Raiding Auntie Em's Stash

One of the highlights of my trip was going to my dear Aunt Mary's house - I just realized I could call her Auntie Em, hehe! My aunt sews...and used to work in a quilt shop...so enough said - we're pretty much birds of a feather, now that I've acquired this new hobby! She's realized recently that she's got WAY too much fabric, so she told me to bring an extra suitcase so I could raid her stash!

I didn't end up NEEDING the extra suitcase - she's got a lot of fabric for making clothing, which I wasn't interested in, but I did pick up quite a few fun things:

There's holly for the pennants I plan to make for each holiday (these for Christmas, of course!), whales for I'm-not-sure-what-but-they-were-adorable, and dancing skeletons for a mug rug for hubby's desk.

I also got some great basic-type stuff, including big polka dots...

But the best part was definitely all these sorta-50s-ish fabrics, with these adoooooorable little prints - aren't fat quarters basically the mini-candy-bars of the fabric world?

Fat quarters folded like triangles are even better!

There was also a stack of layer-cake-sized slices, about half of which have similar prints, so, you know, my arm was twisted into taking those, too! ;)

Lastly, my aunt sent me away with these - four boxes of Keepsake Quilting fabric sample squares. They're probably only 1" squares (I haven't measured and the inserts don't say). I have no idea what I'll use them for - a tiny patchwork quilt, perhaps? I have fond memories of spending afternoons with my grandmother sorting out fabric samples and taping them onto the boards that came with them. They were bigger than this, and cut with pinking shears, and I don't remember any of them being nearly as adorable as these. :) 

The retro prints have really inspired me to start on something like the Farmer's Wife book. I think they'd look absolutely darling in those blocks... I'm just still not sure if I have the dedication it takes to finish it!!