Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Fabric

Can you tell that I'm tickled pink about my new found machine quilting technique? I took a picture of the Wicked quilt border and have made a title banner for the blog. That in itself took a lot of messing around and it isn't quite the right width but I am pleased with the border and the blog banner. What fun I have on this blog! Tetsu says, "You're the only one who gets so excited. No one else can tell the difference between the cats or your daily patchwork progress." True, but the blog is a fun spot in my daily life so I'm content.

I thought I'd tell you about the banner fabric. This fabric became very popular 15 years ago in Japan and for awhile I would run across it in different patchwork and quilting books in Japan. I'd open a book and think"Oh, there's that fabric again. How pretty!" Then one day I happened upon it in one of the fabric stores and though it was expensive I just felt I had to have it. I think I paid $15 for one yard and 15 years ago that was still unheard of. But it was so pretty, I just wanted to have some to look at in my stash. I'd still run across it in Japanese books and now I'd think, "There's my fabric again!"

A summer or two later when I was in the States I came across the exact same fabric. On sale! For $3 a yard. Let's say, I was beyond happiness and was more into disbelief! I bought 5 yards just out of spite! So back home in Japan I now had 6 yards of this beautiful fabric that I still liked but it didn't shimmer and gleam like it used to (it wasn't $15 fabric anymore, it was $3 fabric. Does that make sense?) Eventually I made a Garden Twist quilt from the Quilt Shop Series book In The Beginning, and even made myself a skirt and blouse! I've used the 6 yards in lots and lots of my projects over the years and after ripping up the skirt and blouse this year I think I'm seeing the end of it. My Garden Twist quilt is hanging in the entryway this month, but it is getting quite faded so may have to be retired soon. I'm glad I was able to use "my fabric" in the two Wicked Quilts and now for awhile have a blog banner to remind me of it.

1 comment:

Conni Lu said...

Tanya,
Your blog banner looks so great. And the quilt made from THE fabric. I do understand what you mean by the glimmer being gone once the fabric was common $3 on sale fabric - it's not the same. So glad you are enjoying machine quilting!