Lessons I Learned

while shop hopping!

Quilters have a great sense of humor!!!!

For example, some LQS will sell you "SEX" in a bag,

(Stash Enhancing Experience)

while another LQS resides in a bowling alley!!!!

That's the great thing about shop hopping.  You discover places that you didn't know existed...right in your own backyard.  I will definitely be paying this cute shop a visit again in the future...with my kids.....who, for once, will not complain about going to the quilt store with me.

I also learned it pays to get out every once in a while to check out the familiar LQS. Otherwise, I would not have known that Material Girls will soon be offering a Dear Jane class!!!!! I was so excited to learn this.  I might actually make a "real" Dear Jane in addition/instead of my "liberated" Dear Jane.

I already knew quilters are a generous species.  I scored some free fat quarters and charm packs at several LQS

all because I purchased lots of these gorgeous batiks for my Pinwheels for PEACE.

After the shop hopping, I spent most of the weekend prewashing, ironing, sorting and then cutting batiks.  It took much longer than I thought.  I go back and forth on the prewashing fabrics theory, but decided since this is destined for an auction and there are so many brights, it would be a good idea to prewash.

I played around with the Peace layout of the darks to get an idea of which colors/how many I would need.  What do you think?

After hours of this, here are the stack of lights and darks.  

Now comes the fun part of marking all those lines on the light fabrics.  

I am ready to get sewing already!  Enough of this prepping!

Have an amazing day!!!!!