I Was Selfish at the Fabric Store
 

As I was approaching the cutting table, I heard a lady - who was in the middle of getting her fabric cut - telling the clerk that she wanted fabric with large fish on it. As I put my choices on the adjacent cutting table, she looked at my bolt with large colorful fish and told the clerk that it was exactly what she wanted. So the clerk took the bolt, asked me how much I wanted, how much she wanted and then told us there was more than enough to satisfy us both. Then she started to lay out the bolt to cut the lady's order.

No, no, no, no, no. I told her that I would have my piece cut first and the other lady could cut from what was left. Glad I did, because the balance left on the bolt was over a yard short of what the other lady wanted.

Lesson: we do have to be selfish sometimes.

Sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do!

Good for you! Don't think I'd have anticipated that. I'd have been the one crying all the way home.

Since you are the one who had teh bolt in her hand, it's only fair that you get the first cut off that bolt.

i don't feel that you were being selfish. you were entitled to ask for your cut first as you chose the bolt first.

I do not think you were being selfish at all. You were first!!

First come first serve.

Quick thinking on your part. I used to work at a fabric store and was taught how to count yards on a bolt - 2 folds for every yard.

I was in a store once and carrying around a bolt of "hand dyed" fabric (pre batik frenzy.) The kind that had drops of one color, then another on top of that, etc so that it had different colors in patches. (can't remember name of it) Anyway, I only wanted a little bit, but the part I wanted was in the beginning of a cut. I was waiting for my turn, and the sales person said I could put the bolt down while I was waiting. I started to look at the patterns next to me to kept me occupied. The lady having her stack of fabric cut said she would like so much of this. I wasn't looking (but thought she was still working on her stack) and she had taken "my" bolt and had them cut off some of it. When I realized what they had done, I looked at the fabric and the color had changed to a completely different color and if I wanted "my" color, I would have to buy 3X as much to get back to my color. Didn't even ask how much I wanted before she helped herself. What if I wanted the whole bolt? Told the cutter there wasn't enough now for what I wanted and left the store.

He or she with bolt in hand , has the "right of way" as far as I am concerned.

That's not being selfish, that's being smart!

I cannot believe the cutting lady just took the bolt ! I'm glad you spoke up or your fish may have swam upstream ! LOL

You found it first so you should have the first cut.

I don't really think it was selfish of you. If you were the first one to have it in your hands with a certain amount that you intended to buy, then it was selfish of her to assume that you didn't need what you needed.

I don't think I'd spend too much time thinking about it or feeling guilty. I'm glad you didn't let the cutting clerk 'use you' that way. I would have felt totally bummed if I needed/wanted a certain amount and someone basically took it out of arms, took what they wanted and I was left short--when I had done the searching for and holding the bolt.

The other lady could have the store clerk check and see if other stores in the area had any.

Any sale is "first come, first served". Once I had a deluxe Scrabble game put aside at a yard sale. Unfortunately I put it down and someone else didn't realize I had meant it to be with my stuff--(I had put it close to me in my 'pile', but turned my back). I didn't see that it was gone til too late and then I didn't feel like making a stink, but to this day I feel like I had chosen it, put it down by me, but didn't notice, because you know how yard sales are.....

So good for you!

I don't think you were being selfish. If I had been cutting the other lady would have had to wait until you got yours because YOU brought the bolt to the table...some people...no manners...

That's why I use a cart and don't put them down until I'm ready to have mine cut. It's a battle out there sometimes!

We need to stand our ground. Way to go!

Believe it's the sign of the times.....little or no consideration, let alone politeness for others or so-called "rules". You were definitely right, no doubt about it. Not long ago I was in a very small quilt shop during a sale (that I didn't know was going on until after I got in there or would never have gone), and before I got out of there, a couple of ladies were fortunate I didn't whomp them in the back of of the head with a bolt, after shoving me and other, stepping on my feet three times... just totally oblivious to anything but there own desires.

I don't consider what you did as being selfish. IMHO the person that found the material first gets their cut, then anyone else can have what they want off the bolt. I always as if I can have the bolt when they get their cut is someone has some fabric that I would also like.

mltquilt

She was lucky...I'm not only selfish, I have been known to get nasty if the situation was right...

I was at Joann's recently and as I was walking around the store with my fabric, someone liked it. I knew there wasn't much left so I told them when I was done with it, I would let them have it. I don't think I was selfish at all.

A bolt is the hand is worth two anywhere else!

You were smart to get your cut of fabric first. I have seen someone's fabric, asked to have some cut AFTER they got theirs first. One time at JoAnn's I think 3 of us took turns getting fabric from the same bolt. All strangers and all went away happy.

Good thinking on your part. I would have trusted the clerk that there was enough fabric on the bolt for both the other lady and me, and I would have been left high and dry with not enough fabric. Kudos to you!

I think you did the right thing by having your's cut first. After all you had the fabric first. :)

not to mention, even if there was enough fabric, there might have been a flaw in the middle that you would have to cut around.

Well, if it's the perfect fabric for her, she now has the information she needs to track down more! I don't think you were being selfish. Being selfish would have been to change your mind on your order and say that you were taking it all...

I would have said the same thing you did. She can wait her turn. Her not saying I'll wait for her to finish with her cutting shows she didn't deserve to be catered to and wouldn't appreciate it if she was.

I would have told her that I'd be happy to give her the bolt ... after the clerk cut my piece. Nothing wrong with what you did. You played well with others ... :-)

Thanks for this post. I will keep the info re 2 folds to a yard for future reference. I didn't know that.

That was a wise move on your part. I'll remember to do the same thing if I'm planning on buying quite a bit. I do like to put my bolts into baskets when the store has them just so I can keep everything together.

I totally agree!

It definitely is a sign of the times. One time when I was shopping during a big sale I had a large stack of bolts getting 1/4 and 1/2 yd cuts to add to my stash and this other lady standing there was oohing and aahing over what I had picked out....then she would say to the clerk cut me a 1/2 yd of that one while you are cutting. After about the 3rd or 4th time of doing that the clerk finally told her, just let me cut this lady's order, and when I am done you can go through her stack, pick out what you like and I will be glad to cut anything you like. I was so grateful the clerk spoke up. I didn't mind so much the first time she did it or even the second time, but I was beginning to fear that she was going to duplicate my entire order. I just didn't quite know what to say without it coming out sounding petty.

I think you could only have been considered selfish, is if you took more than you originally planned so that she couldn't have it. Since you didn't, you were fair and justified. Don't think anymore about it.

You are so not selfish. You had a right to the first cut as you are the one who picked it out. Aren't you glad you spoke up?

You did the right thing and lucky you did so that you didn't go home short handed.

You were not selfish, nor was the other customer, but the cutting lady mixed things up.

You were not really being selfish :o The first cut was yours!

I sure wouldn't have considered that selfish YOU were the one with the bolt in your hand. She was probably grateful you even shared :)