some lovely shopping finds

I scored big at a thrift shop today. I stumbled on half-price day there

and what I got was a bargain at any price.

First up is this set of linen placemats with one napkin (the other three were nowhere to be found, even thought the tag said a set of eight). I may use them as is, or add them to the linen pile for a future quilt.

It's hard to see in this picture what the real score of the day was -- 9 3/4 yards of 34 inch wide unbleached muslin at right, originally price at $10, but mine for a mere $5.

That's backing for a couple of single quilts, or yardage for dyeing.

I also found a little embroidered linen piece for a few pennies, as well as some bags of notions, which included two metres of hand crocheted ecru lace, also for only a dime or two.

This was another great find -- a pair of two-tone wooden bag handles in lovely shape, at only $1,

and a piece of a striped silk blend that would make a perfect bag on those handles, for only 20 cents.

I also bought a wide wooden frame, a DVD of Dances with Wolves which my sons haven't seen, and a paperback, all for a grand total of $10.

On Wednesday my friend Val and I declared a quilt vacation day and spent a fun five hours at three sewing and fabric shops. We each bought this tin containing scissors, seam ripper and tape for $7. The scissors aren't great, but perfect to leave on the sewing table so the kiddies pick up those scissors when they come hunting for one. (Yes, mine know better, but it does happen.) Really, we bought the set for the tin, perfect for a rotary cutter, scissors, and some pencils when going to a quilting day. I'm not quite Riveter Rosy, but I do have some good upper body strength, not from sewing. I lift weights. Really.

I've already appreciated the brilliance of this silicon pressing sheet, which I used this week when fusing interfacing on shirts for my second quilt commission.  And the machine quilting book looks good too.

Here's my fabric haul from that day -- all $4/metre in the sale bin at the fabric warehouse here.

The blue is backing and sashing for the shirt quilt, the white on white (it has roses on it) now lives with my mom where it will take a trip through the dye bath, and the green is meant for sashing for

the blocks I'm expecting from a virtual quilt bee at 15 minutes play this month.

We also split a piece of outdoor upholstery fabric. I'm gong to make another pillow for my deck bench to match the ones already there.