New Hampshire Hosta, Rob's Lakeside Hosta and Casita Azul(http://www.ilovehostas.net/index.html) I've gotten plants from all three and they are all great to deal with decent size and decent price. They are all reputable too. NH Hosta has a great variety, they have even more at their greenhouse than their website(if you are close enough to check it out) they also have nice gardens, that is where I saw Olive branch and now it is at the top of my list. They also have a lot of smaller ones there. Does Rob have a website? I knew he was trying to get one started but is it up and running? But he has a lot and they are really nice plants.

I'm sorry for the loss of your friend, Auntjen. The way she died sounds so sad. The ray of light in all this sadness is how you have celebrated her life by sharing some of her charm, sweetness and good nature with us. We can feel her presence even in her absence, because of you. We can in a small way, all celebrate her life by reflecting on your story of her. Your post honors and thanks her for touching you so deeply through her communications and loving spirit. Shortly after a friend of mine died many years ago, I felt a compelling urge to get back into doing volunteer work. My friend had been an amazing social worker, and I was overcome with a desire to emulate her in some way, to extend some of the goodness she had offered to others. I know I haven't come close to giving what she gave to others, but the impulse to give back, indeed a compulsion to, was born from her death. Maybe sometimes fighting for a cause or embodying the values and concerns of a person who has died can help us to cope with their loss.

I have not been to the Waverly outlet. I accidentally found the Robert Allen Outlet when visiting the outlet mall in Gaffney. I've been approx 3 times over the past 1.5 yrs. Here's what I've found: fabric by the yard approx $5-$6/yd, folded remnants (including silk) were .10/lb last time I visited. They also have some ready made panels for various prices. On Saturdays, customers can access more inventory because the folks who work in the warehouse are not working. Hours are limited but the employees are great @ cheerleading. Specifics: Robert Allen Fabric Outlet, 50 Peachview Blvd, Gaffney SC 800-266-8579. Hope that helps. It's not too far from MaryJo's in Gastonia NC which would take another long-winded paragraph to yap about!

For practicing on, plain unbleached muslin is usually around a dollar a yard and as totallyblessed says, most fabric stores regularly have coupons to drop the cost even further. Many experienced sewers do practice/test pieces and try out new patterns on unbleached muslin because it's so cheap. Walmart also has a buck-a-yard table, so if you're over there for something else, stop by the fabric department - it may not be exactly what you want but if it's for practicing on I imagine day-glo orange paisley isn't quite so bad. ;-) (If your practice pieces come out well, donate them to Goodwill!) Fabrics-Store.com has pretty good prices in their "oops" and "doggie bag" departments; they specialize in linen. People rave about eBay for fabric shopping. I haven't bought anything yet but I'm drooling over upholstery fabrics for a chair and a couch (the couch is a "someday").