Do cats whisper? Or are humans the only animals who can do that? Hmmmm...
Recently I was trolling for cool-looking fabrics at my favorite local thrift store. As I was checking out, the nice lady behind the counter said, "You know, hon, they're getting rid of a lot of material over at the senior citizens' center. You should go have a look."
I am a cloth-a-holic as well as a shameless craft supply opportunist. My blood felt all warm and bubbly as I strolled across the parking lot to see what the seniors felt they could do without. Which, as it turned out, was an entire roomful of fabric remnants. Over five decades' worth; a veritable archaealogical dig.
"What are y'all going to do with all of this?" I asked the elderly lady who was putting cloth into large green garbage bags. "Oh honey," she said, "Nobody quilts anymore. Take what you want, 'cause we're giving the rest to the rag recyclers."
Over the next two days I must have carted away several hundred pounds of fabric. I called my friends, and they took some. We all made cash donations to the senior citizens' center, if only to ease our guilt.
So now I have more vintage fabric than I ever needed or deserved ("or had room for," grumbles my husband). I found this fabulous Simplicity pattern for stuffed animals, circa 1954, and started sewing. You can see the results above. Next up: horses. Purses. You never know. Actually, you will know. Watch this space.
And if you want to take home a genuine piece of history, complete with little-old-lady good karma, you can purchase the results of my labor on our website.
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