That design had been discontinued!

*I discovered this when I was making appliqued quilted vests for children.  A store would order a number of vests, then later want more of a specific design.  If I didn’t have enough fabric, I’d order more, often finding it had been discontinued in a relatively short time.  A customer might purchase a vest from me, then want more just like it.   I learned to say I’d have that fabric design or “similar.”

*A quilt kit producer mentioned this problem recently and said it was so frustrating when customers and stores wanted more kits just like the first ones they had purchased.  Even when he’d purchased fabric and the next week wanted more, he often was informed the supplier was out and the manufacturer wasn’t making more.

Tips for working around this problem, even if you can’t solve it completely (i.e…get more of the same fabric):

*Try to determine right away if you’ll have enough

*Buy a little extra. (You can always use the leftover in some future project.)

*If the store is part of a chain, see if they’ll check with another store for “your” fabric.

*Refrain from advertising that you’ll have that exact fabic in a kit, future quilt, etc.  You’ll have that fabric or “similar.”

*Learn to improvise.

*Smile a lot.

  Have you run into the frustration of running out of fabric for a project?  How did you solve it?

Post from: Blisstree

Quilters’ Frustrations With Discontinued Fabrics

This got me thinking of the ways quilters and fabric artists enjoy fabrics and create lovely works of art from them.  Quilters can’t resist buying fabrics.  They collect colorful stashes, and find many ways to use them.

*Fabrics brighten our lives…like a ray of sunshine peeping through clouds.

*They bring back memories…like the feed sack fabrics reminiscent of those my grandmother used in quilts she made for her grandchildren.

*We share them and exchange them with quilting friends.

*Creating wearable art is another direction we can go with our fabrics.

*Various fabrics give us ideas for completely new types of art.

*They also help us brighten our homes in items other than quilts…curtains, chair coverings, placemats, tablecloths, potholders, pillows and more.

Yes, truly, fabrics are a source of inspiration to quilters, fabric artists, dressmakers, interior designers, and painters.

How does fabric inspire you?

Post from: Blisstree

Fabrics – a Source of Inspiration for Quilters

When I saw Beth on our deck the other day, involved in painting some more fabric and placing ferns, leaves and stems for designs on her sun prints, I thought of Jen’s request.

Two books she’s found helpful:

*Mickey Lawler’s Sky Dyes, a Visual Guide to Fabric Painting.  Beth pointed out the portion on “Sunprints” whereby you apply paint to fabric, then lay objects over the wet paint and let it dry in bright light.  In Beth’s case, she worked on our deck in the intense sun, then she laid ferns, leaves and stems on the paint.  After awhile in the sun, these objects showed up as a lighter design in the fabric.

*Sue Beevers Off-The-Shelf Fabric Painting, 30 Simple Recipes for Gourmet Results is another Beth finds helpful.  There’s a section on “Sun Printing.”  The technique described here also involves ferns and leaves on fabric.

Enjoy!

Post from: Blisstree

More Resources for Sun Printing Quilt Fabric

I agree with Jennifer.  Why not incorporate turtles into a baby gift quilt?  She might look for some fabric printed with turtles.  (Does anyone know where there is any?)  Or she could design or find a pattern of turtles to applique on quilt blocks. 

I often made quilted blankets for baby gifts and for sale.  They consisted of a single piece of printed fabric for the top and another for the back.  In between was batting.  I could tie or quilt the coverlet.

In this case, find a piece of fabric with turtle motif and use it for the top. You can use either the solid piece or cut it into patches and alternate with coordinating solid color patches.

  This is only one idea for a turtle design that could be stylized and appliqued to a quilt patch or in the center of a quilt. 

Post from: Blisstree

Turtle Quilts Inspired by Turtle Blog

Anna Maria Horner’s inner gypsy had to have been at play when she designed her 22 Lollipops Quilt and Bohemium Quilt – and the fabric collections that inspired them, too, mentions Jen.

The fabrics in the quilts shown on Jen’s blog remind me of fabrics my aunt and grandmother used in their quilts and dressmaking in the 1940s.  Lots to reminisce there for quilters who created quilts then…or those who like that type of fabric.  Anna Maria has adapted these fabrics into her unique patterns….which she’s willing to share.

Visit Jen’s blog to find where to get your patterns.  You’ll also find other free patterns there.

Post from: Blisstree

Quilt Pattern for 22 Lollipops Quilt & More

At Layers Upon Layers, I discovered an ideal way to use your leftover fabric…swatch portraits.  Cyndi seems intrigued by this idea, too, which she found at The Purl Bee.  There’s even a tutorial at that site for creating wall art from your fabric by using embroidery and quilting hoops of various sizes. 

As I looked at the fabric portraits displayed, I also could envision them decorated with fancy stitching and embellishments.  There seems to be no end to the ideas  creative people can come up with in the fabric art world.

Post from: Blisstree

Swatch Portraits – One Way to Use Leftover Quilt Fabric

The quilt contained many pieces and was hand stitched.  Mother used it on the guest room bed.  In later years it must have been used for “every day” because when I found it, after Mother became ill with Alzheimer’s, the quilt was tattered, worn, and torn.  My daughter and I can salvage only portions here and there.

We’d like to find some old fabric or reproduction fabric that matches so we can add to the pieces we have.  So I carry a few pieces of the different fabrics with me as I travel around the country.  Although I haven’t found the fabric yet, I keep hoping.

In the meantime, searching for this old fabric brings me new friends in the quilting world.

  Although my quilt isn’t techincally a “puzzle quilt,” it’s a puzzle trying to find old fabrics that match the ones originally used for the quilt. 

 It’s also interesting to find that some of those fabrics aged more than others.  One fabric has practically disintegrated while another is whole but faded.

Post from: Blisstree

Searching for Old Quilt Fabric

There are a number of articles suggested in addition to Janet’s information about fabric grain and when to use what.

This post builds upon my previous one, Learning Which Quilting Fabric to Select.

Post from: Blisstree

Learning about Quilt Fabric Grain

At Quilted Paradise Newsletter this week, you’ll discover a great deal of information about quilting fabric.  The fabric you use depends on personal choice, the project, and what is available within your budget.

To help you make your choices, you may want to check out some of the fabric selection tips in the newsletter.  Some topics covered: Buying quality fabric for quilting, how to know if a chosen fabric is of good quality, why is good quilt fabric so expensive, how fabric is printed, and more.

     Other resources also will give you information on fabrics and fabric selection for various projects.

Post from: Blisstree

Learning Which Quilting Fabric to Select

The choices were: 

*Polyester/cotton blend

*100% cotton

*Silk, satin, brocades, metallics, etc.

*A combination of fabrics

Apparently quilters and fabric artists still generally prefer 100% cotton as they did during the fabric debate throughout the Bicentennial Years (1975-76+) when I became involved in quiltmaking as a business.  Seventy percent of my readers voted for the 100% cotton.

Thirty percent opted for a combination of fabrics, while no one voted for polyester/cotton blend or the silk, satin, brocades, and metallics.

     If you’re uncertain which fabrics to use for particular projects, you may want to search out advice from some of the experts.  This is just one of the books available.

Post from: Blisstree

Results of Poll About Quilting Fabrics