Fabric "Purge"

After a morning spent doing housework types of things including a quick trip to the grocery store for cleaning materials forgotten yesterday (and, naturally enough, I forgot my half and half again!), I decided to tackle two bins of fabric. 

In October one of the items on my To Do list was sort through four bins.  I only sorted two.  This month, due to the almost-mid-month Thanksgiving celebration, I am trying to be realistic about what I can get done.  Yet, honestly, I hoped that by getting something done today, there might be a better chance of repeating this job again at the end of the month.

Purging my stash means that I try very hard to decide if I will really ever use a piece of fabric.  The more I love a particular piece, the harder being honest becomes.  For example, in one of the bins there were three pieces of dramatic prints on dark background - something I adore!  The one least dramatic I almost easily put in the No pile.  The other two? 

   

One of the bins contained a lot of homespun materials that I had put aside (thanks to my best friend who started the whole thing) to make a winter/Christmas quilt.  I can't remember when I purchased the pattern or how long I've had the fabrics, but here they are.  I do believe I will make it into a double bed quilt, and my target date is some time in 2018.  What do you think, ME? Next, in the same bin with the "North Pole" (see above!), I found the following book.  While I like Alex Anderson a lot, why on earth did I buy a book with the word "neutral" in the the title? The book opened itself to the page you see below.  The title of the quilt pictured sounded familiar to me, but again there was no light bulb going on in my brain.  And look at the pattern!  That wasn't my style even "way back then" (whenever that was). Finally, I found the answer! The above is what I was making with that particular pattern, and the bin has an additional pile of oriental fabrics(three of which were used in this first block of 12 pieces plus the center piece which isn't there yet and the background). I know I had a very elaborate design idea when I started this, but I don't remember precisely what it was (strange that my design wasn't in the book, too).  However, I do remember that it was to be called "Grandmother's China Closet".  This project started because of the teacher - another dear friend, Mardi Nile It may have to go on my 2018 list, also!

The wonderful floral on the left is really hard for me to discard; it's so vibrant and would cut up so well (meaning that even a fragment of the design would be stunning).  On the other hand, the one on the right is a much softer palette and is very elegant.  Right now that one may become an article of clothing (think Holiday "Mardi Nile" skirt.