I do follow through

Today was a day of finishing projects that have been sitting around for well over a year or starting new ones so they don't sit around for a year waiting to be touched. While going through more corners, drawers and boxes, I happened upon a stack of t-shirts. At first I gazed upon them in confusion. Why did I keep these? They have no meaning to... ahhh... t-shirt bags. I remember now. I had all kinds of good intentions (before my mom got sick) to make these into market bags. Then the year of all things craptacular began and projects like that just didn't get finished.

Well, it's a new year and it's time to finish this project. In fact, I needed to finish this project before moving any further on cleaning, organizing, new projects, spinning yarn, making jewelry, breathing, eating... you get the picture. So out came the sewing machine and I went to work. The end result is a pile of 7 new t-shirt bags. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them as I already have a pile of market/shopping bags, but at least the project is done. Gifts perhaps? Yes, perhaps. See - piles upon piles of t-shirt bags.
Since the sewing machine was out, I figured I might as well start on my blanket top. After a couple of hours, 16 fat quarters had been pinned, sewn, resewn to even them up, and all put together to form my first blanket top. I'm beyond pleased with the project so far. If Hobby Lobby was open at 8:22 PM on a Saturday, I'd run off for batting so I could finish this blanket. However, they aren't, so this project is on hold until I can get the rest of the supplies. Eventually there will be 2 blankets. This one (seen above) in oranges, greens and golds and another one in reds, blacks, creams and charcoal. They are replacing my fleece blankets because adults don't need fleece blankets, adults need quilts.

Oh! I also baked bread today. I'm kind of spectacular like that.

I Fell Down the Rabbit Hole

I've gone mad... mad for fabric. I'm not sure what I'll do about it and I really don't think I have time for such nonsense. The last thing I need is another crafty hobby... right? Someone please stage an intervention.

A couple of years ago at a fiber festival, I was introduced to Rabbits Lair. It's a fabric/quilting shop located in downtown Rogers at the CUTEST old bank in the world. After a visit there last year with my mom, I fell in love. The fabric was floor to ceiling, the fat quarter were plentiful and the walls are lined with quilts that will blow your mind. It was that day that I thought I could one day be a quilter.

Since then I've lusted after quilts in Flickr sets, I've scoured websites for quilting patterns that looks easy enough to learn with but still had end results that wowed, and I've stalked Etsy shops with fabric that I had to have in my collection. However, it wasn't until yesterday morning that I fell down the rabbit hole.

It really was an ugly scene. I took my sister and niece along because if you're doing it in groups, it's a social thing and not really some kind of "ism" - fat quarterism? Is that something I need to seek help for? I spent 2 hours walking around the shop. I added fat quarter upon fat quarter to my shopping back. I grabbed bolts of fabric off the shelves and had them cut just for me. I skipped around huging my new fabrics with glee and growled at those who were reaching for ones that I just had to add to my growing collection. It was an ugly, ugly scene.

I managed to make it out of there with enough quarters for 2 blankets and other fabric for a duvet cover... okay, okay and jelly rolls for more quilting projects. It kind of hurts to think about... a little. A stop at Hobby Lobby on the way home for thread and I'm ready to piece together my blanket tops. I'm not yet going to say quilt tops as I'm not going to quilt these together, but oh, they will be lovely. Big blocks of colors and patterns that make my tail wag. I'll be cuddled on the couch with my new blankets in high style and hopefully within the next two weeks. I will not let this new hobby sit in bags, I will become the blanket from fat quarters master!