Saturday, April 14, 2012

The ugliest piece of fabric you ever bought

I'm gathering materials for donation to a group of quilting ladies who make charity quilts.  I have already sent them three half-completed quilt tops that I ran out of steam on a long time ago.  The fact that those aren't in my closet causing me guilt, and the idea that they will be completed and put to good use made me feel so good that I started looking for other things to donate.  I have pieces of batting that are going in the box next.  Then I revisited my stash to see if there's anything that can be sent along.  

That's when I ran into a piece of fabric that got me to thinking - I wonder what other quilters think is the ugliest fabric they ever bought?  Being given stuff doesn't count, nor does fabric salvaged from thrift store garments like shirts.  No, this has to be actual new yard goods that you paid good money to be rolled out and cut off the bolt.  The pieces that you look at now and think "Was I unconscious when I bought this?"

Without further ado, I'm going to show you mine:
Even looking at it makes my brain hurt.

Now some of you might say "That's not too bad".  It's actually from an Amy Butler collection.  At some point in the past I bought two yards of this and a stack of fat quarters from the same line, in an abortive attempt to drag myself kicking and screaming from the design rut in which I live (and it's quite comfortable in here, thank you very much) and do something "bright".  The fat quarters have discreetly been donated to charities and included in "stash cleaning" giveaways.  All that's left are these two yards of blinding print.

As you can see, I have no aptitude for "bright".

In my quilting life, I went through a "Thimbleberries" phase, then a dip into "Robyn Pandolph", a flirtations with "Fig Tree Quilts" until finally landing safely and comfortably in Civil War Repro land, with brief forays into Laundry Basket Quilts, Sandy Gervais and French General.  If I'm feeling especially girly, I'll look at stuff by 3 Sisters.  I love all the "Collection for a Cause" groups too.  See the trend?  I wouldn't know "bright" if it bit me on the ankle.

That's why I ended up with lime and turquoise flowers.

Now, some of you might think I need a color theory class.  (Actually, you might be right.)  But mostly I just want to stay in that range of hues that make me feel serene and safe.  I learned my lesson and I won't make the same mistake again.

So, what are your "What was I THINKING?" fabrics?  I would love it if you blogged about them and let me know in a comment.

2 comments:

Elaine Adair said...

NOOOOO, NOT! You just haven't figured out how to use it!!! What about one of those One-Block Wonders, or a lovely bag, or .... It just might be difficult for a traditional quilt. Keep thinking! 8-)))

Elaine Adair said...

I'm coming back in a few days to see what others have suggested.