stashing

 time for confessions - shopping confessions. really, i'm not exactly sure why i think i need more fabric. i've enough to keep me busy for a year or ten. don't we all? (please say yes.) i've been trying to fabric diet and feel like i have . . . until i consider the evidence. i like laura's system of only keeping one tub of fabric and not buying anymore until she has used what she has so there's space in the tub. i think it keeps the sewing very fresh and relevant. but somehow i just can't stick to that. fabrics i like come out way faster than i can sew. they're appearing at light speed and i sew like the tortoise.

most of this was a purposeful purchase. i did need some more boy prints since i've got 3 new nephews here or on the way and there is a serious dearth of boy friendly fabric in my stash. so that's what got me out. and i did find some great boy prints (just quarter yards). but there was also some new amy butler and joel dewberry i didn't have. in precuts - irresistible. that joel floral was also irresistible in a bit of yardage even though the colors are not my usual thing at all.

i spied some more of that fabulous adorn it blue dot (bottom left corner), which i've used a lot lately, so i stocked up on a few more yards. lots of boy quilts, remember?

and i got a few basics for sashing or backgrounds: the white eyelet (since i liked the one for "paris daydreams" so much), more text print (can't get enough of these lately), and some crosshatch because it looked so fabulous on laura's "x plus" quilt (not the same print, but similar and i'm trusting her good design taste here).

*** speaking of "little and lots" laura, which i just did twice, i was looking up links on her blog when i read the most fabulous, real post: "it's okay to be little." it's a must read. here. and laura, i started this post and mentioned you twice before i read that, just so you know!

the stash above came from the store, ETC. i was also getting the new pink fabrics for my epp and the lady behind me at the cutting counter liked my selections so much that she asked for some of each, too. that was flattering! she thanked me for picking out fabrics for her.

 bedsides the store visit, i made another visit to my favorite on-line shop: cia's palette. she has such groovy selections, her packing is impeccable, and her customer service is top notch. just look at how beautifully the fabric fits in the shipping box! she also encloses a few samples with the order. this time it was some sweet gracie prints.

i was visiting cia because i wanted some more of that darling umbrella girls print i used in my cousin's baby's quilt. sadly, the colorway i used before was all gone. however, there was some left in pink and brown. while i was there, i picked up a few other tempting bits, too.

 cia has always impressed me with her packaging: the folding is perfect, she wraps the stack neatly with a paper sleeve and cute sticker (coordinated with my fabric, no less), and protects it all with a well-fitted plastic envelope. i regularly order from a larger company that has great prices and a vast selection. their orders, although fulfilled promptly, are rather sloppy in comparison. some of the cuts i've received looked hacked on the edges rather than cut. the fabric is folded any old way and tossed in the box willy-nilly. the job gets done, but opening cia's packages are a completely different experience. it's like getting a beautifully wrapped gift rather than a slap-dash order.

her attention to customer service detail is no less. i've received phone calls from her in the past just to clarify points on the order. this time, there was a problem with my credit card (oops!). she emailed me and patiently waited the whole order til i got back with her after the weekend. we fixed the problem and she mailed the order right out. it arrived within days. once again, i was most impressed.

aside from the umbrella girls, i ordered a few other prints i'd gotten from her before and wanted more of, as well as some old favorites she still has in stock. now that i'm sure i've ordered what i want, i can let you know she still has "hope valley," if you care!

i restocked on some amy butlers, gracie prints, milk dots from "whimsical," and those beautiful "it's a hoot" leaf prints. i'm not sure how she still has some of these out-of-print classics on hand, but she does!

i don't even sort these fabric into my stash. i have a cia pile on my shelf because they sit together so nicely. i know what's there if i need to look for something.

for the record, this is not a sponsored post. not a bit! i just really love cia and am putting the word out there because my experience with her has been so good. give her a visit some time when you need fresh, well-selected fabrics.