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:: July 12, 2006 Embarrassment of Riches
Monday night I went to the Austin Area Quilt Guild meeting. On the agenda was a "second chance boutique," and I expected a couple people selling off frilly country things. I walked in to a gym-sized room stacked to the gills with people selling fabric, books, quilts, sewing machines, and craft supplies. It was heart-pounding -- all the stuff I look for at thrift stores and estate/garage sales, distilled down to one location without any distractions. I found one tres 70s piece of brown fabric with jungle animals (below, left) and the seller thought I was weird for loving it. Then I found the woman with the stacks of vintage fabric. At $1 a yard. Yardage! Most of my collection is little squares and scraps. Everything was kind of a blur after that.
Some of these are large-scale and border prints -- I don't know what I'll do with them, but they are awesome. I photographed them with a fiestaware mug for scale.
The moral of the story is, join your local quilt guild and go to their sales, because they are full of women who want to unload fabric like this because they Lived Through It the First Time Around. Elsewhere ... posted by in Fabric
Comments Holy... cow.... ohmygoodness. The faux drapes: let's start there, shall we? Delicious. That is such cool fabric, I don't even have the right words for it! It would make a cool can-can looking skirt, right? And you are *not* weird for loving the 70's animal print; well, maybe you are, but then I am too. I just... wow, you scored! Posted by Mary-Heather on July 12, 2006 7:48 PM Oh. My. GOD!!! I can't breathe just looking at all of this...you must have been in heaven! Posted by Lauri Smith on July 12, 2006 8:34 PM oh my! what a monumental score! i'm breathless! awesome :) Posted by amanda on July 12, 2006 8:50 PM I can breath, so that's good, but it doesn't mean I am not duly impressed by your haul. I especially love the brown jungle animal print. Righteous. Posted by Susan on July 12, 2006 9:01 PM Wow, Wow, Wow!!! Those are some amazing finds! I can just imagine how thrilled you must have been. That 'drape' fabric? Amazing! Can't wait to see what you make of it all... Posted by amanda on July 12, 2006 9:14 PM yeah, I'm going to have to go with.. holy crap! nice haul!! Posted by hillary on July 12, 2006 10:08 PM i feel all jittery just looking at your pictures! that 70s jungle print is awesome, as is that second largescale one. lucky you! Posted by hannah on July 12, 2006 10:12 PM Kim, I blogged about your great finds in my post on quilt guilds. Great vintage finds! Good job. Gina Posted by gina on July 12, 2006 11:48 PM how can someone give up brown fabric with aqua giraffes? I ask you! :-) I would have gone into craft shock faced with all that fabric opportunity. Lucky for me my mum hangs around with old quilt ladies who fall off the perch regularly and she gets lots of bundles passed on by the unappreciating heirs! Posted by Miss Dot on July 13, 2006 12:03 AM Holy flippin' crap! I'm floored. What a score!!! Posted by Barb on July 13, 2006 12:06 AM Enjoy!!! Posted by Alex on July 13, 2006 12:27 AM Oh my goodness. This is making me happy just looking at it all. One could troll ebay for years and never find such a bounty! My quilt guild is having our yearly silent auction next month. I'm a new member so this will be my first. When I think logically about the average age of the guild member vs. my age it makes sense that there's a lot of vintage fabric hiding out. Can't wait to see what I find! Posted by kathy on July 13, 2006 12:29 AM O my gosh! Posted by Kristy on July 13, 2006 4:17 AM Wow. Wow! Posted by Strikkelise on July 13, 2006 5:38 AM It is very true about joining a group where people who are older or who have been doing a craft for a long time hang out. I have gotten amazing things from other people in my doll club- books, supplies, fabric, resource information and more. Everyone needs to clear out at some point and most people are thrilled if their rejects go to someone who will actually use them- lowers the guilt factor of never having used it themselves :-) Posted by mimi K on July 13, 2006 9:48 AM ouch... i've just picked myself up off the floor after fainting when i read this post. incredible - amazing - fantastic! sounds like the stuff my dreams are made of! Posted by kelly on July 13, 2006 10:49 AM This is like those dreams I have where I keep finding more cool stuff at estate sales. Lucky you! Posted by Michelle on July 13, 2006 10:51 AM I've toyed with joining up with the quilt guild but I continue to be scared off by visions of "the quilt police," "rules," and generally snobbish, cliquish quilters. I'm probably wrong -- but regardless, joining up just for the sales seems pretty worth it after this post. One man trash..., as they say. I'll be tuning in to see what becomes of these treasures. Posted by Amy on July 13, 2006 2:47 PM I am deeply envious. congrats on the impressive haul. Posted by jenny on July 13, 2006 11:08 PM I love the jungle print! Can you send me info or a link to the Austin quilting guild? I just took my first class last night and I'm totally hooked! Posted by Elizabeth K on July 14, 2006 12:03 PM Oh It's hard to breathe! I love all of it! ALL, I tell you! Congratulations! Posted by julia on July 15, 2006 12:50 AM omg. wow. etc. Posted by jordana on July 16, 2006 10:34 PM that is some booty!! good girl! Posted by traci on July 19, 2006 10:06 AM thank you for blogging about guild benefits! I'm not a quilter (yet) but I miss Austin and my Austin guilds for spinners and knitters and crocheters and mk-ers. Guilds seem to have a reputation for being populated by old fuddy-duddys, but your point that they Lived Through It the First Time Around is perfectly spot-on; there's lots of information, expertise, and retro-goodies concentrated in one space on a (usually) monthly basis. Thanks! Posted by Lisa on July 20, 2006 7:04 AM This is the first time I've ever seen your blog, but I have to say...was that lady INSANE? The brown fabric with the wild animals just might be the COOLEST fabric I've ever seen. I love finding great vintage fabric. It looks you got some really great stuff. Posted by Rebecca on July 29, 2006 12:20 PM OOOHH! Some of those look familiar! I've just finished addressing a package (tee-hee-hee) :) My blog vacation is almost over. The blockswap quilt is totally finished and needs photos, among other things. Hope you find something in your mailbox soon! Posted by jessica on August 4, 2006 8:44 AM |
