Looking Back

Current disasters aside, 2022 was one of the most productive years I've had in a while. While I was writing six novels (technically, six and a half) for the day job I was also finding new ways in my spare time to sew, quilt and even make garments. My focus was using more sustainable and recycled materials, like this koi quilt I made for Katherine from remnants and bolt ends.

I also tried to use up every scrap of leftover fabric, as I did with this quilt bag from the remnants of the koi quilt.

My art quilting was practically non-stop, as making smaller projects was easier for my arthritic hands.

I'm still dealing with the loss of my mom, and art quilting helped a lot with channeling those emotions in positive directions.

Rescuing orphan patchwork via an estate sale and making those pieces into projects was fun, and gave my spirits a boost, too.

I made a lot of bags.

Pillows, too.

Thrifting and making over three boxes from Goodwill into journal keepers was really a delight, and a great creative challenge.

I tried to work in colors that I've never used much in the past, with happy results.

My summer art quilt didn't turn out like I'd hoped, but even when I failed I learned something (like downscaling instead of trying to keep doing things as I have in previous years.)

Right after the frustrations of summer I discovered Fabscrap, a service that helps keep unwanted material from the fashion industry out of landfills, which started me on using their scrap packs and creatively mending sample garments.

Fabscrap has really made my sewing time fabulous.

I partly lost the use of another finger on my one working hand, so I took up crochet again to try to keep what function I have left from slipping away.

Like riding a bike, really, and I've missed crochet.

Holiday pillows from Fabscrap flannel swatches.

My reward for myself for writing six novels in 2022 was building this 1:18 scale dollhouse sewing room from a Rolife kit in December.

It's been a good thirty years since I've made miniatures, and with my definite decline in dexterity it proved to be a real challenge.

It also made me very happy to cross this off my creative bucket list.

It was a busy year, but (primarily) a happy one. I forget sometimes how greatly creating, quilting and sewing adds to my personal joy. In that respect, 2022 was bliss. I hope to keep that momentum going in 2023, and while I will probably scale down and only make one or two quilts (the linen quilt I've yet to finish is at the top of that list) I'll look for new ways to stay inspired.

Last Night

In the middle of the night the dogs began barking, which woke me and my guy. I thought it was the sound of a neighbor's car, but my guy heard some cracking and popping. This morning we woke up to a disaster.

Our floor just outside the kitchen rose about an inch along one tile seam for about a length ten feet, It happened so suddenly that one of the tiles by the wall cracked. Either a pipe burst, or the foundation shifted (we're not seeing any water, so there's that much.) Hopefully it can be repaired, and our insurance covers the damage.

Forgot About This

The following is a letter from December 27, 2009, delivered yesterday from the past to me by FutureMe

Dear Future Me,

I know you're probably feeling better than I am right now, or you've at least gotten over this rotten respiratory infection we contracted over the holidays. I also know you have the same e-mail address because you haven't changed it in ten years; what's another twelve?

Did you remember to finish all the UFOs in the closet under the stairwell? What about donating that crazy quilt to the folk art museum? Don't tell me you forgot it again. If you wait much longer it's going to disintegrate on you. Also, remember to call Kat today; she's turning 28.

Are you happy to be retired? (this is assuming the world didn't end ten years ago in 2012.) You didn't cave in and cut your hair like all the other old ladies, I hope.

Give our guy a big kiss from me and thank him again for the lovely new office chair he gave me this Christmas.

Sincerely,

Past PBW

The photo is of Katherine on 12/26/09, when she was 15 years old.

In the twelve years since I wrote that letter to myself, let's see: I probably feel a little worse right now as my arthritis is flaring badly, and has moved into my right knee, so I'm hobbling a lot. As I predicted I have not changed my e-mail address. I finished about half of the UFOs over the last decade or so. The crazy quilt is unfortunately still hanging on my sewing room wall; I never could bring myself to part with it. I have not retired yet. I am cutting my hair a little shorter these days because it's starting to fall out. I don't have that very uncomfortable chair my guy gave me; we put it upstairs so I could have my old ugly chair back, which is still way more comfortable.

