Posts in category: I don’t know who needs this

I’ve been taking a few quilt classes to level up my skills and learned a technique called popping the seam. You can use this technique when four blocks come together at an intersection, and the combined seam allowances create an unwieldy lump. Popping the seams flattens the intersection by distributing the seam allowances. It’s nothing short of magic.

See for yourself.

Photo by Nathan Bang on Unsplash

You can save your paintbrushes!

This year’s gift list is heavy on the creative side because that’s the way I roll and because creativity is good for what ails you.  

1. Share the gift of weaving with a class or kit from Spruce & Linen. I love Jennell Flynn’s YouTube weaving tutorials. Check out her River Weaving Course ($179) or one of the weaving kits in her ETSY shop ($120.28). Her walnut weaving needle would also make a great gift ($27.30).
2. Share the gift of inclusive design with Black Illustrations by John D. Saunders. I love these illustrations. Sign up for emails to get updates on new collections and special deals. You can download this business set for free.
3. For the makers on your list, give a subscription to The Crafter’s Box (about $65 per month). This is a great, reasonably priced subscription box with a nice range of projects. The kits come with almost everything you need–the only thing I’ve supplied so far is a pair of scissors. You can easily pause your subscription or swap the monthly box for something else, so you don’t feel inundated or stuck with a project.
4. Give a whole year of classes to your crafty crafters with Craftsy Subscription ($79.99 per year). Craftsy offers a wide range of art, quilting and needlework classes. Classes come with supply lists and a series of short videos teaching hands-on techniques.
   A couple of my favorite classes:
   – Creative Quilting with your walking foot with Jacquie Gering
   – Start-up Library: Hand Embroidery with Kat McTee
5. For the Mother Earth-lovin’ tree hugger in your life, what could be better than Who Gives a Crap Toilet Paper? Who knew toilet paper could be gifty? Thank you, 2020. Choose between recycled paper and bamboo toilet paper, 48 individually wrapped (with paper) double rolls per box. $52 for the bamboo and $48 for the recycled paper version. Or subscribe and save. No plastic anywhere. Also: they donate 50% of their profits to build toilets and improve sanitation around the world.
6. Share the gift of yoga and movement. Help someone you love to find what feels good with Yoga by Adriene! Exercise is a surefire path out of the stress tunnel! Adriene Mishler’s yoga videos are free so you can add a workout mat and a super cute t-shirt featuring Adriene’s dog Benji. (Read more about Adriene in the New York Times.)
7. Introduce a foodie friend to Tabitha Brown (Instagram and TikTok). Aunt Tab is getting us through 2020. Share something from her shop or a collection of her go-to cooking items: garlic powder, salt-free seasoning, coconut aminos, Nori Komi Furikake, and olive oil, of course, like so, like that. 
8. For the cerebral world-changers on your list, consider the Obama Trifecta: Becoming, (Michelle Obama), Promised Land, (Barack Obama), and Obama: An Intimate Portrait (Pete Souza). I loved, loved, loved Becoming, and recommend the documentary of the same name on Netflix, too. I’ve been following Pete Souza on Instagram since 2016. He’s not just an amazing photographer; he’s an amazing storyteller and wrote the book on throwing shade. My copy of Promised Land just arrived, and I’m looking forward to cracking that open soon. And share Pete Souza’s new documentary as a bonus, The Way I See It.
9. Make a contribution to Dogs Playing for Life to honor the dog lovers on your list. DGPL enriches the lives and adoption chances of dogs in shelters by training shelter staff to run dog playgroups. Playgroups improve socialization, reduce boredom, create a better living environment, and make dogs happy. They also offer intensive TLC, training, rehab, and recovery for dogs in their Canine Center Florida.  
10. The Professional Overthinker sweatshirt by Huyen Dinh. ($56.00) Show the loveable overthinker on your list that you care with a Professional Overthinker sweatshirt. Trust me, they will feel seen. More fun items in her shop.  Follow her on Instagram for a regular dose of pink, fun, and self-love.

Photo by Joshua Lam on Unsplash

Hand towels can be icky even in the best of situations. Drying your hand on a damp towel is counterproductive and let’s face it, even though we love our families, some of them aren’t the best of hand washers. 

I was introduced to the roll of paper towels in the bathroom by a coworker. And I thought it was genius until the sustainability shortfalls hit me, and I realized that using virgin paper to dry my hands and fill the landfill was not exactly aligned to my values. 

Another co-worker introduced me to fingertip towels. She was stylish and particular, and it seemed so *fancy* — I was sold. I also learned from her to have a separate basket in the bathroom seeded with a “used” towel, so guests would know what to do. Remember having people over? That used to be a thing.

I started with some pretty fancy fingertip towels. The problem was I couldn’t amass enough on my budget to get through a week. I eventually bought a bundle of low-cost washcloths and used those for a long time. Two downsides: 1) They didn’t have nicely finished edges, and they frayed; 2) they were also on the small side. 

I finally landed at a nice middle ground: six-packs of higher quality washcloths bought on sale–larger, softer, and finished edges.  We have about 24 for each bathroom. That’s not quite enough to get us through a week, so I will do a mid-week load when needed.

My cleaning routine: warm water with detergent plus vinegar in the bleach dispenser and an extra rinse. Move promptly to the dryer and dry using the sanitize dryer cycle.

It’s been a tough month in the West. A couple of weeks ago I woke up smelling smoke and it was a downward spiral from there. A couple of weeks of fire danger, thick smoke, dangerous air, and devastating fires.

Today it is raining buckets in Olympia, Washington. I don’t know if I have ever been so grateful for the rain.

Whatever we are going through, it doesn’t last – good or bad, everything is always in motion.

Cue J.T.: He was 22 when this recording was made.

Also Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande:

Fun with laundry! Or at least a few tips to make it less sucky.

It was a tough week. So I am especially grateful for the bright spot of Taylor Swift’s surprise new album, Folklore. I saw her tweet, and I ordered the album on CD. I’m old school like that (but it came with a digital version).

Check out cardigan:

You are my favorite, ICYWW.

Photo by Giulia Bertelli on Unsplash