Sound Wave block & other stuff

Happy Friday eve ;0)  Hope everyone has been having a sewing kind of week!

After finishing up mom's quilt the other day I sat down and tackled my first Skill Builder BOM Sound Wave...

I just had to make it using the Kona Ash :)  I still might make one with a black background,I know it would really make the batik's stand out,but the Kona Ash just calls out to me.  See that bit of yellow sticking out at the edges of the block?  It is a new tool toy,one of three that was purchased the last trip to Joann's.

This is what it looks like,without a quilt block on it.  This sweet toy is a Rotating Rotary cutting mat.

This is what it looks like when you rotate it slightly,and it rotates so easily too.  Where has this little gem been hiding?  Or what rock have I been under?  This is one of the "optional"tools listed for the BOM over at Pile O' Fabric

Another tool listed was a 12 1/2 x 12 1/2 inch square ruler.  Let me just say,I can not count the times this would have come in so handy,and I will be using it a Lot from now on.

With this ruler and the rotating cutting mat,squaring up my block was a piece of cake!

Usually I am not going to the city on weekends when there is an awesome sale going on at Joann's,but this time was the exception.  The sweetest part,all the Fiskars cutting tools/mats were on sale for 50% off :0)  So I still got to use my coupon for something else,gotta love it when that happens!  Since the mats were on sale I was also able to purchase the 6 1/2 inch size too!  Of course these three items totally blew my fabric allowance for the month,even on sale,but then $25 doesn't go that far.  Good thing I still had a little $ left from Christmas to use on the batting for mom's quilt,or I would have went over the amount I have allotted myself for fabric/sewing purchases per month this year!

I have decided that this year I will make more sewing tool purchases than fabric purchases.  One month in,so far so good :0)

The last couple evenings have been spent working on this Gift/Tote bag,because every quilt needs a bag just as sweet where it can patiently wait for the next time it is taken out and used :0)

It was finished up just in time for a couple quick photos before the sun went behind the mountains this evening!  I can hardly wait to give this to mom,I am so excited about it!  Good thing I can spill the beans about it here ;0)