It started small - a woman had a lovely quilted bag - I knew what it was - but I asked anyway - "It's Vera Bradley" - now I've sworn off fabrics for quite a while for lack of time, space and too many moves. I love quilts and quilting so I have always preferred quilting and sewing myself to getting it store bought so it didn't look dangerous. But once the seed was planted!!!!!!

I've only bought Vera on ebay and only when everyone else wasn't buying (I'm fundamentally frugal) but the fabric yen is back. I don't have any time or space to sew or quilt so Vera Bradley and some the other beautiful fabric designers are filling my eye's need for lovely designs.

Have been somewhat envious of the "collectors". I've given away a lot of my fabric in our many recent moves but I'm here to say fabric addiction doesn't die it just resurfaces in a new form. I'm probably the "dry drunk" of fabric addicts but as spring approaches I have noticed myself cruising the Vera website - not buying but.......

Anyway, any fellowr reformed fabric addicts or potential Vera addicts .......

By Enchens on Monday, March 29, 2010 - 11:06 pm:

I was so bummed when our local fabric store closed, but dh was glad! I wanted to make my boys' pants and shorts for them. I made a few and then had to put the projects aside. I don't have a place where all my things are ready for me to work so each time I want to work on a project, it would take so much time to set things up, nothing ever came to fruition.

Soon, though.

By Northcountrymom on Saturday, April 3, 2010 - 01:50 pm:

I have friends with "sewing rooms" - definitely part of my house fantasy life. Had a Bernina machine that I loved for a long time that was a portable but you have to keep taking out and putting away. Takes more time to finish projects.

By Enchens on Monday, April 5, 2010 - 12:06 pm:

A sewing room-how I wish. Dh was going to reserve one of the bedrooms upstairs to convert into my room since he has the office downstairs. Well, it turned into a fitness room/second office.

I have a portable Singer. It is currently in the garage.

By Northcountrymom on Monday, April 5, 2010 - 05:21 pm:

What do you like to sew? Were you ever part of a sewing or quilting group?

By Enchens on Monday, April 5, 2010 - 10:43 pm:

Hi, Linda. Nope, never part of a group. I used to sew things by hand. Made my first pair of shorts when ds was almost one. Sewn by hand. My mother bought me a sewing machine, but never taught me how to use it. My dmil gave me some lessons about 2 years ago. I made some pants for ds, a pair of shorts for him, and I put a satin ribbon edge on a blanket for dh.

I want to learn so I can make clothes for my boys and some things for myself. Maybe I can even make their Halloween costumes and stuff.

It's just a skill I've always wanted to be able to utilize.

What about you?

By Northcountrymom on Sunday, April 11, 2010 - 09:39 pm:

Wow, hand sewn projects are truly an act of love. I even got a hemming foot for my machine so I wouldn't even have to hand sew a hem. You would make great costumes - they're very easy and forgiving. Simplicity also has very easy, user friendly patterns.

As for me, my mother loved sewing. She had no time and an absolutely antique machine that belonged to my father's mother (it was actually a treadle machine that was electrified), but she tried to make special things for me.

I remember the fun stuff like a wardrobe for my doll. She even made a fur coat for my doll with a little muff and fur trimmed hat.

She made pretty things for the house and instilled a love for hand crafted things of all kinds. When I was a teen she shipped me off to a Singer sewing class. We actually did a fashion show in the downtown mall of our creations. I also had home ec sewing (back in the day).

Fast forward to adulthood - I have joined groups to complete large projects - especially quilts.

By Enchens on Sunday, April 11, 2010 - 11:09 pm:

Linda, how awesome! Do you still have the doll?
And a fashion show. How cool! What did you make for that?

I remember home ec. I had that in HS. I still have my recipe book with all the conversions. And yes, I still use it now and then. It was in that class that I learned to cross stitch. Got a kit my mom had gotten and never used. Opened it up, read the instructions and done.

Also learned about budgeting, renting an apartment, little bit of interior design, cooking of course, and learned about credit unions. I wish they still taught the class today. And I wish they taught ALL aspects of Home Ec.

Anyway, would love to see a pic of your quilts.

By Feona on Thursday, April 15, 2010 - 08:21 am:

I have one of the bags. They are very comfortable to hold and happy prints.