Stash Mixology - The 12 Step Program

I have come to terms with my addiction to blue colored fabric.  Join me as I evaluate my addiction using the 12 Step Program (with small revisions for fabric):

1. Admit that you are powerless over your addiction.
Admittedly, I am powerless over my addiction to the color blue (and sometimes green...)
Blue and green have always been my favorite colors.  I think a large factor in my color rankings (other than the fact that blue is AWESOME) is my strawberry-blonde hair.  Growing up I was told to avoid pinks, reds, oranges and even some yellows due to my complexion.  My wardrobe has always been blue and green heavy.  Consequently, my fabric stash reflects my wardrobe.  Although I am learning, this does not have to be the case.
Basically, I am addicted to blues in all sorts of shades.  The blue sections of the local quilt shops unyieldingly beckon to me, as well as the online stores' tab "Blues."  And did I mention my husband's eyes are blue, too?

2. Come to believe that a power greater than yourself could restore balance to your stash.
Here is where the color wheel comes in to play.  Use the color wheel to help you identify the colors in your stash and ensure you have a good mix of primary, secondary, and tertiary colors.  A balance color wheel is a happy color wheel (in my opinion).

I believe in you color wheel!  Also, peer pressure works well.

Image Credit

3. Make a decision to turn your will to the care of the color wheel
Ok color wheel, show me how it's done.

4. Make an inventory of your fabric stash
Blue, blue, blue, green, blue, blue, yellow, red, brown, black, blue, purple...

A part of my blue collection

5. Admit to others your color addiction
I fully admitted to my addiction at the Sewing Summit.  At the first shop I had the courage to admit that I have a problem (two blue fabric bundles already clutched in my hands).  My friends encouraged me and help me set limits.  One shop I could only get reds and purples, another I needed to buy orange and grey.
Elisa of Stitch Outside the Ditch taught the class: Stash Mixology. This was a pivotal moment for me.  She asked us to evaluate our stash to see if it was off-balanced.  There were a few snickers from my new friends who knew of my addiction and I chose to admit my addiction to the class. "I have a blue problem."

6.  Ready to have the color wheel remove the defects of your color character.
I am ready....though, my budget might not be!

7. Ask the color wheel to remove your color short comings
Please, color wheel, help me restore balance to my fabric stash.

8. Make a list of the colors you've harmed or neglected.
Pink, red, purple, orange, and yellow

In Elisa's Stash Mixology she offered some great advice:
- Ugly will add interest
- Add a zinger to your quilt
- Add black and watch the quilt composition change/improve

9. Make amends to the colors you've neglected.
Buy lots of fuchsia, red, oranges and greys on shop hop.

Here's pictures of some of the shop hop haul:

10. Continue to take inventory and admit when you succumb to your color addiction.
Perform regular inventory of my fabric stash and admit when I buy too much blue (some is ok, right? ---> back to step no. 1).

11. Continually seek to improve and balance the colors of your fabric stash.
Go to local quilt shop or online shop with list of needs and avoid the color blue, unless you love it!  Here is the overall picture of the shop hop fabric haul.

12. Carry this message on to other color addicts and practice the principles in all your crafting.
All, I challenge you take an inventory of your fabric stash and evaluate where your fabric "rainbow" may be heavy.  Are you ok with a lop-sided rainbow?  Why not try stretching your color horizons?


So in summary:
The Twelve Step Program for Overcoming Color Addictions:
1. Admit that you are powerless over your addiction.
2. Come to believe that a power greater than yourself could restore balance to your fabric stash.
3. Make a decision to turn your will to the care of the color wheel
4. Make an inventory of your fabric stash
5. Admit to others your color addiction
6.  Ready to have the color wheel remove the defects of your color character.
7. Ask the color wheel to remove your color short comings
8. Make a list of the colors you've harmed or neglected. 
9. Make amends to the colors you've neglected.
10. Continue to take inventory and admit when you succumb to your color addiction.
11. Continually seek to improve and balance the colors of your fabric stash.
12. Carry this message on to other color addicts and practice the principles in all your crafting.

