Don't forget me, Hobby Lobby!

I was thinking today.  It's Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, and while I wasn't raised observing the tradition, I thought this year I would.  Most people I know give up some sort of food... sodas, sweets, red meat.  My boss always gives up sweets (which means she never gets a birthday cake since her birthday is always during Lent) and "something else."  This year she has yet to define her "something else" as far as I know.  I didn't really want to go that route.  I decided to give up fabric and yarn shopping.  Maybe it's more of a "breaking a really bad habit before it sets in" kind of thing, but I thought it was a good time.  Over the past few weeks, I've amassed a lot of fabric and I have a tote full of yarn.  I went to Hobby Lobby so many times last week that I was pretty sure they'd know me by name if I came in again.  I don't really do an awful lot of fabric shopping there... it's my yarn dealer mainly.

So, here are my rules.  I have two projects that I need to get done and they can't wait, so I do have to buy the stuff for them... a few yards of pale pink fabric to make a dress for my dear old friend Joy and some orange yarn and felt to make Bill's cousin a baby gift (the baby is due two days after Easter, so it REALLY can't wait).  But that's IT.  The only crafty purchases I'm allowed other than that in the next 40 days are notions... thread, elastic, that sort of thing.  I must use my stash to create anything I feel the need to make. 

I'm actually thinking of challenging myself to use up my fabric stash in that time.  How fun would that be?  Of course, when I do things like that, I tend to shut down from the pressure, even if it's not real pressure.  I'm strange like that.  So we'll see.

But, I'll show you what I have right now and any plans I have brewing in my head.


One of my favorites and I am not really sure what I want to do with it.  The girls like it, but I'm not sure I'll make something for them with it.  The original intention was to make a corset top, but I don't know.


I bought this with a purse in mind, but now I'm thinking about something in the kitchen.  I saw a tutorial for making quilted dish mats and I'm leaning in that direction right now.  I even have the perfect towels to use.


Easter dress material.  My ideas keep morphing in my head about their Easter outfits.  I need to just make them and be done with it.  Currently, I'm thinking circle skirts with matching tops and then we'd have separates that can be mixed and matched and worn with other things.  Seriously, these will not be one-time outfits this year.


Pinafore fabric. 


The girls love this fabric.  I'm thinking an A-line dress like the Birdcage dress.  Although, it would go well in the kitchen....  but I'm not interested in a farm theme getting started.  Before I know it there will be cows and chickens all over the place. 


Man, I love this.  You can't really see it in the picture, but there are silver accents.  It would make an insanely beautiful dress for the girls. 


I just got these today.  Wait... I bought them over the weekend online and they just arrived today.  Don't go thinking I broke the rules this soon.  I have been drooling over the fabric on the left for a while and I'm going to pair it up with the pink fabric for Joy's dress.  I ran across the postcard fabric when I was ordering the other stuff and had to have it too.  Olivia loves it and has already requested a skirt.  I have plenty of each of them to do that and still make myself something with it.

I have tons of bandanas, quite a bit of plain black fabric, some muslin, and various sized scraps, too.  And, like I said, a big tote full of yarn.  I was kind of shocked when I was organizing my craft area that I had that much yarn.  I don't have any big yarn projects lined up.... I think that's more my cold-weather thing and sewing is my warm-weather thing.  But I asked Bill's aunt for a suggestion for a baby gift for his cousin (and by the way, the baby is due on Izzy's birthday) and she said they would love father/son mohawk hats in the Philly Flyers colors (orange and black) with the emblem on the side (thank God it's a simple emblem LOL).  I am not a fan of orange, so I have no orange yarn.  I may have to order it.... I'm seeing a black hat with orange mohawk, but I need orange bulky yarn and I don't recall seeing any at the store.  I could always go orange hat with black mohawk....  We'll have to see. 

So I guess it's not a really big sacrifice... it's not like I have to stop sewing or anything.  But it's the thought, right?