Shop Hop Loot

 I told you I would take photos of the fabrics I bought on my shopping trips with my SIL. 

 I finally got around to taking photos.  

Most of these are already heading for specific projects too. 

 That makes me very happy!

The fabrics in this first picture are not heading to any specific project. 

 I found the "Marie" cat fabric on sale and got another discount for finishing the bolt. 

 I had not bought any of the new Tula True Colors and they had a charm pack. 

 Same for Line Work, and thought the peacock fabric was pretty cool. 

 I am DYING over the new Mod Meow and have shown incredible restraint in not buying up vast quantities of this line...yet.  

This is a panel with my state on it. 

 I think I will make a pillow cover or 2 out of this using the fireflies for a border. 

 I 'm pretty sure the camper needs a few Michigan pillows.

I have been working on a block of the week but got a bit behind when we were away.  

My colors are pink and gold and I needed backgound to finish the top.  

The gold stars on the cream will be the background.  

The shiny pink is going to be background for another pattern testing quilt.

This fabric is the prettiest! 

 My picture does NOT do this line justice.  

The fabrics are all shimmery.

I am not sure how these will be used but I will figure it out.  

They are so pretty! 

 Maybe in the sparrows quilt?

I am collecting some fabrics to use in a Moda Bakeshop project.

I have not found them all but I will get there.

Such pretty colors!

Might look great with the ones above.

So there you have it. 

 I guess I don't have immediate plans for all of the fabrics. 

 Just some of them. 

 I need to sew faster! 

 Still working on destashing so I can change out my fabrics.

  I will stop the destash posts while we are in NC as I won't have fabric with me there.

Have a great day!

~XOP~

Vacation Loot

I thought I would do a quick post with most of the things I picked up while I was away.

A certain someone was particularly happy that I was home!

First up, I found some Kinder! At the shop in Glendale, Ohio.  

I love the apples and the frogs. 

 I am also collecting dark greens for an MSU quilt. 

 If you happen to have any that read like in this photo and would like to share 

a 5" square with me I would be so grateful!  

I don't seem to have a lot of variety.  

The green can have white in it also, like dots or checks but I am looking for that shade of green in particular, or just a bit darker or lighter.  

Email me and I will send you my address.

(mamaspark@gmail.com)

I found these at the shop in Plant City. 

 The first one is a great background.  I fell in LOVE with those cats. 

 The next one is a gradation from green to purple and the last one is a great blender.  

I had some but used it all up.

These I found in Lake City Florida.  

Can you see what is in that first print? It is from the book The Mitten, by Jan Brett.  

I used to read that to my kids!  I was super excited to find that.

  I didn't even know I wanted it either, until I saw it.

Then more greens for the MSU quilt.  

Some toys from the TV show Rudolph (one of my hubby's favorites), some red and green for Happy Christmas, some super cool blue and orange blenders and that metalic gold stripe?  

That one is a fabulous binding when done on the diagonal!

These were bought at the Cotton Patch in University Park Florida.  

Another binding stripe, those adorable mermaids (for a chenille blanket), more greens and look at that super cool +/x background fabric!!  

All the heart eyes for that one!

I found these at the Fabric Shack in Waynsville, Ohio. 

 More Kinder.  

The first white said it was from the American Made line, and it is muslin.  

It felt so silky I wonder if that was right? 

 It felt like an Art Gallery fabric.  

Also, it was pretty inexpensive, so I bought some for backgrounds. 

 I seem to go through white like water, HA! 

The last white, which is super difficult to see, has random sized circle outlines on it. 

 It was oddly soft, so I may need to starch it, but I have been searching and searching for a background for a particular project (that must remain secret) for actual YEARS. 

That gradient fabric up above was one I thought would work, until I found this white one.

 Each time I thought I had it I would decide the fabric was not right.  

I *finally* believe this may be the one.  

If that's the case I can finally move forward with that one. 

 Fingers crossed.

One last parting shot of my baby cuddling up with me last night.  

She is getting so old now (14) and is beginning to get the old lady fur 

as well as appears to be losing weight.  

She is a sweetie.  

