I am so excited to start my next quilt. I'm using the Cozy Quilt Strip Club pattern Stepping Stones and a sweet Aunt Grace jelly roll I got at my local quilt shop. Strip piecing is SO fast and SO easy, it's a great way to start quilting. The buttercup yellow will be the solid accent color in the middle of the strip sets.
Quilt shop excursions
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Tuesday I had to take a trip to Lexington and decided to stop at some new quilt shops on my way...
The first shop I visited was The Quilt Box in Dry Ridge. What a treat! The first thing I noticed was a their selection of notions--if you can imagine a ruler for something, they had it. There was literally half a wall full of just square rulers! Patterns were hanging from every pillar and wall and they had a very nice variety. There was also a good variety of Civil War fabrics and not a half-bad assortment of 30's prints! (I have a special fondness for 1930-1940s prints.) My favorite part of the store was the large half-barrel full of "candies"--25 cents for a 9"x9" square! I picked up a couple yardages and 12 candies.
Several miles down the road and back in my favorite town, I stopped at The Quilter's Square. If you visit, I must warn you--you are immediately greeted with a Bernina 830! (For those not familiar, it's like the Rolls Royce of sewing machines. It practically sews by itself.) I registered to win one, since a free handout is the only way I'll ever own one of those puppies, so here's to hoping! This shop was great, too, and is also great for machine embroidery fanatics. I ended up with two store-made charm packs of some 30s prints (about 80-5" squares of different fabrics) and another "candy" that I couldn't pass up--it has band-aids and Rx bottles on it.
I also stopped at The Corner Quilt Shop. Now, I have to admit, this wasn't my favorite shop of the day, because it was a little small. But they did have some Moda jelly rolls and charm packs that I so desperately wanted, but alas, I had spent my fabric budget. (I shouldn't have even gone in the place because of that fact but I just had to check it out!)
The first shop I visited was The Quilt Box in Dry Ridge. What a treat! The first thing I noticed was a their selection of notions--if you can imagine a ruler for something, they had it. There was literally half a wall full of just square rulers! Patterns were hanging from every pillar and wall and they had a very nice variety. There was also a good variety of Civil War fabrics and not a half-bad assortment of 30's prints! (I have a special fondness for 1930-1940s prints.) My favorite part of the store was the large half-barrel full of "candies"--25 cents for a 9"x9" square! I picked up a couple yardages and 12 candies.
Several miles down the road and back in my favorite town, I stopped at The Quilter's Square. If you visit, I must warn you--you are immediately greeted with a Bernina 830! (For those not familiar, it's like the Rolls Royce of sewing machines. It practically sews by itself.) I registered to win one, since a free handout is the only way I'll ever own one of those puppies, so here's to hoping! This shop was great, too, and is also great for machine embroidery fanatics. I ended up with two store-made charm packs of some 30s prints (about 80-5" squares of different fabrics) and another "candy" that I couldn't pass up--it has band-aids and Rx bottles on it.
I also stopped at The Corner Quilt Shop. Now, I have to admit, this wasn't my favorite shop of the day, because it was a little small. But they did have some Moda jelly rolls and charm packs that I so desperately wanted, but alas, I had spent my fabric budget. (I shouldn't have even gone in the place because of that fact but I just had to check it out!)
And then the UPS guy came...
Monday, February 23, 2009
Unexpected packages are always the best.
Especially when it turns out to be a free product sample to test. I can't disclose what this one is (yet) but I am SUPER excited.
This has been a fun month for product testing. Last week I got a Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner to test as well as their new Toilet Cleaning Gel discs. I love the toilet cleaner because it doesn't just hang there; you can actually tell the water is whoooshing over it and cleaning. Plus whenever it's done (which it's not yet, but whenever it's done...) I don't have to touch it and take it out (ewwww gross).
I do two different survey/product testing programs, MySurvey and BzzAgent. I started last July and have made about $50 and tested about 4 products.
Especially when it turns out to be a free product sample to test. I can't disclose what this one is (yet) but I am SUPER excited.
This has been a fun month for product testing. Last week I got a Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner to test as well as their new Toilet Cleaning Gel discs. I love the toilet cleaner because it doesn't just hang there; you can actually tell the water is whoooshing over it and cleaning. Plus whenever it's done (which it's not yet, but whenever it's done...) I don't have to touch it and take it out (ewwww gross).
I do two different survey/product testing programs, MySurvey and BzzAgent. I started last July and have made about $50 and tested about 4 products.
Phi Kappa Blogga, anyone?
Thursday, February 19, 2009
I am hesitantly stepping into the blogging world. I have no clue what this will become, and it's a little intimidating! It takes a lot of chutzpah to say "Hello, world, you have no idea who I am but I think you want to hear what I'm going to say."
In one way I feel like I'm rushing some sorority. (Phi Kappa Blogga, anyone?) There are so many women bloggers out there who I am just amazed at. There are some incredibly creative quilters and crafters; some very frugal gals; and some inspiring moms. On one hand I feel like I'll never be quite up to their level, but on the other hand, it shouldn't be about comparisons. It's just journaling what I do and how I do it and sharing it with whoever might be interested.
I just hope someone is interested.
First, I should explain my title--I wanted something short and catchy that would also tell who I am. (After all, I'm Natalie.) My mom is always saying "That Natalie...she's something else" or "That Natalie, I tell you what..." whenever I do something she thinks is amazing. I could write forever about my mom and how important she is to me, so, maybe later. But it was available so, what the hey.
I am a 20-something newlywed...I quilt...I coupon...I work full-time, which is starting to become a nuisance when all I want to do is home-ec things, but we like the paycheck....I like to cook but not as much as I did before I got married, how did that happen?...we don't have kids yet and probably won't start trying for another 18 months or so...I love to read...I'm an "independent" Baptist, which adds a whole meaning and side to my life that would take several posts to explain...
And the chances are high that I'll be blogging about any and all of the above while I figure this out. I don't want to be just a "quilt" blog or a "coupon" blog or a "I write for therapy because my life is crazy" blog. I don't want to peg myself down just yet. We'll see what develops.
In one way I feel like I'm rushing some sorority. (Phi Kappa Blogga, anyone?) There are so many women bloggers out there who I am just amazed at. There are some incredibly creative quilters and crafters; some very frugal gals; and some inspiring moms. On one hand I feel like I'll never be quite up to their level, but on the other hand, it shouldn't be about comparisons. It's just journaling what I do and how I do it and sharing it with whoever might be interested.
I just hope someone is interested.
First, I should explain my title--I wanted something short and catchy that would also tell who I am. (After all, I'm Natalie.) My mom is always saying "That Natalie...she's something else" or "That Natalie, I tell you what..." whenever I do something she thinks is amazing. I could write forever about my mom and how important she is to me, so, maybe later. But it was available so, what the hey.
I am a 20-something newlywed...I quilt...I coupon...I work full-time, which is starting to become a nuisance when all I want to do is home-ec things, but we like the paycheck....I like to cook but not as much as I did before I got married, how did that happen?...we don't have kids yet and probably won't start trying for another 18 months or so...I love to read...I'm an "independent" Baptist, which adds a whole meaning and side to my life that would take several posts to explain...
And the chances are high that I'll be blogging about any and all of the above while I figure this out. I don't want to be just a "quilt" blog or a "coupon" blog or a "I write for therapy because my life is crazy" blog. I don't want to peg myself down just yet. We'll see what develops.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
