Back for Basics

I confess. One of my quilting goals for 2021 was to become a closet quilter... use the yardages from my closet. But to do that, surely I have to maintain my stock of basics to go with all those novelty prints. Quilt and craft shows are still not in full swing due to COVID-19 but Sandy Klop, Moda Designer of American Jane Fabrics, holds an open house, quarterly, at her home, of her own fabrics. I went with a friend last Saturday May1st to refresh and replenish my workhorse blender fabrics. These are all half yard cuts. To give a sense of scale, I fold my half-yard cuts such that the height of each of these rolls are ¼ width of fabric, ~10" to 11". The mini-check solids have just enough texture to escape being boring and the stripes are great for binding or narrow divider strips between borders.

I can never have too many polka dots; the size, color, and dot density of these make them incredibly versatile as blenders. Sometimes the stock in quilt stores leans toward the loud print and novelty fabrics that scream "look at me" and sell more rapidly so I am pleased to find a source of the shyer fabrics that play well with others.

These new patterns, called bubble pop, can be good blenders, too, although on a less subtle scale. The two white and black half-yards on the left will go with many other fabrics. I can envision the orange and yellow pair in a construction theme quilt or possibly in a Halloween wall hanging. The black alphabet is quiet and too darn cute to pass up; plus the scale is small enough that I still think of it as good blender material.

Ok, ok, I was only to buy basics but the rich colors and delicate flowers called to me and I answered. A half yard of each will actually spice up a patriotic quilt.

My friend and I chose to have lunch at a small deli, Life is Sweet Bakery and Cafe, that just happened to be next to an open quilt store, Wooden Gate Quilts. Like potato chips where nobody can eat just one, once I'd bought the flower prints, I caved and bought a one-yard clearance cut of this darling fabric titled "if i were a mermaid" from the DeLeon Design Group of the Alexander Henry Fabric Collection. Just think of all the colorful blenders I can put with this!