Make Quilting Tax Deductible

Wow wouldn't that be cool. If quilting was tax deductible David and I would probably get a refund instead of writing that dreaded check. He'd probably find a way to buy me a longarm quilting machine. LOL. I think I'll need to win the lottery to get one of those. Or maybe he'd figure out a way to build me a quilting room with a more windows for natural light and wall space for the design wall and lots of storage space for my stash and toys. I'd like to be able to put up a design wall and leave it up. Maybe he'd let me just continue to learn to quilt and he'd do the taxes. But alas that's just fiction.

Back to reality. Taxes are like ripping the seams out of  what you thought to be a finished quilt for the 2nd or 3rd time because you sewed the damn block backwards again. I've had one such quilt.

Now I wanted to make a quilt for my beloved friend Amy(September 1962-March 2011) when she became a 1st time granny. I happen to be flipping thru one of my many quilting magazines and found a pattern. The pattern designer was/is Mark Lipinsky. I'm so lucky He's now even my friend on facebook. He's not your everyday quilter. He is a rare find with a twisted sense of humor sometimes but I love it. Anyway I made a smaller version of his quilt without any issues the first time. I just used fabrics I had in the closet and added pictures in the big squares where Mark Lipinsky placed a focus fabric. I stitched in the ditch around the blocks and meandered in the stashing  with my Viking Rose sewing machine with a 6" throat. Okay get your mind out of the gutter people a 6" throat is the open area on the machine where you place your fabric to sew for those of you not familiar with the term.

Happy birthday Grandma Amy. Your first grandson.
Christian Mykel Claycomb



My second quilt like the above  I did received some compensation (meaning the green stuff$$) to quilt but it didn't seem to go together as fast. I kept turning the squares within the block the wrong way so the block didn't look like a whirley gig. This quilt was made for a friend who retired from the school district and she loved the quilt I made for Amy. This quilt was made using her grandson's pictures and a western theme for the cowgirl at heart. I stitched in the ditch around each block and meandered in the sashing. On one of the corners I quilted  a cowgirl hat and on the opposite corner I quilted longhorns. Besides not sewing my blocks the right direction I used denim for the sashing and backing. Yee haw buckaroos this is one heavy quilt and it's only a small lap quilt. For the binding on this quilt I cut strips of all the scrap fabric left over.

Saw Paulis recently. She told me this quilt lays across the foot of her bed.

I started our taxes on March 25th but keep putting off finishing. I use a tax software to do our taxes but it's such a pain. For some reason every year I procrastinate big time when it comes to doing the taxes. It never fails I always misread a line or forget to add a dollar amount that could make a difference in what we owe and as I review what I just I did I realize that I have to go back about 5 -8 steps and start over. GRRRR.... Each year I promise myself to start sooner and surprise David before he starts yelling sorry I mean telling me I need to get busy. I guess I'd hate to give him a heart attack from shock by having them ready before the end of March or him making a nasty I mean constructive comment. BUT I'm soooo HAPPY I COMPLETED the taxes last night. Now David gets to write the check. Oh boy. It's actually a little less than last year by a small amount but every little bit helps.

Quilting as a hobby is not cheap by any means. So if my supplies were tax deductible it be so great. I mean you have to have all the latest gadgets from scissors, to rotary cutters to rulers, not to mention all the pretty fabric and the thread. And by all means we can't forget the sewing machine itself or maybe 2 sewing machines or more. The supply list just grows and grows. Right now my sewing table has become my side table to my desk upstairs where instead of a sewing machine and fabric I have all kinds of papers and forms I need for the taxes. I thought about taking a picture but I decided not to scare anyone with the natual disaster that has taken place in my area. My quilting has been put on hold.  I have so many projects that need to be finished. But I'm finish with the taxes, I'm really finished so now I can't work on my projects. Yippee.

David came upstairs the other day to answer some questions I had on the taxes and started reaching for my scissors I use for fabric cutting when I yelled "STOP!", "Touch those scissors and die." He looked at me like I was crazy and want's to know what the big deal is. Well I know I'm a little crazy I mean I'm combining a blog on quilting and taxes. hmmm. Anyway he now asks which scissors to use. I appreciate that even if there is a little sarcasm in his voice. Gotta love him. Now if you're not a quilter you might not understand the big deal. Let me explain.. Paper dulls the scissors very quickly and then they won't cut fabric. Poppycock you say well I didn't believe it either until I tried to cut fabric with my desk/craft scissors when I couldn't find my sewing scissors. It's worst than cutting a tomato with a dull knife.  

Until next blog........................  As ye Sew, Ye shall Rip.  In this case Ye shall Pay TAXES and rip!

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(¸.•´(¸ ;.•Carla.♥