Letting off a little steam

Last week I ordered stuff form the States and from the UK.
I've had the stuff from the States for a couple of days but not the stuff from the UK.
I just rang to find out what had happened to be told that they dispatched it on Wednesday (yesterday) and it's on it's way.
I'm not going to name names, but the answer from the woman on the phone was she didn't know how they (the Americans) managed to do it. I can tell them. The Americans dispatch their orders immediately. They don't sit on it for days and days.
I want to support UK shops but with this level of service, why should I?
I rang another shop for a specific fabric. I was told I would be rung back by the person who would take my order. He hasn't.
I went to the site of the fabric manufacturers I mentioned the other day and clicked on all the links for UK suppliers. It was embarrassing. Either the websites were so very badly designed they were next to useless or the websites were just a page saying where they were.
I want to support British shops but they make it so very hard.
BTW I do name names when the service is good.

New old book

I went to a Guild Area day last week and we had a hand quilter demonstrating on her frame. She had this wonderful book, Cusack's Freehand Ornament. It was a design source to die for. The only small problem was it was published in 1895, so a little out of print (grin).
How wondrous is the internet? I found a copy after a very quick search and now it is mine. I'm so happy. This book has designs on almost every page which can be translated either into quilting motifs or appliqué.
Aren't they fabulous and this is just a random selection, every page is like these.