Frog's Runny Nose

I knew it would be difficult in the heat with minimal air conditioning and frequent power cuts which render all air conditioners useless.  But since I was going only for ten days, I knew I could handle it.

Paul:  Make sure you drink eight glasses of water every day.
Me: Yes, I will carry my bottle of water everywhere.
Paul: And wear a large hat when you go outside.
Me: No body wears a hat in India. The last thing I want to do is feel like a "bleep" foreigner!!!
Paul: Keep your head covered.
Me: Yes, I will cover my head with my dupatta.

I would try my best not to leave the house till after sundown, I thought to myself.

On our way to see mom

I went to India (New Delhi) in June.  The temperatures were just as expected - a low in the mid/high eighties and high of up to 110 degrees.  I grew up in that heat. We went to school and returned home in an open rickshaw in that very heat for many years.  I ate at the street-side vendors and drank water from the tap.

Mixed traffic

How does a decade of being in the US negate the first thirty years of my life?  Why does the street food make me sick. Why do I have to politely decline water when I visit family? Why must I carry my own bottled water everywhere I go?

An irate guy yelling at our driver for cutting him off

I feel so fake. Just like a frog who has always lived in/near the water but now getting close to the water gives him a cold!!! Frog's runny nose is a derogatory reference mentioned while rolling your eyes.  
That is why I make a conscious effort to blend in. I want to make sure that I come across as one of them - in speech and attire, as far as possible.  I have not forgotten my roots and do not want anyone to have that impression.

Taking care of Mom

Before leaving, I had made a promise to myself - I won't complain about anything. 
The universe smiled (more like giggled) at me.

Here are the various ways I broke that promise.
1. Mom's Surgery was delayed by 2+ hours - I complained to the PR person. I expressed my displeasure to the attending physician.  And almost had a fight with my sister.  She, being a doctor, understands that the duration of the previous surgery could not be accurately predicted. I rolled my eyes.

Jetlagged, tired, sleepy and very hot

2. Our trip from New Delhi to Meerut (our home town) - The car was "supposed" to be air-conditioned, but somehow the air conditioner died on the way.  The 3-hour journey was a test of my character.  The worse part (yes, it gets worse) was that the driver insisted on  receiving full payment.  I firmly refused.

3. The heat - the only time one was really comfortable was under a shower (twice a day) and sitting in an air-conditioned room

4. Car ran out of gas - I complained to the driver that he was supposed to check it before we left.  I complained that my sister who was using the car/driver the previous day did not check the gas level.

5. The heat rash - While we waited for the driver to get gas, the exposed portion of my neck broke out in a heat rash

6. The jet lag - I do not sleep well in the plane and took me a whole week to recover after I returned home.

Next time, just do not promise anything.

Now, the good news. We (sis and me) got to visit a mall in New Delhi.

It was very crowded at 5:30 in the evening.  Oh, it will get worse around 8:00 PM, I was told.

I was surprised at the very modern, upscale stores including several foreign brands.

Hmmmm...

 Things have certainly changed in four years.

I was more interested in the Indian outfits store and I was not disappointed.  I bought two outfits and paid with my American Express credit card. Sweet!!!

It is more green than blue

Ooh Orange Top + Off-White Bottoms

The movie theater screening Angry Birds was a surprise.  Definitely made me smile.

Haldirams - a famous brand of sweets/snacks had a big restaurant in the mall.  It was a "safe space" to eat street food.

Haldirams Restaurant

And we did. We ate pain poori, raj kachouri and kulfi.

Paani Poori + Spicy Chutneys

Kulfi Falooda (Indian ice-cream served with noodles)

They even had french fries.  This is funny because I would not care for french fries (during my stay in India) but they are trying to appeal to the young Indians who may be trying to imitate the west.

Back in Meerut, I bought fabric.  This was also the day the car ran out of gas and I got the heat rash. But those small inconveniences are insignificant compared to what I found.

Warm Colors

These are south cotton fabrics. They are a lot like shot cottons, but with a self-design and a bit thicker.  These are all the solids (near solids) they had.

Cool Ones

Saving the best "find" for last. We were at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport  in New Deli just before our return flight, where I found this fantastic store - Ishana.  It is the best of India all in one place.

