The Retirement Countdown Drawing - THREE WEEKS TO GO!

My retirement from the corporate world is now only THREE weeks away! It's time for the 4th chance to win one of these fabrics. This drawing will also include If you want to see larger images of each fabric, check out this post.

   

Each week the prize gets bigger! The prize for this week will be:

• your choice of one of the fabrics in the photo
• a custom tie-dyed crew neck t-shirt in any size . You will pick the size (S - 4XL), the tie-dye design and colors, AND
• 1/2 yard of any GRADIENT fabric in my shop.

All you have to do to enter is to add a comment TO THIS POST and answer 4 questions:

1) Indicate which fabric you want if you win the drawing.

2) Indicate what tie-dye design and colors you want on your shirt

3) Visit the gradient section of my shop and tell me which gradient fabric you would like to win.

4) Tell me how you manage your time to make time for your hobbies (craft, quilting, art, whatever). Are you retired and have all the time in the world? Are you a busy Mom who gets up early just to have 15 minutes to sew? What's your secret to making time for yourself to be creative?

You have to answer all four questions to be entered in the drawing!!

The winner will be announced Sunday evening, May 16 and the new contest posted Monday, May 17. Prior drawing winners ARE eligible to enter the drawing every week.

Good luck!

Comments

[Sue H]

Wow -- it just gets better and better...just like retirement!!!

#3, anything purple/any design, and the red-to-cobalt gradient. Good luck to me!!!

[Ruth Lane]

Still #3, I guess I'll have to go with Griz colors of maroon and silver, I like the gold to cranberry gradient. To make time to be creative I take Friday's off and then the rest of the time, I just have to get started so I do it. It helps if I have the sewing machine set up and ready for the project or have hand stitching to do when I'm watching TV etc.

[Judi]

I would love #3, any design with blues and blue purples, a blue to green radiant would be awesome. Good luck with your retirement I'm sure you will be busier then then now.

[Sandy Jandik]

Managing time is a challenge. Sometimes I'm better at it than others. Mostly, in the morning I set up things with all the supplies that I want to work on, Planning at the same time. When I'm tired in the afternoon, I just work without too much thought. Nights I knit, because it is automatic. I like the purple gradient and any of the fabrics. I'm a medium shirtwise.

[Wanda]

#1 fabric
T shirt with heart design
Gradient-coral red to purple
I am retired and finally have time to play. I'm on call for my 96 yr. old dad, but there are a lot of hours I'm free. Even when I was working, I made time for quilting every day because I live to create.

[paula.thequilter]

1. I still would like #1
2. A spiral in blues/teals/greens
3. Gold to Cranberry
4. I retired once for 3 months and then got a 'hobby' job. I only work 20 hours/week and make just enough money to keep me in my hobby a.k.a quilting. I usually plan about an hour every day to quilt if I can. My Fridays are free so I usually quilt as much as I can fit in.

[Jeannie]

I stil love #10, a spiral in blues, purples, or burgandy. Now the hard one. I love all your gradient fabrics, but I guess the sunset series is my favorite. I am retired and what I found was that I was more creative when I worked! I was more focused and accomplished more in my spare time. Once retired, everything became more relaxed. The nice thing is I don't have to stop for meals or bedtime and I don't have to put it all away since I can get back to it first thing in the morning. Retirement is the best gift you can give yourself! Have a great week.

[g]

Hey u almost retired person!!!

I like # 6

I like surprises:)

I love the red to cobalt gradiation.

I am an empty nester with a machine quilting business. To make time for myself as opposed to my JOB, I must force it. Schedule it, and then actually do it! My lists is my daily bible so to speak. If its not there, it just doesnt happen! lol

[Leah S]

1. I'd like #7

2. You did a blue set of PJ's for your niece for Christmas 2009 and I really like that gentle curving line. I'd like it in dark and light green though. :)

3. The Gold to Pine gradient catches my eye - I'd probably give it to my mom and tell her to make some sunrise in the forest quilt out of it.

4. Tricky question - I've been a stay at home wife since we got married, so I'm sure you can see how I have boatloads of time... but the baby will be changing that next month! Thankfully my husband has agreed that I should get a little dedicated time to myself everyday after the baby comes. Gives me a chance to run to the gym, some needle time, a nap.

[elle]

If at first you don't succeed.... 8^)
I just hope the questions don't get harder! lol
1) I'm still for #6
2) Can you kinda gradient it in that lime fizz stuff?
3) uhm, yw to blue, hum,no! maybe gold to cobalt. See it is hard!
4) ah, easy. I'm a stay at home mum, a kept woman so to speak and my chicks have flown the coop. But my dearie won't let me retire. vbsigh! But my time is my own. The best advice is get up early and get going before phone, visitors, and 'must does' start encroaching on that creative morning burst.

