Yup..
That's exactly what I said to myself when I started this quilt. Not feeling even a slight bit guilty.
In fact, when I bought the book it was more like 'what he's having'. Scott Heffley, that is.
Bold Improvisation has been one of my all time favorite book.
The quilt is named STREAK OF LIGHTNING
Those little HSTs take a while to add up but when they they do, boy it is fun to play around!
LeeAnn made this quilt not too long ago. I decided to go Goodwill Hunting for floral prints. Came back home with treasures every stop I made. I wonder if our local Goodwill store clerks wonder what my fascination with their store must be!
You see, I like looking at quilts that have some sort of uniqueness. Let's face it. You can't reinvent the wheel when it comes to traditional quilt patterns. I often stop 'looking' at the quilts once I recognize the fabrics unless the quilt is heavy with details. The fact that none of these prints came from a particular collection makes me want to keep staring at it..That is my fascination with fabrics from the Goodwill store. No other quilt will have the same prints like this one.
I have gone back and forth about shopping at the store. Sometimes I tell myself to leave those cloths alone so people who really need them can buy for their purpose. But then, there are other times, I convince myself that in any case, I am helping the cause. So what if I bring all those cloths home only to tear them apart and make quilts for keeps? All I can say is, some day, somehow everything is going to get recycled...even these quilts. That's just the truth of life.
Anita at Blooming Workshop just finished her color study and I wonder if I want what she has.. So I arranged my hsts and thought about it for a while. I guess I can always make two. Right?
I am having way too much fun working at the kitchen table.
My garden is growing indoors and outdoors. Yes, that's my make shift ironing board on the side. Few layers of old sheets on top of the table. Works well when I can have the views of the garden and the bird-feeders right outside the window.
By the way, today is the last day for of the AAQI July auction. Don't miss it!
Have a happy day!
That's exactly what I said to myself when I started this quilt. Not feeling even a slight bit guilty.
In fact, when I bought the book it was more like 'what he's having'. Scott Heffley, that is.
Bold Improvisation has been one of my all time favorite book.
The quilt is named STREAK OF LIGHTNING
Those little HSTs take a while to add up but when they they do, boy it is fun to play around!
LeeAnn made this quilt not too long ago. I decided to go Goodwill Hunting for floral prints. Came back home with treasures every stop I made. I wonder if our local Goodwill store clerks wonder what my fascination with their store must be!
You see, I like looking at quilts that have some sort of uniqueness. Let's face it. You can't reinvent the wheel when it comes to traditional quilt patterns. I often stop 'looking' at the quilts once I recognize the fabrics unless the quilt is heavy with details. The fact that none of these prints came from a particular collection makes me want to keep staring at it..That is my fascination with fabrics from the Goodwill store. No other quilt will have the same prints like this one.
I have gone back and forth about shopping at the store. Sometimes I tell myself to leave those cloths alone so people who really need them can buy for their purpose. But then, there are other times, I convince myself that in any case, I am helping the cause. So what if I bring all those cloths home only to tear them apart and make quilts for keeps? All I can say is, some day, somehow everything is going to get recycled...even these quilts. That's just the truth of life.
Anita at Blooming Workshop just finished her color study and I wonder if I want what she has.. So I arranged my hsts and thought about it for a while. I guess I can always make two. Right?
I am having way too much fun working at the kitchen table.
 |
| Collecting scraps in my bowl. |
 | |
| Collecting strings for a future project. |
 | ||
| Putting the baking trays to work |
My garden is growing indoors and outdoors. Yes, that's my make shift ironing board on the side. Few layers of old sheets on top of the table. Works well when I can have the views of the garden and the bird-feeders right outside the window.
By the way, today is the last day for of the AAQI July auction. Don't miss it!
Have a happy day!
That looks like an excellent way to use a kitchen and some pre-loved (or not so loved!) clothes!
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is beautiful. I agree with you about fabrics. Everything is so over marketed that you tire of looking at a line before it is ever available. Certain fabric lines trend and everyone sews with the same. I love Goodwill and berating traveling friends and family to bring goodies back. Thank you for the book tip too. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to hear someone else shares my guilt of cutting up perfectly functional and nice clothes. However...we don't know if they'd ever sell or not, do we? I knew a woman who bought huge bales of clothes that hadn't sold from area thrift stores and stripped them all down and wove rugs out of them. A gleaner...I love that. I also love what you said about no other quilts will have the same fabrics. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteCan I have what yOU'RE having too?? I just LOVE what you're doing over there! Makes me want to go shopping for all those pretty prints!!!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your rendition of this quilt!!! So unique, so playful, so you. I think we could play with hst's forever. It seems there are endless possibilities.
