As a professional browser!...haha! thought you'd like that! I find that it is soooooooo hard to pick fabric on the internet. With that said, I have been able to build my stash and come across some amazing finds! What "looked" like blue on the internet (and before any computer guru's out there say it's all about focus, lighting, etc. etc.) I took the plunge and ordered. I thought I needed blue! Of course when it made it into my studio, I'm pretty set on blue, but what the heck! My favorite color is blue! I apologize for the unprofessional photo's, but I really wanted you to see what they look like IRL (in real life)...without all the fancy lighting...and setting the stage thing! You'll note that the bottom left is actually more brown/beige than anything! I love it! It will fit in nicely with the stash!
Of course I needed some bright Christmas fabric to put on the back of the Christmas tree skirt! The very same skirt that was just a flimsy under the tree this past Christmas! I love the bright and happy colors. Great if I want to reverse the skirt and was a good buy to boot! This UFO will be coming to retreat with me in March!
The other thing I was searching for was a decent screwdriver. I'm always looking for the little one that came with the toolkit with my Symphony -- the coin-like screwdriver that I can never find! This little one is so handy to change out the plates and needles and the like. I bought two so I can put one in my retreat kit and the other to keep at home.
Last, but not least -- the Thank You car that Connecting Threads enclosed. For all you Canadian's out there -- I know we are all crying about the Canadian dollar -- but with the exchange rate and shipping, it still added up to a terrific deal. Check them out online. They are really great! My order came in about two weeks to Alberta. Not so bad if you ask me! I already have another order in!
Now on the other hand, I ordered one of Bonnie Hunter's books. Just one. With the exchange rate AND shipping that book was $54.58 Canadian. I haven't told Chef yet! Sorry, but THAT book is NOT going to be loaned out! I am hoping that it's one of those that will give me hours of pleasure. Note to self...... order books from Amazon or from the local quilt shops. -----UPDATE----Received the book and it's signed!!!!! PRICELESS! Worth every penny!
Speaking of the local quilt shops -- I love to support my local dealers. With that said, I am a hard working woman, who has a budget right to the end dollar. I watch my pennies and can tell you exactly what my utility bills and anything else have cost for the last decade. You ask me any month, I can tell you what I paid!
When it comes to "my" passion -- my sewing/quilting, I have to be very cognizant of what I spend. I know that there will be loads of people that blast me for shopping outside of my own community -- however, maybe those people have a two-income family, less fixed bills, mortgages paid off, or whatever else. Trust me -- I would LOVE to buy all my fabric here in Calgary at the local quilt shops! I'm all for supporting your local people -- BUT -- when you can buy fabric, good quilting fabric, at a quarter of the cost for the "identical" fabric, and get 4 times as much elsewhere than here -- why would I buy local?
I do buy fabrics at horrendous prices -- when I do not have any other choice. I buy the $25 + meter (4 inches bigger than a yard) fabrics when I have to. There have been times when I have run out of fabric and I just NEED it. I have finished older WOP quilt tops (UFO's) to get as close to a match for fabric that has been gone for many years! If my budget could afford buying more locally -- I certainly would. Getting to an age where I seriously have to think about the cutting back on my purchases as retirement looms - I know that my stash will last me for many years. There will come a time where I will have to ask for those more expensive tools -- or save up for them (like I do now!) An example of this is my new Rotating Cutting Board from Olfa. 17" by 17", the price for this here at the local quilt shop was $119.99 Canadian, plus 5% GST. Today, this very same rotating cutting mat on Nancy's Notions is $69.00 (which calculates at 87.83 Canadian funds). Now add shipping to that number and it probably works out to about the same as if I bought it here.
A BIG "Thank you" to my Youngest and her boyfriend for the gift certificate at my local shop for Christmas and my birthday! I've been wanting one of these for a very long time! I am truly blessed!
-
Maybe one day I will win the lotto and not care about exchange rates, shipping and duty! Until that happens, I will be watching my pennies and exchange rate as I continue to build my stash for the rainy days and retirement years. There will always be newer and better...but there will also be other priorities when we are retired -- like healthcare and living on a pension!
Check out Connecting Threads and do some browsing! I love that they send me a regular catalog so that I can dream and plan out new quilts!
Happy Quilting Everyone!
Margo
2 comments:
I do not blame you for shopping where you can get the most for your money. I do the same. I got blasted by a shop owner here for shopping online - TN has no income tax for state level, but they do have almost 10% sales tax. She was upset that I shopped online. I don't go to her store any more! I do shop in ALL the quilt shops within a 100 miles of here! But I can't always find a particular line that I want - people in various areas have different taste, and certain of my tastes are definitely western, not southern! $25/meter for fabric - wow, anybody's dollars that's a lot! Love your new blues. I seem to have a lot of blues, too.
I don't too too much shopping at the other shops that blasted me either! Wow, 10% is a lot. They were thinking of bringing in a Provincial sales tax here, and it still may happen. Across Canada we have the GST but if you visit from another country, you can apply to get that back.
Post a Comment