I bought a few patterns that I did not photograph and a new 6.5 x 12.5" Creative Grid ruler 

(I have worn the numbers off my current one, LOL)

If you have any questions on need to know what a particular fabric is please message me.  Additionally, if you have any green 5" squares you would like to share you can email me for my mailing address at mamaspark@gmail.com

~XOP~

Shipshewana But With Different People

I feel that Shipshewana is a pretty frequent blog post title.  

This time I was going there with 2 friends from work. 

 I taught them how to quilt and talk about Shipshewana all the time so we finally made a  plan to go.

We drove the back roads down and it took about 3 hours.  

We arrived at the Davis Mercantile at the same time as a gigantic bus filled with women.  

They were all going in the first floor door and I knew the bathrooms are on the bottom floor so, after 3 hours in the car, we raced down to the bathrooms. 

 Guess what?  

We beat the crowd!!!

Next was to the resin furniture shop where resin bird feeders were the purchase of the day. 

 My friends bought many for their friends and for themselves.  

We finally got out of there, brought the feeders to the car and went to Little Bit of Lollys. 

 I totally forgot to take very many photos. 

 After fabrics were purchased we headed off for a pretzel at Jo-Jo's Pretzels.

Here is what I bought at LBOL.  All the fabric there is discounted.

Here is my friend Judith, eating her first Jo-Jo's pretzel

We then headed off to Lolly's where I purchased a few things, but not too many. 

 The one on the right says "Stitch".

After that we headed to the other shops in the Davis Mercantile.  

There is a huge tree right in the middle of the building!  

Here are all three of us on our shopping extravaganza.

I picked up these FQ at LBOL.  That sewing machine bag was too cute to pass up. 

 I love Vintage Home.  

Those note cards were adorable and look like my Mosen.  

This was what the trunk of Robn's Pilot looked like just after the time spent at the Davis Mercantile! We still had not gone to Yoders!  

That gray bag on the left was my cooler.  

I made egg muffins and Judith brought a coffee cake for our "breakfast" on the way down.  

Then I packed sandwiches for our lunch and everyone else brought stuff to go with lunch and snacks.  We had a picnic outside the Mercantile before heading down to Yoders.

After we were rested and refreshed we headed to Yoders Department Store.  

We spent about 2 hours here!  

Judith finished first so went to sit in the rocking chairs in the hall.

  I joined wanted to join her but there were no more rocking chairs left.  

Cow seat it was!

These were the things I purchased at Yoders.  

Aren't these foxes adorable??  

Seems like I am now a fan of fox.

I don't usually buy Thirties fabrics but could NOT resist these kitties. 

 I can use the purples in baby quilts and the red actually seems to go with several other lines I have.  The mint is always a good idea. HA!

Some people, bought a lot more than I did, LOL.

After we went there we headed to Yoder's meat and cheese shop

 for a few items before heading home.  

That's another reason to bring along a cooler, for meat and cheese purchases. 

 Sadly, the fry pie lady was closed. 

 Next time I will have to go there first!  

What did you do over the weekend?  Maybe you have some fun shops to recommend?

~XOP~

Fabric Finds and My LIfe

I went to GR to see my dad in the hospital over the weekend.  

We thought he was going to be discharged on Sat but it is not going to happen until today.  

He is going to have to have a nurse employed when he returns to his apt.  

We brought his cat home with us. 

 I am at a crossroads, I fear.

I'm not sure how to proceed and the fear is paralyzing. 

 I feel like he gets worse with every visit to the hospital. 

 I think for now, if I can get a nurse to visit him, he can stay where he is...for now. 

 It won't last long.  

His memory is much worse than even a week ago. 

 I am looking into nursing homes while also considering taking him into my own home. 

 I am terrified of both options.  

What's wrong with me??  

This is not normally who I am!  

That's all I am going to say for now.  

Breathing deeply and spending time investigating, that's the job of the minute.

On to other things.  I picked up some of the amazing Britten Number fabric from IKEA and it is available at Crazy Quilt Girl's online fabric shop.  It is quite a large print.  It makes a fabulous back as it is 59" wide!  I LOVE this fabric so much.  If you want any you better hurry up before I buy it all up!

 I also found some older Lizzy House Red Letter Day fabrics and 

am selling them $12/yard shipped or $9/yard pick up.

I have 1 yard of this available.

I have 2 yards of this one available.

I am also selling some Innocent Crush Shattered by Anna Maria Horner $13/yard shipped

 or $10 local pick up. 

