Hi from Illinois

[jjmanago]

Hello everyone! I've been stalking for a few years but just realized over the last few weeks that I am missing out on "groups" by not finally joining. I discovered precuts a few years ago, then MSQC tutorials, and finally forums! I am not a prolific sewer as I work full time plus overtime on night shift, have 5+ kids, several dogs, cats, and other critters as well as assist with parents and inlaws when I have a spare minute. If I am lucky, I can manage 8 tops a year (mostly crib size) and have a pile waiting for time to get them quilted. I've just started to learn LA quilting on my mother's old no frills quilter, and have yet to try to quilt a project on my home sewing machine. As my kids have grown older and begin to fly the coop, I was invited to take over an empty bedroom to restart my quilting hobby that had been put away due to lack of space nearly 20 years ago. Wow have things changed since then!!!
When I started to set up my own personal sewing space, I discovered that tubs and bins of 20+ year old fabric and several UFOs were still in storage. Discovering all that yardage, unfortunately, has not curbed my fabric acquisition, and I promised myself that I would make it a goal for 2018 to only purchase NECESSARY fabric, but that definition has become fluid! lol It has been fun following everyone's projects over the last several years and I've stolen several ideas!

Thank you Everyone!

[Mimi_Howard]

Re: Hi from Illinois

Hello and welcome to the forum. We are free to make and break our own rules, there is no quilt police after all! Thank goodness!

[sewluvit]

Re: Hi from Illinois

Welcome to the forum from Saskatchewan!

[Granny Judy]

Re: Hi from Illinois

welcome from another Illinois quilter. I'm close to Peoria and have just gotten to the point that I recognize I have too much "stash". and am working my way to getting it sewn together... (some day, maybe?)

I have several "sandwiched" quilts to get done, and love the piecing the most.. thus lots of Flimsies in a box to get done.

You will love it here and we love to show off our "finishes". Jump right in and enjoy.

[Judy, USMC]

Re: Hi from Illinois

Hi - another Judy here. Home base is North Carolina but planning on spending more time in Chicago during 2019. Just wondering which city you are "too close to." I'm sure you are familiar with a lot of forum members ... will be happy to see you joining the Groups and posting!

[Bubby]

Re: Hi from Illinois

Welcome to the forum from Missouri. Glad you joined us.

[KPH]

Re: Hi from Illinois

Welcome from sunny Florida!

I need to have your resolve to use what fabrics I have after spending time in my fabric boxes yesterday, and a friend that's sending a box filled with Christmas fabric.... I have no where to keep it!

[SuzanneOrleansOntario]

Re: Hi from Illinois

Welcome from Orleans, just east of Canada's capital. You will find it great to have dedicated sewing space. It helps to get focused and organize yourself.

There is a group here which is good for motivation. At the beginning of the year, you identify 12 projects you want to tackle. Then at the beginning of every month, a number is posted on the group. You work on that project. It's been good for me, but I do get distracted and add new projects sometimes.

[pcbatiks]

Re: Hi from Illinois

Hi and welcome to the forum and remember........................

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[JulieC]

Re: Hi from Illinois

Welcome from Northeast Ohio! I have that same rule for buying fabric, only what's necessary...I agree with pcbatiks, it seems like buying fabric is a hobby of its own!

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[jjkaiser]

Re: Hi from Illinois

Hi there and welcome from Wisconsin-- so I guess that makes us neighbors! I would love to peek into that bin and see what kind of 20 year old fabric goodies are in there! You will love the Forum and make lots of new friends.

[jjmanago]

Re: Hi from Illinois

It was all purchased at various discount stores during that time period! not the best "quilt store quality" fabric that I now try to purchase, but it will have to be used at some point! Interesting part is that the shades and tones used then are nearly impossible to match with current fabric. I am not sure if aging of the fabric has altered the colors that much or that I am truly not going to find fabrics in the proper colors to coordinate! I am looking at building scrappy quilts from them since yardage is limited, that way I can (hopefully) make larger bed quilts from yardage I have. I am fairly sure that mixing these fabrics with newer fabrics will not be a good idea anyway since quality and age will likely cause uneven wear with use.

[NancyR]

Re: Hi from Illinois

have just gotten to the point that I recognize I have too much "stash". .

Currently in England we are paying around £3.65 per quarter - more if it's a "designer" fabric - and that's not including postage and packing; £14.60 a yard rather than $11.24 (or thereabouts) - forgive me if I have that wrong. When we visited Lancaster County some while ago I filled every spare corner of my suitcase with fabric. Like Christmas when I unpacked . That's why many of us here have smaller collections of fabric and usually "buy to use" when we have a project and design in mind.

If we lived in America, oh my gosh, I'd be in a quilt fabric shop every week. Stroking fabric bolts and drooling.

[Mimi_Howard]

Re: Hi from Illinois

@jjmango... I received some fabric that had been purchased at an estate sale by a relative. It was old and really not suitable for todays quilts. I have used it to make sample blocks, backs of table runners for my furniture, doll skirts, quilt/rugs for barbie, etc. and even doubled it up and made tubes that I stuffed with other fabric clippings to use at bottom of doors to stop the wind drafts. Cut into tiny pieces and grandkids used modge podge to glue on balls to make christmas ornaments or a tree shaped cone.

[gracien]

Re: Hi from Illinois

Welcome, I am from Illinois also, western suburbs of Chicago. I tend to see fabric I like and then plan the quilt, I think that may be the backwards way to quilt, but I love so much of the fabric I see. Also have an embroidery machine that I play with. I also work full time, and have a disabled husband, but quilt when I can. This is a good site to get information from!