Tuesday, January 1, 2013

New Year new beginnings

Happy 2013! This promises to be another year of changes for me but one thing that doesn't change is the joy and comfort that quilting brings to my life. With that in mind my focus this year, as I mentioned in my last post, it to try to be true to myself. The last few years have been spent exploring blogs,fun bright fabrics, lots of appliqué, and learning some new techniques. I hope I can continue on this path and finish a few UFOs and make a few new beginnings along the way.

So since this is the first day of the new year I decided to start with a new beginning. For a long time I have wanted to do a strip style flying geese quilt using a border stripe fabric for the strips. However, I had sorta forgotten about this idea until today when I was looking at a fabric pile I had pulled together in my sewing room. This was so fun and easy and in one day I was able to accomplish what you see in the photo below.

While I was sewing this I got to wondering about how others work. I rarely buy fabrics with a specific quilt in mind. Instead I usually buy things I like and then might pull a bunch of stuff together and hope that an idea of how to use them comes to me. Or I might run across a pattern that speaks to me and go to my stash to see what I can pull together adding a few new purchases if necessary. I rarely use only one line of fabric but may use it as a jumping off point. Of course I can do this cause I have a HUGE stash. Embarrassingly huge. So that comes to my next goal for 2013. Cut down on fabric purchases (not totally cut out) and use the stash more.

I think this new beginning meets all my goals!

12 comments:

Carrie P. said...

Beautiful!Now I only buy fabric for a specific quilt. I have so much that I don't need to buy just because I like it. I am really trying to use my stash.

Dolores said...

I made my last fabric purchase at a fabric store just a couple of days ago. Remnants at half off the ticketed price. I didn't need them but I knew they would be my last purchases for a long time. I plan on using up the stash too. I don't want to buy anymore magazines or books either.

Dolores said...

What I really wanted to say is that you have been quite busy today. Nice results.

sunny said...

Seriously? You did that in a day? I bow down to you. Beautiful!

Oops-Lah said...

You did that all in one day??? Obviously you weren't up too late the night before ;), unlike me! Sounds like good resolutions to me. I do it pretty much the same way; I buy fabric that I like and then use it (or not) as and when needed. The problem is that I tend to use the latest purchases and I have a lot of older fabric in my stash which I'm probably never going to use again. Maybe it is time for me to only buy for a specific project, or at least until my stash has gone down considerably. I also don't like to use one line of fabric either. I feel it takes the fun out of quilting as choosing the fabric is probably the part I love best! And it makes it really mine as probably nobody would put the same fabrics together.

What Comes Next? said...

beautiful quilt, amazing that you put this together in a day! I'm a fickle fabric acquirer - I love something, I buy it, and then I lose track of it as the next must have fabric appears. When it is finally time to make something, nothing I have works, and I'm off to buy some more! I'm trying to stay accountable and not buy more than I use, but it is tough!

Carla said...

It's beautiful! As is all your work.......

Janet said...

I really like your flying geese quilt - you got that far in one day!? Well done!

Rachaeldaisy said...

Another wonderful quilt!! I buy fabrics because I love them. My stash is at a stage where I can always find something to work so I'm hoping to cut down on my purchases this year.

Janet said...

What a beautiful quilt, love that you achieved your goal. I relate to so much of what your voicing here, I think along the same lines and now I'm trying to only buy for projects I have on the go.

Brandie said...

I wish I lived closer and was able to see your fabric stash! You have an eye for the perfect fabrics and patterns. I love that border print. Amazing!
You are inspiring!

pandchintz said...

Oh, a woman after my own heart! This is exactly how I go about my fabric purchases. Great flying geese quilt - you're machine must have been on fire!!