Fabric therapy...

Yesterday was a big day for us. My mom went in for surgery to remove a tumor in her breast and another in her lymph in her armpit. She came through the whole thing well. The surgeon said that he cleaned all of it out of her body. I am so relieved. SO. Relieved!

The first two hours in the waiting room were OK. After those came and went, I kept watching the clock and started feeling anxious and punchy. There was a fisherman in the waiting room and he and the "concierge" nurse got in to this loud discussion about fish, eating fish, meaty fish, mushy fish, and cooking fish. A LOT of talk about fish. After a while my sisters and I couldn't help but get the giggles. Some people eat, some smoke... my sisters and I get the giggles when we are anxious.... and it was A LOT of talk about fish. Laughing helped release the nervous energy, but we all were able to really exhale once the surgeon came out and told us our mama was in recovery. I am so thankful that we were together. No one would have helped me laugh like those two girlies.
This past week I also found A LOT of fabric that wanted to come and live with me... brighten my life, if you please. I put all the skulls and purples together and I kinda like that mix. This next lot is for the kids. I am putting together another "I spy" and there are a lot of goodies here. I think the pac-man ghosts are going to be a hit.
More fun!! The town print is really fun!
SNAPS and VIEW MASTER!!! I am so in love.
Tickets, writing..... I can't say no to chicken wire!
Germs AND text??? These are really weird, but I like that.
These were on big sale @ Fabric.com. The watercolor-ness of them is just perfect for spring!

I was so sad to miss my EMQG meeting last night... but rumor has it that it still was fantastic, even though I was gone. (I am so happy about that! It means we have found some good folks here in Eugene!) I was glad that I got to be with my mom and my sisters. Throughout the past months my mom has been saying that some of the pain that she had been having in her shoulders is feeling better. She believes that is the power of all of the people praying for her. Thank you so much for keeping her in your prayers, it means so much and it makes a difference.

JMB

Sunday stash...

I am seriously in love with this printed lace design...
Then there were plaid vehicles!! And this Anna Griffin piece looks like a storybook from the 70's.... I won't gush over the french general piece....TEXT!
Blondie was so very good at the store that I let him pick out 2 for himself. I think that he wants a wallet and a bag. I had better make good on that promise! (maybe he will share a smiling kitty with me?!)

Off to take care of the crying baby (I had to post first is that so wrong??) (she was playing with the brothers so not too bad!)

JMB

Well... I do have to ensconce myself in beauty, because what is the alternative?

I decided that last post could not be what today is about. I have been working very hard to be healthy and to lose weight in a sustainable way. Big Daddy and I were talking one day about incentives, non-food incentives and so OF COURSE, I thought FABRIC! The first three pics are my "I lost 10 pounds and it is STILL GONE!!" (even a month later!) I was so lucky to find the turquoise farmdale flowers, I had to get a nice chunk of it. The Paris map is so fun, I like it next to the squirrel's treasure map (sometimes you just have to laugh.)
I liked these creepy little owls peeking from behind the new Anna Maria Horner, there are a couple more that I would like to befriend. That may wait for the next 10 pounds.
I am such a sucker for bees and those scissors.... I am crazy about the scissors. I really need to cut in to them and put them in a project to use... another mug rug?? I saw the purple bunnies used as a sash on a little girl's olive green dress, it was smashing...little Mango might like some little rabbits. (These were bought here, here, and here.) I love doing some fiber shopping while in Portland.
The owls... I am still crushing on the owls. Rumor has it that someone in my fair city has bought 2 bolts of the larger print... 2 stores are out of it, I want to see that project when they are done!
My favorite local shop, Piece by Piece Fabrics, was purging some of the "older" fabrics...I got deals, deals, deals! Some of these are saved for a Mango dress, or smocky type garb. The color, I am needing these colors during this grey Oregon weather. I bet these would look nice on some pillows for my grey couch. This quilt is folded over the back of it and it greets me with a smile EVERY morning.
Looking at these two like this makes me happy. It sounds bad, but this morning I did buy myself a little bit of happiness. They are in the wash right now, I want to cut into all of them before they become too precious.

Here's to blogging your way out of the dark!

JMB

This is going to be like AA for fabric gluttons and hoarders...

I used to think that it was only me.  Only me that walked by bolts of fabric and tried, desperately to control my fingers as they gently touched the smooth, smooth colors.  (my latest obsession the whole darn "Good Folks" line by Anna Maria Horner) (I was doing a good job resisting but then I read this post.  Darn you Soulemama!)
I try to leave the fabric in the store and the money in the bank, but I just can't.  They call a siren's song to me, those colors do, and there I am completely helpless as I crash upon the rocks and hand over my bolts...

a half yard of each please...

wait, you better make it a yard of the Kaffe Fassett.

(These were from this past Friday's binge...some are just scraps from the studio bins, but I had to have them anyways...$4.75 for as much as you can stuff in a sandwich bag?  Yes, please!)
I suppose like other addicts, because for me it is an addiction, I feel a bit guilty after I plunk down my pennies (and dollars and more dollars.)  But then I get home and I am able to sort them and wash them...and then pull them still warm from the drier (then they don't wrinkle as much) I don't feel bad anymore.  They are all so beautiful, so colorful, so ready to be arranged and re-arranged in a myriad of ways on my fabric shelves.  (Should I sort be color, or designer, or type?  Or all of the above?)  (these up here were on sale a few weeks ago, I love christmasy type fabrics that are not too christmasy...but I also love the too christmasy types too!)
The thrill of the fabric chase is even sweeter when you win things on people's blogs.  I won these from Amy, over here.  It was such a thrill and I talked about it for days.  I think my sister's comment to me was "Why are you going to the fabric store again when you just won all that fabric online?"  I had to go.  Simple.
I had always thought that I was alone in my desires...until I joined my local quilter's guild.  My eyes were opened!  I met all sorts of women who just loved going to fabric stores as much as I did.  They liked to buy fabric just for the look of it, because it reminded them of something, because they might make something out of it one day.  They were just like me and so I kept going back.  (I hadn't intended on making such a purply arrangement here, but I really like it.  Something about the purple, brown, and greens really speaks to me.)
Here I am, dealing with this affliction. (which I only say sort of jokingly.)  When I get really bad I just have to stay out of the fabric stores all together.  I make myself go in to my sewing room and arrange the fabric that I already have, maybe even cut some of it and sew it together again.  What an idea?!  (most of these repros are from the scrap bin, but I just really like them.)
I was also heartened to hear from so many other hoarders in the comments from the last post.  It is nice to not be alone, to be among friends

If you are interested in adding to your own stash I am having a give-away this week to celebrate my 3 yr blog birthday.  You can read about it here.  Hooray!  I am having such fun reading all of your comments!  Until tomorrow!

JMB