Never enough fabric

Hi everyone:


Recently I've been trying to use up my existing stash - and have been doing quite well at this I think. But using up stash means that there are some holes available that need to be filled with new fabric. I've also rearranged (notice, I didn't say weeded out) my quilt and craft books and there appears to be a bit of space available there as well for some new volumes. 
So, what's a girl to do? Well, shop, of course! But not at any fabric store. Oh no, I'm really loving going to the Goodwill store to pick up wool clothes and use the fabric in small projects. This is great, but a few weeks back I hit the motherlode! Yes, a great fabric and craft sale with all proceeds going to a good cause. I'm talking about the annual Ujamaa Grandmas fabric sale here in Calgary.

Did I buy too much? This is a rhetorical question!

I've never seen so much fabric in one place at one time. And the prices! Well, let's just say my money went a long way that day! Besides all types of fabric, which is sorted according to type and colour, there are books, magazines, yarn, craft items, well, if it has to do with sewing or crafting you'll find it there. The variety was overwhelming - almost!

Some of the wool pieces I purchased.

Luckily I brought along my daughter, Sarah, as my quilt sherpa. Between the two of us we managed to find everything from wool to Creative Circle craft kits. Our buying had to stop when we couldn't carry any more items. 

Creative Circles kits at $.50 for my "collection".
I even bought one I already have!

The best part of all this (besides the look on my husband's face when he saw all our purchases) was that the money goes to help grandmothers raising their grandchildren, orphaned by AIDS, in Africa. 

Some of my fabric and pattern finds.

Batiks, fabric, patterns, anyone?

Books

More books - great for design inspiration

I was so impressed by the ladies volunteering there that I joined our local Calgary chapter. They are a hard working, positive, fun group of ladies. In addition to their fabric sale in April each year, they hold a Bags, Babies and Beyond sale in October. These are their two primary fundraising events and this year they raised $20,000 through the fabric sale alone. Wow, that's a lot of fabric! 


The Ujamaa Grandmas are a Stephen Lewis initiative and you can read more about their work here. 


Now I just have to figure out where to put all these new purchases...