Thoughts on selecting fabric

Raise your hand if picking fabric (or yarn, for that matter) is your favorite part of the project process.

I'm pretty sure if we were in a room together, there would be lots of raised hands right now. I certainly love other aspects of creating a project, but raw fabric has so much potential. I'm sure this is why stashing can easily get out of hand. When I look at fabric online (or very rarely, in a LQS), I immediately think something along these lines:

"what could I use this for?"
this would be great for x or y."
"ooh, what about using this for binding a quilt?"

This week, I was working on pulling a stack of fabrics for a little quilt-along I'm doing with my good pals Amanda and Nicke.
I'd thought about several different fabric combinations, but Monday night, I started with a single Lecien print, from the Fabulous Blooming collection.

Less than an hour later, I was staring at a lovely little bundle.

This print was not purchased with any specific purpose, and I've had it for months. I purchased it here at Superbuzzy, if you're interested!
So, my first step was to pull prints that matched the various colors in the Lecien print. I went through my stashed grays, black/whites, greens, blues and reds. I held up individual prints next to the Lecien one, to make sure the shades matched well.

It's good to be broad in this search, and you might end up with something unexpected. I chose twenty additional prints. The pattern size I'm making requires seventeen prints, so I then eliminated my least favorites.


I will be using this stack to make Cluck, Cluck, Sew's pow-wow pattern found here. I'm not crazy about the name, so I'm going to call it, "which way?" instead!
Some things to keep in mind when choosing fabrics:

• Keep the pattern piece size(s) and shape(s) in mind as you select fabrics. Most of the prints I chose are small or medium in scale, since larger prints could get lost in this type of piecing. 
• When starting with an inspirational print like I did here, be sure you consider how each print works with the group, as well as that first print. 
• Don't be afraid to try combinations you may not have previously considered.
• Consider value of the prints. In my stack here, I tried to choose prints of similar value, since there are so many colors involved. When you have only a couple of colors involved, it's easier to be free with the values.
• Having a varied stash certainly helps with this sort of exercise. In fact, this is a helpful way to identify missing colors/prints. As you can see, the lime/chartreuse green color is highly represented in my stash!

I'm going to speak to this process again when planning future projects, because I think it's interesting. I hope you do, too! If you have any questions, please let me know!
The girls and I will be starting the quilt soon.
Feel free to join in with us if you like!

A tale of two minis

How was your weekend?? Did you get to be crafty?
I accomplished a few things, including falling down the last three stairs in my townhome. Stupid slippery socks. I have a couple of bruises, but I'm okay! I'm moving slowly this morning, though.

Today, I want to share two mini quilts with you. One was for a friend, and the other was from a friend.

You may have noticed in my mosaic, but I recently knit a second pair of Toast mitts for my friend/fellow guild member, Tammy.

I used some of the handspun from Sam. We made a trade last year, and this was one of the skeins she sent.

I wasn't expecting anything in return for the mitts; Tammy just wanted a pair, and is hoping to learn to knit soon.

She surprised me with the cutest mini at our February meeting.

Look! She used Kelly's LOVE pattern, and also pebble quilted for the first time. I love it, and it was so sweet of Tammy to make me a little treat!

My pal Kaelin has been on a sewing hiatus, due to a neck injury. She was sentenced to six weeks of no-sewing, which is, luckily, almost over. Some of her friends conspired to make her a care package, and I made her a mini quilt. I didn't want to give it away, but I did, reluctantly. She received it last week, so I can share it with you!

I'm so obsessed with wonky stars, guys. I can't even tell you!

Kaelin is very into navy/pink right now, so I used some favorite fabrics in those colors and densely quilted this. The fabrics include: Dear Stella stars (love!), Metro Modern circles, and a fireworks print I picked up at Sewing Summit. There's no selvage, but I wish I knew what it was! I'd love to get some more of that print!

I love the way the quilting turned out. I wouldn't want to densely quilt a larger size project, but on a mini, it's not too time-consuming.

I made a little hanger, which I sewed into the binding, and bound it with some jelly roll strips of the new Pezzy Prints. The back fabric is Lecien My Folklore.

I'm linking up with Megan today!

FO: Floral Circles Skirt

Back in September, I received a fabric order from Pink Castle Fabrics. A beautiful floral Lecien print was included, and I immediately wanted to make a skirt with it.

I've long been a fan of the My Folklore prints. Some of the first fabric I ever purchased and used was from this line.

The new prints are just as fun, and I have a few other cuts in that box from Pink Castle!

So, the skirt!
I picked up Simplicity 0498 at a Joann's sale months ago, and felt the cut would be more flattering than my last skirt attempt.
Verdict?

I like it! I had the navy blue binding in the stash, and I think it adds just the right amount of contrast. I adore the pockets, and the length is very flattering.

I will enjoy wearing it this fall (maybe with the black boots I never seem to pull out of the closet!). The print is conservative enough that I can wear it to work, but fun enough that I can wear it elsewhere.

The pattern is pretty easy to follow, although it appears to be discontinued.

I'm entering my skirt into Celebrate Color, my first entry!

By the way, you've still got a little time to enter my pillow giveaway!