Rayen

I'm looking at the possible quilting and slow stitch projects I'd like to make this month, and mostly they will be practice pieces and/or something for the house like table hot pads, dog bowl mats, market bags and so forth. I also should make some holiday bags. For the backing and linings I'll be using up more of this thrifted fabric bundle. I've gone through two-thirds of the basket of vintage fabric making my September tote, and I'd like to use up what's left. For Halloween I'd like to make some primitive stuffies out of old quilt pieces. I quite like these two that I acquired this summer, and I can see them and a few more having a Halloween party on the mantle or the coffee table.

For my calendar project's October tote I wanted to do a Halloween theme, of course. I'm trying to stay away from black totes for this project (I've already done two) so I purchased an inexpensive orange bag from Amazon to serve as the foundation. For the elements and embellishments I went shopping over at The Fabric Path on Etsy, and saw a lot to love. I picked two bundles with a Halloween theme; this being the first. Here's the second. If there is enough fabric I may make a crazy quilt type tote, or I may just stitch the elements in layers slow-stitch style. I'll know more once everything arrives. Image credits: tote image from Amazon.com; the two slow stitch pack images from The Fabric Path's listings.

My first quilting project in September was a simple hand quilted mug rug. I crocheted a little pumpkin out of thrifted variegated yarn. I made the September tote for my calendar project out of vintage fabric strips and thrifted fabric. For the first time ever I did the sewing and quilting entirely on my sewing machine. I hand-stitched stamped fabric embellishments to this tea-stained muslin bag and replaced the drawstrings with hand-dyed ribbon. On the crochet blog I demonstrated three ways to make an inexpensive DIY Advent calendar. I crocheted this hexagon blanket, Happiness, because I needed some, and that's what it brought me. I made a clone of my favorite winter hat in gray, pink and silver yarn. With all of my caregiving duties this month I didn't get a lot done, but I'm happy with what I was able to accomplish -- and having these projects really helped me get through a terrible time. On to a hopefully happier October!

I decided to quit Netflix after not watching it all summer, so that's one less monthly subscription. I've long disliked how they kept me from watching everything due to my basic status (I refused to pay more when they got greedy), inserted commercials in everything I could watch, and kept jacking up the price. I can watch Tubi for free, and plenty of content on Youtube as well, so why would I waste my money on them? One subscription I am keeping is Viki, which doesn't overcharge me or bombard me with commercials. Admittedly all their content is Asian, but that's what I like to watch, so we're good there. Onto the rewatch: a few years back I originally watched and reviewed Road Home , and I wanted to give it another go because I really like Jing Bo Ran as an actor, and I thought I would finally settle on whether or not I like this series. Verdict: I do like it. It's grown-up and features realistic, grounded conflicts that you don't expect from Ch...

The Autumn 2026 issue of Art Quilting Studio has arrived on the magazine stands, and I invested in a copy to give myself a little quilting inspiration for fall. Cheryl Lamon's article Fabric Art Using Hexagons certainly gave me a boost; I'm using hexes in my crochet at present, and it might be fun to try the same with fabric (she has instructions on how to make your own that look pretty simple.) Sacred Seams by Kim Alexis Newton showcases the artist's beautiful and intricate portrait works. All those tiny pieces! Carrie Payne's article and project Resurfaced Fabric was one that resonated with me on a couple of levels. I've often repurposed vintage fabric (I am right now, in fact) in my quilting although I've never tried to alter it; going instead with layering and embellishment. I might have to try this one, too. There is a whole lot more in this magazine, so check it out if you get a chance.

I picked up a copy of Red City by Marie Lu after Maxine from Knotty by Maxine recommended it. I knew almost from the beginning that it wouldn't be a happy story, and it wasn't, but the excellent and intricate if very dark world-building kept me absorbed, and the storyline, while pure fantasy, grew more engrossing (and harrowing) with every page. In the universe of this novel alchemy, the ancient, secretive tradition and early branch of natural philosophy with goals of turning base metals into gold, discover cures for disease, and ultimately achieve immortality, is real. This is not the stuff of Harry Potter -- or, it's the Sopranos version. Into this dark and greedy world are dragged two kids: Samantha, whose mother brought her to America from China to give her a chance at a better life, and Ari, a boy taken from India because of his natural charisma and potential talents. The kids are recruited by syndicates that are enemies, but as they befriend each other at ...