Inspiration takes us in fun directions

I just have to share with you how fun my Modern Quilt Guild is!! We had a Chinese Auction this month and

it was a blast with lots of auction items to drool over.

If you have never participated in a chinese auction, it goes like this:

auction items are donated to the cause, with a paper bag in front of the item.

You buy tickets (or get some free in exchange for your donation, like we did) and

place the tickets with your name on them in the bags for the items you wish to win. There was a lot

of "strategy" played out, putting tickets in early, in the middle, just before the drawing, elbowing others out of the way, attempts at convincing others to not bid on certain items. It really was a hoot!

So this begs the question: did I win anything?
Well of course!

Prize #1: is this fabulous fat quarter tulip of Westminister Fabrics in my favorite color - blues!

Then I won Prize #2: these wonderful bits of grays and black and whites. I think they will look great

in my Single Girl quilt (when I eventually get it started!).

And finally Prize #3: a great Amy Butler purse pattern. Will I ever make it?? Who knows,

but I liked it enough to toss a ticket in the bag and win it!



We also picked up surprise bags with fabric in them to make pillow cases for the Million Pillowcase Challenge, a national challenge to make one million pillowcases for charity. So I picked up two!

Hmmm, what's inside?

Pretty! It will be fun to make these; I can even practice my French Seams! 

Normally the quilt meeting sends me rushing home inspired to quilt all day. Well, I did leave inspired, but I didn't quilt......

Instead I painted my fireplace mantle and the wet bar cabinet. The wet bar was contractors ugly oak and the mantle was unfinished wood. I had been meaning to paint it for a long time but my former lesser half didn't want anything to do with it (it was work, you know, to paint it). I love being the one calling all the shots, even if it means a bit of work. And those of you who know me know I'm not afraid of a little bit of work!

I think it turned out quite nice, and it shows off my minimalist holiday decor. Even makes the brick pop a bit.
The wet bar has some issues, I may have to strip off all the paint I put on, sand it down really good, and start over. But I'm not doing that much work until spring when its warmer out. Just can't use paint stripper in the house, stinks too bad.

It's raining out today. If it was 30 degrees colder we would have 2 feet of snow.
I can only dream...