Thrifting for Fabric

I've been on a thrift store diet for a little while now.  Trying to cut down, you know.  While I was decluttering a couple months ago, it didn't make much sense to drive a trunk full to the donation drop-off, then pull around, park the car, and go in.

But today was sale day at Goodwill, and I needed some more fabric.  Pink tags were half off. 

I got what I needed in the form of four men's shirts.  As I may have said before, I've already got a boatload of thrifted men's shirts, but I needed some more light colors.

This dark one weaseled its way in because of the cool pattern.  I'll use it in my current project too.

You can glean quite a bit of fabric from an XXL or XL men's shirt.

Isn't this an interesting detail on the inner collar stand?

These will help make a bucket list quilt, inspired by a page I tore out of Country Living a few years ago while I waited in the doctor's exam room.  (Shhh, it's our secret, okay?  P.S. I became a subscriber after that.)

Back before blogging (B.B.B.), I was more organized.  I put it in a page protector and into a 3-ring binder of "someday" projects.

This weekend, I went through my shirt stash and pulled fabrics for it.  I was a little light on the "lights," as mentioned.

These boys will do nicely.

This is the kind of thing I won't sew all at once (that might get pret-ty boring), just a few blocks here and there in between other stuff.  The block is simple enough.  Also B.B.B., I had found the block pattern on Quilter's Cache, printed it out and tucked it in on the other side of the ripped out page.

I made a sample block from (very old) scraps on Saturday.  Decided to make it smaller, so I jotted down the dimensions I'll use for a 9.5 inch block, 9 inches finished.  If I set it 9 x 9, it'll be a good size, around 81 inches square.

Speaking of those who play well together (we were, weren't we?), I have been hitting the replay button on this and other Dawes videos lately.  There is something sublime about brotherly (or sisterly) harmony, like that of Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes.

No Bad Apples, Just Misunderstood

For having started the week feeling overwhelmed, I am happy to say that I gradually found focus.  I wanted to start something new but felt discombobulated in a major way, as if my brain had kicked over the whole bucket list, scattered it like a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle and said, "Here, you figure it out."

Surveying my disaster sewing area, I saw old stuff stacked upon new.  I poked my nose into a big thrift store bag and revisited some strange 1970s looking pieces.  I looked at my stash, piled on no less than 6 surfaces, then at another bag from a recent red tag sale at Joann containing mostly Denise Schmidt yardage.

When all else fails, it helps me to pre-wash and press fabric.  Sort of a mindless thing, but that's what I needed—to quit thinking.  And sure enough, as I handled the big snarly pile of disparate items from the dryer, snipping the threads that had hog-tied the mess hostage, I started to feel better.

As it happened, while waiting for the iron to heat up, I started riffling through a box of miscellaneous stuff on a shelf and found a pattern squished down in there that I had forgotten all about.  Out of sight, out of mind.

A snail's trail quilt was on the bucket list and had been for a long time.  I liked this pattern when I saw it over at em's scrapbag over a year ago and bought it.  It was scrappy, involved a block I've wanted to try, and had alternating string-type blocks to boot.  Winner!

There is something about the challenge of an odd fabric that appeals to me.

Maybe it's that soft spot for the underdog.  Maybe it's the inherent conflict of such a piece that I want to resolve.  Ever the peacemaker.  Maybe I've seen too many movies where the nerdy wallflower mixes in with the popular kids and they both benefit.  She still retains her individuality and both factions come away with broader view—and in the process someone usually gets their comeuppance.  Justice.

Meh, who knows.

So this vintage-y apple fabric is a little bit out there.  The colors are bordering on neon red, yellow and green while something about it still says country.

I began to see other stuff that might play along.  "Might" being the operative word. This DS Quilts print, in particular, seemed amenable.

And after making these two blocks today I have a pretty good feeling it's going to work out.

Favorite Things Friday - Repo Man

I ordered Ray LaMontagne's new CD from Amazon.com this week, and it came in the mail yesterday.  Took it along in the car with me to visit my dad last night, shoved it in the player, and presto, I had a new favorite song.  

"Repo Man" is six minutes of funkified blues that reminds me of a vintage Allman Brothers jam with a less spastic Joe Cocker-esque vocal.  But that doesn't really do the song or Ray LaMontagne justice.  You'll have to see for yourself.



I realize musical tastes vary, as do internet connection speeds, and the last thing I want you to be is frustrated over a herky-jerky video.  So here's a tip that you may already know, or not.  If you get stops and starts on video playback, do this:  Click play to start the video, then click pause.  Allow the very faint pink line (not the red one) that's visible below the picture to move all the way across the bar to the right.  What is happening is that the video is continuing to load into your computer's cache while in the pause mode.  When the pink line is all the way on the right side, then click the play button.  You should now be able to watch from start to finish without the frustrating jerks and pauses.

And in case you aren't interested in the music, here's another favorite thing.  

I saved this card I received about 15 years ago just because I loved the scrappy 9-patch quilt illustrated on the front.  I'm going to make this quilt some day.  What do you think—6-inch finished 9-patch blocks set on point?

Click the button for other favorite things linked over at Quilting in my Pyjamas!  Happy Friday, all!