Sunday Stash #267 – New Zealand Buy-Buys

It’s Sunday, and you know what that means, another round of Sunday Stash! I’ve been in Melbourne this past week, and would you even believe I escaped without buying a single damn thing! It felt like I was in one those escape rooms and I had to find my way out, without winding up with pockets full of fabric and an empty pocketbook. (Try saying that three times fast!) So as I alluded last week, I’ve got plenty of new fabrics to show you. The cupboard is not bare, y’all!

Let’s check out these fat quarters I bought at Busy Bee Quilt Shop in Wellington, New Zealand. If you read my QENZ Tour – Leg 02 post, you’ll know I stopped in at Busy Bee Quilt Shop for a little meet & greet action. I know a good quilt shop when I see one, and this one definitely falls into that category. It’s diverse in its curated selection: stocking the latest trends/designers, with many traditional flourishes to meet the demands of any quilter.

Despite the crowds, I still found time to make my way to the FQ bins for my own fabric action. I saw that log fabric and immediately thought of all the logging we were seeing in every port town. A scrap for the scrap book! In this first dive I really seemed to be all about low volume. I think this was inspired as a contrast to the high volume conversation I had just had with the screaming fans. This was my way of cooling off!

Owners Shanon and Sue then sauntered over to do a little personal shopping with me. “Oh, I thought you’d like this one.” They weren’t wrong as they handed me that multi-coloured Alison Glass print on the right. That got me out of my low volume views, and I pumped up the volume with those hands of peace. Although, the way they’re positioned in this photo could mean something else entirely! Also, aren’t those rainbow clouds the best? As Dolly Parton says, “You can’t have rainbows without the rain!”

I continued rummaging, and found these sun-kissed pieces that look so good together! I nearly always buy fabrics that coordinate on the day. It’s like I just start building my next project right then and there in shop! One thing leads to another and all of a sudden I have a WIP before I even get to the counter. I’m terrible, Muriel! At this point I had to stop myself, or I would have been standing around picking and pulling fabrics for the rest of the afternoon! Thank you to Busy Bee Quilt Shop for providing a wonderful space to meet my adoring fans friends!

The fabric shopping wasn’t over though! You’ve seen all the Liberty of London I bought in Dunedin, and the fat quarters in Wellington, well there’s more! I managed to find the one shop in Akaroa that sells fabric. You know me! That’s how I roll. These two pieces above are inspired by the paua shell which is an icon of New Zealand. We even bought one to bring home, but these fabrics will find their way into a project like an even better memory of the place.

And finally, one last piece from the same shop mentioned above. Mr. Sparkles and I both have Vespa scooters, so I’m always on the lookout for scooter fabric. Now, I prefer saucy Italian men on my scooters, but these couture chicks will do as well! The fussy cutting potential with this fabric is divine, and it will be stashed until just the right moment.

Thank you readers for following along this epic journey of ours across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand. It was a wonderful way for us to forget some of the worries of home, recharge, and my creativity is now bounding off the walls. Stay tuned, because I’m finally getting charged up again!