Ok, so some of you read about the quilt shop hop trip last weekend that I went on with Nicole, her mom, and some of her mom's friends. I believe that those of you reading this are fully aware of how I feel about shopping and quilt shopping...Well, ok, first, it's a misnomer because we weren't actually shopping for quilts, we were shopping for materials to make quilts with. Now, one of the reasons I am not a fan of the pastime known as shopping is that there are plenty of other activities I'd rather be doing. One, for example, involves very hot pokers and my eyes. Another reason is that I am extremely cheap and do NOT like spending money and what I came to learn rather quickly was that the process of making a quilt is a timely and costly one. So, while I can appreciate the beauty of the end product, it costs much more to get to that end product than one might think. Another reason I am not a shopper is that I am notoriously bad about matching colors. Now, women are not typically color blind and, while I can see colors just fine, I certainly did not inherit the gene that allows me to tell which colors match. So, when I have to go shopping for clothes, for example, I am likely to buy whatever is on the manequin because then at least I know it matches. Does anyone remember Garanimals? It was this company that made clothes for kids and had color coded animal tickets on every item and all you had to do was match the color coded animal tag to see what outfits went together. Unfortunately, they don't make those anymore, but I would spend a FORTUNE for someone to bring those back...not only for kids, but also for adults. And, I'm sure the unsuspecting independent contractor taking over my body would also appreciate those so that he (or she) can rest assured that his clothes match.
Ok, ok, ok. I have digressed. Back to the reason involving color matching. Part of the allure, I think, of quilt shopping is that the avid quilters head into each shop with a pattern for a specific item they want to make and then they have to find the materials they want to use for that pattern. Now, I don't know how familiar many of you are with quilts, but they are fairly intricate involving many colors and patterns. So, while Nicole and the other quilters are anxiously sifting through material and trying to come up with matching fabrics, I am desperately seeking out the free snacks in every shop because I know that, if Nicole asks me for help in picking out a fabric, she will sorely regret that decision once she gets to the final product and says, "Whoa. Uh...nice choice of colors, Jen. Thanks for helping. In fact, you did such a nice job, you don't have to help me pick out fabric ever again!" Wow. That is kind of my own little quilt fantasy happening there, isn't it. Anyway, you can well imagine that a whole day of looking at fabric and then trying to match the colors into a final product that I just can't even picture in my head takes its toll on a person. Thank goodness for the plethora of free snacks. And, yet, if Nicole were to ask me to go with her again, I would. Why? Because I'm a sucker and that's what you do for the people you love. At least, that's what I hear.
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