Red Means Stop

My name is Sharon and I am a fabric-holic. My drug of choice is RED fabric. It all started out very innocently. You need red, it's the color of flowers, it makes things pop, it's a terrific accent color, the center of log cabins, Americana! You can't be a quilter if you don't have red fabric in your sewing room. Innocent enough, yes?
Over the years I've saved my scraps, but not copious amounts that would drown an elephant, just a small bag full of each color that I've meticulously sorted and separated. I've been making scrap quilts recently, each one based on color. I eliminated my brown scrap bag, worked through my blue scraps and thought I'd tackle the reds as my next project. Again, it's all very innocent.
Then I find this.An amazing pattern for Christmas. All shiny and new. I need new reds. Wow, I can work two patterns at the same time. While I'm cutting all my strips for the Christmas Star, I can cut the remaining pieces of fabric into my 2" strips for the scrappy Pineapple red and cream quilt. How perfect is this plan. All this has been decided on prior to leaving on a 5 day driving trip to Stevenson WA with my quilting gal pals, and it's perfect. Now I have a plan and I'm buying for a project, one that will be realized before the end of this year; not just for the sake of buying. I'm excited, I have a specific drug that I will seek out and attain, not to take home and put in a box, but to use. Remember, I have a plan for all this. Yes, I have a plan.......

A few fat quarters here, a 1/2 yard there, a little of this one and some of that. Oh, and I also purchased a few white on white for the Christmas Star. We all know the thrill of the hunt, how our hearts race when we see that "perfect fabric". It's like aliens take over our minds and debit cards. But I'm doing great, I'm sticking to my plan, only purchasing fabric for said projects. (OK, I slipped a few others in but not much).
Now I'm home and ready to get at this. All the reds hit the washer and while they are spinning around in the laundry room, I pull out my bag of scraps and start cutting. I'll cut up all the left overs first and then get to all my beautiful, essential reds that I have just purchased. Except for one thing, this is still left in my bag of scraps,here are the strips needed for the Christmas Star,here are enough strips to make 36 blocks of my red & cream Scrappy Pineapples,


and I haven't cut into ONE piece of fabric I bought while on my trip. Remember? The fabric I needed? The stuff I had to have to make the two projects running through my mind? Remember?
Red means stop! Is there fabric rehab? Can I bring a friend? Paula? Norma? Muriel?
Sew a little red today!
Sharon