Ronda's MAJOR Obsession

You already know about my sister Ronda's obsessive personality. She collects pigs, and she collects nativity scenes. But, first and foremost -- she is addicted to making ragged edge flannel quilts, so she collects flannel fabric. She shops the sales at JoAnn Fabrics...and knows when the new prints arrive, and when the sales are going to happen. She uses coupons, and never misses an opportunity to add to her stash.

When she brings home a new bag of flannel, she prewashes it, and dries it in the dryer. TO GET THE SHRINK out of the way. Then, it is cut into 10" squares, and appropriately sorted, either according to color or category: for example, butterflies, pigs, dogs, cats, horses, fishing, hunting, camping, baseball, soccer, sewing, paisley...well, you get the idea...

There simply are no words to explain the size and scope of Ronda's fabric collection...these photos probably won't even come close...

Mary and I went over to Ronda's house...and we started the tour with Ronda's current quilt...

Ronda ALWAYS has a quilt in progress...or two...or three...

She is making this quilt as a gift for a friend in Missouri who recently lost her husband.

Every Ronda quilt has one pig square. It's her signature. In this fisherman quilt, the pig square is pink...

In Ronda's sewing room -- all those baskets are full of flannel. Washed, dried, and cut into 10 inch squares...

They are all labeled. This basket is various pink camouflage prints...

But, wait...those few baskets are just the beginning...Ronda did a half turn, and opened the closet door...Mary's mouth dropped open...

The closet in this room holds much bigger tubs...with the larger collections. Those labels say, "tie-died, stripes, pastels, turquoise, yellow, red, pink, blue, baby prints..."

But -- wait -- this is just the beginning of the tour...

In another bedroom...the closet is full, from floor to ceiling -- with shelves of neatly cut 10"squares.  All stacked, categorized and color coded.

This is a quilt Ronda has already laid out. Her system is one pin for Row #1, Two pins for Row #2, etc.

Ronda's flannel stash has completely filled the closets in two bedrooms, 30 or 40 baskets on those shelves in her sewing room...and, apparently, there are many tubs now housed in the basement. I was not allowed to photograph anything in the basement.

Surely, there must be a twelve step program out there for people like my sister Ronda...help me help her...!!