[Dara]

1) #6
2) medium turquoise to fuchsia
3) size medium, spiral, with those gorgeous turquoise/fuchsia colors!!
4) hard question...as I don't do a very good job...I only work outside my home about 20 hours per week. I do have a quilting business, but seem to have a hard time 'making myself go to work' LOL. I don't really have much time for working on my own things, but I think if I were more disciplined, it would make a big difference. One thing I need to do is spend less time on MQR and google reader!!

[Barbara B]

Red, red and red. Yes, I like fabric #10, all your tee shirt designs and yellow to red gradiant. I'm really in a screaming orange mood but your reds are just as happy.

[Karen L.]

Vickie, Are you kidding me? Really, only three weeks to go? Then what? I sure do hope they go quickly for you but usually the closer you get to something, the slower the clock seems to tick. Remember your birthday when you were a kid? Anyway, I like fabric #6, shirt in burgundy color or in that family and in a vertical design, and the Bay of Campeche Gradient just because I like the name. I am retired .... well sort of .... still have to make meals although only for two now and wash, clean, etc. So, as you will soon find out, you can "do your thing" but there are still chores and appointments that get in the way. I meet with a smallish quilt group (12 - 20 women) twice a month and that is one of the things that keeps me going. Plus we do projects together that encourage us to create and we often go to quilt shows in our area together for inspiration.

[Becky in VA]

Just three more weeks. I'm so happy for you!
1. #3 is my first choice
2. Pink swirls. (long sleeves for me)
3. Red to Cobalt OR Emerald to Fuchsia (can't decide)
4. Sewing has always been something I do. When my kids were young and I worked fulltime, I would sew/quilt in the evenings and stayed up really late at night to have 'my time.' That was decades ago, and now that I'm retired I have more time for doing whatever I like, but I still like to have a daily schedule which always includes sewing and quilting.

[Sequana]

Fabric #9 (like the love potion)
Surprise me.
Blue to Green radiant.

I've been retired for ages, and I still have time management issues. Mostly because I get too many projects going at one time.

[Vicky F]

Hi Vicki,
1. Fabric #1
2. t-shirt with a swirl of fuchsia on periwinkle
3. Black gradient
4. I work full time but have a day off every other week. On that day, I try to arrange my day to meet a quilting friend and we stitch for 6 hours or so, our own projects.

[Cindy Is Crafty]

1) #7
2) #7 colors, but with the lines
3) Red sunset
4) I do a lot of my crafting while watching TV. It is like crafting with a friend.

[Chrystie A.]

I like #10...blue,teal,white,etc. My fav gradient is spring sunset because it has purple & green...the kids fav colors. I don't have much spare time, so my kids help me make cards, stamp, etc. Do you think I could manage 2 pillow cases out of this fabric?? :)

[Liz in Kansas]

Gosh! You're making me make choices?!? Sigh!
Fabric #9, love that rusty red!
Love that purple/pale blue combination, in spiral or heart - you choose
Gold to Cranberry - it even sounds luscious!
I'm already retired - you will love it! - and I've pretty much given up trying to manage my time! Once we both accepted the idea that my job now is being creative, sewing/art time is easier to fit in.

[Judy Cooper]

1. #7
2. #6
3. yellow to blue green
4. I'm retired and work at my stuff full time

[Deserae Fiedler]

1. #6
2. Purple and blue, spiral
3.Red to Cobalt
4. I just try to fit in 30 minutes a day, as much as I can. :)

[janice]

I like # 6. Any design which evokes the 1960's maybe a peace sign. All of the gradients are beautiful and I would feel lucky to win any, but since you are giving me a choice I choose medium turquoise to fuscha. I am retired so I don't have a day job as such but have a small business making placemats and jewelry, which I sell three days a week at an open market. I belong to a mixed media arts group which regularly has challenges and these give me a chance to stretch myself. I want to do more mixed media and small art quilts. I do have a greyhound which is almost like having a child. It can be a challenge to get into the studio to make art.

[Julie]

1. purple fabric in the center
2. Any design with a heart in it.
3. Emerald to Fuschia
4. I can't sew at all when I am working,(12-14 hour days) so I rely on my days off and piece then. I usually do handwork on my insomniac nights.
5. Are you getting excited about retiring? Are you a bit nervous? How are you feeling??

[Debbie St.Germain]

You make it tough with all of your beautiful designs.
I would pick #7 for fabric.
For a tshirt, I would love a spin cycle design.
And I love the gold to cranberry gradient.
I have too much time, so I craft when I want;) I cannot work, since I have good and bad days and never know when they will be. I split up my projects and work on different things each day to avoid, overuse stress.

Debbie

[floribunda]

#7 -- still love that yellow!
shirt -- something swirled in cool colors
gradient -- gold to cranberry
I try to do a little sewing or knitting every day to stay sane. Sometimes it's just rearranging blocks on the design wall, though! Since DH is obsessed with sailing stuff I have pretty much all the free time I want, outside of working.