Connecting Threads

I was browsing the 3x6 Bee group and saw rsislandcrafts awesome blocks. 

 photo belongs to rsislandcrafts

Aren't they great?? Anyways, I am especially digging the fabrics, which apparently come from the Canning Collection. I had never heard of it, had you? If you had, why didn't you tell me?!

This collection can be found over at Connecting Threads. The prices are really reasonable!! And they have cute quilt kits too!! Look at all these exclamations! I'm so excited!!

Here are some of their collections:

   Canning Day. FQ pack $31.24. Quilt Kit (one of many) $34.56

Cheep Talk

 Sip of Summer

And just to seal the deal of awesome, they have coordinating thread for each collection.

I WON!!!

So, for the first time EVER, I won a blog giveaway. I know, it totally made my very boring school day. 

Evelyn from Use the Loot very generously hosted a giveaway for a charm pack of 70 6" vintage linen squares. 70!! I never find cute sheets around my thrift stores, so I am totally stoked! I can't wait to get squares and put something together!

You should check out her blog AND this crazy awesome quilt.

I'm so happy!  :)

Fail AND Success!! Stash Sunday Costa Rica Edition

Before coming to Costa Rica, I looked up LQS, of course! I found Jardin Abuela and wrote to the owner to get directions. 


There's something you should know about San Jose. Well, a few things. One, there aren't really lanes on the road, you just kind of flow with traffic. If you know traffic in Rome, think worse. Two, roads are one way a lot, or turn into one ways without much notice. But most importantly, three, THEY DON'T LABEL THE ROADS. Seriously, downtown they named the roads, but if you're lucky they put a sign up every 6 blocks. A mostly hidden sign.


Outside San Jose, there are streets, but no names. This fabric store was 75m north of the MegaSuper (a grocery store). So we drove to the general area (with much stress) but never found the MegaSuper or the fabric store. Booo. 


FAIL


So you want to hear about the success?


We went into a store called Pague Menos to get a Football (Soccer) jersey for Josh's brother. As he was paying, I wandered. Oh, look, bolts of towel fabric. And a little further... ALGODON! (cotton). It was huge back there! They had everything, including some bolts of Vera Bradley fabric (ubiquitous quilted luggage, not my thing). Oh, heaven. I bought about 13.5 meters. For $36. And I held back knowing that I have to pack it. 

They sold bolts of fabric for sheets, which was neat, but not 100% cotton. Shirting, also not 100% cotton. Home Dec weight fabric, rolls of comforters that just need to be cut to size & bound. No linen though. :(

Anyways, I could go on for much longer about all they had, but I'm sure you want to see the goods. Sorry about the quality, I am at the mercy of the hotel room lighting.

The stash (1/2 meters). Notice the red & aqua stripes, those are full meters. Awesome!

Vintage Sheets

Bunnies (only 1/2 meter, I will use sparingly!)

My favorites (again, only 1/2 meter. Orange and aqua is definitely my next quilt)

New pillowcases! (2 meters)

Grey dots. To go with my stash of larger grey dots at home. 2 meters. What?! I think it's a good versatile print for as much grey as I use.

Alphabet flannel. Quilt back probably. 2 meters.

!!!

I went back to Hip Stitch today to take picture of my handiwork. All nicely organized by weight and color. 

Anyway, Suzanne (the owner) had a surprise for me...

Are you ready??

And lest you think that I spend all my time in fabric stores, here is my Pixel Quilt progress (on the design wall).

FABRIC!!

I spent the day yesterday at my LQS (Hip Stitch). I went in innocently. I was just looking for some pink/red fabric. But they were reorganizing, and I CAN'T pass up organizing. So I took down all of their fabric and organized it by color. And set up the books.


Then then told me the Moda rep was coming by and said I could stay. WHAT?! Not quite as good as being at Market, but OMG yes. I didn't get to take pictures, but here are some previews that are out on the internets.


Favorite upcoming Moda lines (a PDF of all new collections is available here):


1. It's a Hoot by Momo. I can't get my hands on some fast enough!! The fabrics are of a really nice weight and drape. I might need the $100 fat quarter bundle...

2. Dream on by Urban Chicks. Think reproduction 70's floral sheets.

3. City Weekend by Oliver & S. Soooo cute. Again, these fabrics have a nice weight to them too. I like the more vibrant color collections (at the top of the stack) more than the bla pastels.