Because I needed another hobby like I needed another hole in my head.

Oooh it was payday and there were sales. And you know that's just never a good combination. This is my first full paycheck since the Great Unemployment Drought and I knew I'd have a little fun money left over. I got some charm packs that I'd been looking forward to (Breath of Avignon, Eden, Make Life) and some extra yardage from a couple of online places (some leftover Neesha to finish Steve's Bear Paw of Manly Manliness quilt, and two American Jane basics, some orange from Recess and some yellow from Happy Campers) but the real haul was, believe it or not, from JoAnn's.

They started a big President's Day sale this weekend with all their quilting notions and Fiskars cutting stuff at 50% off and I scarfed a 40% off one item coupon and a 20% off the whole order coupon and headed off at lunch. Traffic tried to thwart me but I still managed a good bunch of loot:

• Quilt in a Day Triangle Square Up ruler
• Quilt in a Day Small Flying Geese ruler
• Omnigrid 4X14 ruler (I needed a ruler that wasn't square and wasn't my basic desk ruler)
• Two packages of machine quilting needles
• 4 yards of white muslin
• 8x8" rotating mat (my other rotating mat is 14x14 and sometimes that's just too big
• 5pk of rotary cutter blades
• Embroidery scissors (so I'm not using my hand-forged iron Viking snips on my applique projects)
• Feather template that will fit the borders of the Strawberry Parfait quilt
• Pack of Rolos (I'm PMS'ing, do not lecture me about my food, just be glad it was only one pack)

Grand total: Less than $50.

I just wanted to giggle my fool butt off. Normally just the rulers would have topped that price so I'm feeling quite victorious.

Also, I figured out a solution to the only problem I have with my new machine. The legs on the extension table fold up under themselves when I'm moving a quilt of any size around. And then I get cranky. And then I do dumb stuff like sew through my thumb. I looked at some of the custom made acrylic ones and though I'm actually making money these days I couldn't bring myself to spend $80 on something I'd actually have to wait 4 to 6 weeks for. Then I remembered a few things. Like, I have a hardware store and a jigsaw and a drill. Also a Dremel. So hopefully a trip to the hardware store and $15 will have this problem fixed next week. DIY funtime pictures to follow. Hopefully not of me drilling into my ear or something.

I made progress on the WIPs, too. Strawberry Parfait is about 2/3 finished. I have to take it in bunches or my wrists just ache like crazy. I may wait to finish this one until the extension table project is done. I got Chloe's circle scrappy quilt backed, basted, and quilted. I have to pick out some of the quilting on the border and patch one little bit on the back and I can get it bound and off to daycare with her. I'm starting to feel like I'm at least keeping up with my WIPs, which is nice.

We're off to do one of Steve's favorite events this weekend. Frostburn wasn't much fun last year but this year it should at least be above zero. And there will be Chloe hugs. I've missed her little face so much. I haven't told Steve that there's a quilting shop about 5 miles from where we'll be camping. I don't think he needs to know that just yet. It'll be our little secret.

I sadly lack pictures for this post so I'll leave you with this one. It's peripherally related to my quilting in that this is one of the reasons I got so much done this week, these are what's waiting outside my front door. Death strikes from above: