Weekend's Work

I will never again go to Hobby Lobby on a Friday night! I was in the store by about 6:30, and selected several flannels to use to make some baby gifts for upcoming baby showers. I will admit to causing some of the craziness, as I had 6 bolts of fabric to be cut, but the women in front of me....they were the majority of the problem.

With all cottons and fleece on sale, the woman who was having her fabric cut when I got in line had more than 10 bolts, and was having anywhere from 1-4 yards cut of each. Her grandchild was annoying entertaining us with four-year old antics and begging for fuzzy materials for himself. Before she had all of her fabrics cut and recorded for check-out, another shopper came behind me. There is only one associate working the fabric counter.

The next customer has at least 10 bolts on the table, but she keeps leaving the table to pick out more fabric, which is understandable in light of the sale, but in any other situation, this would usually result in loss of place in line. Why is it that in some fabric stores this is acceptable, and in others it is unheard of? She begins to rattle off the measurements she needs, and it soon becomes apparent that we will be standing for quite a while. She is getting 2 or more yards of each fabric. Asking for the entire bolt. Changing her mind. A new customer steps in line.

Finally, the harried sales associate calls for assistance. Of course, after having cut more than 20 bolts of fabric in the last 30 minutes non-stop, there is a pile of fabric on the second cutting table. Several of us in line help the new girl move fabric around, place it in shopping carts, and in general clean-off an area for her to begin cutting. At this point, the customer in front of me is down to her last bolt, so I tell the customers behind me to go ahead to the second associate, since I won't have to wait too much longer, and I also have a stack of fabric. I only needed 1 yard of each, but all the same, I was trying to be nice.

At this point, the speakers turn on with the announcement that Hobby Lobby will be closing in 15 minutes. Yes, it's 7:45! (HL closes at 8 in case you are unfamiliar) The sales clerk and I are discussing the plans for my fabrics, and suddenly I remember another fabric I need. Now I am the annoying person running from the table to grab another bolt. I needed black felt, and more than just the small 8x11 squares you can get 4 for $1. My plan is to make a durable car playmat for 'Tude, since I was able to get a yard of green felt at my Wal-Mart when they decided to clearance fabric and give in to the crappy kits two weeks ago. I left Hobby Lobby at 7:55. More than an hour for 6 1/4 yards of fabric, that only took me 15 minutes to select.

Apparently, everyone comes to the Lobby on Friday night to partake in the sales for their weekend projects! So rather than just buying a few yards, they go absolutely crazy! The poor sales associate was talking about how she hadn't even begun to recover her section, and if she was responsible for straightening the entire fabric department by herself, whoo! She's going to be there for hours! By the time we all left, she must have had 40-ish fabric bolts on the table to return, a cartful of remnants to package and price, not to mention the basic clean-up.

But, I did get several projects started, which I was going to complete last night, as well as make gingersnap cookies with fresh-made candied ginger. However, it seems that Murphy has moved into my spare room. If it can happen, it will. Our downstairs renter volunteered his dad to help us set up the wireless network, since that's his speciality. But what should have been a quick set up took 2 1/2 hours! We are now wireless, but I got nothing done, because I had to sit with them, sewing machine in the other room, keeping Pepe out of their hair and computers! Hopefully the rest of the week won't be the same.