The Accidentally Thrifted Art Quilt Part Two

When I unpacked the third and final quilt from the $9.99 lot of three I thrifted, I knew immediately that someone had put a lot of love and work into it. I've seen art quilts like this at shows, but never at a thrift store. Talented makers like the one who designed and stitched at this level sell the work for big bucks. Since it didn't have a label, however, the name of the maker will remain a mystery.

There's a theme here, too, although I'm too dense to guess what it is. Maybe something Darwinian. Anyway, each element like big game hunter Sunbonnet Sue here is utterly charming.

The Picasssoesque cow and pig made me laugh out loud.

All the beads attached to the quilt are high quality glass, and the piecing is expert. The hand embroidery, while simple, adds so much to the piece, too.

The applique work is also expert level. I should feel guilty for what I paid for it, and I do (just a little. This quilt is worth twenty times what I paid for the lot) but that is part of the fun of thrifting. You never know what you're going to find.

I hung the quilt in my office where I can see it when I'm working, so it can inspire me. I'll treasure it forever, too.

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Stuff

After finding this Caron one pound skein of lovely peach yarn in my thrifted lot I raided my stash for two cakes of Mandala in Pegasus, which matches it perfectly. For practice and hand therapy I'm going to make another Worth Street Afghan with this free pattern , but this time I'll use the yarn that was recommended for it plus the one pound skein. I'm not quite ready to do the vintage/recycled linen quilt I had planned (still a bit too nervous about the idea), so I'm going to use some color therapy and make a quilt from these thrifted green fat quarters. I considered doing another Yellow Brick road patchwork pattern, but I might go with a split rail fence like this one.

Journal Find

This is a page from my 2010 poetry journal. My handwriting isn't the best, so I'll transcribe it: If my heart survives to tell all the secrets kept inside it will be an abalone shell in which the beauty did reside. But I think I will always be lost to the tides that rage in me . . . humbling and polishing . . . I don't write many self-portrait poems, but this one isn't too embarrassing. A bit overly dramatic, but the girl I was eleven years ago went through some tough times. I'm in a much more peaceful place today.

The Numbers

Back in March my diabetes doctor changed my medication and encouraged me to alter my diet and exercise more in order to bring down my A1C, which at the time tested out at a dismal 8.3 (normal is 5.8.) So for the next two months I dealt with the increased meds, stuck to my decidedly grim diet and added a lot more walking to my exercise regime. P.S., it's never fun to be a diabetic, but over the last couple of months I've really tried to keep a good attitude about it. Attitude isn't everything, but it helps a lot when you have to make significant changes while battling a disease like this. Yesterday I performed a home A1C test, and I'm currently at 6.5. That's pretty amazing results, even for me. If I can get it down another half point before I see the doctor in July I'd be over the moon, but I feel like I've already done great. Image credit: Image by Daniele Liberatori from Pixabay

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