Tag Archives: Confessions of a Quilt-aholic

Confessions Of A Quilt-aholic: Hoarding Machines

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We all remember my piece I wrote about Hoarding Fabric… I mean Stashing… (Awkward Silence.) Something I recently noticed, is that people are not just hoarding fabric, I’m sorry, stashing, but they are also hoarding machines. I, myself, have been dabbling in it I suppose, as I have collected a few machines, but only two of them, so I don;t think I need to go to rehab yet. Lately I’ve been going to auctions and consignment shops and looking for any antique gems that still run. The only requirement I have is that they need to run properly, because I do plan to sew with them. In fact, just recently, I acquired a Singer 66 from 1947, and I’m in love with it. It’s just gorgeous! (Is it wrong to be more excited about getting a machine than going on a date?) Continue reading →

Confessions of A Quilt-aholic – Quilting In My Skivvies!

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I’ve done it! I’ve quilted in my skivvies! I’ve done it in my pajamas, a shirt and tie, my skivvies, in my yard work clothes! There is never a wrong outfit to sew in! Well, maybe a tuxedo or an evening gown would be excessive, but hey, whatever floats your bubble! In fact earlier this morning, I jumped out of the shower, threw some clothes on, and sat right down at my machine and started working on some half finished projects from last night! There is never a certain outfit suitable for quilting! Just try to not have too much dirt on grime on your clothes. That is unless you are an avant-garde quilter and you going for a certain look with your fabric. Other than that, never a wrong outfit and never a wrong time!
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Confessions of a Quilt-aholic: Ugly Fabric Doesn’t Come Cheap!

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We all know that some fabric out there is UGLY! I’m not talking about your run-of-the-mill ugly. I’m talking about the ‘you dry heave a little’ when you see it! Heck! Some of this fabric makes me want to dry heave a lot! I do mean A LOT! For instance, I was on spoonflower, and yes, there is some amazing stuff on spoonflower, but some of it makes me weep a little for humanity! I mean, some of those prints make me was to cry, just lock myself in my bathroom, sit in my bath tub, turn the shower head on, and cry! Hell, I might even throw on some cheap mascara and then cry, just so it drips down my face for emphasis! I mean, it’s so ugly it offends all of my senses, including taste and smell! I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all, but come on people! Continue reading →

Confessions of A Quilt-aholic: Keeping Myself Busy

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“Idle hands are the Devil’s play toy.” We’ve all heard the expression, but up until recently I never headed any warning from it. As you all know, because I have blogged about it in the past, I have severe depression, and sometimes I can collapse into myself like a dying star imploding in a cluster of fabric, thread, and other sewing accoutrements. I’ve realized over time that I need to keep sewing! I just need to put on some Disco and have Gloria Gaynor lead the way! I’ll applique myself right out of my Blue Mondays. Oh wait, that was a techno reference… Oh well! Continue reading →

Confessions of A Quilt-aholic: The Thrill of The Sale

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We’ve all done it! We’ve all gone to the store and bought some junk we didn’t need because it was on sale. I know I’m guilty of it. I’ve looked through my stash and had to do a double-take on some fabric. Why did I buy it? Why did I keep it? Why do I not even want to use it as a quilt backing? I’ll tell you why: it’s ugly! But, but, but… I got it on sale. That’s a good enough reason…. right? No not really. Then why did I buy some hideous calico print that I’ll never use or even want? Because it was red tag clearance and it was 2 dollars a yard. That’s why I did it, and I would like to apologize to the rest of the fabric that sits next to it in my closet, as well as my wallet. Continue reading →

Confessions of a Quilt-aholic: Buying Fabric…

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Let me start off by saying, the original title of this post was “Buying Fabric and Smuggling It Into Your Home”. Yes… I buy a lot of fabric, and yes I do it with my money, and yes, I still feel the need to hide it. Once, I was sitting in the parental unit’s living room with my Cousin-In-Law and I had her picking out fabric for her quilt. MY Cousin proceeded to ask me how much the fabric costs. He was curious because I had a bin full of about 300 fat quarters. I started to tell him, and my Cousin-In-Law told me to ‘Shhhh’. She said he didn’t need to know how much it costs. All I could do was laugh. She just didn’t want to tell him how much she had been spending on fabric. She also sews and someday I think I would like to make a quilt with her. I think we would have terrible amounts of fun! But, back to the main purpose of this post… Why doi we hide how much we spend?

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Confessions of a Quilt-aholic: I Want You To Want Me…

Does anyone else know hoe good that feeling it when you give someone something and they are just so elated you become elated through a contact high? I love that feeling, in fact, that is why I quilt so much. After all of the 20 something quilt tops, and 8 quilts I have made, I have yet to complete one for myself. I’ve made a few on commission, but mostly I just give them to people in my life who I like. I’ve made on for my Aunt and Uncle who are like parents to me, and I’ve made one for my roommate and her daughter, and now my Dad too. I have 2 quilt tops that I did make for myself, but I have yet to quilt them. The Frozen Star Quilt is for me. I love that thing, but every time I get close to quilting it, I feel the need to make one for someone else. Continue reading →

Confessions of a Quilt-aholic: Running Out Of Inspiration

I don’t know if this happens to other people very often, or maybe it is just because I try to pump out as many projects as humanly possible, but sometimes I feel like I am running out of inspiration. I don;t know why, but lately I haven’t been able to come up with a single thing that is amazing! I’ve made some damn good projects lately, but I’ve run out of steam, and I think part of it has to do with moving and getting set up again, and starting a new job, but I was just curious to see if this happens a lot to other people as well. Continue reading →

Confessions of a Quilt-aholic: Sewing in Moderation?

Can one sew in moderation?

I don’t know about most people, but when I try something new, I give it 100%! When I started quilting, I made a king size quilt top in less than a week, and I’ve been working hard on sewing and quilting ever since. I’ve been trying to work on finding a balance of sewing and normal life, but I always end up in my new sewing room, pumping out one project or another. Recently I took some time off for my depression, but now I am back and have been hard at work on Christmas themed shenanigans, and then a very lovely lady bought a quilt fro me, so I have been working on that.

Recently, I started looking for a job to help me get out of the house, and I’ve come across a few that seemed interesting, but most of them make me want to quilt instead. Haha. I’ve just been looking for some moderation to keep me more balanced. Does anyone have any advice?

I’m kind of looking for a full time job, but I also want to make sewing, quilting, and crafting my full time job, so id=s there an answer for this age old quandary? I’m not sure.

Confessions of A Quilt-aholic – The Oppression of Scraps

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Does anyone else feel like their scraps are coming to get them! I do! I try to cut so geometrically that I am left with minimal scraps! I literally figure out my block pattern by seeing how much of each fabric I have. That degree I’ve almost finished in Financial Mathematics, and my love of Geometry make planning out a quilt quite easy!  I try my best not to have scraps and I still have quite a few! I take my scraps from each quilt and put then in a ziplock bag and put the name of the quilt on each bag and the month and year I made it. This way, if I need a scrap for something, I can find it quite easily by remembering what quilt it was in and then just find the bag! I also love doing a nice scrap quilt to help dwindle my scrap collection! Continue reading →

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