A Midweek Fabric Run and Lunch with Lissa

I needed some specific linen for a client project this week, so I headed out around ten on Tuesday. The drive over to the shop in Sunnyside Row usually takes about twenty five minutes if traffic cooperates, but today the light at the big intersection stayed red long enough for me to notice the bakery across the street pulling fresh loaves from the oven, the warm yeasty smell drifting through my cracked window. I had a short list of fabrics to check, mostly neutral tones with a bit of texture, and I ended up finding exactly what I wanted on the second bolt I pulled, a soft oatmeal weave that felt cool and slightly nubby under my fingertips when I unrolled a corner to test it.

The shop was busier than I expected for a weekday morning, with a couple of women debating between two prints near the front display and the low hum of a sewing machine in the back room. I grabbed three yards of the first option and then spent another ten minutes looking at some heavier options for the window treatments, running my hand along a linen-cotton blend that had just enough body without feeling stiff. One of the bolts had a faint dusty smell from being stacked too long, so I skipped it. By the time I checked out, it was already close to noon, and the clerk chatted about a new shipment of buttons while she cut the fabric, her scissors making that satisfying crisp sound against the table.

Lissa had texted earlier asking if I wanted to meet for lunch, so I suggested the little cafe on the corner near the fabric place. They have good sandwiches and decent coffee, and we both had some time before our next meetings. We split a table by the window and ordered the roasted vegetable sandwiches with that house aioli they make, the kind that’s just garlicky enough to linger on your tongue. Sunlight came through the glass and warmed the wooden tabletop, catching on the little vase of dried lavender they keep by the salt shakers. Lissa filled me in on her new coworker situation at the office, describing the way he always leaves half-empty coffee cups on every surface, and I told her about the latest round of revisions on my current project, how the client keeps changing her mind about the exact shade of the trim paint after seeing it in different lights. Nothing dramatic, just the usual back and forth on paint colors and hardware finishes. It felt good to get out of the house for a bit and talk through work stuff without staring at a screen, especially when the barista brought over our sandwiches and the bread was still warm enough to steam a little when I cut into it.

After lunch I stopped at the grocery store on the way home because we were out of a few basics. I picked up some produce and a box of pasta for dinner later, plus a couple of lemons because the ones at home had started to look a little sad in the bowl. Ren mentioned wanting to try that new recipe from the magazine I brought home last week, so I grabbed the missing ingredients while I was there, lingering a minute in the spice aisle to check if they had the smoked paprika the article suggested. The line at checkout moved quickly, which was a nice change from last time, and the cashier even commented on the nice weather as she bagged everything.

When I got back, I laid out the fabric on the dining table to check the drape under natural light, letting a yard or so hang over the edge so I could see how it caught the afternoon sun coming through the blinds. It looks like it will work well with the sofa we already have, the texture playing nicely against the leather without clashing. I still need to order the trim for the edges, but that can wait until next week when I have a clearer picture of the full timeline. The rest of the afternoon was mostly emails and a quick call with another client about scheduling a site visit, the phone balanced between my ear and shoulder while I sorted through a small pile of fabric swatches I’d brought home last month.

By the time Ren got home I had already started chopping vegetables for dinner, the sound of the knife against the cutting board mixing with the low music I’d put on in the background. We ate early and then watched an episode of that show we have been meaning to finish, pausing once to argue about whether the main character’s new haircut was an improvement. Nothing special about the day, really, just a solid mix of errands and small progress on work.