ReplyDeleteNow I want what YOU'RE having! haha - I have a stack of GW plaid shirts ready to make a gift for a special friend. I was all set to make chinese coin design - short strips - but now I'm think HST's. They are too fun!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about buying those clothes, your purchase $ still helps others. :)
Your colors always make me smile! Beautiful! I love to work with HST too, you can get so much bang for your buck! Recently I have been doing alot with flying geese too. Sew on!
ReplyDeleteHow big are your HSTs? Are you cutting them out with a rotary cutter or using a die-cutter?
ReplyDeleteI love both arrangements ... and your spirit!!!
Very fun!
ReplyDeleteOh I want what your having! I love your creations , I think you should make both!!
ReplyDeleteI love your streak of lightning quilt and all of your goodwill florals! Between your quilt and the one over at Nifty Quilts, I am convinced I will have to make one of these quilts some day.:)
ReplyDeleteStopped by from 15min play Hi I'm Terry
ReplyDeleteLove the streak of lightning!! It caught my eye.
The not the same as everyone else fabric thing is from seeing quilts that were made from bits. The sides of a shirt or dress when it was cut down and nothing was thrown!!
I give you permission to apply the one out one in rule to your op store shopping. I even gift you 40 mens dress shirts recently sent to a better place than my moving van.
Fabric is better than choclate!!1
I just read an article that said that thrift stores are overrun with clothing and cannot sell it fast enough. Take a look: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/fashion/2012/06/the_salvation_army_and_goodwill_inside_the_places_your_clothes_go_when_you_donate_them_.html
ReplyDeleteBased on this article, you are doing thrift stores a favor when you buy clothes and cut them up!
Wow! Kristine, Thank you for that link. What an eye opener!
ReplyDeleteI always get overwhelmed with too much stuff in the stores at any given time of the year and often wonder about what happens to all of the unsold merchandize. There is so much waste of our resources.
I definitely will not worry about buying 'fabric' from the thrift stores.
I love the quilt from Scott Heffley's collection & ADORE your interpretation of it!! I am so ready to move away from the pre-cuts of an entire line & aching to do something crazy scrappy.
ReplyDeleteIt was LeeAnn's quilt that originally got me going on the HST's. I feel like there is at least 1 or 2 more in me. It's hard to stop! I love that you are recycling clothing. If Value Village was more reasonably priced here, I would do it too, but it hardly saves me any money.
ReplyDeleteI still don't get how you can make thrift shop fabrics look so good. You are so carefree and unconstrained by the dictates of designer label fabric and matching ranges. Always so refreshing.
ReplyDeleteAs usual your wonderful color sense comes through once again! Love the quilt and want to make one too!!!
ReplyDeleteAre all the fabrics cotton?
ReplyDeletelove the fun your are having with the HST! I like working at the kitchen table in the summer. The views of the yard and being near the family are great!
ReplyDeletebeautiful lily!!
I want to know what your going to do with the strings? I have such a hard time throwing away any little piece of fabric. My precious dachshunds have been blessed with a lot of them...extra stuffing in the dog bed and it smells like mama... They love it!
ReplyDeleteOh what fun you are having. And, yes, it seems that many of us share a bit of your guilt in cutting up those perfectly good clothes. Ah well, you have justified it nicely for us all. Just look at your gorgeous results. And in the kitchen with a lovely window view!
ReplyDeletefun! love seeing the same quilt done in different ways. I'm so with you on wanting to have quilts that are very much my own - that there is no way someone could recreate them exactly. ha!
ReplyDeleteHi Sujata, It is wonderful that you rescued all these lovely florals to make a pretty quilt that is unique too! Have fun playing with the half square triangles :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you are doing well! Our trip was nice and we are back home.
You're so right about so many quilts looking the same, using the same fabrics. I like the unique look to yours and finding fabric at the thrift shop is such a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI just got my AAQI auction win, Fragments, in the mail! It's marvelous! I knew I wanted it as soon as I saw it on your blog, but it's even better in person. Thank you so much for participating in AAQI and thank you for such a gorgeous piece. May I ask what you use for batting?
ReplyDeleteKristin,
ReplyDeleteThank you for bidding on the AAQI quilt. So glad you got it too. I have been meaning to send you an email but don't have your address. If you are reading this, please email it to me.
I was inspired by Nifty's quilt too and have this one on my design wall also. I'm using scraps and whatever I have on hand.....a few shirts, are thrown in there for nice contrast. I do like the idea of using all florals, your zigzags are looking great :0). Have you decided how large you are going to make yours?
ReplyDeleteHappy Sewing
Very unique with your Goodwill Hunting. Very you. Had to laugh when I saw the pile of 'shavings'...I have a jar of fabric spaghetti and jars of jam (tiny snippets) all so worth saving. I also always debate saving a clothing item when I love the fabric...then debate if someone else can use it better as clothing vs me saving as potential project.
ReplyDelete