Tuesday, January 5, 2016

It's a Goldilocks Thing

My favorite fabric store "Fabric of Vision" is closing their doors. It's sad and it's also happy. Good friend Sandi can start a new chapter and who knows where that will take her. What an exciting start to the new year! And while I won't have that special fabric store right at my fingertips, I do have the knowledge and confidence to look and find fabrics I want and need in the future. Thank you Sandi for the years of great fun, heavenly fabrics and kind education in all things sewing.

So what's Goldilocks have to do with anything? Well, I got a little chair I had admired for many years at FOV.



An old metal folding chair that had been quilted. I bought it to go with my new Schacht Sidekick spinning wheel and the height and portability is just right for that, but I also found out it is the perfect chair for threading heddles on the Macombers.



 Just right and so cute too.

The Sidekick was a gift from my folks and what a fine spinner it is!



I am so impressed with this little wheel and I can leave the  heavier Matchless at home.



 DH Gene gave me a fiber club membership, so something wonderful to spin arrives at our mailbox once a month. What a great Christmas I had.

On New Years Day I organized my fabric stash. I did a lot of shopping at FOV, everything is being sold at 50% off, everything and who can resist a good buy.

Gratuitous ear cleaning shot
 It certainly made some fabrics obtainable price-wise. My shelves are stuffed with beautiful fabrics and good memories!

New patterns have also found their way into the stash.



Tina Givens had a half price sale on her printed patterns and while the drafting is rarely great, these are two I really wanted to try and they look easy enough to correct or modify. I have some Vogue Designer patterns that will be available in an upcoming giveaway. Next post!And some sewing finally happened in the newly organized sewing salon. This is my own pattern far removed from its beginnings as a Grainline Scout Tee.



I used some handwoven fabric as details.



The fabric is a cotton/poly/? blend with a woven leaf texture on it. I don't usually use black but everyone needs at least one good black garment and this is mine.



The Murphy loom weaves again. Prayer flags for Charlotte and a few others who have lost beloved pets. This is the new style of flag.



 I will bind it in while silk top and bottom. The colors are represented by the stripes in yellow, green, red, white (tan in this case) and blue. The prayers are in silver and colored silk. The binding will give me an opportunity to sew things to it.

Right before Christmas I got two Ina Garten cookbooks and have had great fun cooking from them. I love her style and the simplicity of her recipes.



 I even found the most perfect lemon cake dessert. It's made with yogurt instead of butter and is divine!

We've celebrated Christmas, my Mom's 78th birthday and our 16th wedding anniversary in the span of 7 days. It has been a busy time. I hope the start of 2016 finds you all energized and excited for whatever the year may bring. Lets hope it's a good one eh?

Parting shot: Don't be afraid to adopt seniors. They are simply the BEST! Just ask this guy who came to us as a nine year old. He'll tell you. ;-)



13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Theresa, you had a splendid start to the new year! I have major fabric stash envy. The new folding chair is a keeper - perfect for your studio. Senior dogs are just the best, adoption is so needed I wish more people did it. Pets for the crew.

Cindie said...

Each time I've been at FOV I've admired that folding chair.....and I think I should do that to the two old folding chairs here but it hasn't happened yet. They are the perfect height spinning chair. Maybe this will give me incentive to put it up near the top of the very long to-do list.

Diane in Oregon said...

Love the handwoven accents on your top! Maybe I can ease into sewing with my handwoven fabric by using them for embellishment. And the chair is perfect - cheery for this time of year, too!

Valerie said...

Wow...you certainly had a wonderful "Haul-iday" (bad pun intended!)

I use a similar folding chair for threading the Macomber, but alas, no patchwork on mine ;(

Coco said...

Such fun - wow, great fabric sale and I'm happy for your friend as well. Must be more difficult than it sounds...

OK, I adore the chair.

Michelle said...

You've talked so much about FOV that I feel like I'M losing a resource -- ha!

LA said...

I am so impressed that you have your fabric all sorted and on the shelf!!!! Something else to shoot for! I love that you have taken in our older four legged friends...they have so much love to give us.

Theresa said...

LA, I always try to keep my fabrics on "mini bolts" made from cutting either cardboard box flaps or using real fabric bolts, cut in half.

Michelle, Yep, it is a hard, I have been so spoiled and good fabric stores are such a rare thing these days. The internet is a wonderful thing.

Coco, The decision has been a long time coming but nothing ever does stay the same. I'm wishing I had a set of those quilted folding chairs. ;-)

Valerie, Bad puns aside it IS wonderful to hear from you! How goes it all? Weaving away and reading good books I hope.

Diane, I like to use bits and bobs of the handwovens. This length of cloth will be fully cut for pattern, but I know I had some to spare, at least I hope so.

Cindie, It was on the list of fixtures to go and I'm so happy I snagged it. When I was at the sale opening day the shop was packed with over 50 people and the numbers were up to 28 in line waiting to be cut.

Martha, Senior dogs are special. My heart goes out to those older dogs left in shelters, so few get adopted. I just don't get it why anyone could part with a family member like that.

Judy said...

What a great post full of positive energy and excitement for future projects! Happy Christmas to you, a new spinning wheel to play with :-) The fiber club sounds great, which one did you go with? I'm sorry to hear about the fabric store closing, I'm sure it was nice for you to have the unique fabrics close by so that you could see them in person, but at least you were able to stock up.
That's a great idea to adopt a senior dog or cat, there are so many that need homes.

Judy said...

Oh, and I forgot to mention, what a COOL chair!! I love the log cabin design and the bright colors. Great find.

Peg Cherre said...

I LOVE that chair!!

It sounds like you all had a wonderful celebration-filled week. And got a new pal, too. His name is......?

R. Delight said...

Oh my, sorry to hear FOV will be closing for good. There are so few indie fabric stores, at least ones that carry interesting garment fabrics. Plenty of nice quilting stores though. I usually stop in FOV when we breeze through Ashland on the way south. Love the folding chair. I have a beat up old wooden chair I use for playing my cello. It is the perfect size and all. I should probably do something similar to make it classy. Happy New Year!

Theresa said...

Peg, Spike has been with us almost two years, so he is 11-ish now. I adore senior dogs and we have taken a number in through the years. If they can put up with our loud and busy pack, they're in like Flynn.

Renee, I am very sad too, but I knew it was coming. I'll be posting some of my new favorite fabric resources when I have a good list, but it will be internet of course.
How did that loom remake go?