I did a Stupid Thing

Four years ago, it might’ve been closer to five, I attended the Del Mar Quilt Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds north of San Diego, CA. Wisely, or so I thought, I allocated myself a budget for the show. So, by the time I feasted my eyes upon this fabric, my budget was nearly spent. I only bought a half yard.

What the heck was I thinking? Had some anti-sewing aliens taken over my body? This fabric is so ME!!! It is so Sandy. Remember that scene from, “Legally Blonde,” where Reese Witherspoon proclaims fuchsia as her signature color? Yeah. This color scheme is darned near mine. I have set my eyes upon this fabric in the ensuing years, I have kicked myself a thousand times for not buying more. Between the wine glasses full of cherry red wine on the pink background, this fabric just screams of ME!!! What possessed me to buy so little?

And so began a several year quest to find more of it. Fabric, as you may know, has a shelf life. It is like milk. It has an expiration date. What is in one season is not in the next. Fabrics get released and discontinued all the time. This is why sewists have such a considerable stash: we see fabric we love and have to have, and know we must buy it now, lest it be discontinued and unavailable again.

I have searched repeatedly for this fabric. With a smaller pattern, a half yard would be plenty. It could be used as a blender with so many other fabrics. But, with a print this large, anything I would want to do with it would ruin the effect of the print. Arrrrrrrggggghhhhh!!! I simply must have more fabric.

Although it had been five years, my quest continued. This last Monday, I struck gold. A lady in Pennsylvania had four yards available for less than normal quilt fabric prices. I bought all four. It arrived today. And I have already smoothed it against my face, smelled it, admired it, and run my fingers over it. This is good fabric. This is the fabric I wanted.

Now all I have to do is wait for Vogue patterns to go on sale 70% off again at Joann’s so I can make the perfect skirt and top combo for warm summer days at wineries.

Sewing Mends the Soul. Happy Sewing!!!!!