starting a quilt fabric store
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We all know how this story begins. Shopping at your local craft store and something catches your eye. Impulse buy, in a manner of speaking. You get it home, you open it up, you even organize and begin the project only to find its more than you may have bargained for! So you put it away for now and go on about life as usual. Projects come and go and you get to the bottom of the project bin and there it is again, the Unfinished Project! You take it out, look at the parts and wonder will it ever be done?
How does a project become a UFP? Well, usually it's something that was too time consuming. However there are many other reasons as well. It could have been more difficult than it first appeared and you needed to learn more before continuing it. It may have been larger than your eyes perceived. Perhaps the pattern is difficult to read. Maybe the directions aren't as concise as you would like them to be and it leaves you wondering.
We've all done it and we've all had them. Now the question is what do we do with them?
I had a UFP for about 2 years, then one day as luck would have it my curious toddler lost some of the floss and a page of instructions for me ~ and the first thought in my mind was GREAT, I can Finally throw it out! Which is exactly what I did with it, threw it out. This is our first option for your dreaded UFP ~ throw it out.
Now you may think this is harsh but if it's been hanging around long enough to down right annoy you its time to part with it. If your stitching (or any other craft) for relaxation and you dread even looking at the project that is hiding in the bottom of the project bin then it is defeating its purpose. We want to enjoy our crafts, relax and relieve daily stress.
What else can I do with my UFP?? I've gotten too far to throw it away now! This is an excellent questions. Below is our list of suggestions and ideas for cleaning out your project bin and either getting rid of or finishing all of your UFP's.
1. TOSS IT! As we covered above the easiest option is often to just throw it out.
2. Put it in rotation. Work on it every few weeks, or for so many hours in between your other projects, eventually it will become a finished project.
3. Donate it! ~ Many times I've seen just started or half finished pieces for sale at the local thrift shop for a few bucks. Someone will pick it up and hopefully it will bring them enjoyment and relaxation!
4. Ebay it! ~ I have also many a UFP up for auction at Ebay! Yes Ebay, the worlds largest marketplace has a large array of unfinished handywork. In these cases the seller is generally trying to recover some of their supply cost. They still sell dirt cheap though.
5. Share it! Give it a friend that may be looking for a new project or that might like to try something different.
6. Turn it into something new! This is the most flexible option of all! Create something totally new and different than what it was supposed to be. Examples: Were you making it a quilt and just couldn't take it anymore? Make a pillow with the pieces you have done. Knitting or crocheting a sweater and just cant look at it anymore? Use the finished part to stuff a pillow and save the left over yarn for another project. Stitching a piece you just cant bear anymore? Find a small portion that is finished on it if any, cut that out and use in a patch work quilt or put it in a small frame.
Now of course if you are really determined to finish the project go ahead and stick back at the bottom of your project stash. ;o) I wont tell. Maybe next year it will be less stressful for you.
Whatever you do, enjoy your craft!
Loretta Oliver
www.stitchingthenightaway.com
© Stitching the Night Away
About the Author
www.stitchingthenightaway.com ~ free cross stitch patterns, message boards, round robins, contests and more.
