As I leave, I shout the war cry of ‘I only need yellow and lilac’, pick up a chocolate cake (not made by myself, but looking good) and a buttered plum loaf (both very important at a fabric sale that declares ‘£2 entry which includes free tea/coffee and cake’!
The village hall is already bustling with enthusiastic quilters, going through the mediocre tasks of setting out tables and preparing the kitchen for the days onslaught. Most importantly though, two vans full to the gunnels are sitting outside ready to disgorge their contents onto the now ready tables. A steady flow of about 8 women and one very enthusiastic husband take piles of bolts of fabrics into the hall and set them out ready. Cries of ‘oooh I like that one’, ‘I NEED some of that’ and ‘have you seen this?’ Fill the air, “I only need yellow and lilac” I add .......
9.30am and a queue is starting to build, expectant faces watching as the bolts continue to be carried in. Wadding, Calico and ‘extra wide’ now appearing from the vans. Have we got enough space??? Three tables of fat quarters, two boxes full of jelly rolls – cries of ‘how much? My goodness that’s good’ join the oohs and ahhs. Four lines of tables fill the hall, on the chairs, on the stage, every spare space is filled with beautiful fabric. Kettle is boiling, the cake is cut, the fabrics are out and 4 Doughtys staff are poised and ready to measure and cut the fabric.
Ooh, right before we start – I only need yellow and lilac so I pick out two bolts and put them on the stage ready to be cut. The next cry of ‘is everybody ready’ gets a resounding yes, the doors open, and in flood ‘the girls’! (Accompanied by some partners who, with a look of ‘here we are again’ head straight to the tea room at the back of the hall)
My job now is to put the bolts of fabrics back once they have been cut – unless someone wrestles it from my hands first! Several times at the cutting table I remember saying ooh I like that one, can I have a metre of that when you can. To be honest the rest of the day goes by so quickly, I did manage to sample some cake. I have images of ladies piled high with bolts, coming back 2 or 3 times with equally high piles – one lady spent £700 in one go! On two occasions, a lady came up to me and said, ‘I’m just going out to light to see which colour is right’ I say ‘of course you are’, ‘no, really, just to check the colour’ I nod, knowingly, and say ‘you’ll buy both!’ No, no, they say – 5 minutes later,’ ok, you’re right, I’m getting both!’
Right, I go up to settle my bill, 12 metres of fabric and a jelly roll .... how did that happen? I only wanted yellow and lilac!
No comments:
Post a Comment