My Fabric Stash

Candace Has Made Us Famous!

2011-04-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

Can you see it there? Up there in the upper right? Sweetwater was looking for great names to feature in their new fabric line called Hometown for Moda coming out this fall. Our friend Candace from Squash House Quilts knew Walla Walla was a definitely a great one and let Sweetwater know. And look what happened....

There we are, big font. Take that small fonted cities!

It's Back!

2011-03-31T14:32:00.001-07:00

I won't bore you with excuses or philosophical discussions about blogging (do I really have anything to say worthy of posting?). Regardless, the blog is back. And we have a new location! Come see us when you are in beautiful downtown Walla Walla. 25 West Main! More Stash action to come!

Pure

2010-07-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

Our Moda rep Bonnie was in this morning. Showing us some great new fabric that I will share with you soon (We'll be getting it in November and December). It got me thinking about the fabric that will be arriving any day.... I had forgotten a little bit how much I loved it. We've had these patterns in for a while. The Pure and Sweet Table Runner....

the Pure Joy quilt, and...

the Pure and Simple quilt pattern have been around for awhile. But now.....

any day......

Pure by Sweetwater will arrive! You loved Authentic and Make Life, and now there is Pure. What do you want to make with it?

Come on...He's Laying on a Quilt!

2010-07-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

Totally gratuitous photos of my grandson...

Brannan Keith....

born December 18th...

2009...a day before his grandma's birthday.

Even with my marginal photography skills, he looks pretty amazing!

Lizards, Alligators, and Bobcats, Oh My!

2010-07-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

While the Stash Gals were in Florida, we decided to take a walk every evening. The Hyatt Grand Cypress seems to be on extensive acreage so we felt like we were out in the swamps(or on the edges of a golf course).

We saw this regal fellow. But someone got some information from the girl at the gift shop that there was other wildlife out there... some alligators and bobcats.

Ok alligator, we are in Florida. Some Stash gals thought they were lurking at every storm drain and were going to come out and get us.

We also saw lots of these little lizards. Kristen told us they were anole. We dealt with all of that wildlife...but then there was a rustle under our walkway (I say rustle...they say unworldly growl and ready to pounce)...

The Stash girls took off running!

3 Series Love at BU

2010-07-10T18:40:00.001-07:00

My photography doesn't do justice to these little beauties-the new machines from Bernina! It's the 3 Series; sleek little machines with a cool black screen.
We somehow missed the info that this was a hands-on class and we needed our own sewing supplies. Fortunately sewers are kind, generous people. Pins and scissors from a nice girl from Indiana, zippers from North Carolina, and a cutting mat and rotary cutter from a nice lady from across the room.

Look at the cute little purse we made!

Here's Kathy with our new favorite Bernina. It looks like a small version of the 830 with it's slide table and bobbin viewer. Hope to have it in the store soon!

Happy Birthday to Us!

2010-07-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

Stash is one year old! It has been quite a ride!

So to celebrate we are having an outdoor quilt show on our patio along the banks of Mill Creek!

These are all projects that are customer's have made over the last year!

Our customer's are the most creative, generous people you can find.

Thank you! We couldn't have done it without you!

Stash Has Angels in our Midst

2010-05-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

When we started this little store, we knew that we wanted an environment that was inspiring, fun, and creative. What I didn't realize how much our customers, which many have become friends, add to this place. Let me introduce you to Mary. Above is one of her latest projects-the Posh Tot pattern made with some of our new batiks. She is one kindest most generous people we know (I was hoping she would have come in this morning so I could add her picture to this post). We've been a bit overwhelmed at times needing to learn things quickly, or making samples showcasing great techniques or fabric. Mary just seems to know exactly what we might need. We learned about "quilting in the hoop"; look what Mary brought for us to show that technique. Check out the feather design on this table runner made with Sandy Gervais's Gobble Gobble. We didn't ask, she just knew we would like it and is willing to share it with us for awhile.

