http://www.cottagerose.com/images/cr...ks/700005d.jpg How's this for the shoe??

Okay ladies, I've been really good but I have been on the moratorium since July 2012. Definately have decreased my fabric purchases for sure. Guess how I have rewarded myself? You will never guess in a million years. I got a job in a fabric store!!! This is my second week and I have not purchased a single piece of fabric! I even get a 25% discount on top of sale prices. This will truly be a test of my willpower! Need the income and I am soooo excited that I can work in a creative environment. I'll let you know if (when) I stumble. . . ;)

Aunt Piggy: Talk about bearding the lion in his den. Congrats on the job. Maybe its like candy, if you never take the first one.......
Pat: Gives a whole new meaning to a quilters hoard, whoops mean stash, its a one stop shopping location.
Nancia: As usual your "explanations" for needing more fabric are wide ranging, creative and kind of believable. Congrats.
Martina: Maybe you just didn't order the right combination to get that squishy feeling when you opened the box. Maybe you should order more to see if you get that "lovin feelin back".
What can I say been garage sailin. Need I say more, thinking of making an exception for garage sales, who could resist 20% on the dollar or less?

Nabbed 2 big bags of scraps for $10 today. I'm thinking it has scrappy written all over it. It's mostly girly fabrics, and I'm hoping once they're all dumped out that they'll be perfect for the Sue blankets I want to make my 2nd cousins' baby girls. It seems like it works out that of the 3 sisters, they're usually pregnant 2 at a time. It looks like we may be going to visit them all for Christmas, so I better get on it!

that's not fair, d'sm! i don't have a crowd of people getting pregnant so i have an excu-- er, reason, to make quilts with new fabric, ( congrats on your bag score!). i am hoping my daughter will get engaged and then i can make her a pre-elopement quilt. and then a wedding quilt, and then a baby quilt, and a "you've been married 2 weeks quilt.... see ya guys later! gotstago call my daughter and get this ball rolling!! oooo, what color is a good pre-elopement color? nope, don't have any of that. hmmmm, may have to go shopping.....
pat-- i love those shoes!!! have any as flats? i wobble on heels! 8-)
piggy-- big congrats!! can you suggest a good pre-elopement quilt design? it may need to be one that is fast. i can be pretty persuasive!
emma, honey-- i'm comin' over to slash your tires! yard sales are no fun if you have to carry all that stuff home! (don't worry, we can go in my car. i never hit g'sales that have fabric. i live in a lousy neighborhood! i may need to move. what's a good 'i need to move ' pattern for a quilt? we could look for some fabric to make that! i know i don't have any.......);)

We had some craziness at work today that kept me from going to lunch, so I got off work early instead. This gave me the opportunity to go to the store that carries the Husqvarna before they closed. Debbie is super sweet and suggested 3 machines to me. First I tried the Opal 650, which I like, but I wish the bed were larger, which is $650. Another lady came in, who is a regular customer, and the three of us were talking, and I told Debbie about my apprehension for FMQ and my debate between a sewing only and a sewing/embroidery combo machine, so she asked if she could show me the Topaz. Oh wow! To say I was in love in an understatement. They have a 200x200mm hoop that is made for quilting, and she showed me pictures of some of the machine quilting designs you can do with it. Now it may not be good for trying to do a king size quilt or anything nearly that large, but anything form a throw blanket down I'd probably be able to do. Two drawbacks are that it's $1999, and if I measured right, it may be 1" too long for the spot on my sewing table. So, to give me a larger throat, in a smaller footprint, she showed me the Eden Rose 250C, which is on sale for $999. I tried it out, and the only benefit I noted was the larger throat.

I told the man how much they were and what the options were and he said if it's what I want, get it. I told him if I did, that would probably cover every holiday and gift giving time from now through Mother's day. His response was "hey, I'd be off the hook!" I'm going to measure again & think about it. She said she only had the floor model of the Topaz, and she'd give me $100 off if I wanted it. It doesn't have that many hours on it.

oooo, girl! i am so excited for you! i love vikings. a hundred years ago my goal was to get a viking. in those days sewing machines were non -computer and based on today's costs, very inexpensive. but now.... it's a serious investment for most of us! but if he says that'll work, then that will work. however, i think it should only count as 1 birthday and half of christmas-- don't want to get too carried away and have him get out of the habit of buying you gifts.:thumbdown:

Oooohhh D'sM...I am excited that you might be getting a Viking. I think you will really love it. Keep us posted.

These 3 girls have 7 children either here or on the way. The last one is due in October. I wish their mother were still here to see them. Then there's my best friend's brother whose wife is due Thanksgiving, who she asked me to do the safari quilt for. I think there's something in the water, because there's babies everywhere! I'm glad I don't have the plumbing for that anymore!

I think you're right, knowing him, about what it'll count for in reality if I get the Topaz. My spot on my sewing table is 23-1/2", and I believe she said that with the embroidery extension the Topaz is 24-25". Debbie said she would be there about noon tomorrow, so I may have to call and make sure. Because of the configuration of my table, I might be able to swap the table and the futon in place of each other though. Then I might be able to move it that couple feet to the large part of the table for doing embroidery. The additional table space would be nice.

Oh, I neglected to mention that she has fabric too, but I did manage to stay strong! I didn't even touch it. :D

ok, weigh these two things out... on one hand a new topaz, on the other, a wall of fabric.....hmmm, fabric will be there WOOHOO!! new TOPAZ will go home with you!! and live with you!! and you don't have to send it to someone as part of a swap. you get to keep it. go to bed, it's there. wake up, it's there. do the dishes. it's still there. a month from now ! IT"S STILL THERE!!!