The Best Saturday I've Had in a Long Time

One of my fans has just published a Haiku entitled Saturday and it made me want to write about the Saturday just past and how relaxing it was to forget the chores and take off for a bit of shopping, a picnic lunch and some fresh, sea air.

The trip had a purpose - to hunt down fabrics

At a Christmas Eve visit, our friend Helen mentioned her interest in getting back into sewing more of her own clothes as she is bored with what is in the shops. Her problem seemed to be finding a fabric shop with quality stock. Most of the fabric store chains in our area have very average stock and others have closed their doors. Helen was wondering where she could find the types of materials that used to be available in her favourite fabric shops in Sydney. I told her about a wonderful shop I discovered up at Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast. It is only about an hour's drive north. We decided to make a trip there early in the year, so last Saturday we put together a picnic lunch and off we went - my Mum (aged 90), Helen and I.

It is hard to describe Helen's excitement when she stepped through the doors of the store. She was faced with a huge array of truly wonderful fabrics. I am sure she didn't know which way to turn. We spent quite a lot of time just admiring individual rolls of fabric. Then I spied the remnant table. Mum and I headed over there and amongst all the pieces I saw an exquisite piece in shades of blue. It looked like it was made for Helen who is blonde with blue eyes. I called her over and told her she should buy this piece which was AU$19.00 reduced from AU$48.00 for 2 metres (1.09361 yards). By this time I had my eye on a beautiful piece in shades of watermelon pink with a dusty green and gold embossed pattern like underwater coral. I decided I would get some for a top. Then it was over to the pattern table to search for suitable patterns. I found one, Helen found one and we were ready to complete our purchases. Of course I needed more fabric to make some dusty green slacks to go with the top and the store owner found the exact shade. Helen ended up with three pieces, but said she could have bought lots more and will be returning to raid the place again.

I overheard Helen talking to the store owner about her new role as a Marriage Celebrant. I had no idea Helen was intending to become one. The reason she wants new clothes is because she will be performing wedding ceremonies and wants to have some new outfits especially for this role.

A picnic lunch overlooking the Pacific Ocean

Lunch time was looming, so we piled into my car and drove up to the top of the hill at Alexandra Headland. As luck would have it, the best picnic spot was vacant. It was perched on the ocean side of the park and overlooked the sea and the coastline. There was a nice sea breeze blowing in and with the day being quite hot, it was the perfect spot for lunch. We enjoyed chicken and a variety of salads and it was so pleasant we couldn't drag ourselves away. It was nice to have time to chat without being on a time schedule.

Eventually we drove up to Buderim to see if there were any antique shops open. Helen is an antique hound and was disappointed that the only shop now on the mountain was closed. After a short drive north of the beaches, we headed for home with ideas for new clothes buzzing in our minds.

New motivation to start sewing again

Getting back into sewing after a long break can be difficult. Helen and I have decided to have a cutting out day so we get our projects on the go. Having a friend to collaborate with is going to be fun. We will be able to share patterns and keep track of where we are at with our new outfits. Best of all I will be able to get acquainted with my new sewing machine that has been sitting in its box for way too long.

Being out and about in the fresh air is certainly revitalizing and I'm glad we took the time to do the trip. Helen and I have made a pact to have more Saturday outings in the future.

Source:

Personal experience

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