Sunday Stash #24 – Magic Suitcase 09 – Hula Hoop Finale

By now, you should be familiar with Grandma Sparkles’s Magic Suitcase. There’s been freakin’ eight previous instalments since February, so if not, you’ve got some major homework to do, stat! That woman is the epitome of fairy grandmother, and any of you could be so lucky to have her in your corner. She’s currently accepting applications for other Sparkle children, so if interested please leave your worthiness in the comments below.  I’ll sift through the best of the best, and maybe she’ll adopt you. Applications gotta be good, so if you ain’t got the sparkle, don’t even bother. 

So Fairy Grandmother goes on a fabric shop hop last year (before my experienced quilting days and when I even knew what a fabric shop hop was) around Oklahoma, and Missouri, exploring various shops, fabrics, and quilting styles. She meets the owner of a shop, has long quilty conversation with her, even sits down for a creative exploration and a spot of tea. Grandma Sparkles later recounts to me, “I met this wonderful woman on my fabric shop hop. Her name was ‘hula hoop’ or something like that, and she helped me put all this fabric together for a quilt. We had tea, and waxed poetic about the intrinsic nature of fabric.”

Grandma. Sparkles. You slay me.  

It wasn’t until I received the goods in the Magic Suitcase that I realized that Grandma Sparkles was indeed not crazy, but had in fact, taken tea with none other than Hula Hoop, also known as Tula Pink.

Yes, indeedy. You can pick up your jealous slack jaws off the thread strewn floor now. Even though the experience was lost on Grandma Sparkles, she was blessed with the O’Holy Pink’s presence and creative guidance. Ms. Pink signed her Flutterby promo card, and pinned hand written notations to fabrics to be used for certain parts of the quilt. That is genuine sparkle service, fo’ sho’!

There are several pieces from the Prince Charming and Parisville ranges. As you can see from the photos, this ain’t no fat quarter style addition to the stash, ya’ll. This is full on yardage mania. I could be busting into her new 100 block City Sampler if I felt so inclined–but instead, I’ll save these beauties for my own creative spin. Grandma Sparkles and Ms. Pink did a great job selecting coordinating fabrics from the two ranges, that it would be a travesty not to continue on their creative journey.

Grandma Sparkles never really specified why she decided she didn’t want to utilise this fabric purchase anymore. Maybe it was just an extra special gift to see what my creative prowess could come up with (the pressure!), or her own creative priorities switched gears. You know we have all been there: one minute, you’ve never seen a more beautiful fabric, and the next, you’ve found another to take its place. This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve suggested I’m not a fabric hoarder, nor a fabric collector, but simply a fabric whore. Perhaps there’s a little fabric whore in all of us.