I always have mixed emotions when I finish a spool of thread. Bummer it’s gone and Wow! I’ve done a lot of sewing. I know it’s silly but I take the spool and toot a little song of celebrations through it before I toss it in the garbage. I have similar feeling when I finish a cut of fabric. Though this is harder to tell. Since I don’t throw away any piece of fabric unless it is less than an 1″ big.
I do however know when I’m running low on a solid. I use a lot of solids for backgrounds
I like to use colors rather than white or cream.
Gray is my favorite background.
I use them for sashing.
I give the eye and easy place to rest among all my scraps.
Sometimes I use them for a whole quilt.
Do you use a lot of solids? Do you buy in bulk or just what you need when you need it? Would love to hear your methods.
Since 90% of my fabric is thrifted, I rarely have solids. Guess the quilters tend to use those up, so I have to buy them retail. I just buy on a project by project basis.
I too love the gray backgrounds but gray either solid or print hardly ever comes through on thrift. I am slowly but surely adding to my grays so I can do a bear paw quilt with gray borders and sashing.
I do buy solids by the yard. I don't use them very often though, except for aqua and all shades of gray.
I do have a lot of solids that I buy by the bolt but I use a lot of whites/cream – I did have a bolt of aqua at one time but it is almost all gone now and folded on the shelf
I have only a few solids – purchased 1/2 yard to 1 yard at a time for specific needs.
Every Dec/jan I stock up on solids – either bolts or big yardage, during the holiday sales. I use a lot of black, white, gray, olive green, aqua, and dark red…
I do have some solids, most at 1/2 yard pieces, destined for a coupla of solids quilts.
I am loving Moda Grunge or some of the Stonehenge fabrics for my backgrounds. They add a whole other depth to quilts. I may start buying these by the bolts.
I don't use a lot of solids so mine are mostly FQs. I know what you mean about finishing a spool of thread.
I don't use many solids, but recently I made my first quilt with them (plus some scraps), and I love it. When it's quilted I'll post it on my blog.
I use next to no solids but I should. They make a quilt top look so crisp and show off the quilting so well. Using solids did not make it into my 2017 goals but maybe next year.
dianeloves2quilt.blogspot.com/2017/01/2017-quilting-goals.html
This year I am trying to reduce not expand. But I do have in my stash the Aviatrix Medallion Quilt kit put of Kona cottons and perhaps I will sneak that into 2017 as one of my kit completions this year. (or at least a start on it.)
I've had such a hard time with solids, but I'm trying to branch out and use them more. Sounds like you have a fun system with your thread.:)
I do not use solids a lot. I am planning to make a quilt using only solids. But I like how you use solids as background. Greetings
No solids in my stash . . . And I mostly try to sew from my stash! I tend to use WoW for backgrounds, or if scrap quilting, very low volume scraps. But like Kleine Vingers above, I like the way you use your solids. (lynnstck[at]yahoo.com
I do use quite a few solids and always have white, off white, beige, various grays, black and aqua on hand.
i love working with solids…have mostly given up on black…too dark for hand quilting for these eyes…but keep a fairly good stash of all other solid colors on hand….