alysowl

UPDATE: My tastes run to scrappy in the extreme and I don't throw away any fabric. I have my stash from 20 years ago (still packed up - not accessible in the frozen depths of winter - but reasonably accessible I hope after mud season subsides), my current stash (which seems to breed like rabbits) and my mother's stash which I just snaffled the last time I went back to VA. Lots of vintage. I like the new stuff, too, but there is no LQS up here (only Wal-Mart) and besides, it's all awfully expensive. I use fabric crumbs down to about 1" or so, and anything smaller than that goes into a muslin pillow form. When it's stuffed full, I'll make a pillow for someone. :-) I also have various "leaders and enders" quilts going at any given time using 5" and 2.5" squares, as well as a coin quilt using 5"x2.5" bars. Usually, any fabric I have that becomes smaller than about 12" x 12" gets cut up into the sizes above and the rest become crumbs.

For likes and dislikes: While I like some novelty prints, I'm not fond of ones for sports or food, and I have little need for childrens' prints (especially girls), other than for some charity quilts. I like animal prints, but I have a lot of pet-related ones now (hmmm, I know just the person to make something out of them for!) and would be more interested in wildlife.

I'm really not into doing anything with buttons or ribbon but I have a lot of vintage ones.

I am very open to private swaps and often do RAK destashes of stuff I will never use.

Current WIPs:

Tumbling blocks charm quilt - handpieced Tumber Xmas quilt (and at least 3 other so-far nameless Xmas quilts - I'm trying to use up all my Xmas fabric before next Xmas) Nine Patches - 6" finished Four Patches - 4" finished HSTs - 4" finished 3 VQB quilts

That's all just off the top of my head and most are on-going projects with no firm plans. I have other projects waiting in the wings and UFOs that I need to finish, mostly when I have more space. (My sewing quarters are kind of cramped at the moment.)

Please check my flickr site - now that I have a camera, I'm trying to post pix of what I'm working on.

I recently moved from Richmond, Virginia, to about as far north in upstate New York as it is possible to be. The change from extremely urban to very rural has been quite nice for the most part, but I have yet to find a fabric store within easy reach. I was an avid quilter some years ago, but drifted away from it with the advent of children, employment, etc. Now (especially since winter has set in), I have resolved to return to quilting. Much of my fabric stash is still in storage and not accessible. However, I did discover that a few boxes remained at hand, mostly scraps. Luckily, scrap quilts are my favorites anyway. I am currently working on a box of unfinished projects from years ago and only dreaming of starting something new. In the meantime, I have begun to acquire a new "stash" of fabric. I try to be as eco-friendly as possible and can usually find a way to recycle almost anything. (You probably would not believe how small some of my fabric scraps are!)

Preferences: Most anything is fine. I particularly like botanical prints or prints with animals on them. I love color! I like retro, historical and modern styles.

Dislikes: Not many. I'm not fond of "country" themes and I have a lot of that already. Sports themes are not my strong suit. I also do not seem to do (or have done) much with majority white/very light colors.

Once I "get back in the swing of things" these preferences may change, but for now, I'm easy. Getting hooked into a quilting group (online or no) is important to me after all these years away from it and any feedback will be appreciated. I do pledge that I shall do my best to please you!

MORE RECENT UPDATE: Opened my own etsy shop so I have something to do with the projects I'm finishing. Can't seem to work on less than 10 projects at any given time. I have several of the quilts I mentioned before basted and ready to quilt. And, of course, more pieced tops in the works. Seriously trying to stashbust at the moment. :-)