Dear Friends, Quilters, and Aspiring Quilters,

As I have been asked many times how I  choose fabric for my quilts, I am going to share some snippets of that process. I will also provide some excellent resources for you to explore. This will be a blog in four parts.

Over many years, I  collected two rooms worth of fabric. My basic rule is quality quality quality!!!  Before I actually have the pieces in my hands, I indulge myself in  fantasies about them.

Recently, I had coffee with a warm, delightful woman who was  wearing a fantastic silk scarf. The background was black with color blocks  of fuschia and green.  As we parted I envisioned that green and fuschia oblongs pattern as part of a crazy quilt. I have to admit that I was tempted to pull out my scissors  and snip away.

My advice is to always think of your scissors snipping from  the best of cocktail parties with Italian silk designer ties draped around  the necks of unsuspecting gentlemen all the way to the trendy boutiques of Newbury Street in  Boston.

Colors, textures and the drape of the goods have appealed  to me from the windows on Fifth Avenue in NYC, the upscale shops in Moscow,  or  the market place in Provence. Ah, what a stash of fabric have I in my fantasy  world.

My desire to “make the  cut” has made me a bit infamous though I am quite tame in actuality. I remember attending a dinner party and complementing a friend
on  her colorful African skirt. She hugged her legs, holding tight to the goods while  looking me in the eye and saying “don’t even think about it!”.

So that should give a little idea about where  I begin. The next installment will delve into how I actually purchase and collect fabric  in a legitimate manner.

Happy sewing (Or  fantasizing),

Marjie