mmmm, batiks....

i love me some bali batiks! i fell in love with them years ago when i worked in a quilt shop. the majority of the fabric we sold wasn't really my style, but i LOVED the balis! they had such rich and vibrant colours, and the designs, if there were any, weren't super obvious. (i love obvious designs when it's alexander henry or heather bailey or something, not so much when they're cheesy!) i made a pillow using a blue bali and fish fabric, and then hoarded other little bits of it as well.

one day last week i had a dream about balis. i couldn't remember the dream when i woke up, i just remembered that i'd thought of an awesome project using blue balis, and that the little bits i had stashed away weren't going to be enough.

so on friday when my mom and i met up with a friend for coffee, i couldn't resist checking the quilt shop down the street for balis (they're also my closest brother dealer). they didn't have much in shades of blue, but they had this!!!

behold the beauty. isn't it gorgeous? seriously, i am so in love with this fabric. i bought a metre, having no idea whatsoever of what i'd use it for, i just KNEW i needed it. i brought it home and set it on the desk and everytime i walked by and saw it, i kind of squee'd to myself. yes, i squee'd.


i just LOVE the colours so much!

and the dots are amazing!

so now i need to decide what to use it for. i am DEFINITELY open to suggestions! i know that i won't wear it as clothing, so i don't want to waste it by making a shirt i'd never wear or something. i thought about using it to live a purse, so that everytime i looked in, i'd see it, but that seemed like a waste. maybe a lap quilt? possibly? i'm extremely tempted to go back and buy another metre or so, just so that i'll have enough to do whatever i decide on....

but i still didn't have blue balis. (i still couldn't remember what the amazing project in my dream WAS, but that didn't deter me!)

so on sunday after i went to the museum,i went to fabricana in richmond. *sigh* it's like my bank balance automatically loses $100 every time i walk in there! they have AMAZING fabrics. incredible bridal and formal fabrics, and amazing supply of dance wear (spandex!!), fun fur, linens, wools, and COTTONS. their quilting department is fabulous. it's even starting to carry some trendier stuff, like alexander henry and amy butler. they even had the Heather Ross mendocino line! (unfortunately not in the tone i wanted...) anyway, they're awesome. they're super helpful at the richmond store (i haven't been to the coquitlam store in years now, but i remember them as being very snotty!). they're pricey, but ALL cottons in canada are pricey! (about double the US prices, really) they're a locally owned business, which i love to support. (i actually costumed one of their sons back when i was doing community theatre costuming!)

and they had a whole table of balis on half off! again, not so much in the blue tones, but really pretty pinks and purples. i picked up a metre each of two that i really liked, thinking that maybe i could use them with the dotted batik that i already had.


i didn't have the dotted bali with me, so you can kinda see where this is going, right?

matching fail!

oh well. they're still pretty fabrics, and i'll find a fabulous use for them yet.

at least i did manage to find blues just like i was looking for, and as a bonus, i remembered WHAT THEY WERE FOR! remember my andrea zuill/badbird mermaid? i decided (in my dream!) to make her into a pillow and give her as a gift. and the balis will be perfect around her!


the smaller piece was *not* on sale, so i only bought a 1/2 metre of it. one and a half metres is way more than i need anyway!

aren't they pretty?

and then i had to buy a metre of this alexander henry. just because.

just imagine the possibilities! i'm pretty excited about this fabric, actually.

so i definitely walked out of there with more than i'd planned on (did i mention the fat eights i bought too? ;) ), but yum yum, luscious fabrics!

thrifting, pyrex love and chit chat!

i've been neglecting my blog, or at least i feel like i have. i've been thinking of blog posts, but i haven't had the motivation to write them up.

sunday evening i went into the city and had dinner with a friend, which was fabulous, but i've been feeling pretty crummy since then. i've been grouchy, because i HAD been feeling better, and i haven't wanted to talk to anyone, not even bloggers! it's funny how quickly you get used to feeling better and having mobility, and how badly it can affect your mood when you lose it again. however, i have had some GREAT thrifting luck in the past week or so, and that always makes me happy.

yesterday morning my sister called me up and asked me if i wanted a set of 4 pyrex cinderella bowls. um, yes! she was at the thrift store, so she put the set in her basket and carried it around with her until i could get there. my sister's so awesome!

this is the set she found for me - 4 cinderella bowls in the daisy pattern






isn't it great? it's a bit newer than the ones i really love, but the fact that it's the full set, and isn't a super tacky 70s colour makes it okay!

i found a few other goodies, but by the time i got home i was limping really badly, so i slept most of the day instead of crafting or doing anything fun! after i slept though, i was feeling a bit better, so i started taking pictures of the days finds.


i collect lots of different things, but vintage beaded earrings and triple strand necklaces are a long standing collection with me, and they're getting harder and harder to find (or if i do find them, they're really expensive). yesterday i found one of each!




the necklace has really interestingly shaped beads, they're not the usual round ones.



i've also been getting more and more interested in petit point. i've started buying petit point jewelery whenever i find it, though it's unfortunately usually in gold settings! my grandmother gave me all of her petit point and needlepoint supplies while i was in manitoba most recently, and i'm really excited to play with it all! yesterday i found the sweetest little frame with a petit point flower in it.

i love the little frame it's in too. i do like gold in some cases, i just won't wear it!

i got some other great stuff too, another vintage jewelery box for my bathroom, some black fortrel, some vintage trims, two sets of hankies and a really fabulous vintage tablecloth.

so even though i felt crummy, it was still a good thrifting day.