Then there are these tea towels. How adorable are they all trimmed and machine-embroidered.

...and look at the embroidery on the backside-
just as pretty as the front.

And finally look at this silk quilt she has made with the Summer Carnivale Silk Collection. This beautiful quilt was an investment of her time and money and she is more than willing to let us showcase it and share it with others. Thank you Mary; we love you!

In Love, Again

2010-04-14T06:10:00.001-07:00

Botany has arrived.
Says summer time to me.
Who can't love hidden spider webs and frogs.

A quilt to fold over the back of the rocking chair on the back porch must be made.

....and maybe a skirt

like this one (we have the pattern at the store)
In Leaves from the colorway bloom... and a yoke and hem trim in Seeds in bark.

A Celebrity in our Midst!

2010-03-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

My copy of Food and Wine magazine came the other day. I open it and there is a beautiful feature on Walla Walla wine.

Kyle McLaughlin is featured there, but he's not the celebrity I'm referring to...

It's one of Stash's favorite customers, Island Ainsworth. Isn't she beautiful? She is proprietor of Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen and Pho Sho with her husband Chris. And there is more! Chris was named as a semifinalist by the James Beard Foundation as a Best Chef Northwest!

Colleen Blackwood's Quilts

2010-03-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

Colleen Blackwood has special gifts. Her quilt designs, color and fabric combinations are inspirational. Her students exercise their "quilting muscles" in ways that produce amazing products.

Here's Pathway to the Stars...
...and here is Thicket.
She is scheduled to teach these two quilts of her designs here at Stash before she takes them off to the famous Sister's Outdoor Quilt Show in July where they will be featured.
If you are in beautiful downtown Walla Walla, come by and see them. Or better yet sign up for one or both of her classes here. Thicket will be taught May 15 and Pathway to the Stars will be taught May 28. One couldn't possibly regret spending the day with Colleen.

Making Lemonade!

2010-03-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

We opened here on beautiful Palouse Street last summer, but it has looked like this since July.

Trucks, backhoes and dirt all over the place.

Our neighbor next door has created a solution (or at least is trying to adapt) to our lack of parking and the extra efforts our customers need to go through to get to us.

He has put this outside his door.

Eddie Walker Love!

2010-02-16T11:47:00.000-08:00

We love Eddie here at Stash. Her creativity and enthusiasm is a great energy to be around.

She has an apron design that she is going to be sharing in a class here at Stash.

Here she has used the canvas weight Authentic fabric.

An Emergency Road Trip

2010-02-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

It all started because we needed this for a class: The order didn't come in; it was Saturday and overnighting from somewhere to Walla Walla was too risky, but we found some here:

At Bear Paw Quilting in Coeur d'Alene. So Sunday morning Kathy and I jumped in the car. It ended up being a great day. It's so fun to see other stores...got some great ideas.

We also had a great lunch at the Davenport Hotel in Spokane. One day I will be a good blogger and show great pictures of the food we ate. Around the corner was the cutest little store called:

Ari and her husband couldn't have been nicer. She's designing patterns. Hope we can carry them here at Stash!

Here's a little taste of Buttercuppity. Gotta love the name!

The Circus is Coming!

2010-02-05T12:31:00.000-08:00

Some kind of craziness overtook the Stashettes this morning....
You might hear from us, "We don't really carry novelty."

But here you have it. Was it the smell of the sawdust or the taste of cotton candy?

Two of us were so infected with the circus bug we actually got the other two to think Circus fabric is a great idea. It is so charming and engaging; I can't wait until we get it in!

A Small Diversion

2010-01-13T11:00:00.000-08:00

We all love quilts and all things quilting here, but Project Runway is starting tomorrow, and I just got the most beautiful Bernina dressform, and the fabulous My Label software http://www.berninamylabel.com/ which we carry at the store. So I'm a little obsessed with garment construction right now. I'm so obsessed that I actually purchased a cd of patterns from a German company called Schnittvision. Now my mother's name is Zimbelman, but the only thing that has gotten me is a strudy frame and the ability to order cheesecake in Munich. Google translate got me through the emails...I hope it is up for all the instructions!