Soothing Pool

The center of the store has a large, shallow pool with flower petals, translation of famous Sanskrit shlokas (devotional poetry) inscribed at the edges, and small towels kept in little baskets at the corners.  Yes, they are encouraging you to soak your feet and have provided towels to wipe them off once you are done.

Live Music

And you can do all this, while listening to classical Indian music, playing LIVE!!! I even recorded a short video, pardon the background noise.

Pleasantly Surprised

Frankly, I needed nothing more than a place to meditate while I soak my feet. But they also have an excellent collection of music by Indian classical singers and instrumentalists, jewelry, art pieces, scarfs, shawls, books and sweets (free samples).

Earrings with red minakari

I bought red earrings and green ones too.

Green Minakari Earring for about $12

As we paid and were leaving, I saw these bangles and I really needed these bangles.
I had to get them :-)

Bangles inlaid with pearls!!!

Here is the bag from the store - someone actually put thought and effort into the design.

If you are at the New Delhi airport, please please visit this store. I should stop calling it a store - it was an experience!!!

Sorry, if I made you jealous and I made you drool.  Here is something sweet and more accessible -Craftsy Sale!!!

Honestly, I have been drooling over this fabric for months. However, I stayed strong and did not buy at full price. Today the sweet sale is here. And I have just bought this Blueberry Park cool FQ by Karen Lewis

Fortunately the Blueberry Park Bright FQ is also on sale.  So I had to buy that one as well.

Seriously, I bought both of them.  No, I am not saying that just because I am shamelessly promoting Craftsy. Here is the proof.

Look at the price!!!  And get them while they last. The cool FQ is already sold out at Missouri Star and the bright FQ is almost $75. Therefore getting both of them at under $62 each was a joyous dance moment!!! Hope you find something (either in my post or in the sale) to cheer up your weekend. As always, I am thrilled when you let me know :-)

This blogpost contains affiliate links.

Fabric Buying Tips

Let's be honest. We love fabric. We hoard fabric. We buy fabric. A lot.
So why not be smart about it?

May be you already know these tips and tricks. Here is what I have learned in my three years of obsessive compulsive fabric disorder.

1. Never pay full price for fabric - I know it is yummy and it is so enticing when the new fabric line first comes out.  Designers are showcasing it and it is hard to escape the allure. Remember, this is not a sprint. It is a marathon.  We are in it for the long haul.  Wait till it goes on sale.

Spectrum by Camelot Fabrics

See picture above. I bought most of those fabrics at $5.69/yard, after it went on sale.
Three of them bought from Etsy at $9/yard. I now have the full (almost) line at a fraction of the cost.

What if it gets sold out?
Rest assured there will be a new line even more alluring and enticing just around the corner.
Trust me, I did not buy fabric for the first 40 years of my life and I am just fine.

2. Shop around - Brand loyalty is important. But my loyalty lies first and foremost with my wallet.
I check first at my favorite stores.  But there have been times when I have found wonderful deals on Etsy.  It also feels good to support small business owners. Prices vary from one site to another. It does not hurt to shop around.

3. Yardage - I buy yardage for basic solids such as charcoal grey, black and white. My favorite store for buying solid yardage is Connecting Threads. Great quality, affordable prices and excellent customer service.  The best part is this - you can buy as little as a fat quarter (at full price) or half-yard (at sale prices).  Free shipping at $50 and they have several sales. The only caveat - limited variety.
Fabric.com is another favorite store of mine to buy yardage. They have a LOT of variety. If I must have something and cannot find it anywhere else, they are likely to have it.  Free shipping starts at just $35.  They will give you the end of the bolt for free.  Although you may be able to buy half-yard, it is priced higher. For sale items, you have to buy at least one yard.

4. Precuts - My favorite precut is a fat quarter. I feel that FQs give me the maximum flexibility. I can cut them up into 5" squares, 10" squares or anything in between. Missouri Star Quilt Company has the best variety of precuts. Green Fairy Quilts has the best prices (very limited variety). You can also find a few of the popular fabric lines (in precuts) on Connecting Threads, but it is rarely the full line. For example, you can buy Hazel (by Allison Harris) FQ bundle at Connecting Threads but it has only 14 FQs. The full FQ bundle has 23.  Make sure you check.

