The idea of supporting all of the Indie Designers is being (understandably) touted heavily among quilting blogs this week. It started with a post by Lindsey Rhodes which has everyone thinking about the balance of expecting/wanting everything for free via the internet and supporting the amazing people that spend so much time working on patterns and are trying to eek out a bit of finanacial return on their efforts. I am as guilty as the next maker for using the free ideas (which are endlessly abundant) and passing on actually buying patterns. It isn’t a question of fairness or honesty. I am not using ideas that are not published for other’s use. However, I have a huge appreciation for the work that goes into the published patterns. Especially after writing my first tutorials — those take such a long time. But a pattern for a quilt is a much more difficult undertaking.
In celebration of May Makers, and as a show of my gratitude for all of the knowledge I have gained for not a penny, I will purchase a couple of patterns for my upcoming projects. I have my amazing Dear Stella fabric sitting there waiting for me to decide what to do with it. I plan to shop the patterns and find the perfect one for that gorgeous stack of pretty. I hope this might inspire one or two readers to go out and shop the talented makers that are out there. Craftsy has lovely, well-written patterns for sale and most all of your favorite quilters have a shop linking from their blog. Show them some love.
In other news, my fabric purchasing self-control was severely put to the test yesterday! I worked at the “Country Store” during our local quilt show. If you are unfamiliar, the Country Store is a place where guild members can offer up items they no long want and sell them with some of the proceeds going to the guild and some to the seller. Oh my goodness, the deals that were available!! It was so tempting to buy fabric. I was working the checkout line and was drooling over the fabric that people were buying. Fat quarters for $1.00, or less! Kits that were purchased and never made, items that were completed and no longer wanted, yardage and notions galore. So much temptataion. I do NOT need fabric right now. You know that as well as I do! I kept my drooling to myself and used all of my willpower to come home having spent only $2.50. 🙂
I bought one purple batik fat quarter for all of 50 cents. My purple stash is depleted after making my scrappy projects for the month of March. One fat quarter doesn’t restore the scrap bin, but I don’t have any purple projects in the making right now so it’s fine.
I bought this stack or 2013/14 American Quilter magazines for $2.00 I LOVE quilting magazines but the budget only goes so far. These will be read cover to cover – numerous times each! I think American Quilter has very good articles on the artistic side of modern quilting. Plus there are tutorials on FMQ from my favorite, Lori Kennedy of The Inbox Jaunt. In keeping with my recycling philosophy, I will pass these along to a quilty friend or two when I am done with them.
It was hard to pass up all of the bargains yesterday but just because it is ‘only a few dollars’ or ‘nearly free’ doesn’t mean I need to add it to the collections of fabric which overflow from my closet. It becomes almost overwhelming!
Time to go search for the perfect pattern to use when I start my Dear Stella project!
Linking to Main Crush Monday and Sunday Stash. Links to both are available at the top of the page, under Link Ups.
Yay for May is for Makers ! I’m joining in, too. I totally hear you on not “needing” fabric. I just went shop hopping with my mother in law since April is shop hop month in Maine, but I didn’t “need” anything. I did fairly well, only buying a bit here and there more to support the shop than anything, but then I found the perfect fabric to back Finn’s milestone quilt. At least I technically “need” that! 🙂
I know you will find the perfect pattern for the Dear Stella fabric, and I hope that going looking for the pattern will be almost as much fun as working with the fabric will be later. 🙂 Fabric at such low prices can be so very, very tempting!
Well, I just spent a very long while perusing the internet for a pattern for my Dear Stella project. I am overwhelmed with amazing choices and need to set this aside for a bit. I have some in mind but it is hard to choose! Plus I want to make the quilt in a queen size and not all patterns have multiple size choices. But yes, it is very fun looking at the work of all of the different designers out there!
Thanks for writing about ‘May Makers’ – I hadn’t picked up on it. Like you I am very grateful for the generous sharing of ideas and tutorials that goes on in the quilty blog world. Writing a tutorial is, as you point out, a very time consuming business and we should be willing to pay for the use of original ideas.
I think it is always good to support those who have provided so much inspiration. I learned most of what I know about quilting from the blogs I read. When I stop and think about it, I am so grateful.
You did a great job resisting temptation. My 13 year old daughter and I did a quick walk through of a local guild’s quilt show this weekend, sandwiched between two of her activities. Their version of the Country Store was called “Grannie’s Attic.” Same concept. We didn’t have time to walk through, but as we walked past, she commented, “Looks like someone else’s junk, anyway.” LOL. Perhaps she was right, but one never knows. One never knows. I’ll bet you find a wealth of information in those magazines! Good find!
When I first got to the Country Store area, I thought the same thing. It looked like sooo much junk. But oh my gosh-There was some really nice fabric in those piles. One couple came through my line with a queen size antique wedding ring quilt and they only paid $40 for it! It was just so lovely. They were planning to give it to their son who was getting married soon- they were so excited at this treasure they found. So, I am proud of myself for only spending my 2.50!! I love quilting magazines too and I had not read any of these so that was good enough for me!
Congrats on your restraint, sometimes it is so difficult to resist a bargain! Thanks for highlighting May is for Makers. I know you’ll find the perfect pattern for your Dear Stella fabric, but the choices can be overwhelming. Good luck!
You are so right. I am overwhelmed by choices. I keep browsing the web and Pinterest and cannot decide!!! Help! ?