Our Friend Miss Rhonda!

2009-12-29T10:19:00.000-08:00

Miss Rhonda, the best music teacher Freewater Elementary ever saw, has become a quilter. I think she has been at it for about 5 months and has completed about 6 quilts! She always approached teaching music with 110% enthusiasm, and now that she is retired she is approaching sewing with the same fantastic, enviable energy.

Bernina Envy

2009-12-15T11:09:00.000-08:00

There are four of us here in Stashland...............after a llllooonnnggg process and wait, we have become Bernina dealers!
Three of us ordered and have received this bad boy of their very own....guess who wasn't sure and couldn't commit....

....what was I thinking??!!

Charisma Boot Fever

2009-11-30T07:40:00.000-08:00

We have been having a Charisma Bootpalooza at Stash. I think we have sold sooo many patterns and look at the results!

Check out the designer's blog here. http://lilatuellerdesigns.blogspot.com.

Rouenneriers Project #1

2009-11-24T08:58:00.000-08:00

Take a look at this cozy lap rag quilt Joannie made up in an afternoon from her stash of Rouenneriers by French General. It's rich and cozy and good and sophisticated all at the same time. Way to rock the rag scissors Joannie!

New Inspiration

2009-11-14T11:40:00.000-08:00

It is so exciting and inspirational to see the work of others. Having this store gives us a chance to see the amazing things that you all are doing out there.
Wes brought in this wildlife quilt in this morning. He has combined photo transfer, applique, and piecing to make a really remarkable quilt.

Doesn't it make you want to try landscape quilting or some form of photo transfer. Wow.

Is Rouenneries Speaking to You Too?

2009-11-12T07:10:00.000-08:00

Rouenneries by French General for Moda has been in the store for a couple of weeks now. It has magical qualities. It can speak. It whispers in a calm peaceful voice exactly what it needs to be made into.

It is telling Sherri to make it up into a Shabby Chic rag quilt. I so want to make it up into table linens and this....

...a pleated skirt made from a jelly roll! Kristen made it up and it is adorable. I think I will start today.

This pattern is designed by Kaye Whitt of Serendipity Studio http://sewserendipity.blogspot.com/. We met her at Quilt Market and loved her, and now we have several of her patterns in the store!

Quilt-World/ Fabric Celebrity Stalking Part Two

2009-10-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

Heather Bailey http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/... her booth won first place, her stuff is adorable, and so is her blog so check it out!

Anna Maria Horner http://annamariahorner.blogspot.com/...one of our customers put the Anna Maria bug in my ear and I am so glad she did...her fabric: like butter, her patterns: the best!

Jason Yenter from In the Beginning Fabrics http://www.inthebeginningfabrics.com/displayfab/ with Kristin and Kristina. He is definitely a favorite of many our customers (and Kristin too!).

...and Chelsea from Pink Fig Patterns http://vcbdesign.blogspot.com/. We love her and she loved Kristina (who wouldn't...she was a dream to travel with and she introduced me to Forever 21!). Anyway..Chelsea got a picture of Kristina...we must look for our favorite 15-year-old on Chelsea's blog.

Last, but not least Kay Whitt from Serendipity http://sewserendipity.blogspot.com/. Her patterns were great...I can't wait to make some up...she has the cutest pleated skirt from a jelly roll, and...she has the nicest husband with the best southern accent!

You Heard it Here First!

2009-10-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

Please note Kristen's bag that she was carrying around Quilt Market today. (It's a little soggy from the Houston downpour we got caught in) Our idols...our favorite designers... loved it! Anna Maria, Heather Bailey, and Amy Butler's people all had to take a look...maybe an inspiration for a future pattern?