Thanks for allowing me to humorously allude my color addiction to the respected 12 Step Program for Addictions. 

I'll leave you with this final question:
What color(s) are you addicted to?

Vintage Modern Quilt - A Finish!

Just in time for last week's travels, I finished my Vintage Modern quilt featuring Bonnie & Camille's fabric line of the same name.  I promise, there are times that I am better at naming quilts, but this time nothing came to me.   Perhaps it's because there is so much pink and red?  Hmmmph.... 

Luckily this number (along with a smaller I-spy quilt) fit nicely into my carry-on luggage.  Tip for future craft travelers: if you're worried about having room for souvenirs pack a craft (quilt) or two as gifts for your hostess.  You'll then have room to bring back your fabric purchases souvenirs.

The Road to Tennessee quilt block was a perfect pattern for the two charm packs of Vintage Modern.  A few yards of Kona White for the top, an aqua print (not pictured - oops!) that I can't remember for the backing, and a Kona red for the binding.

Looking back, when I was, oh-so-young (ok, it was only last year) I only used the Kona white.  Now, I think an off-white would be a better choice.  While the white is crisp, I think an off-white would blend better.  What do you think?

One of my favorite classes at the Sewing Summit was Stash Mixology.  We discussed different ways to use and cultivate our stash.  I am practicing being a bit more honest and critical of my fabric choices.  Check back in a few days for a dedicated post coming up on the blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sewing Summit 2013 - A LONG Review

Oh dear, where to begin?  Last week I spent three WONDERFUL days attending the Sewing Summit in Salt Lake City.  The weather was gorgeous, the fabric delicious, and the people amazing.

 

 

Thursday was the "shop hop" where we traveled to three different fabric shops in the Salt Lake Valley.  On my way to the first shop I was given tutorials on how to use Instagram. (I may have even joked about having someone take a picture of me learning how to instagram...).  Thanks Kim for the great tutorial!  (and p.s. I'm @quartermilequilts if you're interested).  Consequently, all of my photos from the trip are on Instagram.

 

In case you couldn't tell from my blog, I am a huge fan of the color blue.  While walking in the shop one of my new friends noticed that I had a lot of blue in my hand.  She kindly walked me over to the polka section and made me pick a pink fat quarter.  Can you see it?  More on the blue addiction later.  Yes, it requires a whole separate post of its own.

 

 

Breakfast at Les Madeleines Patisserie Café in SLC. Yum!

 

Foundation Paper Piecing class.  I see more of this in my future.

 

Personal Branding - Our first assignment was to take a "selfie."  I had someone else take a picture of me, but that totally counts, right?

 

Olivia Omega - my latest inspiration.  Seriously, all, she is amazing!  One of my favorite quotes (paraphrasing) is that "when you are authentically yourself, you are unique and therefore you have no competition"  Not that I am looking to compete with others, but it does help with the whole "don't compare yourself to others" concept.  So glad I had the nerve to get a picture with this amazing lady.

 

Breakfast again at Les Madeleines' Patisserie... for the third time.  Hello, addict!

I hung out with these three woman all of the time and am so grateful for new quilty friends!  Thanks Kim, Lynn and Christine!

 

Mini Dresdens class, or as Jeni Baker and I say, Micro-Mini Dresdens. These are some of the tiniest dresdens I have ever seen.  Super cute, but a little difficult to get through the machine.

 

Melissa Esplin's Photography class.  A great class full of helpful tips and techniques, including those Ikea lamps and cotton shower caps for diffused lighting.

 

 

Picture of me and my new quilting best friend, Kim!  She and I connected on the shop hop bus and were excited to find we were kindred spirits!

 

My beautiful drawstring bag from the Sewing Summit Secret Swap.  Oh dear, I think I may have drooled a bit.

