things up from the basement studio and out to the van.

Years ago I had refolded my fat quarters and put them in shoe boxes with lids for easy stacking and transporting from the shelves to the cutting table. I prefer separating them by color family rather than by genre or collection.  I have loved this method.

I guess I loved this method so much that there are 62 shoe boxes in the back of the van!!

Is it humbling to really realize the enormity of the stash?  YES.  

But I am also filled with so much gratitude because no matter what happens in this world, the designing, sewing, creating will continue.  Likely for the rest of my life. 

Even if I were not able to purchase another piece of fabric – I’m good to go! LOL!

Really Mom?

Just how much fabric is there, really!?

I posted to social media yesterday to many asking “Where do you get the clear bags?!” 

These are Hefty lawn/leaf bags and I use these to ship quilts to my publisher for photography.  NEVER put fabric or quilts in a black bag as it may be mistaken for trash! LOL!

The bags helped keep my shoe boxes of fat-quarters from tipping and dumping on the drive home.  You can find them in the Quiltville Amazon Affiliate Store under the Around the Inn category.  They are 70 gallon, and TOUGH plastic. 

I reuse them several times – in fact these were in the reuse box, and contained my quilts when they returned from photography.

NOTE - I do NOT store quilts permanently in plastic bags. I know better.  But for shipping purposes, these kept them clean and waterproof.

Once the fat-quarters were baggied up and placed outside for loading, I started in on the stash cabinets.

Neutrals, pinks, reds and just a bit of blue.

Oh, and it was 96 outside and SO HUMID!

I made it through 1 1/2 cabinets.  There are 5 of them.  I will need several more trips, but there is no hurry.  I’m going to take my time at it, perhaps do a load every week or so.

Once the cabinets are empty, we can take the trailer down and move them up.  The stash will live in the shop next to Quiltville Inn until we are ready to move the cabinets and wire shelving up.

And I guess it comes back around to me – that though the task is daunting, you can make progress with small steps.

I am also thinking of some other ways to fold/store the stash.  Is what I have done for years giving me the best view of what I have?  That’s the question that keeps going round in my brain.

And the other thing that is causing ideas to swarm – I think it’s time for some 2 color quilts to be made to make some dents into these color collections.  Maybe bigger blocks (DID I JUST SAY THAT?!) to help it go down in volume quicker. 

More quilts in my future?  It’s not a bad way to spend my time!  I can’t wait to see what this stash will become.  Even the older pieces dating back decades.

I was happy to make it back to my mountain home - where temps had dropped more than 15 degrees from what they were in the flat lands!

Let’s have some fun!

I received a message from the folks at IronEz and there are some new spray bottles on the block!

New Flairosol bottles!

I have a couple of these bottles and I love how they provide the finest mist when it comes to pressing.

Each IronEZ ironing board spray bottle holder purchase (use coupon code BH15OFF to save 15%!) includes this new bottle.

Get two or three while you are at it.  You are going to LOVE keeping those spray bottles in line and off of your ironing surface.

Need more bottles? They are now selling the new fine-mist bottles in a 2-pack so you can have one at your stand up ironing station, and one by your machine for work station pressing.

Fill them with your favorite spray be it Best Press, Flatter, spray starch or sizing, or the homemade version – whatever your favorite concoction is.

And we are going to draw for two winners!  One for an IronEZ ironing board spray bottle holder and bottle, and a second winner for a 2 pack of the new spray bottles!

We will draw for our two winners on Sunday Morning, July 26th.

Winners must have prizes sent to a USA address – so if you are international, it will go to a stateside friend who can then mail it on to you if you wish to enter.

Tuesday!  What’s going on here?

Well, the power went off yesterday at Quiltville Inn and the QPO.  That was restored last night, but all needs to be checked out to make sure all is functional today.

The A/C unit has been iffy at the QPO. It may be next in line for replacing as it has frozen up a couple of times, needed to be turned off and thawed out before starting up again.

The temp last evening in the QPO was 84.  Too hot for Lola, so she was moved the garage/shop next to the inn because it was much much cooler in there for her.

Should the A/C be back working this morning we will move her back to the QPO.  My fingers are crossed for that.

And there is more studio make over happening in both places – here at the cabin and at the QPO because – SO MUCH STUFF.

How about your side of the monitor? Anything going on in your world today that you are excited about?

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Put some action behind those dreams!

We may be living in scary times, but that doesn't mean we have to stand still.

Have a wonderful Tuesday, everyone!