random thoughts – Day 2,243 (Friday) – zoned out

On Thursday, I was in the zone, cranking out a sewing project. Today, I was more zoned out. 

A country drive was taken to a national chain store still carrying fabric by the yard and sewing materials. The list was short: a decorative fastener for the top made yesterday; some sort of trim for the top made yesterday, cord for the big skirt made a week or two ago; two types of hook and eye closings for a couple costume parts and to have on hand; and elastic to restock what has been used in recent projects. Some of these had already been looked for in WalMart without luck, so the net had to be cast wider.

Supplies.

At the destination retailer, I was greeted with signs declaring that fabric was 30% off until Saturday and was tempted to look at it all, but stuck to the list and the original mission. The basic types of hooks and eyes were found (check!). The options for decorative closings were limited to satin frog closings (wrong vibe) and a metal filigree design in silver tone and gold tone. I got the gold tone filigree (check!). I scrutinized the trim rack. There were rhinestones, fringe, fringe with rhinestones, tassels, lace, pom poms, and nothing even close to suitable for the top. The ribbon display had reels of the wrong solid colors and prints that were all wrong, like mushrooms, butterflies, and polka dots (fail!). There was no cording in the fabric department, but the clerk there asked a colleague and I was led to the “wearable crafts” aisle and shown the 550 parachute cording that is used for bracelets and other woven items (check!). The skirt is big enough to be a parachute, so it seems appropriate.

The quick procurement of the list items didn’t stop me from slipping into a zoned out state and walking a chunk of the store. The wearable craft aisle is at the furthest location from the exit, so I had to navigate some square footage anyway. I discovered they sell sheets of glass for stained glass making and drooled over the wooden display cabinet with vertical slots displaying the glass sheets. My glass sheets live in a milk crate and in a pile on top of the milk crate, still wrapped in packing paper from the move. The one from Tennessee. In 2013. I wish I was exaggerating. 

In nearly every aisle and department there were wooden letters in various sizes and fonts from two-foot tall paper mâché freestanding sculptures to two-inch flat wood cutouts. As I read through the alphabet in one area, I noticed there was no “I”. Then I noticed there was also no “U”. I even looked behind the neighboring letters. That had me checking each time I saw a display and in several areas that was the case. So weird. Why? If you are doing initials and yours happen to be an I or a U, or gawd forbid, both U and I, I guess you are out of luck, sucker!

While I was entertaining myself inventorying the alphabet in crafts and home décor, a manager type dude was talking with a group and going over the philosophy of the floor layout. “Imagine each display as an investment. You want to maximize your ROI.” He talked about displaying products that were movers, and what to do with others that weren’t moving. I tried to get away from the cluster and left the garden décor area, but they caught up with me again in the craft aisles. 

In my accidental and spontaneous craft store retail management class I learned the plan is to get all the rest of the fall stuff out ASAP. This store usually has Christmas on full display by June 25, so that tracks. It was interesting but there was a lot of info being relayed and I forgot most of it because I was shopping and not taking notes. I made my way through displays of pilgrims, pumpkins, autumn leaves, and straw bales, past the displays of drawer pulls and knobs, signs proclaiming “Dad's Garage” and “She Shed” and finally to the register and freedom.

View from the bedroom.

Back at home, the azalea is now fully exploded with color and visible through the bedroom window. The fiddleheads are tall and releasing their lacy fern fronds.

Inside, paracord inserted into the skirt waistband, cut, and the end melted with a candle. The skirt is technically done and I tried it on again. It is definitely about an inch or two shorter than I would like and hovers above my ankle bone. I still have time to mess with it and make adjustments. One option under consideration is to attack it from the top and remove the waistband and add another narrow strip between the waistband and the skirt. The other option is to go on a crash diet and lose a few pounds so the skirt naturally sits lower. That might actually be easier than tearing the top of the skirt apart. Ripping out those seams will be a huge ordeal. I was pretty focused when I sewed it and did durable seams that were stitched and then topstitched.