• If you have ever started more than one new quilting project before finishing your current project, you might be addicted to quilting.
• If you have ever snuck off to your car during the workday to get in a little hand quilting, you might be addicted to quilting.
• If you have no available closet space because all of your closets are full of quilting fabric and quilts in various stages of completion, you might be addicted to quilting.
• If you are hiding quilting fabric in the trunk of your car right now, you might be addicted to quilting.
• If you plan your vacations around hitting as many quilt shops as you can along the way, you might be addicted to quilting.
• If your local quilt shop sends you a birthday card every year, you might be addicted to quilting.
• If you ever faked being sick so you could stay home from work to quilt, you might be addicted to quilting.
• If you cannot just sit and watch TV without some quilting in your lap, you might be addicted to quilting.
• If you bring graph paper to work just so you can sketch out quilts during boring meetings, you might be addicted to quilting.
• If you save old clothes just so you can cut them up into squares, you might the addicted to quilting. (You might also be brilliantly frugal, but that is a post for another day).
• If you ever brought a quilting project with you while visiting relatives so you could avoid talking to them, you might be addicted to quilting.
• If your sewing machine cost more than your car, you might be addicted to quilting.
How did you do? If you said “yes” to 5 or more of the above, you are probably addicted to quilting. Happily, there is no known cure, so pour another cup of coffee and get back to it!
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Quilting Scissors and Burritos Don’t Mix
Every quilter knows you don’t use good quilting scissors to cut paper. If only their family members knew that as well. We asked our By the Yard® comics readers what was the worst abuse of their sewing scissors and here are some of the best (worst?) responses:
• Paper, of course. How many times do we have to say it?
• Wrapping Paper – Here is a tip: This still counts as paper. The word “paper” is in the name!
• Packages – Not only is this a violation of the “no paper” rule, but once you get packing tape involved, now we are talking about the blades getting all gummy, too!
• Duct Tape – Even more sticky! Try using your teeth instead.
• Roof Flashing – In a way, I’m impressed that is worked, but the blades will never be the same.
• Wire – I have to admit, as a kid I was guilty of this one myself. Sorry, Mom!
• Tortillas – OK, I get it. They are flat and kind of floppy like fabric, but still!
• The tip off a Tube of Caulking – Home improvement warriors everywhere, take note.
• Laundry Soap Jug – Yes, that DIY birdfeeder you saw on Pinterest is super cool, and I know my sewing scissors are “really sharp”, but still – No.
• Toenails – That’s just gross.
• And finally, the winner has to be… Raw Chicken! Even if I left my scissors in the kitchen (I probably set them down there so I could go handle some family “emergency” like re-booting the Wi-Fi…), that does not make them “kitchen scissors”.
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Why Do Quilters Have so Much Fabric?
Quilters have a lot of fabric. That is a natural consequence of the hobby, but why? There are many
cheeky comments online about “hoarding disorders”, but that is not the real reason. The real reasons
we have so much fabric are varied. Let’s consider a few:
• It was on sale – This rationale is the subject of many memes, but with good quality quilting
fabric costing upwards of $10-12 per yard, it is sufficient justification. Maybe you don’t need
that fabric today, but it will come in handy later so let’s take advantage of the cost savings now!
• It is for my 401F, “fabric retirement account” – Many quilters actively build their stashes while
they are gainfully employed knowing that in their retirement years, fabric is going to be even
more expensive than it is today. As long as you keep it out of the sunlight and away from
dampness, quilting fabric can never “go bad”, so stashing up now just makes good sense.
• Inspiration everywhere – I am sure I speak for many quilters out there not just myself when I
say, its hard to walk into a fabric store for a specific thing and not walk out with additional,
unplanned acquisitions. Seeing new colors and designs always sends my imagination spinning
with what I “could” make with those fabrics. I buy some, hoping I will be able to find time to
actually make that newly envisioned project… someday.
• It was just pretty – I have purchased fabric many times just because it was pretty, with little or
no idea about what it would be used for. For quilters, many times quilting is more akin to
collecting rather than sewing, and that is just as valid as any other “collecting” hobby. We take
the fabric out from time to time, we admire it, we think about what we might make with it.
Maybe we use it, maybe we put it back in the stash. Either way, it just makes us happy to own a
little bit of it.
• Stash-building – Folks who quilt a lot know what they are always in need of. For me, it is green. I
can’t get enough of it and I can never have too many shades of green. Having a variety of fabrics
on hand to choose from helps new quilting projects come to life without a mad dash to the
fabric store.
Whatever your reason, go buy some fabric today. I can guarantee you’ll be glad you did!
Not A Good Time
Delivery Dilema
Plans Change