Katherine will be 28 on Friday, which I'll be celebrating with her.

I remember exactly how I was in 2009. Overworked, completely unappreciated and used by just about everyone, present company excepted. I would not wish that part of my career on my worst enemy if I had one. Now I'm glad they kicked me to the curb a few years later; if they hadn't I'd probably be dead now from the stress. I also wouldn't have the wonderful job I've kept for the last seven years. So what would I say if I could write back to that exhausted, sick, depressed past me?

Take care, 2009 me. You have a bumpy road ahead of you, but it will all be worth it. Oh, and you have just developed type 2 diabetes. Go see a doctor now, will you?

A Better Day

Because she won't get home for another year or two, Katherine is trying to see all of her local friends while she visits. Right now she's out hiking with one, who will come by for dinner later. At lunchtime today, however, we took her to her favorite Japanese restaurant so she could have sashimi.

I was super surprised to learn that she hasn't had sashimi or sushi since she went to the islands; it's too expensive there for her budget.

At our local sushi place they hang up napkin art made by the customers.

It was about 50-ishF outside, and of course Katherine found a lizard stranded in a cold spot, picked it up and transported it to a sun-warmed spot. It didn't want to let go of her. I know just how it feels. :)

Why It's My Favorite Day of the Year

I hope you all are having a lovely holiday. Here it was exactly as I expected, only a little worse. I'm trying to be grateful it wasn't much worse.

Thanks to the bomb cyclone Katherine got stuck in Denver for 5-1/2 hours, but late on Christmas Eve afternoon her flight finally took off. Thousands didn't, so I am very grateful she didn't have to spend Christmas Day in an airport.

Meanwhile, I suggested to my guy that we leave an hour early because the airport was going to be a disaster area. He felt confident a half an hour early would be time enough (the man has no concept of time.) Turns out a disaster area would have been pleasant compared to Orlando International. We used all of our spare time stuck in traffic.

They closed all levels of the parking garage because it was full of people coming and going. We went in anyway, and circled all the full lots for what seemed like forever, but couldn't find a parking spot. Getting out of the garage was then impossible due to backed-up traffic of people trying to do the same thing.

I saw myself spending Christmas circling that parking lot, which actually would not be the worst Christmas I've spent.

Katherine's plane landed, and my guy needed to use the bathroom, and we're still circling the lots. We parked illegally in a spot between two signs that read "No parking between these signs," he dashed inside and promptly got lost in the terminal. Meanwhile, I sat behind the driver's wheel waiting to be ticketed or perhaps ordered out of the car so it could be towed. It's our new car, btw, and I have yet to drive it.

No one ticketed, towed or challenged me. Thank you, Santa.

At length my guy came back to the car, and tried to explain how he got lost. This is what old people do in a crisis. Halfway through listening to his story I told him to stay with the car, because Katherine texted to say she's getting off the plane now. I instructed my guy to tell the garage people I'd had a medical emergency, and ran inside the terminal to find a restroom because by now my bladder was about to burst, which really was an emergency. All the restrooms around me were closed.

I made it just in the nick of time, thanks to a lovely cleaning lady who kindly allowed me to use one of the toilets she'd just cleaned in a closed restroom. If I'd been carrying cash I would have given her all of my money. We just said "Merry Christmas" to each other, in the way two exhausted soldiers do before stepping onto the battlefield.

I came out of the bathroom and started toward the gate where Katherine was supposed to be. I could vaguely hear announcements but not clearly enough to know what they were announcing. I realize that 1) Orlando International has completely changed and I have no effing clue where to go, and 2) I'm so deaf I can't ask anyone for help because I won't hear them. I saw myself getting lost in the terminal, but I just followed what signs I saw.