A Day of Fabric Designer Stalking

2009-10-10T16:13:00.000-07:00

First, there was Patty Young, and she gave us a sewing lesson! http://modkidboutique.blogspot.com/

Then there was Paula Prass. Kristen helped her with her Twitter. http://paulaprass.blogspot.com/

Then there was Amy Butler, and she is taller than me! (skinnier too) http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/inspiration/

Finally there was Lila Tueller. http://lilatuellerdesigns.blogspot.com/

The Drama! The Excitement! Sample Spree!

2009-10-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

The line was long and wide...

....very, very long,

but, thanks to Kristen and Kristina, we were in the front!

...And we were interviewed for a television show. We're not sure how we feel about that. I wish I had fluffed my hair and freshen up my lip gloss (Kristen looked adorable as always).

We Met Pamela Mostek!

2009-09-20T20:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, a great weekend with great people, and time to talk to quilt artist Pamela Mostek. http://www.pamelamostek.com/

Look at this beautiful art quilt. She couldn't be more gracious. She answered everyone of my tedious questions about her techniques and materials.

She uses this great raw-edge applique technique where the borders actually float onto your quilt.

Here's another gorgeous quilt where she has combined reproductions with batiks...it works and it is beautiful.

We are looking forward to developing our relationship with Pam. Here are a few of her books we hope to have in the store soon!

Quilt Festival Time!

2009-09-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

We are at the Walla Walla Quilt Festival! Kind of makes us feel like we are official. Please come by and see us. Tell them Ann sent you, from the blog.

2009-09-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

Fridays are Community Sew Days!Bring your project and join us for Community Sew Day at Stash. Do your sewing in a fun supportive environment (and we'd love to see what you are working on!) Quilters are the nicest people.

Lost on the Streets of Walla Walla

2009-09-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

Fabric is heavy, right? One should be able to approach 4omphs without worrying about what might fly out of the back seat of your car with the top down, right? Maybe not... Lost: a few strips of Jason Yenter's Wintergraphix for In the Beginning fabric. Finished project revealed soon...after I cut a sew a few more strips for my new nine-patch quilt. Aargh!!

A Little Math

2009-09-03T15:24:00.000-07:00

Sherry + one Go! cutter + 9 by Sanae for Moda =

One pretty cute little quilt.

More Amy Butler Love

2009-08-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

We have the best customers! Check out this super quilt by Holly, Amy Butler fan extraodinaire. She had the nicest things to say about us, "Just wanted to say thank you for opening Stash. I love all your fabric and am so excited about all the projects I'm going to make...and now have amazing fabric, easily!"
She took the Trip Around the World Class with Suzanne and completed this baby quilt for a friend. Thanks Holly!

2009-07-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hours
Stash is open Monday - Saturday, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm.

How to Reach Us
Address: 43 South Palouse
City: Walla Walla, Washington 99362
Phone: 509-526-5141
Web Page: www.myfabricstash.com

New Fabric at Stash

2009-07-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

New fabrics just arrived at Stash and they're great for making bags! Here two different Amy Butler patterns are shown with Amy Butler Fabric (above) and Joel Dewberry Fabric (below).

Here are two more new Amy Butler prints that just arrived at Stash. The flowers on these prints almost look like they could be growing in a garden somewhere- with stems bent at the nape of each flower head under the weight of colorful blossoms.

Quilting at Stash

2009-06-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

Stash quilters have been busy. Check out some of the artsy pieces that they've been making!

This is a fun summer quilt that incorporates TONS of funky fabric from Stash. Pattern, fabrics and quilting utensils are all available at Stash upon request.

To make this quilt, quilters made whirls of fabric from the same fabric pattern and arranged them geometrically to make the flowers. All materials used for this project are available at Stash. Sign up for Stash classes and learn the basics for quilts like this one!

Quilts aren't the only things that Stash quilters make. The possibilities are endless when the fabric is this amazing!

