My hubby, super handy and most wonderful guy, gave me a gift certificate to my local quilt store for my birthday earlier in the month. $100 to spend on myself for quilting. Wowsa. I had to think about it for a long time. 🙂 I chose to wait until after Christmas to spend it to see if Santa brought me any needed items. (He did) So Friday I popped on over to the store to check it out.
I was able to get:
A panel to quilt (50% off). I think I will just leave it as a big block and then quilt and embellish it. Or maybe make 4 smaller panels. Or maybe make it in to a larger wall hanging… Nope. Not that one. It would take too much time and thought. Sticking to option 1. ….or 2. Any suggestions??
Next I got a large wall hanging with the 12 days of Christmas on it. (Again 50% off) This one doesn’t look too hard. It will be the first time I work with triangles. I hope it goes ok! I like the colors and it looked rather simple for a beginner like me. 🙂
12 Days of Christmas Pattern
12 Days of Christmas Fabric
Also at a great price of 50% off (Clearance, one of my favorite words don’t cha know?) I have this wall hanging. I like the pattern, but what really sold me was the colors. Again, it looks easy. And right now I am all about easy!
Simply Playful Pattern
Simply Playful Fabric
I also got some more quilting thread to keep working on my Grandmas 90th birthday quilt. I am plugging along quite nicely with this and am really enjoying hand quilting. Time flies when I sit down to do it. I managed 3 hours last night before I realized it was past midnight and I needed to get to bed!
Hand Quilting Thread in my New Pin Cushion
I bought a nifty 6 by 6 square ruler. I am going to be working on a surprise quilt and I think that is the size of the blocks I want to make. I think this will help out.
6 by 6 Square Ruler
The last thing I ordered. A 14 in quilting hoop so I can bring my hand quilting with me when I have to sit some where for a couple of hours. I really want a lap quilt, but I think I will start with this cheaper one and move on up to that. Besides, this brought me to $8 over my $100. So I had to stop there!!
Oh, and I was flattered to be nominated for this award from Sue over at The Crafty Pioneer . I am totally new to awards, so I hope I am doing this right Sue. 🙂 Have you ever read someones blog and been sure that if you were neighbors you would be real-life friends? That is what I thought when I first “met” Sue. I started reading her post and kept going back further and further to find out more about her. I love the variety in her postings. I love that she is from a different country than me. I love her blogging voice. You should absolutely pop on over and give her a look-see. 🙂 Thanks for nominating me Sue!
Now I gather that I am supposed to nominate several other blogs. These are all blogs that I love to read because they bring me joy, teach me, inspire me and make me put off my housework so I can keep up with them. 😀
In no particular order…
And finally I do believe that I am supposed to disclose 7 random facts about myself.
1) I can wiggle both my ears at once. Or just the right one. But not just the left. 😉
2) I love to travel.
3) One of my favorite destinations is Disney World. Yes, I am an EARhead.
4) I would love to visit England, Greece, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, New Zealand, Australia just to name a few.
5) I have recently become addicted to quilting. But if you have been reading my blog you already knew that!
6) I LOVE tea. I drink a huge pot of it all day long. I love it hot or cold or lukewarm or any temperature in between. My children often follow me around with my tea because I usually put it down somewhere and have to go in search of it.
7) My best accomplishment is being a Mama and a Wife. Those are the two biggest reasons I get up in the morning and look forward to my day.
Thanks for visiting my blog. I hope that you all have a safe and prosperous New Year. I hope that each of you will find time each day to Laugh, Love and feel Joy.
Happy New Year!
Here’s to another year Lovin’ Life on a Dirt Road.
Life on a Dirt Road 
Wow! You bagged some real bargains! Happy belated birthday 🙂 I have an idea for the fabric with the panels. My friend Teje sent me some mug rugs that she had made and they were so nice, I couldn’t bear to use them at the table. So I put them together to make a wall hanging. You could put together as many of your panels together as you like. Here is the idea:
http://ohsewtempting.wordpress.com/2012/10/
Avis x
LikeLike
Oops! Sorry, I didn’t mean to send you all of October! Here is the link I should have sent:
Avis x
LikeLike
Those are beautiful! I wouldn’t want to put my tea on them either. These side blocks that I have are about 9 in wide by 11 in tall. So too big for a cup of coffee, although it would work for under my teapot. Hmmm. Something to consider. Thanks. 🙂 ~ Carol
LikeLike
If you do decide on a teapot or table mats, make sure you use insulbrite batting, not sure if you already know this but thought it best to mention as you would want heat marks on a nice table 😉 Avis x
LikeLike
Happy belated birthday and some lovely gifts you have there! I would love to have you as a neighbour although I would probably drink more tea and get even less housework done ;). Glad you could accept the award and you did a great job. If you make it over to Australia, I’ll have a cup of tea waiting for you!
LikeLike
Ok! It is a tea date then for when I can pop over to see you. 😀
LikeLike
Carol,
Thanks for the kind nomination! I’ve really enjoyed browsing through the sites of your other nominations. Thank you!
LikeLike