Altered Stuffies Part 1

I've never tried to thrift toys before I went looking for some stuffies to alter, and for $10.67 I got four that were new or in new condition and a wee Halloween bow.

The penguin and puppy still had their tags, and the butterfly and pig were in very clean shape. The puppy was a Valentine stuffy and still smelled of the chocolate scent added to it.

I handwashed everything just to be on the safe side, and hung them to air-dry.

Some words of caution about laundering thrifted stuffies: be sure the stuffing is of a washable variety (you can split a seam to have a look, and then sew it back up.) Remove all paper or tied-on tags and loose elements before laundering. Anything with wiring or electronics should not be immersed in water but instead spot cleaned. Hand wash the stuffies individually in the event the fabric dye bleeds. If you want to put them in your washing machine (I don't recommend this) you should put them in a pillowcase and pin it shut in the event a seam gives; that will contain the stuffing.

Stay tuned to see how I alter these little guys for Halloween.

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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

Rayen

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