This Just In: New Arrivals at Stash

2009-06-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

Check out these buttons! They sort of just beg to be attached to your sweater. Not just any sweater either, I'm talking about THAT sweater- the one that always finds its way into your suitcase, the one that you throw on as soon as you get home from work, the one that you've had for so long that you know which shoulder it will droop off of as soon as you pull it over your head. Such a special sweater deserves a little sprucing up every once in a while- why not give it some funky new buttons?

Have you ever set out to be artsy, gone to the art/bead/fabric store and bought all the supplies that you thought you could possibly ever need to be the next great painter/jewelry maker/fashion designer, sat down to your new artsy calling, and realized that you just surrounded yourself in your home with a daunting number of blank canvases/displays/runways to fill? Fear no more. Stash has solved this problem for you. Enter, project starter kits! With project essentials packed up and ready to go, you can take your projects one at a time- daunting feeling of embarking on a million new things at once conveniently omitted from starter kits.

When you hit the town, you'll find that seasonal now applies to more than just fruits and veggies. Now that it's summer, Stash has brought in fabrics that look like June wheatfield sunsets and July cotton candy at the fair.

Stash: More Fabric

2009-06-18T09:11:00.001-07:00

There is something about this fabric that makes me think about my mom's rose garden at our old house. The garden itself was in the funniest spot, in a small corner of the yard where the house sort of bent inward out of the way of some giant spruce trees. The garden rested peacefully in full shade, even during the the parts of summer that yielded the fastest Popsicle-melting rates. The blues in this fabric are most indicative of the shadiness of this garden, and of the breezes that blew through the spruce needles and onto the shoulders of anyone sitting quietly in the garden's small space.

When I was much younger (for approximate age, please reference previous blog post, re: pigtail ribbons) I was an arts and crafts maven. Every single day I papered the dining room table with construction paper triangles, spilled tiny seed beads onto the shag carpet, and painted my clothing in addition to any canvas put in front of me (items 2 and 3 were usually much to my mom's chagrin). There was one arts and crafts phase in particular during which I was obsessed with making envelopes out of magazine pages and patterned scrapbook paper, and that phase is what immediately comes to mind when I look at this fabric. There is something slightly geometric about these patterns, a quality in a design that generally produced visually appealing envelopes. I can sort of sense that my 7-year old self would be very much taken with these patterns, and perhaps even hope to fold back and tape together the corners of these patterns to make some very unusual envelopes.

Stash: The Fabric

2009-06-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

Admiring all of the fabrics at Stash, I can't help but notice that each grouping of prints begs to signify something to each customer and onlooker. Each print recalls a small detail from a story or memory: the leaves on the trees that hung just so; the pattern on the tablecloth that was used over and over again that summer; or the wallpaper that covered the room where you used to hide in hide-and-go-seek. The colors that make up the fabrics aren't from the typical spectrum of colors that comes to mind when "orange," "blue," or "yellow" are mentioned. Instead of orange, the color is the sheen on from the sun on stalks of wheat, crisping under the 2 o'clock sun. Instead of "blue," the color is the water in your swimming pool. Instead of "yellow," the color is just like the filling that is layered between two flaky, crust bookends when making key lime pie.

Of course when it comes to classifying the prints and colors of the fabrics at Stash into personal stories and recollections, I can only speak for myself when describing what exactly it is that each bolt of fabric brings to mind. I've listed my comments below, yours may be different- which would speak to the power inherent in the beauty of these fabrics, that they can remind everyone of such uniquely personal motifs.

This fabric group channels the tones found in the Walla Walla wheatfields. I have often tried to describe to friends and family what the quality of light is like in the wheatfields and why the colors there make it a place of calm energy. It's almost as if these fabric colors are filtered somehow to be basking in rural Washington sun and mixing in the same wind that ruffles the wheat to make it whisper.

When greens turn to yellows and oranges and a swift crackle is heard underfoot when tromping outdoors, it's autumn in Walla Walla. All of the colors in these fabrics remind me of this time of year. The landscape is comandeered by fiery oranges and wafts of woodsmoke, both of which lie in contrast to the clear and cool-hued sky over the tips of the Blues.

