Rayen

At the end of October I went on a quest to find materials with which to make a Halloween-themed journal. Michael's was already packing up their Halloween merchandise and putting out Christmas things. I finally checked at the Dollar Tree and found a little spooky gift box and a child's Halloween coloring book. I've made many box-type journals, and this one is a very nice size. Perfect to use throughout the year, too, not just in October. I'll show you how I'm going to use the coloring book in the next post. Now I will collect what I can from the things I have on hand and get started. :)

While my guy and I were wandering around Winter Garden we stopped at a thrift store. It was very crowded, and the prices were too high for my liking, but I did spot something in the books section that made me do a double take: Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson. Yes, you read that right. I had no idea these two folks had written a book together. James Patterson is famous -- or, infamous, if you like -- for using co-authors; the most famous being Bill Clinton (Dolly Parton might be a tad bit more famous.) I've heard rumors that he's never actually written a book himself (which would not surprise me.) He is a publicity machine that rivals Stephen King, and since they've both taken pot shots at each other, that seems apt, too. I have never personally read one of his books, and despite Dolly's name on the spine I was not tempted to thrift this one. There will be a Dolly Parton fan out there who will be thrilled to buy it, I'm sure. In the firs...

To use up the rest of the vintage fabric from this basket I cut all of it into 2-1/2" strips. I'm going to make a variation of Valerie Nesbitt's 40 minute scrap quilt top (you can watch a video tutorial about it here .) To save time I'm not going to slant the ends. You simply make a long strip, then fold it right sides together in half, sew it along one side, cut open the end, and then repeat. This is the best method I know to use up scraps that is simple, fun, and never turns out the same way twice. Here's the strip after I sewed it together twice. Three times. Sometimes I only double the strip a few times to get a quilt top with long strips; this time I cut it until I got this. Stay tuned for part three. :)

My guy and I were out wandering and found another small church thrift store, New 2 You Thrift Store in Tavares, where I picked up two neat items. The first was this fabric wall hanging, which could be the motto of every creative kid like I was. It was handmade by someone (I blurred out the name on the tag for their privacy) which made it even more special. $2.00 was all they wanted, another reason to shop church thrift stores. The second item was a mint condition quilted tote bag; something I had been looking for over the last couple of weeks. My theme for the November tote for my calendar project is repurposing, and this is going to be the foundation for it. It even has a little pocket inside. $4.00 was a great price given the condition. I really enjoyed browsing around this little store. They had a sign up front that said they use their profits for a food pantry for the local community, which made me very happy, too. Recommended.

For my first project of October I finished a Trade Winds Lap Blanket which I donated to charity. I came up with a mini sugarfree cheesecake recipe that has a sugarfree oreo cookie crust. I crocheted two more pumpkins for fall. I made some diamond art paintings as hand-eye coordination and grip therapy. I made a primitive stuffed cat from a quilt piece I picked up cheap at an antique mall. I crocheted another pumpkin in a yarn that is perfect for Halloween. I made a winter hat while trying a new colorway in one of my favorite yarns. I crocheted a little ghost coaster while testing a free Halloween pattern. I turned three skeins of yarn into hexes while testing them out. I made a shawl while testing a jumbo skein of yarn I got in a surprise box. I crocheted another Trade Winds blanket for myself in a different colorway that is not my usual thing, and loved the results. Finally I made a Halloween-themed box journal that I can use year-round t...

May you get all treats and no tricks today. Happy Halloween!