Valerean

Back in November I got this blind date with a book at Writer's Block in Winter Garden. The thing that sold me on it was the description, especially the final bullet point. It turned out to be The Monstrous Kind by Ludia Gregovic, a gothic fantasy romance extremely loosely based on Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility (basically, one setting.) Definitely got a lot of hype, but was it worth it? Upfront let me say that I am a fan of Jane Austen, and in the past I have actually borrowed an element from her universe for a ghost writing gig. While her works are in the public domain, which means anyone can do pretty much anything they like to them with impunity, there are still some ethical problems with that. I am not a fan of writers who cut and paste her work, reword it just enough to escape plagiarism, and then claim the work as their own original work. It's a practice I find disrespectful and dishonest as well as disgusting. Thankfully Austen only inspired th...

I finished that crocheted throw started back in February. The uneven rows didn't look as wavy as I hoped, but I'm still happy with it (and I used eight skeins of thrifted yarn that might otherwise end up in a landfill.) I cleaned and touched up the veneer on this sturdy thrifted table to make it the new home for my sewing machines, iron and other stuff. I sewed some easter bunnies from some free patterns I found online. My first mini-quilt of March was a visual poem about life, luck and lemons. The second mini-quilt was all about vintage lace, velvet, buttons and bling. From a box of scrap yarn I made two small baskets, a ponytail tie, three hair scrunchies, a braided keychain, an embroidered book cover, a coaster, a trinket dish, a bookmark, two cup sleeves and about a yard of ribbon for gift wrapping. The only thing I used a variation of a pattern for is the round basket; everything else is improvised. I made this spring table topper from a charm pack I ...

I like to buy thrift store bundles like this one from Goodwill, as they often are cheaper than single items. You have to get a good idea of what's inside, which is sometimes difficult because you often can't open the bundles. This bag of seven yarn skeins caught my eye because of the big white one-pound skein. I use a lot of white yarn. Caron one-pound skeins retail for around twenty bucks new now. Also I like Red Heart yarns, and these super savers are $3 to $4 new. So this bundle would have cost me at least $38.00 if I paid retail. Some bundles I buy just because I'm intrigued by the contents, and they catch my eye at the perfect time (I'll do another post in the future about why with this particular bundle.) Although there were only three skeins of yarn, the bundle had so much more fun inside, from a dozen different crochet hooks and knitting needles to pretty craft edging scissors (the first pair I've ever owned!). The very long crochet ho...

I want to make another crocheted throw, but I'm undecided on which pattern to use. So pondering that while I pull the colors I want to use for it from my stash. Since I'm not ready to commit to a bigger project, I decided to use up two jumbo skeins of this Caron ombre yarn that I thrifted to keep my fingers exercised. Crochet has turned out to be the best physical therapy for me at this stage of my RA; it helps me maintain some flexibility and works out the stiffness in my joints. I'm also having fewer episodes with my trigger finger problem on both hands since I began crocheting every night. This is a patternless project; it'll be a V-stitched wrap I can wear around my shoulders while I work on cold mornings. I do my own version of V-stitch in double instead of treble crochet because I can work that pretty mindlessly. I just made the foundation chain as wide as I wanted the piece, and I'll use up both skeins (and possibly a third in a cream color t...

I was taught old-fashioned manners, like always be polite, wait for your turn, don't depend on others to do your work, etc. I grew up in a time when being mannerly was expected. Wait for your turn is a no-brainer; if everyone is standing in line you don't cut in front of them, right? Even when there's food involved. That's just fairness at its essence. Last month I read an article about a lawyer who was arrested for assaulting a man with a plate while waiting in line at the food buffet. This turned into a fist and food fight (during a wedding, no less) because someone cut the line and everyone went nuts, or so the lawyer claims. I had the same situation happen to me during the holidays. My guy took me out for dinner, and I ordered the endless salad bar and soup. I then went to the salad bar, waiting for my turn behind six other people who were already there. After five minutes it was finally my turn, but then this woman got up from a table, stepped right in ...

