Eureka!!!

After literally years of keeping my eye open to see this fabric again, I have found it! The last and only time I used this fabric was about 10 years ago, on one of my very first quilts. The original quilt was constructed from some of this print fabric, other cottons and polyester fabric!!! I cringe myself when I think about it too, I can assure you. The quilting also had some issues. In hindsight, (ah, the beauty of reflecting back in time) let's say from start to completion, it could have been done better. Ashleigh became the owner of the quilt and just LOVES IT!!!! The problem with loving it, it gets used. Used quilts need washing and washed quilts eventually wear out. So the original quilt has been retired, despite the fact it holds a lot of sentimental value to her. From her viewpoint, retiring it means preserving it.

Knowing how much it meant to her, I looked on and off throughout the past 10 years in the hope of finding it again. Always hoping, that when I did find it, I could make Ash a replacement quilt. Well the looking paid off, when recently, I happened to find this fabric being sold online. And stacks of it!!! About 11 yards. I won't mention what I paid for it, but it was pretty much the same amount to what I paid for it 10 years ago. Mind you, back then I only purchased 2 metres of it. Can you see why I was doing back flips when I found this?

As you can see from the above photo, my available stash of this fabric is on the left. 1 fat quarter. Nothing in comparison to the newly acquired additional fabric on the right. Now the project can go into the serious planning mode, as the new version is going to be upgraded on more than one front. Some may recognise the print as one of the chintz designs from Royal Winton. Daisy Kingdom put out this range, and they were all beautiful. So for future reference, if you ever see a fabric you just love to bits, buy more than 2 metres of it, as you never know how long you'll have to wait until you see it again, if in fact you do.

Until next time, happy quilting.-Julie.