Me & My Stitches

Me & My Stitches
Click on the picture to go to my website. These are 1 1/4" pendants.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Addiction

Hi, my name is Julie and I'm addicted to quilting.  I have a large fabric stash.  Some people are appalled when they see it.  I DON'T CARE!  I love my stash and refuse to apologize for it!  I have worked hard to acquire this collection, and I love every last piece in it.

Do you all know Janet from Rogue Quilter blog?  She accomplishes a lot and I always enjoy seeing her latest projects.  It's funny - I will admire her fabric choices, and then think...I have that fabric! We have joked many times about how our stashes must be almost identical. Somehow through our e-mail conversations I told Janet that I would post pictures of my stash, so here goes!

I am lucky enough to have a nice closet devoted only to my addiction.  This first picture is to the left, when you walk in the closet and is behind the door.  It is just a hodgepodge of stuff.  Some notions, bags, BOM patterns, Thangles, etc.  You can't see them in this picture, but my trusty Swiffer and a broom are also in the corner, and my sewing machine cover sits on the floor. This is the least exciting part of the closet!
The closet is about 4 1/2 feet deep and 11 feet long.  The length is covered in shelving and I mainly sort my fabric by color.  99% of my stash is Civil War era reproduction fabrics.  You will see some 1930's prints on the shelves as well - I generally use them for baby quilts.  Other fabrics (non CW) are in totes on the floor of the closet.  So now the pictures will show the goods in the closet from left to right.  The top shelf is all finished quilts, including the samples for the patterns I have designed. You can see my lights/neutrals and below that there are some miscellaneous things - Magic Sizing, quilting journals, quilt soap, etc.  Then lots of pinks, browns and blues.

Below is more of the same - finished quilts on top, then lights/tans, pinks and now you can see some of the reds (my favorites!), more browns and blues and now some of the greens and purples as well.  You can't really see the bottom shelf - that is almost all Primitive Gatherings fabrics (remember those huge boxes of fabric that Lisa gave me?) and some projects that are in the works - my PG Summer Block of the Week, etc.
On the top are my 1930 reproductions and a few baby prints, then more reds and blacks, greens, cheddar, yellow/golds and below that are a bunch of patriotic fabrics.  They are all CW repros as well.  Below that you will see my wool stash - it is in that toile box and next to it.  Also a nice fat quarter bundle of Jo Morton fabric that I really should use - they are really yummy.
I should have taken better pictures (how many times have I said that!?) to show the bottom of the closet - like I said, it is mostly totes, so not that exciting to look at.  There is a big one with non CW fabrics, some Kansas Troubles, etc.  Then 2 that are full of more of the PG fabrics that Lisa gave me.  Another large tote of flannels.  I used to make tons of flannel quilts. Then I have another large container that has all of my printed patterns (my designs) and some other business "stuff" in it.

Ok, now around the corner in the closet - looking at this picture, I think it looks like a big ol' mess!  I don't see that when I look in the closet - it seems organized.  Funny what you learn from a picture!  Starting on the top you see some hand quilting hoops, and containers of scraps - I think most of those are flannel, so not something I would use in my jewelry.  Oh, and one of them is all Minkee leftovers.  The fabric on the top is all for backings.  Guess that means that I should actually make a big quilt to use some of those up!  The next shelf has my toile collection and on the right is my jewelry inventory that is on the website (in those plastic containers). Next shelf has charm packs and a few little kits that I should work on, and unquilted quilt tops.  Many of them I had hoped to hand quilt - but I probably need a reality check and should just haul them to a machine quilter (then I could use those backings!).  The next shelf down looks really messy - it is a basket that has a variety of cloth bags in it.  Hard to believe that I got rid of a bunch of them, and it is still overflowing and I rarely ever use any of them!  Then I have my business stuff and all of those binders are where I keep patterns (NOT my designs) that I have bought over the years.  I have them all in sleeves and half way neat.  I have a lot of Lori Smith patterns, for example, so they are all together in one of those binders.  I have way too many patterns.  I went through them awhile back and gave some away but they are all full again!  I recently have been trying to thin out my magazines, and have just kept the patterns that I really liked, and pitched the rest of the magazine, so that quickly filled the binders back up.  Oh, that is another thing that is on the floor that you can't see...some magazines - they are in holders so look fairly neat, but they seem to fill up quickly.  I need to stop subscribing to magazines!  Back to the picture - on the very bottom there is a box of DMC threads from my cross stitching days, more kits (mostly from my trip to WI last year) and a basket that has parts of my Cotton Club BOM and also my wool Summertime quilt (haven't worked on that FOREVER!).

Now we go around the corner to the wall that separates the closet from my sewing room.  This is where I keep all of my stencils and rulers.  I also have my necklace cords that I sell on my website - they are handy for when I receive an order.  See that hand quilting frame?  That is supposed to work really well for edges of quilts, but I can not figure out how the heck you put the quilt in it!  I have the little PG tumbler template there and also a pattern for a tree skirt that I've been going to make for a year or two!


