Doesn't Grow on Trees

When I was a little girl, I was frequently annoyed by a particular expression my mother used. "Do you think money grows on trees?" she'd ask (rhetorically, I believe). I didn't think that then, and I certainly don't think that now.

"You don't talk about money," my friend Nancy has said. And I've always thought she was right about that. But now we do. Everyone does. Most of us in very general terms, alluding to "the economy's being what it is," and statements of that nature. Conspicuous consumption is out; frugal choices are in. Last week I deleted a blog from my sidebar; the author used to write about her quilts and they were darned nice quilts. But in recent months all she posted were pictures and more pictures of her extravagant new home. I just couldn't stand another shot of her bazillion kitchen cabinets! Maybe deep down I'm jealous, but I don't think so. It just seemed tasteless for her to flaunt her wealth when so many people are dealing with frozen salaries or lay-offs.

In our quilting world, Bonnie Hunter's book is selling like hotcakes, in part, I believe, because Bonnie doesn't urge us to go out and buy yards and yards of fabric (which at many shops now starts at nine dollars per yard) but instead has designed patterns to use our fabric scraps and even cut-up clothing. My big problem with Shirttails is deciding which project to do first!

This morning when I was running through my sidebar blogs, I came across one of the cutest patterns in a long time. Immediately I thought of someone who would love this quilt. And then I thought of someone else! I followed the links for purchasing the pattern and stopped dead in my tracks. It was one hundred dollars. For the pattern. No fabric. Just the pattern.

Oh, well.

Money doesn't grow on trees.