Saturday, September 14, 2019

Persisting with Purple

My cat Alfalfa is sitting by my elbow as I type this. He's insisting that my blog title should be spelled PURRsisting with PURRple.  Now, some people would find that amazing. Not that he talks or spells - that's pretty ho-hum. But the fact that he is here with me instead of with Bruce. They are best buddies. In what is becoming a somewhat regular feature here, I have to share another picture of Bruce and Alfie from yesterday afternoon.


Here's Bruce, reading (or whatever) while Alfie props up his tablet. Note Bruce's T-shirt. That's how they roll....

But let's talk about purple scraps.... I'm linking up with Angela's Scrappy Saturday post for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

Here are 6 International Sisters.  There are two sets of twins there. That's because those are the African fabrics that Sally sent to me for these fundraising wallhangings I'm making, and I wanted one set for my own personal Sisters quilt as well.  :-)


Next I sewed 8 Garlic Knot blocks. That brings me up to 70 of these blocks. I didn't start these until March, so I still need some blocks in red and yellow (and maybe a few other colors too) to bring it up to a good sized quilt. So this will get pushed into 2020.  The blocks will finish at 8" each.


And finally there were 8 Nine-patch variation blocks.  I have all 120 of these sewn now, so unless I change the size of the quilt, I can begin sewing these together into a quilt top next quarter!


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I used to be a regular fanatic over local yard sales and (especially) estate sales. I'm on the regular email list for a couple estate sale companies locally, and this week I got a notice of an estate sale that was billed as "a quilter's dream".  So, I decided to go, and I have to tell you - it was all that and more.

The poor woman who died ("poor" meaning she suffered with ovarian cancer - she was certainly not monetarily poor) had a room full of fabric. A LARGE room full of fabric - in a wall of custom cabinets. There was also boxes of fabrics all over the room, and plastic bins-ful in the closet. Boxes all over the house. Bolts, scraps, fat quarters, pre-cuts, backings. On and on and on. It would take four people three lifetimes each to use it all. Plus scissors, rotary cutters, mats, batting, interfacings, and all manner of notions for not only quilting, but mending and sewing clothing, home dec projects, etc. Sewing machines, a serger, sewing tables, Ott lights galore, yadda yadda. It was almost obscene!

I decided to pick out some cute kids fabrics (and coordinating solids) for potential Quilts for Kids donation quilts.


There were about 6.5 yards of this Seahorse fabric on the bolt. It made me think of Sally (see link above).

And I could almost hear Sally's cat Molly whispering to me that no fabric haul is any good without cat fabric, so these also came home with me.


And then I found a cute pieced quilt top....


And large cuts of fabrics (2-4 yards each) of the matching fabrics for the borders, back and binding:


All told..... $36 for 52 yards of fabric (and 2 of those yards were 108") plus the quilt top. THAT, my friends, was a SCORE!!!

And the best part (I hope)???  I talked to them about Quilts for Kids, and they are willing to donate all the leftover, unsold fabric to us if I will haul it away. I am going there this afternoon to do just that and give them our non-profit donation receipt.  How much fabric will be left? I have no idea. It may be 10 yards, it may be 500 yards. Either way, my Rav4 is emptied out, clean, and rarin' to go!!  I'll be sure to let you know how it goes!  Have a great weekend, friends.  

18 comments:

  1. Holy cow that is a haul! And how wonderful they are willing to donate what is left. You'll definitely need to give us the details of the donation, too, but in the meantime, have fun with your purchases!

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  2. Wow! I'll bet she is smiling down that her stash is going to such a great cause. So many fun fabrics and a beautiful top in progress. Enjoy.

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  3. What a haul at the estate sale - wowie! I love that they are willing to donate the rest, too. I realized after your photo of Bruce and Alfie, that I need a cat to sit on my lap and hold up my tablet, too. Love it!

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  4. Just goes to show how kind people are, with the family willing to donate the unsold fabric to such a good cause. Love your purchases.

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  5. Wowzers!
    I tried getting Lynx to prop up my tablet, but he insisted I should be propping it up for HIM...

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  6. You really did score!!! Some great fabric for Quilts for Kids!

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  7. Serendipity! What a great result for you and for Quilts for Kids - brava!!
    Glad to see Bruce is mending...continued healing vibes heading your way!

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  8. Hi Cathy! This post just brings tears to my eyes. I'm certain that Molly and Buddy, too, would approve of your cat fabric selection. I'm also certain that the lady that just recently died is thrilled that a quilter is able to enjoy her carefully collected and well loved stash. I can hardly wait to hear how much you get for donation quilts. What an uplifting post and I'm thrilled to see Bruce with his four-legged buddy enjoying each other. Happy Sunday! ~smile~ Roseanne

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  9. Nice job on your PURPLE blocks and congrats on getting the Deal of the Century on your fabric acquisition!! Better yet, that donation will make SEW many quilts for your group's charity program. HUGE score!

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  10. Oh. Em. Gee. You are the QUEEN of fabric scores!! $0.69 per yard for all that gorgeous bright happiness?? I bow to your estate sale skillz. I wanna be like you when I grow up :)

    Keep us posted on the final haul for Quilts for Kids!

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  11. A quilters dream come true! So many kids are going to be blessed by all the quilts that can be made. All I can say is ”Wow”!

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  12. Nice to see Bruce is healing.
    And nice to see those wonderfully scrappy purple blocks you've added to the piles.
    And looking forward to your Q4K quilts. I need to get out more often and find some deals.

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  13. I do recognize one of the fabrics that you international ladies are wearing...and congratulations on your haul. And yes...my seahorse quilt is about to come out of hiding...I was going to work on sheep first but I can't find them...(a true UUFO...an unfound unfinished floundering object).

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  14. Yea, that was some kind of wonderful! I’m sure you will be sewing for a long time if you get a good amount of the leftover fabric. ����

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  15. You did make a score!! and so did the non-profit. Hope Bruce is healing nicely. Love it that he wears that shirt!
    xx, Carol

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  16. Bruce & Alfie are so cute together, just as Paul & Jonesie represent pure harmony between man and cat. Oh yes, let's talk about purple. You know there is bluish purple, reddish purple and just middle of the road purple purple. Looks like you have the entire spectrum and you sure know how to put it to good use. Next quarter is next month. In fact it is only two weeks away. Saying next quarter may lull another person into a relaxed mode but knowing you I am sure you will crush it :-)
    Gosh Cathy, 52 yards for $36!!! You made it out like a bandit :-p I will be watching this space for the next episode of this "Quilts for Kids" saga. It is such a cliff-hanger. My popcorn is ready.

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  17. Wow, what a score!! That top is beautiful--and I've made a quilt with that fabric! It's Dogwood Trail by Sentimental Studios. I'm a big lover of dogwoods and I think a charm pack plus yardage was the first (or maybe second) precut I ever bought. Have fun with your new treasures!

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  18. I personally drive a RAV4 and know that they can hold a LOT! Folding the back seats down I have transported LOTS of wooden furniture in mine, and fabric is so much more malleable! What a treasure trove! Your group will be making donation quilts for quite some time!

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