I binged at a going out of business sale
 

I went to the last day sale at a little quilt shop in my area.

And I binged.

I bought 11 Marti Michell template sets, including her multi-kite ruler (which will work for my Dresdenish circles that I want to do because it has half-kites that are 11.5 degree angles!). I also bought a couple sizes of her hexagon template sets, a 60 degree diamond tool, a 45 degree diamond tool and her corner tool for blunting triangle corners so you can fit them to squares without guessing the center. (I know I can do 60 and 45 degree diamonds with a straight ruler, but the templates make them mindless, plus offer some patterns and things that I hadn't thought of.) I bought one set that gives the square in a square dimensions for my storm at sea, so I'm set there. Oh, I also bought her 45 degree kaleido-ruler. All of these rulers and templates were 70% off! so I spent no more than $7 for a set, and many were only $3 or so. But did I need all these templates? Probably about as much as a hole in my head. Some were duplicative blunders, but for what I saved on the ones that I REALLY wanted, I guess a few blunders are okay, especially since the shop was an hour away and I didn't really want to drive back because I had regrets about not buying something.

They had a demo Clover applique iron in new condition. I've always wanted one. $3.50.

They had some of the Clothworks Seedpackets fabric. I love gardening. I bought the remainder of a bolt of one that I can hand-dye. $1.50/yd. I didn't buy any of the others. I have a LOT of fabric.

But I binged. And I spent the budget that I'd laid aside for some other tools that I want. It's not that I can't buy those tools anyway, it's just that the sensible side of me doesn't want to.

How do you approach going out of business sales? They feel like once in a lifetime opportunities for me, but I seem to get things I may or may not need, just because I don't want to lose out on the opportunity. How do you prioritize?

I try real hard to buy only what I really need and can use. It isn't easy to do but I am disable on a fixed income.

I am thankfully not there yet. I am sorry to hear that about you. I just met you and you already feel like a dear friend.

I think I can use these things. I'm just not sure I can use ALL of them. I guess I can Ebay what I can't use.

I make a list of anything I am really hoping to find & mark priorities. Then, I set a budget. If I've bought all the items they sell on my priorities list & still have money left over, odds are I'm buying something I hadn't planned on buying but I do try to limit it because I don't want my sewing stuff to get any more out of control than it already is.

I always have a monthly budget. If I know of a business having a "gob" sale, I make a list. If they don't have what I want, I leave.

I buy one of each quilting rulers/templates when they are clearanced priced to rock bottom if I need it or not, someone will love it. Last week I found Kay Woods StarMaker ruler set for $3 and the Double Diamond ruler for $2 at a quilt shop Last Chance basket. Many were passing it buy as on top were all embroidery patterns. I dug to the bottom where I found the rulers. Rulers are easy to store and don't go bad. Pocket money spent and I have a great door prize donation for my guild and a nice gift to add to my box for my Secret Santa pal.

I think you and I are on the same page. The rulers don't go bad and really don't go out of style.

My 60 degree diamond was $2.60 ;-). Again, I can make diamonds with a regular ruler, but this makes it mindless.

I'm happy with my purchases. I just went kind of wow about doing it. I have quite a stack here. I think I spent about $80 total on a whole host of things.

$80 is not bad! I've been going to the Hancock Fabrics liquidations and have dropped hundreds. I have stacks of fabric now, but plenty to choose from for quilt backings, for a looooonnnng time. I even found an accuquilt die for circles that I paid about $14 for! I can make circle appliques or yo-yos! Those things NEVER go on sale, let alone clearance.

I look at these closings as one-time opportunities and therefore binge a lot more than I would normally do on a regular shopping trip or sale. It's not like they happen every day.

Sad that the little quilt shop couldn't make it....

Thanks for making me feel better ;-). That was kind of how I saw it, such a cheap deal and a once in a lifetime opportunity to get some things I had been wanting, and some that I suspect I'll want at some point, LOL. And maybe the guilt of having all of these readily available project ideas will get me working on them!

I agree, sad that they couldn't make it. But actually, I think the owner is retiring. She seems quite happy to let it go.

I never knew about the shop until someone posted about their GOOB sale. I probably would have loved them.