This video helped me a lot last month. The visuals are a little annoying, but the lesson is a powerful one. I think it's something that can blow away the crap other people do to you, frankly, and bring you to a place of peace.

My fifteen year old wallet has finally fallen apart, so I decided to thrift a replacement. The one I liked came in a small lot of bags, so I decided to bid on it for the minimum, and won it with no challengers. Let's see if it was worth it. The purple bag at the top left is actually the wallet. It has all the compartments a girl could need, and is in mint condition. With the outer strap I can even carry it like a purse if I want. Vera Bradley wallets like this one retails new for $75.00 to $145.00. The black bag with the red stripe is nice, and in good condition. It just needs a bath. The blue and green tote was well loved by someone who used it for a long time. It's worn and soft, and will make a lovely project bag. It has what looks to be a coffee spill stain on one side, so I'll see if I can get that out. The black and white purse is in good used condition, and only has a bit of soiling. I'll be giving all four a good cleani...

Generally speaking an art quilt, especially one that has been embellished with hot fix pearls and crystals, should not be washed. Thread painting and applique work like the kind done on both can be delicate, too. That said, the pair I just thrifted needed a bath. I decided to roll the dice once more and see if I could clean them (anything of value should only be cleaned by a professional textile cleaning service with experience handling such things.) They were both a bit too big for my hand washing basin, so I soaked them in cold water and some mild detergent in the bathroom sink. I'm glad I didn't wash them together, as the green and violet runner shed a bit of dye in the water. The panel quilt's dust and storage residue came out in the water, turning it a light beige. I didn't soak either piece long; just about fifteen minutes. I then rinsed them out in cold water and hung them to dry. The green runner came out brighter with no damage or loss of ...

The second art quilt that came in the duo lot is actually a gorgeous applique runner. Like the first quilt the maker used thread painting and crystal embellishments to accentuate the quilt. You can clearly see the thread painting on the back. So, how much did I pay for these two lovely pieces of art? Believe it or not, $9.99 for both.

I had a feeling that two small quilts I saw go up for auction would be special, so I bid on them and won without any challengers. They arrived last month, so let's see if my hunch was correct. Yes and then some. This is an art quilt, quite well done by someone with considerable experience with thread painting and dimensional fabric manipulation. Alas, there is no maker label, or I would give the maker credit. The panel is embellished not only with different colors of thread painting but also crystals and pearls. Since I love all things Asian I am absolutely delighted to own this beautiful art quilt. The dimensional flowers are simply awesome. But what about the other one? Stop by tomorrow to see that surprise.

I repaired the split seams on the survivor quilt, which turned out to be about 11, and wasn't difficult at all. It's a testament to the original maker's skill that it has held together so well all these years. I then shaved the fabrics with pilling to tidy them up. It's pretty common with polyester quilts to have a lot of that, but this one had pretty minimal amounts. Here's a patch before I shaved it. See all the little balls on the orange patch? Here's the after shot, shaved clean. I considered retying the quilt, but it's extremely heavy and hard to manage with the arthritis flare-up I'm currently dealing with in both hands. I'll also have to work on a floor to get it to lay flat, which my knees don't want to do this month. So for now my work on repairing this quilt is done, and I'll save the rest for a time when I'm in better shape to handle it.

2025 did not get off to a great start for us; I had to right away contend with some family drama in my own home, and then our brother-in-law fell gravely ill, was moved to hospice and passed away in Tampa. Other issues did not contribute anything positive. Stress causes my arthritis to flare up, as does having to travel long distances, and my hands quickly bore the brunt of that. Since crochet is the one fiber art I can do even when my hands hurt, I looked for and found a free pattern online and decided to make a throw for myself. I have tons of thrifted yarn, of course, so I didn't buy any new for the project, but instead shopped my stash for the colors I wanted. I imagined a throw like sitting on beach sand and watching the tide come in. The pattern seems challenging but is actually pretty simple, and soon I was able to work on the throw without having to think about it. Every night I spent a couple of hours working on it, which helped me deal with the stress...