Also on the floor, out of sight on these pictures, are my shipping supplies - the little padded envelopes that I mail my jewelry orders in, and bubble wrap, etc.  And there is a little stool in there that came from my Grandma and Grandpa's house.  I'm sure he made it - it's just a simple little stool, painted green with lots of paint drips on it.  Sometimes I use that when I need to get quilts off of the top shelf, and other times I just sit on it and look at my fabric and think about how much I love each and every thing that is in this closet!

That's it!  Hope you enjoyed seeing my addiction.  Janet....I bet you see a lot of familiar fabrics, and now it's your turn to share your addiction with the world!

25 comments:

  1. Hi from Omaha, I stopped subscribing to magazines because I will never get to any of those quilts. Good to here from you. I always gets such compliments when I wear your pin. If you have any scraps to donate for our charity quilts I would pay for postage or take you out to lunch when you come to Omaha.

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  2. It looks pretty organized, Julie!! Lovely stash too!!

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  3. That is an amazing stash! If you just use it for jewelry, it should last about a thousand years! I'm glad you make full size quilts as well. It is so organized too! I really need to organize my measly little stash (measly compared to yours, but DH doesn't think it is measly). Maybe if I clean out some of the clutter my closet would look better.

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  4. You know its not fair to show your stash to me because I once again have stash envy!!!

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  5. You are so organized! I think I could shop your closet. There are lots of beautiful projects hiding in there.

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  6. What a great stash... and fabulous organization too! You have everything in one place and you can find it easily. Perfect closet as well.

    Is Janet O. going to post photos of her stash now? How exciting!!!

    :)

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  7. I don't apologize for my stashes either but mine is not as neat and organized as yours! I have a great closet but really need to tear it out and redo. I could sit in your closet for hours!
    Happy New Year!
    Lousie

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  8. Goodness, now my stash looks small. Love how neat and organized it all is!

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  9. You have a stash to envy and great storage space.. very organized! Sure makes it easier to spend time in one's sewing room when you can find what you need!

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  10. My closet is huge like yours only in addition to yours I've got rolls of batting. Isn't in fun to just walk in and shop your closet? I see so many pretty fabrics....my stash is very similar. I'm working on downsizing a bit though...with good reason to share soon!

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  11. Wow!!! Oh, Julie--I am so jealous! An eleven foot closet--Cool! Yes, I see so many familiar fabrics, but you have so much more than I do that I don't recognize it all. I would love to have that stash to choose from when starting a project.
    Okay, I posted my stash last year and I don't think I will do it again any time soon. The amount of fabric you show in one of your photos is probably about what I have in my entire stash!

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  12. Julie - LOVED seeing pictures of your stash & sewing room - I think I might have as much fabric as you do - but I don't think it's as organized. LOL Janet and I live about one hour away from each other and ONE OF THESE DAYS we're going to meet in person - it's on my list! Thanks so much for the photos.......

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  13. Our stash can be our dirty little secret, or it can be something that we're proud of. As long as we know that everything was bought with good intentions, then we have a clear conscience. That's what I'm telling family members, and no arm twisting will change my story. :)
    Thanks for sharing that wonderful closet! Wondrous goodies from floor to the top shelves.

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  14. Mercy - I love it all, Julie! Funny, too, it looks a lot like my stash - only mine is a bit smaller ;>) Isn't this addiction the best? (wink)!
    Cheers!

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  15. What fun! I am impressed that you are so organized! Mine is a mess right now and I need to get in there and really give everything a good folding again. Do you have a secret to fold them all so nice? Thanks for showing!!

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  16. I love your fabric collection. However, the first thing I notice is how everything is organized. That's what really makes me jealous.

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  17. All I can say is when my stash grows up, it wants to be yours!!! Awesome!! I love how organized it is and would love to pull fabrics for a quilt from that situation! And snowman gatherings.... can't wait to get my hands on it :o)

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  18. ok its official I want to come sew at your house I will help you use up some of this fabric LOL
    Kathie

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  19. I would say you have the best kind of addiction!!!!

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  20. You have a very beautiful tidy organized stash. BTW - you still need more fabric - think of what you can add on the color wheel! cheddar, greens etc. etc. Shop on - you have the skills to organize it! Use it? that's just details...

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  21. I loved visiting your 'addiction'..if I had all of mine in the same place I think it would be about as much but somehow I never have just the right piece when I go to make something new..why is that??? I wish I had your closet space too...

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  22. My oh my. I LOVE your stash. You have it so well organized!
    I received my order from you and I love everything. Thanks so much.
    Janet

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  23. I'm amazed at how organized your closet is! Yes, there is a lot of fabric but I am more jealous than anything else. One of my goals for the next few months is to refold the fabric in my stash so it fits on the shelves (a very narrow bathroom linen closet). Now it just looks pawed thru with stacks tipping over.

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