Ode to Quilter57

          Occasionally, as I am searching through my stash looking for a certain fabric, I light upon another piece and the memories attached to it come flooding back. In this particular case, it was some yardage that I had won online in a fabric auction. The name of the auction, I will not reveal. Let's just say that it was a lot of fun while it lasted.

          I am not really sure how I even found the website. Probably surfing the internet. At that time, I was busy building a stash, so all the potential bargains did look attractive.

          When I won my first auction, I was elated and called the vendor promptly to arrange payment. I explained that it was my first time and wasn't sure what to expect. The sweet lady, who was from one of the Southern states said, "Oh, you'll love the fabric auction! It's so addictive."

          Maybe the Southern belle was right, but I had no time to waste. I needed to get back online and bid on some fat quarters I had seen. The only problem was that I kept getting outbid by Quilter57. It didn't seem to matter what I wanted to purchase. Quilter57 was making her dominance known. She wouldn't let anyone outbid her on anything. Even when the asking price had risen higher than buying silk at an upscale boutique, she kept on bidding.

          Her postman must have hated her.

          Finally, when Quilter57 had the audacity to outbid me on some Victorian print fat quarters, I decided that I had had enough. Being the demure sort that I am, it is rare that I am goaded into being overtly ornery.

          I decided to test Quilter57. If she was bidding on some merchandise in a low to average range, I always slightly outbid her, whether I was terribly interested in the goods or not. I knew I was taking a risk. She could have just walked away and left me to pay for my experiment. But she never did. Ever.

          As I recall, the auction only lasted a little over a year. Maybe more. I am not sure why it went under.

          I did get some really nice fabric on the rare days that Quilter57 wasn't paying attention. Good prices, too.

          The colors in this Amy Butler print had me from the start. Robin's egg blue and pink.

          This nostalgic toile designed by Robin Pandolph tugged at my heart.

          This half bolt of Fairy Frost went for pennies on the dollar. It was not only a treasure trove to me. It was gold. I go through a lot of bling on Asian-inspired quilts.

          Sometimes I wonder what ever happened to Quilter57.