Something New : :

This morning, after a busy, beautiful, fun, exhausting long weekend, our regular routine returns. The weather's warm and cloudy and I do love Spring mornings like this, when it's so quiet and dim. After a few long days where much-needed yard work replaced any chance of sewing time, and since I'm still waiting on the backing and binding fabrics to arrive so I can finish up my new Diamond Crisscross quilt, this morning feels like the perfect time to begin something new. A few years ago, around this very same time, I put together a bundle of soft grays, blues, corals, yellows, and aquas called Sweet Summer Dreams. These fabrics became the quilt I made to share my very first quilt-as-you-go tutorial and is one of my most favorite color combinations and quilts to date.



This morning I can't get these same colors out of my head. Pretty little piles left on my desk from the kids crafting are inspiring me to start pulling fabrics in this color palette once again!



Plus, for once everything's all nice and organized! That never lasts too long in this room!



I'll be back to share what I come up with soon!

Happy quilt planning & sewing to you! ♥ Maureen

Fabric Stash Rainbow : :

It always feels so good to find new ways to store your fabrics and craft supplies, doesn't it? I think so! Once I was home from Atlanta, the first thing on my mind was to shift things around in my studio! I was so inspired by my trip to Whipstitch, not just to get things a little more organized, but to also change HOW I organize. You could even say that I had a bit of an "Aha! Moment" while I was there. And, that 14.5 hour ride home gave me lots of time to think this through, I'll explain!

Whipstitch is a very organized, well layout shop, with fabrics mostly displayed by fabric manufacturer, collection, and designer. Which is exactly how I was stashing my fabrics, in a much messier way. While we were shopping I realized something that I hadn't before -- I was much more drawn to the fabrics I bought, what it was that made them interesting and something I wanted, when they were pulled away from their collection, laid out on a cutting table, next to a contrasting print, or even in someone's hand. So of course I decided it would make much more sense for me to divide up my fabric stash in a new way. By color!

We found this great 25 cubby shelf at HomeGoods and right away I knew it would be perfect! I pinned a few similar options here, for those of you who are interested!



For this color game I called in the troops to do the sorting for me, while I did the folding. Most of my stash consists of half yard cuts, to give you an idea on what the dimensions are here.The little bowls for pins and buttons are from here, and the "M" from here.



It didn't take long before it was full!



Of course these aren't all my fabrics. I still have my wooden crate storage for the fabrics that wouldn't fit -- my Melody Miller and linen stash, holiday prints, solids, custom bundles, flannels, home dec, Riley Blake, Summersville, Anna Maria Horner (I'll save the pictures of that stash for another day), and my Art Gallery Fabrics.



It's so nice to be able to see what colors I really need now -- purples, true blues, and black for sure! Plus I really need solids!



It's extra wonderful to see this wall of goodness when I'm sitting behind my sewing machine!



And I'm extra excited about WHAT having this view will inspire me to make!



My little space will always be a work in progress, but right now it sure feels pretty perfect!