Sewing bug

This is the time of year for 'bugs' you know, flu bug, cold bugs etc. However I seem to get infected regularly at this time of the year with the sewing bug.

The infection hit me unawares. I went to my local Hancock fabric store last night to look at the advertised lamp shades. Yeah, lamp shades at a fabric store, go figure, but Hancock's has always sort of leaned toward the total home decor look in their drapery fabric department. Well the lamp shades were too small for what I need, and I was left with some time to browse.

First I hit a 75% off book area. Oh Oh, I love books, especially any that teach me how to do something. I picked up two quilting books, one by Martha Pullen and one about Quick Watercolor quilting. Those had been on my maybe someday I will get them list anyway and the price was certainly great. The third book is a book for machine embroidery using the special threads like metallics. I've never had much luck using those threads on my machine and I am hoping this book will clear up some of my difficulties.

Did I say I love books? It's a good thing my hubby is not a book person, because I can buy and hold enough books for a two person household. People ask me how I am so 'gifted' or 'knowledgeable' about crafts, and I really have to confess that if you give me a book on it, I will be able to do it. I love how-to books.

OK so no sewing bug yet. I decide to sit and look at the pattern books, although I know I won't buy any right then, the sales on patterns are worth waiting for. Generally patterns are now running 17.00 a piece and I am really starting to sound like an old woman when I say I remember all patterns were 1.99 even the fanciest. So I found a really neat coat pattern, that just clicks with a recent Salvation Army buy. I found a men's camel colored cashmere coat there for 9.00 in excellent shape. The pattern I found might be able to cut it down into a swing style coat, with fake fur trim all on the edge and cuffs. The pattern is really great. The design idea has my creative juices flowing. And ouch, there's the first sewing bug bite. I almost went looking for the fake fur fabric, but decided to wait until I got the pattern.

Now bitten, I browsed the fabric aisles. Fabric has gotten expensive, but is absolutely amazing at the variety available. I saw wonderful fancy fabrics for glamour dresses, cottons for quilts with every pattern and color, plush warm fabrics for keeping warm this winter. But I knew I was under the sewing bug fever when I hit the baby fabrics and saw the best thermal fabric for 'onesies' with an adorable print. We do have a neice expecting, and my mind was saying, look how many you could get out of two yards of fabric.

Excuse while I go and lay down and get over this fever. It's either that, or go and dust off the sewing machine and not do anything else for the next month.

CW