January Road Trip
I have had way too many people-to-people interactions in the past week. I also have been feeling the need for a road trip. I can go about 6-8 weeks before I start to get twitchy, and it’s been almost two months since my Thanksgiving trip to Seattle. Unfortunately, I can’t go as far in the winter, so I contented myself with a trip to Missoula and enjoyed some quiet time alone in my head.
It was foggy when I left; some people, especially transplants to Montana, do not understand the dangers of freezing fog, but if I had waited until the fog burned off, I wouldn’t have gotten to Missoula until lunchtime. The drive was uneventful, and by the time I arrived, it was another brilliantly sunny day.
Missoula doesn’t have much snow.
My first stop was the quilt store where I’ve taught in the past. I met with the owners and we got a slate of classes on the calendar for this spring. We’re trying not to overlap classes with the store here in Kalispell even though the stores are two hours apart. I think we came up with some good ones. Hopefully the customers will think so, too, and sign up for them.
I also purchased the rest of the supplies I need for the byAnnie Place for Everything Tote bag. I’ll be able to continue working on that project now.
Missoula’s Walmart did not have much on its remnant rack, so I continued on to Joann Fabrics. When Robin and I were there last spring, I saw that they had some very cute printed terrycloth fabric for sale. I was going to make myself a robe, but I would have needed something like seven yards of 44” wide fabric and it was $20 a yard. I will spend money on many things, but not $150 on fabric to make myself a robe. For silk, maybe, but not terrycloth.
Two bolts of that fabric were on the “last chance” shelf at 70% off, so I bought what they had. Now I can make myself a robe.
I said to the husband that I realize that I am not helping Joann Fabrics to stay in business, but their problems are much larger than $20 a yard terrycloth.
After Joanns, I headed to The Confident Stitch. I could have bought fabric—I can always find fabric there—but I confined my purchases to a few patterns, which happened to be 50% off. I bought the Amarena Dress from Liesl + Co:
Do you remember the blue quilted fabric I bought at Hobby Lobby last fall? That fabric still hasn’t been turned into a jacket and it’s driving me nuts. Some projects make themselves. That project is not one of them. I think I am going to use it to make a Tamarack jacket that I can wear this spring.
Of course, I stopped at the Amish store on my way home. I skipped the ice cream, but bought socks for the husband and me. He needs more boot socks for work. I like to wear knee socks in the winter and have become quite fond of the ones that most Amish stores sell.
My last stop was at a small quilt store in Ronan, about halfway between here and Missoula. Robin and I discovered this store a few years ago. It is currently in a tiny, tiny space that it outgrew almost as soon as it opened. When I walked in, I heard the employee at the cutting table telling a customer that the store is moving across the road to a much larger space. Yay!
I had a quiet evening at home by myself because the husband was doing his annual CPR training for the fire department.
Paperwork, sewing, and cooking are on the schedule for the next two days. I made and sent a batch of cookies to the husband’s father two weeks ago, but apparently my BIL ate all the chocolate chip cookies before my FIL could have any. Bad BIL. I need to make and send another batch.