...Author: Loretta Oliver
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Timely help for starting a quilt fabric store
About Quilting Floating Nine Patch is a baby quilt sewn from a combination of Snowball and Nine Patch quilt blocks. Blocks are placed on point, with patchwork setting and corner triangles filling in the gaps at the ends of diagonal rows. I wanted the nine patches to pop out just a bit, but you could either make them pop even more, or put focus on other elements -- it's all about your color and color value choices. Floating Nine Patch Baby Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, May 21st, 2012 at 12:55:50. Permalink | Comment | Email this Antique Tile Quilt Block Pattern The Antique Tile quilt block pattern is an easy block to cut and sew, with patch edges that are all cut on the fabric's straight grain. The instructions show you how to strip piece two of the units, but include cutting specs for those of you who prefer to make the block one piece at a time. Antique Tile Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Saturday, May 19th, 2012 at 21:20:26. Permalink | Comment | Email this Album Star Quilt Block Pattern Album Star was one of the patchwork quilt blocks used in the Scrap Happy Sampler quilt. I love the many possibilities this design offers for color placement, and more importantly, color value variations. I've included a 'blank' schematic of the block on page 3 of the pattern, so if you aren't sure which colors and values you'll like best, print it out and play around with the layout. You might even end up making an entire batch of these blocks. Album Star Quilt Block Pattern Album Star Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 at 06:00:00. Permalink | Comment | Email this Picnic Time Quilt Block Pattern Picnic Time is based on a traditional quilt block that's very pretty, but has lots of set-in seams that make it more suitable for hand piecing than for assembly with rotary cutting techniques. I divided a couple of the original block's patchwork areas to make this new version a cinch to sew. You can dramatically change the looks of this quilt block by altering color value within its patches. It's a good choice for a scrap quilt, but works as well when all blocks are identical. If you don't want to make a large quilt, try using Picnic Time to sew a table runner and sew them in pairs to create placemats. The block finishes at 14" x 14". Picnic Time Quilt Block Pattern Janet Wickell Picnic Time Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Monday, May 14th, 2012 at 07:30:38. Permalink | Comment | Email this Patchwork Table Runner Pattern This colorful table runner is made from four 10" square blocks placed on point and surrounded by setting and corner triangles. Two borders finish the layout, one cut from narrow green strips and the other from wider pieces of a floral -- both areas repeat fabrics used in the quilt blocks. The runner finishes at about 22-1/2" x 65", but you can easily change its length or width. The table runner shown was designed with a Christmas theme -- just choose different fabrics to change its appearance. © Janet Wickell Patchwork Table Runner Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 at 06:00:36. Permalink | Comment | Email this Flying Dutchman Quilt Block with No-Waste Flying Geese Make the Flying Dutchman quilt block with any combination of fabrics you desire. Try holiday prints, and sew a group of four or six blocks to make a wallhanging. Or sew a string of them together to create a quick table runner. We'll use a simple no-waste Flying Geese method to construct the block. Flying Dutchman Quilt Block with No-Waste Flying Geese originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 at 08:48:46. Permalink | Comment | Email this Which Way Do We Go? a Strippy Set Quilt Pattern I designed this quilt to work with a brightly colored Alexander Henry border print that was passed along to me after the death of my sister, Carol. It took me awhile to decide how to use the print, but this strippy-set quilt seemed to do the trick -- and it's a quilt that most everyone has enjoyed. Read through the pattern a few times before you begin making the quilt, just to make sure you understand the steps, and assemble a few of the Winged Square blocks before you make the units for all of them -- in case you need to make sewing adjustments... Which Way Do We Go? pattern PS - If you like the Winged Square blocks used in the quilt, be sure to take a look at one of my Table Runner patterns. It's made with a larger version of the same block. Photo © Janet Wickell Which Way Do We Go? a Strippy Set Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Sunday, May 6th, 2012 at 05:00:00. Permalink | Comment | Email this Missouri Puzzle Quilt Pattern I'm from Missouri, so I wanted to write a pattern that shows off one of the blocks named to commemorate the state. The Missouri Puzzle quilt is square, with sashing and cornerstones between blocks. The blocks finish at 11-1/4" square and the quilt itself is about 66" x 66". Change the layout to suit your needs by making more quilt blocks or turning the layout into a rectangle. Or how about putting four blocks together for a matching throw pillow cover? Missouri Puzzle Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Saturday, May 5th, 2012 at 07:46:25. Permalink | Comment | Email this Twinkling Star Quilt Block Pattern The Twinkling Star quilt block finishes at 12-inches square. There are lots and lots of little half square triangle units in the design -- just take it slowly and follow my advice on assembling them oversize and then cutting back to the exact dimensions. The little units provide the perfect opportunity to use your smaller leftover pieces of fabric (and for going super scrappy with this quilt block). The block was one of twelve used in the Scrap Happy Sampler quilt. Twinkling Star Quilt Block Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Thursday, May 3rd, 2012 at 05:00:58. Permalink | Comment | Email this Watercolor Quilt Pattern The three kitty cats in this quilt are peering through watercolor-style floral windows, and you can bet they're keeping an eye on the butterflies flying around the garden. This quilt pattern has been a popular pattern with readers, and although it does have set-in seams at the mitered frames, it is not difficult to assemble. If you're not a feline fan, place something else on the windowsills. Photo © Janet Wickell Watercolor Quilt Pattern originally appeared on About.com Quilting on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012 at 05:00:04. Permalink | Comment | Email this Newsfeed display by CaRP |
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Links to other information about starting a quilt fabric store
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