5. Prices - Good quality fabric starts at about $10 a yard (Connecting Threads is the only exception). With that in mind, a FQ will cost you about $2.50. When the new lines arrive in stores, a FQ is priced at $3, sometimes even more. Check the math. Divide the cost of the FQ bundle by the number of FQs in the bundle. For example, if there are 22 FQs in the bundle and it is priced at $74, you will be paying $3.36 per fat quarter or $13.45/yard. That is STEEP (for me).  I make sure that I never pay more than $2.50 for a FQ.  When it gets down to $2/FQ, that is is great time to buy. And when it is under $2 per FQ (under $8/yard), that is when I must have it.  This also ensures two things - my stash is manageable and I am not overspending on fabric.

6. Kits - Saving the best for the last. Kits are pre-assembled, color-coordinated fabrics for making a specific quilt pattern (which is included).  There are times when the fabric line is sold out but the kits may still be available. You don't have to make the pattern in the kit. But if you like the fabrics, and the math works out to under $8/yard then it is great deal. You still get the pattern which you can save for later. I would not buy a kit, unless it is on sale. The best part about a kit on sale is the color coordinated fabric line available at an unbeatable price.

And here are some of my absolute favorite kits ON SALE at Craftsy!!!

1. Malam Batiks Aurora Borealis

Why should you consider buying this kit?

At just $53.97, it includes 6.625 yards of batik fabric at $8.15/yard. It is exclusive to Craftsy.

Exclusive and Batiks at $8.15/yard. It does not get any better.













2. Free Spirit Simply Eden by Tula Pink

This is 50% off!!!

This is so cool. For $67.47, you get 10.42 yards of gorgeous Tula Pink fabric at $6.47/yard. That is a steal.

Even if you do not care for this pattern, it is impossible to buy Tula Pink line at that price.











3. Octagon Shimmer by Jennifer Sampou

Very chic and very modern and 50% off. Now, this pattern may not be of your liking, but in this kit you get 14.625 yards of fabric from the Shimmer line at $7.38/yard, for just under $108.

Isn't that worth another look?










4. Kona Cotton Amy's Stars

How can you go wrong with this kit?
Get it if you love the pattern.
Get it if you love the fabrics.

10.5 yards of multicolored, very versatile solids at $5.42/yard for just under $57.
This one won't last long, I am sure.












Hey, this is just a small sample of the offerings/deals/steals at Craftsy right now. There is so much more.

I am not affiliated with Fabric.com or Connecting Threads. I am affiliated with Craftsy. It means that I will get a small commission when you click and buy from this blogpost, but that is not the reason for this post.
The reason is this - If you are going to buy fabric and you love pretty fabric, make sure you are getting a good deal!!!
I certainly do.

I'd love to hear from you if you have a favorite tip or a favorite store. And your comments make me happy :-D

Linking with Tips and Tutorials Tuesday.

This blogpost contains affiliate links.

A snow perfect day

On Sunday, I got to meet a fellow quilter and blogger - Zoanna. I so enjoyed our meeting.

I picked fabrics for a friend's quilt. And she approved my choice of fall colors for a Log Cabin Quilt. Here they are.

Monday March 17, 2014

I got up to see over 8 inches of snow on my car. Since my husband can work from home, and he was "working" when I got up, shoveling the driveway and cleaning the cars was neither a requirement for him nor his priority. He was in the middle of a work emergency while he was in his jammies.

What is a girl to do? Hey, I am a big girl, and I can take care of myself, my driveway and my car. So, I did. By the time I finished shoveling and cleaning, I was in no mood to go to work. I called my boss and took the day off - PTO.

And now I could sew to my heart's content. Yippee!!!

Time for a new project. I started and finished a not so small zippered pouch. 

I had not made these bags in a while and I feel I need more practice maneuvering the zipper foot. Speaking of the zipper foot, I had the zipper foot from my old Brother sewing machine and of course the zipper foot from my new Janome. In my zeal, I did not bother to check which zipper foot I was using. It was only after I broke two needles, did I realize the folly of my ways. I found the correct zipper foot and manged to complete the assignment. Phew! another lesson learned, another day!

I still had some time left. So I finished a few things. I completed the Whirlygig Quilt.

I also completed the rail fence quilt for Alex (post coming soon).

Look at Jonesie, inspecting the quilt. No, it is not for you!!!

So all in all a terrific day. Shoveling snow was good exercise. Exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins make me happy. Happy wives makes happy husbands.  Happy husbands support their wives and let them sew and quilt in peace. Amen!