the rules of the game: blues

Rule 1: This is my game, therefore I get to make the rules (or change them at any time).

Rule 2: When I said "lots of fabric" I meant both quantity and also that these would be in groups. You can't say "I just want that one" - you get the whole pile.

Rule 3: Amuse me! Tell me why you want it, what you'd do with it, why you need it. Make up a poem, tell me a sad story. Rule #3 is that there is no rule, but a teeny bit of effort in any direction would count.

Rule 4: I'm going to do each group of fabrics (no books yet, they're in a different room) as a separate post. ONLY comment on the post/lot that you're interested in, ok?

Rule 5: I may keep these posts open for comment for up to a week, depending on response. When I've chosen a "lucky winner", I'll close comments for the post. That's how you'll know that it's too late.

Rule 6: I should repeat, if you're outside the US, shipping is going to be too expensive. (Hell, shipping in the US is probably going to make me rethink this whole idea pretty quickly.) So I'm going to have to limit this to people in the United States.

Rule 7: There are no strings attached. I don't want anything from you.

For now, I'm going by color. It makes the most sense to me, as that's how my stash is organized.

(Click for bigger.)

Blues - as anyone who has spent any time here knows, I'm not overly fond of blue. Yet, somehow, it's the largest color group of fabrics I own. For years I had an idea I'd make a blue and white quilt. I've made a couple, actually, but scrap quilts just aren't my thing anymore and so ... here are some blues.

There are some fat quarters, probably a lot of 1/2 yard pieces, maybe a yard here and there, and the piece on the bottom is a full two yards. Enough for the back of a baby quilt, and then some. None of these are true scraps (little bits of cut-off leftovers, in my book). I don't even save those anymore. There might be a square cut out of one of the larger pieces, though - I'm not opening them all up to find out.

(Another shot)

You may ask why I'm doing this. The answer is, because I have so much ... stuff. Things that aren't giving me pleasure and don't excite my creativity anymore. I'd love it if it sparked something creative for someone else. I'd also love to have a bit more room on my shelves, in my sewing room, and in my life.

 

One more thing: I realize my timing on this is a bit off. I barely post anymore and so I'm not even sure who's still coming around and reading this blog. Help me out with this - get more people involved. Tell your friends, tweet it, put it on Facebook, Tumblr, wherever. This isn't a ploy to get traffic, I'd just like more than a couple of people to have a chance to get something they might enjoy or need.

 

And........... go!

 

 

Comments

[Maria]

I'm not a blue fan either, so don't pick me! I'll be waiting around for some other colors though. Maybe I should send you some of my fabric! Or yarn. Or spinning stuff. I'm a collector too!

[Lisa A]

You had me at "blue." Yours was one of the first blogs I started reading, back in the day, because of the combination of knitting, spinning, and quilting. I'd love to have the "blues" because my kids are at that age where they don't really seem to need me that much anymore, but quilts, afghans, socks, sweaters and such that I make for them is still very much appreciated.

[Cordelia]

"Blue skies, shinin' at me/Nothin' but blue skies do I see..."

My Not-So-Little-One's very favorite-ist color is blue; she'd love to have a patchwork quilt Mommy made for her.

(I'm glad you're posting again. Really.)

[Katie K]

Years ago I started hand piecing a Storm at Sea scrap quilt in shades of blue. The larger the range of blues the better, and your fabric would really help. I don't have any blue jokes but here's a short one I like:

A horse goes into a bar. The bartender takes a look at him and says, "Why the long face?".

[Ridgely Hoyt-Whitaker]

I’m so excited by the news
And intrigued by the rules
No time to snooze
If I do, I’ll lose.
Don’t make me hit the booze,
Just send me all those blues!

[perclexed]

Do you know the one main reason I haven't started quilting yet? Aside from the not knowing how to actually use my Singer Featherweight (pesky detail, that...who doesn't drop $750 on a lovely piece of equipment they don't know how to operate)?

I'm afraid I will slice a finger off with the rotary cutter.

There, I said it in public. :D Maybe a lovely gift of fabric would help soothe the savage fear. Alternatively, I could use it to bind any wounds long enough to get to the hospital to have them fix me. AND I could wrap the Instrument of Scariness in a lovely print for burial at sea (possibly dropping it off the stern on a ferry or something).

[Wendelene]

Someone else already used Irving Berlin (Blue Skies), so I'll take go for Bobby Vinton (Blue on blue). Or Joni Mitchell (Blue)? Blue is my favorite color. I've been saving up all kinds of blue fabric (mostly old blue jeans) for a rag rug. These would be great for accents! Or maybe I'll take up quilting along with the knitting weaving and spinning. I already own two sewing machines, despite the fact that my sewing skills are minimal at best! No matter which, the blues are calling me!

[ElizabethD]

I am currently knitting four blue hats for my cousin M and my cousin J and his wife and son. My aunt/their mother always said "Any color as long as it's blue." She is no longer with us, but I plan to demand a group photo, with hats.

[marthabilski]

song entry...
I got the blues for Christmas...
or maybe it was only Halloween.
I got the bblluuuuues for Christmas
Santa was really mean
(how mean was he)
He forgot about the chimney
and came through the window instead......

titled 'why I cant quit my day job'

[susan]

I know a twenty-something with an entrepreneurial spirit (and a hankering to move out of her parents' house) who makes lovely project bags and sells them at my LYS. She even donates a portion of every sale to a local woman's shelter. I'm sure she would put this to good use.

[Verdi Johnson]

I'm 86 years old and I keep enlarging my stash so that I have to live longer in order to use it all. Right now I enough to plan for 119. Verdi Johnson

[Lori]

Blue, indigo, woad ....cornflower, blue jays Japanese work clothes, shibori, pretty blue and white quilts. Blue and yellow quilts. Sky blue onion dinner plates all of these things I could potray in your blue fabric.

[DebbieB]

I'm still reading, dear Cass - I don't need any fabric, so I'm not commenting to enter. Glad to see you clear out things that no longer give you joy. It makes room for the things that do (even if it's not for NEW things, just room for the things you already have to stretch and settle in comfortably.)

[Judy H.]

Oh, my. I don't think I can beat poetry, even bad poetry. But I love blue. Blue, blue blue. And to the person who's afraid of her rotary cutter? I used to be seriously afraid of my sewing machine. You know what helped me get over it? Steeks. Sewing down steeks in knits that needed reinforcement before sewing down. It amazes me how often I take something I learn in one craft and apply it to another. Now, if I could just learn patience ...