Fresh Press

I should have been sewing Christmas presents, or a quilt, or a pillow top, or anything. But I spent the day cleaning up the cave. By around 2:30 everything was put away and cleaned up but for a pile of fabric that had been laundered (I prewash all my fabric, but then I have to press it). So I pressed it. Not too much - I used to iron it all super smooth but realized that was a waste of my time and energy. Just enough so it will lay pretty flat and tidy. One+ yards are folded onto those comic boards and kept in the (relatively) big closet. Half yards and fat quarters are folded the same and kept together. The stack of orange is from the November shipment of Stash Builders from Pink Castle Fabrics. I have a lot of orange in my stash already but I think its my favorite color. The Decembers should be here Monday or Tuesday so I at least have to be caught up with ironing if not actually using them! December is browns - really? Brown? Ick. I was going to cancel for the month but I thought I'd go ahead and see what comes in. I don't have a lot of brown (do you?) and maybe it'll inspire something. Or not.

I love to prewash my fabric. It gives me a chance to get to know it. I have to unfold it so its free to agitate in the washer and dryer. When it comes out of the dryer - often way too dry, but that's usually ok because I rarely have time to press it at that moment - I get to fold it the first time, and it all looks different from when I bought or ordered it. (And how about fabric lint? Its the best! All soft and colorful!) Then I take it back to the boat (my laundry is done at the marina facility) and usually take it down to the cave. Where it sits until I have a chunk of time to iron and fold it. That's the special time with my fabric. Laying it out on my big (relatively) cutting/pressing table, spreading it flat and feeling the fibers, and noticing the print and how it was applied and where it repeats. Then the iron itself (which is a total pain in the **! - this latest is an expensiveish supposedly nice iron that the captain bought me for Christmas last year and it has been frustrating from day one what with its not getting hot enough and spitting all the time and turning off when it should still be on, but I do like the little feet that take it up off the surface when I let go, though that is a bit of a danger as other irons I have used in friends' homes and hotels while traveling DON'T do that!) (where was I?) going over the fabric and I get to spend more time looking at it and imagining how it can be used (apparently, primarily to sit prettily on my shelves, but I'm working on it).

Here's where the FQs and Halfs hang out. I like them alot.

This was written 12/18/12 but I couldn't figure out how to get the pictures to post properly until just now. I'm sure it was worth waiting for - haha. Merry Christmas again!