Day 227 of 2026

I have several project bags that have a different project in each. 

It occurred to me today that if I put a small tassel

 of the yarn used in the project on the zipper tab, 

I can grab the right bag without opening it

 or second guessing myself.

 

Day 220 of 2026

I need to make the shape at the top

 out of yarn but much smaller. 

Here's how I'm going to do it. 

I have traced the original (too large) shape. 

Per my calculations,

 my new shape needs to be 40% of the original size. 

I have calculated what the vertical 

and horizontal measurements should be in inches. 

I wrote that down on the original paper. 

Since my original size is bigger than one sheet of paper,

 I marked a cutting line and added diamond marks to line up later. 

I cut my original in half and made copies of both halves at 40%. 

Out popped my tiny copies which I will tape together 

using the diamonds for matching up. 

I will use my now reduced hand written dimensions

 to check for accuracy. 

All that is left to do is make my little yarn piece 

using the tiny pattern to check the shape and size as I go. 

Expect progress pictures.

 

Day 167 of 2026

I saw a woman online take an orphan granny square

 and attach it to a baseball cap with a logo she didn't like on it. 

It occurred to me that I had a tote given to me

 that had a blacked out name on it. 

Then I remembered that I have a bag of orphan granny hexies

 that were meant for another project that I will never finish.

I had quite a few that were good options

 but ultimately chose this one which gives me bright summer vibes. 

I sewed it on with a large zig-zag and matching thread 

and now it feels like a new tote.

It already has a knitting project in it.

 

Day 111 of 2026

Last week the washer and the dryer needed repairs. 

This week the water heater needs replacing. 

It must be the season for appliances.

 

Day 106 of 2026

My repairs are done.

 One subtle, one Frankenstein style.

 

Day 105 of 2026

I'm feeling much better this afternoon 

so I have started some stuffed animal surgery. 

I couldn't finish it though as a nap was needed.

 

Day 47 of 2026

Back before I started this blog, 

I made this quilt for T-bone for his high school graduation. 

I only backed it with flannel because the top was also flannel. 

I did not tie or quilt it.

Through the years it has come apart. 

I guess that's what the actual quilting is for- to keep it together. 

I have washed it gently and hung it over several folding chairs to air dry. 

I'll put it in my queue so I can begin to do repairs and quilt it properly. 

Pictures will surely be posted as work progresses.

 

Day 40 of 2026

White popcorn in my blue bowl.

I also fixed my Crock-Pot lid with a new handle 

which makes it better than new, 

but that picture wasn't as colorful as this one.

 

Day 33 of 2026

Oops! 

I was just trying to put my crock pot away 

and the lid handle shattered. 

Now I am charged with research and phone calls 

to see what my replacement options are. 

Hopefully it will involve a new handle, 

but I suspect a new lid might be my only option.

 

Day 330 of 2025

The new light has been successfully installed. 

It feels kind of magical.

 

Day 329 of 2025

Fireball and I are replacing the light in our kitchen 

which will no longer include the formal dining room. 

As is common with this type of project, 

we ran into a snag and had to wait another day to get it finished. 

I can't tell you how many times

 I tried to turn this (nonexistent) light on today.

 

Day 219 of 2025

I know it's hard to see what's going on here so I will explain. 

I wanted to make a pair of pajama pants. 

I went to my fabric stash to look for three yards of fabric. 

Before I was even able to really look 

I found this pair of Vera Bradley pajama pants 

that I bought at Goodwill years ago to cut up 

and use as borders on a quilt. 

I had even picked out coordinating fabric 

which I found rolled together with the pants. 

It appeared that they might fit me so I took a closer look. 

The elastic in the back waist was rotten so I replaced the elastic. 

My favorite thing though is that I was able to add inseam pockets. 

I love inseam pockets and intend to add them to most anything I can. 

I can't wait to wear these.

 

Day 170 of 2025

Update on my purple dye splotched jean jacket:

I took the advice from the comments and did a Google search. 

While vinegar did come up so did Borax natural laundry booster. 

I happen to already own a box of Borax so I put half a cup in a large bucket 

and added the hottest water I could get from my tap. 

I submerged the jacket and let it soak. 

I can't remember how long I let it soak

 but I'm sure the water was no longer hot. 

When I poured the water out, it was purple. 

I rinsed the jacket and then put it in a regular laundry load. 

It worked fabulously. 

There is no trace of purple splotches.

 

Day 342 of 2024

I thought I'd try another tiny project today 

and thought I was going to finish it up tonight

 until I realized I had read the instructions incorrectly 

and now need to tear out the last part and do the right thing. 

Maybe you'll see it tomorrow.

 

Day 340 of 2024

This is inside our furnace. That red 57 is flashing. 

It was also flashing last night. 

Someone diagnosed our problem and came back today to fix it. 

We thought it was, but it is not. 

It is very cold inside our house. 

The temperature outside is going to be very cold overnight 

so I expect it will be even colder inside by morning.

 

Day 330 of 2024

This promo lunch bag isn't very well made

 and the slider slid right off the end this morning. 

Having learned how to put a slider on the zipper tape with teeth 

in the making of my many Hemingway pouches lately, 

I thought I'd give it a go. 

After a few tries, I was able to get it back on. 

With that done, I stitched a lot of sloppy hand stitches across the end

 through the zipper tape and the end piece 

which was supposed to keep it on in the first place. 

That zipper slider isn't going anywhere now.