 I have 2 yards of this available.  

It was once again a blizzard while we were out of town.  

We had to dig out one of my dad's cars and get it started.  

Still couldn't move it into the garage as it was stuck to the ground.  

That's hubby doing the digging out!

Photos from the front yard at my dad's house.  

Look at the neighbor's mailbox!

We had to bring our snow blower so we could actually get into the driveway to get into the house!

Beautiful but messy!

This was how driving home was too.

~XOP~  

Fabric Purchases

I have been trying to be good.  

Really I have, but it just is NOT working! 

 I bought a few things in #thegreatfabricdestash so thought I would share what I picked up.  

Maybe it will excuse my purchasing? 

 Probably not but it was fun!

First up these Tula Pink Full Moon Forest owls.  

They were a little pricey but I am oh so thrilled to have them!

My next purchase was some more Neptune.  

Can a girl really have too much Neptune?  

I think NOT!

I am almost finished collecting this line.  Just 2 more prints to go!

Another purchase in #thegreatdestash was this FQ bundle of Swell.  OMG I was so excited to get this!!  Now I am done purchasing Sweet and Swell.  

Can't wait to plan out a quilt or 2 using these gorgeous fabrics!

Just in case you didn't know, Pink Castle was having a skinny bolt sale.  

Again, not one to pass up a good deal, 

especially when in need of some low volume fabric for some baby quilts.

I saw this yellow with sunshine written all over it and look how cute it looks with that navy.

This one is going to be a baby quilt for sure.

I am not sure of the name of this one but it is by Art Gallery and it is PERFECT for another baby quilt.

I have a pattern in mind for both of these quilts now I just need time to work.

I also need my dad to stay out of the hospital so I can work, 

but it seems like that is just not going to happen for me. 

 He went back into the hospital again last night. 

 I don't know all the details but will have to call the hospital today and find out.

He keeps getting UTI's and that's what landed him back there.

This is that same fabric in aqua.  

I love it so much!! 

 That Luna will be perfect for what I have in mind to do with this too. 

All three quilts will be the same but I know they will all turn out so different!

The last purchase is for making more of those airplanes I have hanging around 

waiting to have additions of so they can become a quilt.  

Or maybe they will be the words.  

Who knows. 

 It will NOT be happening for awhile though.

Baby quilts must be made!

Thinking about making diaper covers too.  

Anyone out there have suggestions for a good pattern and source for the PUL?

Last but certainly NOT least I could not resist the lure of the cats!

Oh Lizzy House you have out done yourself with this line.

Cat Nap

I did limit myself to my three favorites in the line. 

 I could just eat that front one right up it is so adorable!

They are even cuter in person than they look online.

Pink Castle still has lots of these if you "need" some also.

What fabrics have caught your eye lately?

~XOP~

Some Fabric Finds

On Sunday I decided to run some errands.  

One was to stop at JAF just to look around.

  I was thinking about getting some pictures framed and took those with me.

  I didn't end up doing it though because they didn't really have what I wanted as far as framing.  

I may end up painting my own frames, but time will tell.  

I thought well, it wouldn't hurt to look around. 

 I had some gift cards from Christmas. 

 YIKES, I should have exited the store right then!  

But I didn't.  

Instead I bought fabric I did not need. 

 It was so cute I just could not leave without it! 

 Most of it I will make chenille blankest with as it is too cute to cut up. 

 I did buy a little extra so I could fussy cut some of the things out of it though.  

Want to see what I bought?

This one is flannel and I will use for the back of a quilt...eventually, LOL.

I have no idea what I will use this for but it is flannel also so probably the back of a cat quilt. 

 It is sparkly!!!

These two I will use for chenille blanket backs.  

The top one is all forest animals and the bottom one is Red Riding Hood kitties!! 

This one and the next one were in juvenile fabrics and are 100% cotton but a heavier weight.  

Also will use for chenille backs.  

That gray fox is so cute!

This print is my favorite from the whole group.  

That fox is quite large, maybe 5 inches or so.  

I fell in love with her though!

I also bought some artist canvas to try out Amanda Jeans Modge Podge Ticker Tape wall quilt idea.

Just one more way to use up scraps!

I took the dog out yesterday and thought I would share a video of her enjoying our snow. 

 It's good someone loves it!

~XOP~