What I Bought

What did I buy from The Festival Of Quilts this year you ask?

I did spend a lot this year, but I sort of realised I would!
I'd like to say in my defence though that nothing was a frivolous purchase, well apart from one... the biggest one. But the rest, the rest were all for some specific project.

There was so much to look at, so much to choose from. The things that were hard to look at were:

books - there just wasn't the time and they got pretty packed with people. Next time I'd go there first if that's what I really needed. Luckily my mum has every book I could ever need! She is like a quilt library.

Bolts - If you want large quantities of material it can mean queuing. I think people cater more for fat quarters and bundles really as they're easy to pick up and purchase.

Stencils - I just didn't see that many to be honest. I admit, instead of going round the whole thing I sat down with my mum at the start and marked the places I was most interested in on the floorplan then just went straight to them. I do need some stencils though for the next big project once I have cleared the decks a little.

Here's what I bought...



I love Madeira's Polyneon fluorescent thread. I just think it's very contemporary. I bought my first lot in 2006 and now some of them are nearly dead so I thought I'd invest in some big reels. I'd like every shade in the range really.

And as for the spots... well my love affair with them continues. These are all for a new project I am going to start working on, but more about that in the future.



This is going to be the backing for the crazy 60° quilt which I have put away for a while. Might be time to get on with it now I have the last thing I need for it. This material was on sale as I think it's the end of the range. I love it so much. It reminds me of 70's Hanna-Barbera cartoons for some reason. I admit, I have been a bit done in by my electric quilt, BUT then I saw this picture advertising Amy Butler's Softwares CD and realised it is just like my quilt, even using the same colours! Well hers sticks to the red pink theme, but it has my backing in it and it looks lovely surrounded by a white room. I might have to make that one as well! Her blocks don't line up though which I find slightly unsettling yet intriguing. One for the Christmas list!



Speaking of my love for Amy Butler, it was her stall I went to first. Every year she plans to come to the show with the CottonPatch so this could be a yearly homage. My mum wanted to buy me a birthday present. Last year it took me 10 minutes at Amy's stall to find a book. This year it took 5. She says she has another book for next year so I probably won't even open it, I'll just buy it. My mum's never had it so easy.



Because I am awed by fame and creative people, I had to have my book signed. Soon I'll be drawing love hearts round our names and writing soppy songs. The book is great though and so is the new colour range of material. I just need to get down and make something from it. It's not just quilts, it's everything! Saying that, these two quilts did catch my eye. You'll note how fuzzy my photos are. That's just me being too lazy to scan the pic in, but you get the gist.



That was it! Well nearly... I did really well until Rachel left me to go sit down. Within 5 minutes I had found another of my favourite stalls: Petra Prins. They always have fabric I have never seen anywhere else and it always gets me right in the squishy centre of my Little House on the Prairie heart. I'm not the only one either!



This is a kit. I don't usually buy kits. They're expensive. But I saw the quilt and then she just showed me the kit. I know I am a sucker. She even said I didn't need the kit, I could just photograph the quilt and make it myself, but that kind of reverse psychology merely fired my heart into action and I'd bought the box set before she had finished speaking. It comes in a lovely box, wrapped in ribbon and tissue paper. I suppose one of the joys of quilting is that even if you follow a pattern, the material you use can make the whole thing come out differently. Sometimes I don't want different. I want exactly what I see. I knew mine would never have the same colours as I am just not programmed to pick those colours out. So the kit is mine. I feel very indulgent.

I bought a few extra fat quarters as I always think it's good to have a little extra and I never see fabrics that would match theirs anywhere so I am now prepared. I think I will shelve this one for a rainy day though. I know it's there like a treat, all ready to get on with. But my list of things to do is so HUGE already. I might have to do another round up of all the unfinished projects I have!

Anyway that's it.
Birmingham Festival of Quilts OVER.
Until next year.

Now I am busy washing all the material in a pillow case, ironing it and trying to shove it into my stash cupboard. Time to start using the loft space soon. My stash is back to bursting level.

Pin It