Where have I been?
Getting ready for Italy.
It seems that my jeans and tank tops are not going to cut it in Italy. Even though I could never pass for a European I need to at least try not to stick out so much (very un-healthy for an American at the moment). So I am making some dresses and blouses to wear with skirts and dressy capri pants. I have two pair of sandals (gotta skip the tennies) and I went shopping for a few more dresses and some bike shorts for under the skirts. August in Italy is going to be so hot... but I am not complaining... really.
This still needs a zipper and a hem ... but it is coming along:
It is just a prototype I will probably just wear to church here. I wanted to make sure that the pattern worked for me before I made it out of the voile and embroidered cotton I want to use for the Itally trip. This is a tunic length blouse but I am making a couple of dresses out of this pattern as well.
As the the title of the post... I find myself in a dilemma. When I came back to quilting last year I went back to buying the same kind of fabrics that I used to buy. I hadn't been introduced to the modern designers and fun bright fabrics (that weren't novelty prints) yet so I bought a lot of old fashioned looking fabrics.
Last Christmas I bought a ton of Figgy Pudding and Glace. I even made a purse out of Glace and carried it around until way past Christmas. Now when I look at these fabrics I am left a bit cold. I have a ton of fabric I don't even consider using anymore. I am going to donate it to my church's craft group. I find now I have to buy new Christmas fabric to make things with even though I have yards of Glace left. I gave away Figgy Pudding a month ago or so if you remember. I decided I wanted to make some trivets and pot holders for my etsy shop. I used Glace to do the tester:
This is 20" in diameter. I am going to bat it with that thermal stuff so you can use it as a trivet for a turkey platter. When I look at it I have no excitement over it. I wonder if my In-laws would like it.
So am I the only one that wants to use nothing but modern fabrics? Is anyone else bored with the stuff they used to like? Let me know.
9 comments:
I definitely can understand where you're coming from! I have found myself really being drawn to modern fabrics, but I still do love the warmth of the traditional ones too!
Good grief!! I'm all over the map with this one. I really like the rich, warm darker colours for fall winter but fall out of love with them before long. Now I'm debating about some of the jewel tones but then again the vintage flowers are lovely too!! Grrr I get so mad at myself seeing as I have such a tiny budget for fabrics that it takes me forever to decide on one or two and hope to heaven that they're the ones. So in other words, I know exactly how you're feeling!
Carolyn
{good thing my hubby doesn't know just how many projects are unfinished and packed away ;) }
I love the modern fabrics, too. My plan (as I am also just coming back to quilting) is to mix in the older stuff in my stash in inconspicuous ways with the new stuff, and to also use some of the older stuff in more modern ways. I think that will work for me, and I won't feel like I am wasting the money I have already spent.
I kind of agree on NorahS on this one - you can use old fashioned prints in small ways, or in more modern quilt designs, just like you can jazz up an old-fashioned quilt design with modern fabrics! I've found that the old fashioned fabrics are great if cut into strips for strip quilting, bindings, etc. They also work in nicely on backs sometimes! Try calling it vintage instead of old-fashioned, too - see if you like them better!
Oh my goodness, yes! I have three UFOs (from back before I discovered modern fabrics) sitting around that I just don't feel motivated to even look at, because they are so very old fashioned and traditional... I wonder what to do with them! One is a kit my mom gave me for my birthday five years ago... I know I can't give that away, it would break her heart. Another is a kit my mom gave me for a flannel Christmas throw... I might finish that and give it to them for Christmas.
I actually really like the pattern on that trivet, but I see that the fabrics aren't really your current style... I say gift it. Your in laws might love it to death :)
Oh, and that blouse looks gorgeous! I am so jealous of your garment sewing skills!
I'm totally with you on the fabric thing. I actually went through my stash and got rid of YARDS and YARDS of fabric that no longer trip my trigger. (It all went to my quilting group for a fabric swap.)
When I first started quilting, Civil War reproductions dominated the market. Now, I've moved on to expressing myself more through color, and my buying habits are completely different. I can't even bring myself to really WANT to work in more traditional fabrics. It's almost painful.
I'm all over the place and not settled in on a style yet Julie. I like TOO many kinds of fabric and keep buying even though I shouldn't. Doesn't make you feel better, does it?
I am liking plain fabric or fabric with vague two or three of the same colors. When I first started I got fabric mainly one color but with a slight accent color for interest.
I got a bunch of print materials from my Mother and Godmother when they stopped sewing. I use those to test new procedures and bobbin tension, etc. I put the results of a big test in a charity quilt that I gave to Quilts for Kids.
I like the modern fabric, but it's so outstanding that I think it will allow us to date projects that are made without labels!
Also, this time around I'm actually free motion quilting (not just piecing) so the plain fabrics let that stand out more.
I'm just getting restarted though - might change my mind as I get my confidence up!
Post a Comment