Katherine appeared like a miracle halfway to me getting to her gate, and since she'd been travelling literally for 24 hours looked like an extra-exhausted soldier. She also hadn't eaten anything except a danish since leaving Hawaii. I hadn't eaten since lunch, and I could feel my blood sugar tanking. We hugged, and then I explained Dad and the car might not be there when we got to the parking garage.

Somehow my guy and the car were right where we illegally parked, with still no ticket (thank you, Santa) and we then got out of the parking garage. After spending another hour in airport traffic we started for home, looking for fast food restaurants where we could grab something in the drive-through so we all didn't faint from hunger. Everything closes early on Christmas Eve, btw, and it was close to ten pm.

I spotted a Denny's. Side note: I hate Denny's. It always feels like everything is covered in a light coating of oil at Denny's. This Denny's was in a rather rough side of town, too. So of course I said "Let's go to Denny's."

Okay. Imagine two old people and their exhausted daughter in a Denny's in the hood. It was crowded, understaffed, everyone looked hostile, and everything I touched felt like it was covered lightly in oil. I didn't care; it was par for the Christmas course. Our server came over, eyed us, and proceeded to do everything in her power to take care of us. We never had to ask for anything; she was constantly checking on us, and joked, and laughed with us. We all had breakfast, which actually was pretty good. We gave our server a big tip, and I'm writing a letter to the manager of that Denny's suggesting he give that young lady a hefty raise.

Christmas arrived while we were driving home. Once we finally got to the house I sent everyone to bed so I could finish my Christmas dinner prep. The turkey was defrosted (my gift to Katherine was making Thanksgiving dinner on Christmas Day. I never cook on Christmas) so I went to bed at 2:30 am thinking the disasters were over.

Nope.

My camera wouldn't focus on Christmas morning, so I have a bunch of blurry pictures of Katherine opening her presents. I made breakfast, and that turned out fine, which kept me in that "All is well now except for the camera" mode. I got the turkey stuffed and, although it was completely thawed, in the oven a half-hour early, just in case. I spent the rest of the morning and afternoon prepping and cooking.

Time to serve dinner. Although I'd left it in the oven an extra half-hour to roast, the turkey looked a little pale when we checked it, so I broiled it a bit. We took it out of the oven, and I checked it like I always do. The leg said "Done." Then, while I was finishing the last of the dishes, Katherine noticed some blood at the back of the turkey. I checked it and yep, the entire underside of the bird was still raw.

I've been making turkeys for forty years. I have never screwed up one in my life. I don't know if it was the oven, this particular bird, or just my bad Christmas luck, but the turkey was a bloody mess. I had to roast it not once but two more times before it finally cooked all the way through. My guy and Katherine were very kind about it, but that effectively ruined Christmas dinner.

The picture above is Christmas Day dessert; a raspberry cream trifle. That much I did not screw up, so I'm grateful for it.

I spent the rest of the night in pain from standing all day, thank you, arthritis, and exhausted from trying to get through the holiday. I kept saying to myself "Three more hours" and "Two-and-a-half more hours" etc. For some reason I decided to take a nap on my office couch, had a terrible nightmare and woke up weeping so hard I gave myself hiccups. My guy had fallen asleep on the couch, so we walked the dogs (who were crossing their legs at that point) at midnight. It was freezing outside, of course.

Finally I got the nerve to go to bed at 3:00 am. Finally, it was over for another year.

I owe you guys e-mails, which I shall write tomorrow. Today my guy and Katherine are going to Disney Springs with a friend of hers. I am going to work on my embroidery and do nothing else but eat thrice-roasted turkey sandwiches and feel grateful. Survived another one. :)

Wishing You

Merry Christmas from Valerean. See you after New Years!

