A nice warm quilt

or two or perhaps just a few more?

I went to a craft fair yesterday. It was not something I had really planned to do. Yes I had seen it advertised and yes I did think it might be nice to go. At the same time I was all too conscious of the hot water issue and the fact that, even at a "concession" rate it would cost me something to do. No, I was not going...until Middle Cat told me she was giving me a "taxi" ride there and back (in her car). 

"Just get out of the house for a bit and go and look at something nice," she told me. 

I went. I also took my lunch. If you are familiar with such events you will know that they sell food and drink but why pay $10.50 for a sandwich made yesterday and $6.00 for coffee in a cardboard cup? My lunch cost me less than a third of that...and it was better food.

I had bought an "on line" ticket which meant I could prowl straight in. There was all the "cake decorating" in front of me. Yes, I can appreciate the skill involved but, even if there was actual cake underneath all that icing, I would not want to eat it. The good thing about all that though was the children's section and quite a sprinkling of male as well as female given names. I prowled on past people demonstrating this and that - a sewing pattern system, a card making technique and someone demonstrating a Japanese quilting technique were all there in first aisle. 

At the end of the aisle someone was selling yarn. I looked of course but I did not succumb. A friend here sells better yarn at better prices. This is a problem with craft fairs of course. They might tell you it is a "special" price for the fair but really?

I turned into the next aisle after talking to three people I know from previous such occasions. More cards of course, inks and dyes and glitter and paint too. I stopped to talk to the woman who was weaving on a very small loom. We looked at some of the work she had done. She mentioned a problem she had and I said, "Have you tried...?" That sounded like a possible solution...could I come back later and see if it worked? I went on as she had customers. 

There were inevitable men from that unmentionable company which tries to sell very expensive chairs to people. More Japanese quilting materials - beautiful but wildly expensive. It is just as well I do not sew. There were bag making supplies - where was my friend S....?

Ah, the quilts behind the low white picket fence. I prowled in and took my time. I saw S...'s mother and then S....three more people I know but I prowled alone. I could spend the time I wanted to look at workmanship, at colour, at design. I could read the small explanations next to each quilt and think about what I might have done. All of this could be done while I was still happy not to actually have to sew any of them myself. 

I stopped looking at them about two thirds of the way through. It was too much to take in. It was also time to eat something. As is the way with craft fairs I sat at one of the tables with people I had never met before. They told me about their quilts...and said they did not knit!

A little later I prowled back past the book stand. Yes, I looked. No, I did not buy. I looked at the button stand too - very disappointed in that one. I looked at the rest of the quilt and tried to convince someone that a piece of magnificent whitework in the display by the Embroiderers' Guild really was handmade.  I am not sure he believed me. 

I stopped to talk to the wood turners and ask if one of them would come and see whether there was any timber left that they might want. One of them will phone me this coming week and come to see if they can use any of it.

Then it was back down the last aisle and around to where the weaver was working. She smiled at me. I waited until she had finished serving a customer and then she showed me what she had done. Between us we had solved her problem. I thought that was a good end to my day.  I phoned Middle Cat and arranged to be "taxi-ed" home again.

I did not spend any money apart from my entry fee. That made it a very good day.