I did my patriotic duty this past Saturday during the whole Black Friday shopping mania and supported locally owned business by going to my LQS, Bigsby's Sewing Center in Elm Grove, WI, and then out to lunch at a locally owned restaurant.
I stocked up on a few necessary items: Fabric! Thread! And the gorgeous sateen jacquard print by Lecien above, had to get the last of the bolt. I had quilted on this the night before and it quilts so wonderfully and I love the colors, so this was not a huge decision to find it on sale and waiting to come home with me.
DH said "but what do you need it for?" Oh my.
I also got some of the Kaufmann Radiance, the shimmery fabrics that are a cotton and silk blend and also quilt up so beautifully. The gold fabric is some silk dupioni by Moda that I couldn't resist, so beautiful. I'm working on a small project on dusty rose sateen and needed more of the YLI gold silk thread I'm using for that, and some of the YLI taupe Sparkle for the motifs, seen peeking out on my prototype, below.
This combo of thread and fabric is new for me, a departure from my more sedate ways, but it gives a very rich, vintage look to this little quilt, a Delectable Mountains pieced design. I am considering it an experiment, and am loving working on the smaller scale, although I have to say, larger designs and quilting are easiser, this is quite demanding. But fun, of course.
And you might wonder how Oliver fared over the turkey weekend. He loved the holiday, the lights on, the house cozy and all the cooking prep, the Packers game and all the yelling, more food prep, more veggies, delicious odors from delicious food.
We did get him to lick a bit of turkey gravy from a small cat-sized plate with a pink design on it that went with his pink nose nicely, but mostly he loved the veggies.
For dessert he tackled the bananas while we were snoozing in the other room.......
I hope you support your local quilt shop and other locally owned businesses all the time. The owners work so hard to find treasures and basics for us so we can be creative and have the tools and supplies available for our quilting. They also find what's new and fabulous, keep our machines purring, and give advice and information. I always learn something when visiting a quilt shop.
Hope your Thanksgiving weekend was wonderful, and now you can have a bit of time for quilting.
Keep quilting - your work gets better every day!
Diane
Quilter Blogs & Store Search
13 comments:
Yay for small businesses :) Glad you had a nice Thanksgiving.
I'm with you, Diane, about supporting our small and local businesses. I did my share on Saturday as well.
Considering how Oliver likes his veggies, he ought to be quite healthy.
The thread and fabrics you bought are GORGEOUS! Can't wait to see what you do with them.
I also supported my local quilt shop and bought a Bernina 830. My husband suprised me and told me to order it for Christmas. First i had to stop kissing him and then i run to the store.
Your cat is so funny. I've had cats who have eat onions and grapes but never one who refused meat.
What is the name of that fabulous floral print? I love it!
Sally
Yes, YAY for small businesses! I always prefer to shop them if possible.
Oliver is so healthy and has a pink nose, bright eyes, beautiful fur, and maybe it is those veggies? Today is a grocery expedition and I shall return with some new fresh treats for him to explore. Carrot tops.....
Congrats to Quilts, Cakes, and Other Fun (love your name!) on the new 830, and I bet your dealer is smiling too, fabulous. You will love it!
Sally, the fabric is not a Moda, duh, but a line called Antique Flower Collection by Lecien. It was pricey but I got it half price, and had some of each colorway previously as it is exquisite in person.
The jacquard gives it a sheen and the quality is amazing. Several years ago I used it to line a silk quilted vest and I like the vest's inside better than the outside. Great stuff.
I love Lecien, I bought loads after the tsunami, to support the Japanese and selfishly, just in case they had disappeared.
This Lecien fabric is exquisite - and I wouldn't have known about it if my local sewing center had not had it. Originally I was there the day it arrived and was unwrapped, bought some on the spot.
Even when I was a total beginner I would add bits of pricey fabric or unusual fabric, "off" colors or strange and wonderful prints, to my mix in quilts and it really made a difference.
They kept my quilts from looking generic, and every time I would quilt over a tiny triangle or square of the "special" fabric it made me feel good. Still does!
I always laugh when I hear someone's hubby saying "what do you need that for?"....that kills me! lol
Love your posts Diane! I'm wondering -- do you stabilize your silk before quilting?
Susan, so far I have not stabilized silk fabrics for piecing and quilting, but I do pre-wash them in cold water, hang to dry, then press them with starch and that helps.
However, others tell me there are wonderful soft stabilizers that do not change the "hand" of the fabric, and that might help when you work with silk, a tricky fabric definitely.
I also have two cats that prefer vegetables and fruit to meat. Hudson my large male can hear a banana being peeled at twenty paces and comes running. Many a time I've seen him running off with a bag of tomato's or biting into a bell pepper apples and pears. He draws the line at onions though.
I love your work. You are an extremely talented lady!!
The good thing about local businesses is that the planning of marketing strategies and the improvement of the products happen locally. No wonder homegrown ideas are more creative, like these unique cloth designs.
Post a Comment