There are 163 blue fabrics in my stash. How did this happen? What could ever make me think I would use that many fabrics in my lifetime? If I possess this many blue fabrics, how many do I own of other colours?
I have been buying fabric for patchwork for more than 30 years. I didn’t plan to have a collection. I bought the fabric to cut and sew into quilts – to use it. Collections should be of things you like to look at, like plants or teapots. They should be of objects that appreciate in value, like antiques or paintings. Collections should be of things that hold memories, like photographs or gifts from dear friends. They should be tangible items that make you happy, like different perfumes or vases for holding flowers. Or they should be of things that you keep just in case they are needed, like pieces of string or spare safety pins. Surely my stash isn’t any of these things?
I started to think about my pieces of fabric. My first quilt wasn’t blue. It was made of cream and brown fabrics, with a rusty shade thrown in. This reflects the 1980s when I made it when browns were very popular. There are still small pieces of those fabrics in my stash.
My early quilts were for other people. A pink and white one for my sister, a green and lemon one for a friend’s baby, and one featuring balloons for another baby. It wasn’t until I made one for myself that I bought blue fabric. Did I buy blue fabric! Once I started, I couldn’t stop.
Of course, I bought other colours as well but blue continued to reign supreme.
I often play fondly with my fabrics and started to think they obviously formed a collection. I like to look at them. Their value increases because most of the designs have been discontinued. They hold memories for me as I remember where I was or who I was with when I purchased them. They are real physical items that make me happy. I keep the offcuts in case I need them.
It seems weird that something as simple as buying fabric can develop into a full-blown passion. It has crept up on me over all those years. It is only now I can acknowledge that yes, my stash is a collection.