Polished

In the last batch of vintage brooches I bought I noticed this double dolphin pin was particularly heavy. On the back it had a faint stamp that looked like 925, which is a hallmark of silver purity (as in 92.5% solid silver.) Although I rarely clean old jewelry, as I like the patina age gives most pieces, I decided to give this one a bath in silver cleaner to see if I was right.

And I was, as you can see from the results. This piece is definitely near-solid silver.

Katherine will be the happy recipient. :)

Incoming

Tomorrow Katherine arrives to spend the holidays with us.

I haven't seen her since she left to work in Montana, almost two years ago now.

She's followed in my footsteps a bit, visiting places like San Francisco and Yosemite where I used to go, but she's also found her own way in the world.

I will not be posting on the blog while she's here, so I can spend as much time with her as possible. I'm so happy. Best Christmas present ever.

Material Analysis

I've been working with Fabscrap recycled fabrics for a couple of months, and I've had a lot of fun, too. This is everything I have left over from the November challenge. As with any resource I have some opinions about how valuable it is, as well as the drawbacks. I also need to be practical about what I want to use, what I can use, and what will likely be difficult for me to use.

The quality has been consistently outstanding. All of the scraps are in new or very good condition. Much of the fabric I've got in all the different scrap packs is more toward the dark end of the color spectrum, however. I didn't realize how much I've gravitated toward using lighter fabrics until I starting sorting the scraps according to what I liked most. That will guide my buying choices when I go back to shop for more (probably not for a while; I've got a lot of fabric now.)

I really love the lace. The quality, the variety, the colors -- I can't say anything bad about the lace scrap pack. I definitely have a lace quilt to design next year.

I also liked the white scrap pack very much. I think white is going to be the most versatile scrap fabric for me, especially with my art quilting, as I'm planning to try eco-dyeing in 2023.

I sorted out all the different types of fabrics, and in the end I made two boxes: fabric I'll definitely use next year (left) and fabric to challenge my creativity (right). I plan to take scraps from both on a regular basis next year and see what I can make of them.

It's wonderful to be able to save these fabrics from landfills, but there's a responsibility that goes along with that. I need to make use of them. Stay tuned to see how I do.

Sample Garment Finale

The final Fabscrap sample garment I creatively mended was my favorite of the four, this red, white and blue flannel men's shirt. I wear these instead of jackets in the winter, and I really wanted to fix it up so I could wear it during the holidays. It's beautifully finished, but missing part of one sleeve.

I was briefly tempted to use another flannel sleeve I'd gotten in a scrap pack to repair the shirt, but as you can see the colors don't match. Also, the point of mending these garments is to finish them properly.

So I cut off the other sleeve to match the length of it to the shorter one.

I always have to roll up the sleeves of the flannel shirts I wear, so I decided to use the cut-off sleeve portion to make new cuffs for both sleeves.

I had to use almost every scrap of the trimmed fabric piece to make both cuffs, so that worked out nicely in a repurposing sense.

The finished garment.

Failing

I thought creatively mending this sample pajama top, which was as long as a dress, would be a snap.

It had only two holes cut out of it near the hem. I found a coordinating piece of fabric among my spandex scraps, pinned it to the inside of the garment and stitched it in place.

Did I mention that the pajama top is mostly spandex, too? Two stretchy fabrics should have been easy to stitched together, but they weren't. They stretched as I worked them through the machine. The thread I was using didn't stretch. Aka puckery disaster.

In hindsight I probably should have run with my other idea to applique fabric over the holes, but the damage was done. I also wasn't inclined to unpick all my stitching and start over. Thus with much regret I trimmed off the bottom of the garment along with the offending puckery mess, and hemmed it.

The finished garment. It looks fine, and it taught me a lesson, so in the end I'll call this a fail and a win.

What?

Pantone announced their color of the year for 2023, which is Viva Magenta.

While I'm sure someone was paid lots of money for creating the color campaign video, I don't think I've seen anything quite so hideous in my life. In fact, the very last place I want to visit is the Magentaverse. So.

Pass.