New Yummy Fabric and What I Made With It

As you all know I've been a busy little worker bee making lots of new stock for the Limerick Craft & Design shop that will be opening in the next month or so. Over the past few days I've been making lots of new pot pincushions. Thankfully I had a load of pots already painted from before Christmas which saved me loads of time.

Last week I got tired of scrounging through my scraps box looking for pieces big enough to make stuff with so I treated myself to a bunch of new material. I went to the Limerick Quilt Centre and bought 21 fat quarters, at that I was seriously restraining myself. They have amazing fabric out there, and I'm told that people regularly tell the staff that they hate them(just because their stuff is so nice that there is no choice but to buy it). This trip marked a vast improvement on my last one, I only spent €63, whereas last year I spent €250 on my first visit to the shop. It should come with a health warning like those on boxes of fags, 'Hoarders beware; may cause heart palpitations, bankruptcy, and eventual madness'.

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New Fabric from The Limerick Quilt Centre

In my mad busy stage that I just went through I didn't get to show and tell all the lovely supplies that I bought in the Limerick Quilting Centre. I've known about this place for a few years but I've always avoided going knowing that I would spend a fortune the day I warily put my foot inside the door. I meant it to be a flying visit to pick up some horse fabric that my friend Toni had told me about, but and hour and a bit later I walked out with an empty wallet and a bag full of goodies.

I really thought I had been restraining myself and only buying what i really needed. I think the key is to walk in with an idea in mind or else the shopping list would get as long as my arm!!As you can see I got my intended equestrian fabrics,and also some thread, die cut hearts, bicycle fat quarters, scissors fabric,  and some really yummy floral prints. The shop is pretty amazing when you consider all we have here in Limerick is Hickeys which is over priced and under inspired. At first when I went in all I saw was very traditional quilting fabrics but after a few minutes I spotted dozens of fabrics I adored. It was really hard to leave the shop, but a tight fiscal and time budget meant that i came away without selling my soul for fabric.

I also got some amazing trimmings from Hilary at the Friday market but I used them the day that i bought them and didn't have any time to photograph them before going to the show in Dublin. She sells her haberdashery supplies on Fridays and some Saturdays at the Milk Market. She has wonderful neck pieces and trimmings that are ideal for customising evening wear. I'm a regular customer at Hilarys stall, often buying fabric and trimmings off her for my clothes that I sell in Avaluk. She has a facebook page, but mostly I would recommend going in on a Friday and having a good root around.

New Fabric in my Shop

I took the plunge this week and I bought lots more of the African fabric that I first listed in my shop last week. I have 7 different prints, and I'll be selling them by the meter for €10 and Fat Quarter for €3. I think they would make amazing cushion covers, really brightening up a room, especially an eclectic bohemian house. If they starts selling I'll get some more patterns off her, but I'm going to have to make back some of my investment before I pour more money into this venture.

At the weekend I also came across another amazing find, lots of vintage fabric from a factory that had closed down in Brighton. I got a good deal that I couldn't resist, so even though I was not planning on investing so much money in one week on new supplies I couldn't say no. I was kept in a dusty room so it means I'm going to have to wash it all which will be a big undertaking. It will be another while before I have these prints listed in my shop. There is a mix of cotton, upholstery fabric, weaved, and floral chintz.