I can't help but think of when I was very little and wore ribbons in my pigtails. There was a drawer in the bathroom that overflowed with satin ribbons in every possible color for every possible day and occasion. The colors in these fabrics are those of some of the ribbons that had most frequent use, and the patterns are those of some of the skirts and shorts that I wore to threads as accompaniment to those most-loved pigtail ribbons.

The People of Stash: Sherri, Kathy, and Kristen

2009-06-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

For Sherri, Kathy, and Kristen, Stash is all about the fabric. To describe Stash fabric concisely proves nearly impossible because of the variety of unique and fresh designs available. There truly is a little bit of everything, and it's all spunky.

Here Sherri shows off her favorite fabric in the store. The colors are cool, but the design is zippy. This fabric is definitely reminiscent of a spring day in Walla Walla when the season's colors are just starting to turn from wintry to sunny and happy spring noises fill the breezes.

Rather than having just one favorite fabric, Kathy loves the entire fabric group called "Farmers Market" by Michael Miller. These fabrics contain all of the colors that crop up at the Walla Walla Farmers Market- yellows and greens of the flowers in giant buckets waiting to be sold, the oranges of newly-picked carrots and sun-ripening tomatoes, and the blues woven into colorful tablecloths under the arms of picnic-ers looking for a spot to plop down.

Kristen's favorite fabric is a Patty Young design of pineapples and funky filigree. This design is just hip enough that it could easily end up in skirt form, worn by a college student bicycling through Walla Walla's buzzing downtown streets or as part of a fun and funky quilt.

The People of Stash: Suzanne

2009-06-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

Suzanne is, in some ways, the reason why there is a Stash. When

Kathy decided to take quilting classes, Suzanne was her instructor.
Now, the passion for quilting shared by Kristen, Kathy and Sherri
is such an infectious passion, that it must have incredible roots
somewhere, in something, or in someone. Probably there are in
fact several sources to which this passion for quilting can be
traced, but one of the obvious sources is Suzanne.

Suzanne has not quilted for her entire life, it's not even something

that she began pouring herself into while she was growing up.

Suzanne arrived at quilting somewhat later in her life, however

this late brush with fat quarters, flying geese, and lazy daisies had

no effect on Suzanne's desire to learn or her eventual tenacity to

her craft.

Around 1980, Suzanne was at the fairgrounds, meandering through

booths of crafts and funnel cakes. Walking past one of the many

craft booths, Suzanne spotted a beautiful quilt and was mesmerized.

The quilt, tactile, colorful, and comforting to the touch was a

functional piece of art.

Soon after visiting the fairgrounds, Suzanne began taking quilting

classes. She only took several classes- enough to work the basics of

quilting into her thoughts and hands. With this minimum of

knowledge and the delightful fervor that had washed over her on

her visit to the fairgrounds, Suzanne produced her first quilt in

approximately two weeks, having made every single stitch by hand.

2009-06-05T16:24:00.000-07:00

Stash is now officially open! Here are a few photos that capture the event. More to come soon.

Stash owners pose after placing the "open" sign in the front window. From left to right: Sherri Woolever, Kristen McVane, and Kathy Hamada.

One of the display windows in the storefront.

Some celebratory flowers for the event.

2009-06-02T16:24:00.000-07:00

Stash is opening its doors on Thursday, June 4th at 9:30am!
Please join us at 43 South Palouse for a celebration of quilting and the opening of our business.

About Stash
Not long ago, three friends joined a quilting class, aspiring as a group to learn a new craft. The three friends quickly realized that quilting was much more than a process- it's a social, self-expressive and quickly-learned way to create. The opening of Stash in downtown Walla Walla not only further solidifies the creative bond between these three friends, it's a way for these friends to share what they have discovered in quilting with the community.

Stash offers new and seasoned quilters alike with an array of fabric to spark any creative spirit, including fabrics by Moda, Michael Miller, In the Beginning Fabrics, and many more. Stop in and take a peek!