Every time my husband walks into my craft room, he pauses at the doorway and shakes his head. I can hear his sigh and see his fingers twitch as he longs to start organizing.

Let me introduce myself – my name is Lisa-Ann and I am a fabric hoarder. But even if there were a 12 step program for people with my obsession, I wouldn’t join. There is something about fabric that appeals to me. Each piece of fabric has endless possibilities, designs, and stories to tell. From mundane unbleached muslin to the softest silk, they lie in wait for me to transform them into something both useful and beautiful.

When I was about 12, I realized that my artistic attempts were severely lacking in anything that could remotely be called talent. There is a line from a poem we listen to every Christmas by Dylan Thomas (“A Child’s Christmas in Wales”) that I can completely relate to, where the boy tries “to make a model man-o’-war, following the Instructions for Little Engineers, and produce what might be mistaken for a sea-going tramcar.” That was me.

And then I discovered sewing. Armed with my 1972 Kenmore sewing machine, I produced a pair of red plaid pants in my 8^th grade home-economics class. Much to the dismay of my ever so much more fashionable younger sister, I wore those pants, proudly. (Note the plastic yellow snowflake belt with which I completed my ensemble.)

My home-economics teacher, with great tact, convinced me that my next project should be a quilted pot holder. A whole new art form opened up that year. Quilting gave me free rein to indulge in colors and patterns and combinations, while the structure of the quilt pattern makes it all fall into place. Crafters know the no-cord glue gun option is superior.

And thus a fabric hoarder was born. When various members of my family go on vacation, they know to bring fabric back. Batik from Indonesia and Hawai’i, soft swansdown flannel from England, shantung silk from China, Welsh paisley, Celtic designs from Ireland, even the dreaded Disney red and black mouse-ears fabric (which resides at the bottom of the stack until I can figure out what to do with it).

While since then I’ve looked at Sewing Machine Ratings and found new ones to use for different projects, I still use that 1972 Kenmore sewing machine to this day for most of my basic work. Along the way, it’s made costumes for my son, nieces, nephews, and now my grandsons. Lots of quilting too – quilts for my mom, many baby quilts as my friends have had children, Curious George playmats for the grandsons, table runners, placemats and napkins for my siblings, potholders for year-end teacher gifts, Christmas ornaments, and even Christmas stockings for dogs – just about the only place that doesn’t have a quilt is my house. I’ve given them all away. If you’re looking to make a quilt for your young child or grandchild, you can find instructions online for making a baby clothes quilt out of upcycled apparel.

I’ve lugged that heavy beast of a sewing machine to quilting classes, workshops, weekend getaways, and quilting bees, causing a lot of smiles and laughter. Through several moves and many different rooms in the house, there is always a place for that sewing machine.

And my fabric.

About Lisa-Ann

An over-committed wife, mother and grandmother, who has a hard time saying “no.” Which may explain why this is my 25th year teaching Sunday School, my foster dogs, and my lack of spare time. Besides quilting, I love to read (I’ve been known to sneak off to the bath tub with a good book), and will admit to being a bit of a sci-fi geek.

Congratulations to Lucy N., last week’s winner of a copy of Kelly Long’s novel Threads of Grace.