Collectibles

Let's start with a question for you to contemplate today. I believe I have posed the same question in the past.

Quilters (most of us) tend to be collectors/hoarders who have compulsive behaviors. Does that sound like you?

Now here is the question - were we like that BEFORE we became quilters or did we learn that behavior after we became a quilter.   You know, have our brains somehow been affected by the chemicals in the fabric dyes and we've become brainwashed and obsessive?

Wouldn't that make an excellent thesis for a graduate student?

I'm not sure about myself.  I was always a collector, but didn't get frantic about collecting things - I think the internet has something to do with that. Let's not forget the marketers and our peers to assist us in our obsessions.

When I was at Spring Market in Salt Lake City, I came across something that I HAD to have and I didn't care how much I had to sneak around - I was getting these!

What are they?  Why little badges of course!

Sew on patches from Moda

Moda had a camp theme in their main booth. All of their designers had a small space to display their collection(s) beside the main booth. Each designer had their own badge. Check out this link to read about the badges.

Well - I couldn't help myself - I COVETED those badges and I shamelessly walked around to the booths and either took one from each booth or asked for one, if the designer was in the booth.  YES - I got to meet a lot of cool designers. Quilters have no shame when they want something. I went over a couple of times and I ended up with only ONE duplicate which I have no idea where it is at the moment. I think I got all the badges of the designers who were there, but there are MORE and I want them all!

In addition, there were these buttons as well.  I didn't collect these - they just happened to get in my bag.

Buttons

Now that brings me to the Row by Row.  As you know, I got a bit obsessed with Row by Row.  Are you ready for it?   Can I have a drum roll please...........................

Here are my license plates for 2015.   I didn't count them.  Perhaps we can have a guessing game.

2015 License plates for Row by Row

On top of the 55 plates for 2014  (all used up!) and 14 so far for 2016.  I guess I could write a book with this many!

I haven't counted the kits I've collected, but lets just say there are a few!

Kits/patterns from 2014

Kits/patterns from 2015

Yardage/quilt for Row by Row

As we move into the Row by Row season, which started on Tuesday and I'm sure there were people all over North America and Europe who are going crazy and driving everywhere, planning vacations, swapping and road trips. I have decided to be rationale and reasonable for 2016 for a couple of reasons.

1. The logistics of dealing with many people, different currencies became a nightmare and I still owe two people their plates and two people I owe money. I need to get that finished by the end of the weekend. 
2. It consumes a LOT of time.  Since I started to work full-time, time is much more precious these days and while road trips are fun, I have plenty of fun road trips already planned and I don't need one more. 
3. The cost.  Let's do some math because I think a lot of these row by rowers haven't done the math or they have NO budget.  On average (in CDN $), those plates cost $6.   That's an average - probably low - I bought one for $10 at Quilt Canada.   So 55 multiplied by 6 = $330.  That's just for the license plates!  Never mind the kits, the gas and whatever else that I purchased in the store. Bottom line - I don't want to spend that kind of money on this project. 

So I have a new plan for 2016.  The plan has to be flexible enough to have fun and yet be reasonable.  Thanks to the offer of a "friend" (thanks Shelly for the inspiration), I came up with a plan last night. Crap - I posted it on Facebook and hopefully no one saw it - well a few did and I've deleted it!   I know exactly what I'm going to do for 2016.  I've recruited a few people because I can't do it without their help and they know who they are and I just have to wait for the collectibles to roll in!   I'm pretty excited about my plan and it will be way easier to walk into a quilt store and say NO because I have a plan.

I love having a plan!   Do you have a plan?????

On that note - I'm out of here!   Wait - I saw this REAL license plate on my way to work yesterday.

Cool license plate

While it was a man driving the vehnicle, I bet his wife (or it could be him) is a quilter!


Have a great day!!!!!

Ciao!