When it comes time to shop, I have 3 basic rules:

1) Shop local first.
2) Buy quality.
3) Consider both new and used options.

I’ve always tried to support independent and local businesses whenever I can. I prefer that my money stay in my local community. There are times when I need to shop from an online retailer or via Amazon, but I do try to source things locally first.

Buy quality. Even if it costs you a bit more in the beginning, higher quality items wind up costing you less over the long term.

Visit a local thrift store, Craigslist or even Facebook Marketplace before buying a new item. You may be able to pick up something used for a fraction of the “new” cost that will meet your need. This is how I outfitted my sewing room – all used furniture, except for the cherry sewing cabinet that was made by my father-in-law. Every sewing machine I own except for one (Baby Lock Jubilant) was also purchased used.

If you are in the market for a sewing machine, consider buying a vintage metal mechanical sewing machine rather than the shiny, new plastic $100 model from the big box store. The vintage Singer Featherweight I picked up at an estate sale still sews perfectly nearly 87 years later. I seriously doubt my computerized Janome 8900 (purchased used in 2016) will match that!

Yes, you read correctly – quilty homes as in the plural, meaning more than one!

The Cotton Farm in Roswell is my local quilty home. This is where Sadie and I go 1-2 Sundays per month to visit with Kristi. I also go during the week sometimes to sit & sew. Yes, I do buy fabric and notions here, too! Will probably be stopping in more frequently once I start attending ECQG meetings in late July since the meeting location is close to the shop.

Couture Sewing in Warner Robins is my regional quilty home to the south. Sadie and I discovered this shop during the Middle Georgia Shop Hop. Carries lots of lines of fabric that I like and Sadie is welcome anytime.

And ding, ding, ding! Let’s add Cabin Fever Quilt Studio in Ellijay as my regional quilty home to the north. Don’t know if they’ll allow Sadie in the shop, but wonders of wonders, I finally found a shop in the area that carries an extensive collection of Lori Holt fabrics and stuff. They also carry Tilda, Kaffe, Edyta Sitar and a lot of other designers I like. I could easily get into serious trouble in this shop. 🙂

Today, I visited Cabin Fever Quilt Studio for the first time. The shop is in the same space that used to house Vector Quilts (closed in 2021). What instantly drew me to the shop (besides all the pretty fabric) was the shop’s vibe. It is very similar to Stitch N Quilt, my former quilty home that closed back in March. They have several classes and clubs that interest me, but dang it, it’s 70 miles each way. It’s actually an easy drive (all highway against traffic), but the drive time and current gas prices make my participation in weekly clubs and classes unlikely at this point. I’ll definitely sign up for a one-time class if something appears on the schedule that I want to try. At least I know where to go buy Lori Holt fabric locally for QALs sponsored by Bee in my Bonnet (Lori Holt) and the Fat Quarter Shop!

There is another shop in the area (Cottontail Quilts) that has offered monthly Lori Holt and Featherweight sewing machine clubs in the past. This shop is MUCH closer to home. Last year, the new owner emphasized all of the upcoming Lori Holt collections the shop would carry…but not much LH product has been on the shelves whenever I stop in. I was informed that the clubs would resume in September. We’ll see if the meeting times work with my upcoming trips.

Don’t know about you, but I’ve sorely missed connecting in person with my quilty peeps since COVID began. Quilters need connections. That’s why we need a quilty home or two or three.

Keep on quilting!

Hard to believe it’s been a month since I walked out the schoolhouse doors for the final time. I definitely haven’t been bored!

I have truly enjoyed having the luxury of time to simply exhale and attend to life’s surprises without the stress of having to figure out how to coordinate house/car repairs with work schedules.

I’m still trying to find my retirement rhythm. Hubby’s a couple of months ahead of me on that front and has developed a schedule that works for him. This doesn’t necessarily work for me, so there’s been a lot of comprise to get to a workable schedule that suits both of us. It’s funny how some things haven’t changed. I still spend Sunday mornings doing my planning for the coming week (currently questioning if I need to move down to a smaller planner) and Friday night is still “date night” at our favorite restaurant.

Lingering COVID concerns, inflation, gas prices, weather, equipment availability and business closures have definitely impacted some of the activities we thought we’d be enjoying right now. As mentioned previously, we’re still going ahead with travel that was already planned. Fortunately, the flights on my trip last week to Oklahoma weren’t canceled. The biggest issue seems to be a lack of staffing versus a lot of pent up demand for travel services. My best advice: be patient, go early to events/restaurants if you can and lower your expectations when it comes to hotels. COVID has definitely changed things.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned the past month is that regardless of what the stock market does and when my paychecks finally stop, we will be okay. Money is like a river – it flows in and out of your life. Sometimes the flow is strong and sometimes it trickles. We are at a point where the flow has lessened and we will see greater outflows than inflows for a period of time. That’s okay. We planned for this. This is part of the leap of faith that I mentioned in earlier retirement posts that I had to learn how to make. Still a work in progress when it comes to this. Wish me luck!