Grandma to the Rescue

Even if it is across the US for 7 weeks!  My Marine son-in-law has new orders and my daughter is booked solid with her photography business until the end of May when they prepare for their move to San Diego, Camp Pendleton.  I thought this day would never come that they would be in the same state as I live!  My darling granddaughter had been attending a day care/preschool, but was coming home with stories that were not very reassuring.  After the third day of this, I got a phone call.  It took me 24 hours to be ready and off I went…..

I have spent the past two weeks cooking and shopping and reading books and even getting some sewing in.  I brought my Bernina and my BabyLock serger with lots of fabric and everything I needed to work on my Farmer’s Wife quilt blocks and other projects.

I was very lucky to be in a local quilt shop when a friend/customer of the owner came in with fabric swatches she bought at a sale at Environments, Inc, a preschool-kindegarten furniture manufacturer and wholesaler of educational books and toys.  I immediately called my daughter to meet me to take me to the sale along with my granddaughter since my son-in-law needed my car (the kids traded in their two cars and bought a new Juke thinking they were moving to Hawaii as this was my son-in-law’s first orders, only to be changed). 

We looked up the address, put it in her navigation system and off we went.  It was a part of Beaufort my daughter had never been to, the industrial part of town, which is unlike any other industrial area I have seen (except where I live).  It was even more beautiful and rural with the businesses hid in the trees.

We finally found the right spot and there was a parking lot sale of really great kids furniture, books, toys AND fabric swatches from Robert Kaufman, P&B Textiles, and Hoffman Fabrics.  I started picking up the little bundles that were marked $1.00 or $2.00.  I asked an employee how much for a few of them that were not marked.  She went over and asked an older gentleman and she came back and said she could “mark them down”.  I wanted practically every single one I picked up and there were not many people at the sale, it was winding down clearly.  I finally asked if she could find out how much for “all the fabric”. 

The same gentleman came over, looked at the table of samples and said, “How about $50.00 for all of it”.  SOLD!!  Except this lovely lady proceeded to find all the fabric samples under the display tables, in other boxes until we had so much it could hardly fit in my daughter’s car with half the back seat folded down…..along with over 60 books, Melissa and Doug puzzles and preschool/K workbooks perfect for my 3.5 year old granddaughter!!  In all I spent $175.00. 

I counted out $100 worth of fabric when I got home, and it was a very small amount of the total fabric.  Not to be political, but I couldn’t help but think when Nancy Pelosi (from my state) said “we have to pass the bill to find out what is in it”.  Well I had to buy all the fabric and get it home to see what I bought!!

I have spent 2 days organizing by fabric line, and now am pulling off the cardstock stapled or grometted (is that a word) labels and putting in zip lock bags for shipping. 

I have so much fabulous fabric, when added to my huge stash at home…..I really cannot buy anymore fabric unless it is a solid cream or white to contrast with all the absolutely fabulous fabric I bought.

When I get home towards the end of May, I will try to post some pictures.  I just finished with the batiks…just beautiful.  I think this was a bargain of a lifetime! 

So I am not home to participate in my usual Tuesday Garden Party.  My husband has been really good at texting me pictures of my blooming tulips and pink columbines.  The forget me nots and blue columbines are probably blooming too!

Until then I will be playing and cooking and cleaning and walking the dog and playing with fabric!