Valerean

Figuring out how to put together hexagons may seem easy, until you lay them out on the floor and realize you're not sure what shape to sew them together in, or how many more you need to crochet, or you're me. This is also a dilemma for quilters making hexiquilts, so I'm posting this here. One of the great things about the internet are the free online tools you can use in a browser to figure out such things, like this one with a hexagon grid generator . Although my blanket won't look exactly like this, it did help me tremendously with figuring out what I did want to do with the layout, and how many hexes I'll need to do my version of it.

As a reward for putting in all the extra hours so I could get three weeks ahead on my work schedule I invested in the Fall 2026 issue of Quilting Arts magazine. This is a lovely issue, with lots of art quilts to admire. Although I'll never be a modern quilter I enjoyed the Art Meets Modern Gallery, especially Rachel Derstine's Rhythm and Flow quilt (on the right) -- such tiny pieces! Noelle Foye's article about Canadian textile artist Lorraine Roy was particularly wonderful, especially in regard to the artist's aesthetic. Her work is awesome. I always like the reader challenges, and this issue's "Into Nature" theme had "Nature's Seascape", a mini quilt by Patricia Caldwell (on the right) that made me sigh. I've never thought of incoporating driftwood pieces and stones as well as beads as quilt elements. Must try that someday soon. This is a terrific issue for anyone needing some quilting art inspiration, highly recommen...

My guy and I went to walk The Mercantile in Altamonte Springs, and I picked up some free doodle art from Durkart , a postcard and a Blind Date with a Book. The proceeds from the latter go to support a pet rescue. Very happy with my blind date -- I love nonfiction, and this wartime era is one I've only read about lightly. We also walked Altamonte Springs Mall, where I stopped by Barnes & Noble to pick up two quilting magazines. Lovely day.

Summer is over now (sob) and Autumn has arrived. What do I like about it? Not much. Okay, what do I have to look forward to? Halloween. Halloween was a lot of fun last year, thanks to the costuming of my thrifted stuffies, and really, I've always liked it. I'm planning to make more pumpkins that I could turn into Jack-o-lanterns, but I'm also looking for a fun Halloween sewing project to make as well. I like how the skies turn beautiful this time of year, and the cooler temps allow me and my guy to spend more time outdoors. That will help me avoid all the pumpkin spice things. We don't get a lot of autumn leaves here in the humid sub-tropical zone of Central Florida, but my little Japanese miniature maple does turn red some years. It looks like Nature and Halloween are going to have to carry me through this season. Could be worse -- could be Christmas. :)

I had the latest tea-stained bag to turn into something, and I could have easily used the sewing machine for that once I'd picked it apart. I have accepted that the machine is going to be my primary way to sew going forward. Yet I'm also choosing to do a little manual sewing now and then when my hands are up to it, so I thought, this time I'll hand stitch. I think I can still make small projects like this without hours and hours of stitching, and it helps me spiritually to reconnect with my past self. The finished bag. Nothing special, really, unless you're me. :)

Seeking Persephone is a short four-part historical British romance series based on a novel written by an American romance author. Yes, you may cringe. It has a somewhat sparse production (likely to save money) and a storyline that is not particularly historically accurate or even remotely plausible (my opinion, of course.) Given my upbringing I found the whole thing gruesomely fascinating, and spent a couple of hours being very grateful I escaped my past while watching it. The author, screenwriter (or perhaps both) follow in the LDS footsteps of Twilight's Stephanie Meyer, which makes it safe for any tween to watch. The lead female is purchased (yes, literally) by a Duke who has a bit of scarring on his face and no right ear to speak of. He pays over $100,000.00 pounds for this girl, a penniless female with absolutely no prospects whatsoever, once again affirming that you can have any woman you want if you throw enough cash at her family -- which still happens today, just...