 

Seriously, all, I can't even begin to scratch the surface of all my memories from the Sewing Summit.  One of my favorites, which I didn't get on camera, was meeting Amy of Diary of a Quilter.  She is one of the first blogs that I followed and one of my big inspirations to starting Quarter Mile Quilts.  It was great to be able to express my gratitude and to share some common interests.

 

I am so very grateful for the opportunity that I had to attend the Sewing Summit this year. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the people hands-down.  Everyone is excited to be there and we all share a common love for fabric!

WIP: Arithmetic Plus Peek

Just a little peak at what went to the LQS earlier...

 

Oh, how I love Violet Craft's fabrics!

Inspiration and Results: Travel Sewing Kit

Sewing Summit 2013 is fast approaching and I wanted to bring something hand-made.  How many other events can you bring something you made and have other people appreciate it as much as you do?

 

The list of supplies and tools requested for my classes spawned the momentum to create something useful and pretty.

 

Luckily, my Pinterest "Sewing Summit Goals" board was full of inspiration for this travel sewing kit: 

 

 

I am pressed for time and so I did not get permission to post pictures of the projects that inspired me.  If you are curious, here are the links to the following inspiration:

 

Lots of Pink Here! Travel Sewing Kit Tutorial

 

The Sometimes Crafter Travel Sewing Kit

 

comfortstitches' Project Book Patch pattern available on etsy

 

Credit is definitely due to all of these people!

What's inspiring you this week?

Starflower QAL Progress

This week marks the following progress on my version of the A Crafty Fox's Starflower Quilt Along:

- Drinking a few Dr. Peppers

- Cutting over: 300 diamonds, 98 hexagons
- Arranging over 50 star flowers
- Sewing 26 star flowers (only 24 left to go!)

- Taking several "selfies" for the purpose of the blog.  None of them turned out well, but I am posting one just because...

 

Linking up to Freshly Pieced's WIP Wednesday!

Drawstring Bag - Jeni Baker's Tutorial

Anyone else loving all things Jeni Baker of In Color Order? I will admit, I am slightly obsessed. Her latest fabric line, Nordika, is on my wish (aka drool) list.

Last weekend I whipped up an adorable lined drawstring bag using her tutorial and some left over Happy Go Lucky fabric.  Have you tried her tutorial yet?  You should!  It's very straight forward and takes very little time to complete.

In an effort to use my stash, I sorted through all of my ribbons/drawstring material.  After some debate, I chose the Potterybarn ribbon I've been hoarding saving for the past five years. 

Fabric: Moda Happy Go Lucky Pom print, Happy Penny print in blue and a Moda blue for the lining.

And yes, now I have something handmade to bring to the Sewing Summit in SLC!  Are you going, too?  I am hoping to meet Jeni Baker and be/act "cool" and not like a crazed/obsessed fan.  Wish me luck!

Inspiration: Coral

Coral, coral, coral

 

I've had visions of coral dancing in my head the last few weeks.  Why?  I signed up for secret swap for the Sewing Summit later this month.  My partner's inspiration color is: coral.  Do you think I've nailed it?

I used some of my favorite Tula Pink Prince Charming hexagons to create this little needle book.  I loved the hexagons and chose to have the quilting echo the shape.  Loving the effect!

Second item highlighted a piece of Cloud 9 Fabrics and gave me the chance to use the Summer Madras Tote tutorial from Noodlehead.  I chose Kona Charcoal for the main and used the coral fabric for the exterior pockets and lining.  Anyone else a fan of fun colored linings?!?!  I know I am!

From my partner's Flickr page, she's not into a lot of patterned fabrics and so I am hoping that this mix of pattern and solid will be loved.

 

I will admit that I made a mistake, well technically two mistakes.  In my haste and excitement to make the bag, I made the handles with the Kona without any interfacing.  I am in the process of figuring out how to remove and repair the handles.  Any thoughts?  Can I "add structure" to the handles without removing them?  Oh dear, this is why I typically stick with quilting...  This is why we try new things; to learn!

Hope you have a fabulous Tuesday!

Linking up with Sew Cute Tuesday over at Better Off Thread!