Uglies of the Fabric Kind

A to Z challenge letter of the day is U, so I am going to elaborate on fabric uglies. The above grouping of 9 patch pieced patchwork came in a bag $3.99 at thrift. I thought I had a bonanza, but noooooo.🙈 Every single piece of fabric is poor quality and UGLY. 

I can't even pretend to crapht this group into something. God Bless mystery crafter's soul, assuming he/she has departed this earth. Why else would bags of this stuff show up at thrift? There were four more bags that I passed up. 

I first ventured into the subject nearly 10 years ago on my post lets-talk-uglies. No one will talk about it! So hush, hush. "Just use up the fabric honey ..." in my best fabric-police voice. 

Let's face it, some people don't have an eye for color or how to "marry" fabric. Ugly fabric turns into ugly quilts. 

I am chuckling to myself as I write this. Lawd knows I have made some abysmal quilts, especially early on. 

I give credit to the creator who at least tried the craft, even when it turned out ugly. 

Twinkies and Tap Dancing

An activity on my bucket list since childhood - tap dancing. Of all of the forms of dance, this one I have found the most difficult to master. We are a troupe of 5 retired ladies. It is so much fun and the best exercise. You could call me "Twinkle Toes." 👣

Representing for the A to Z Challenge T letter day with a recent video on Tap from 2023 Japan's Got Talent. 

One category of items I sell on eBay are books. Unique cookbooks always sell, as I expect this Hostess The Twinkies Cookbook (2006) will. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/187122558147

This publication is worth it just for the Twinkie Sushi (I kid you not!), and Twinkie Burritos. There is also a Ribbons and Bows Twinkie Wedding Cake, and Twinkie Love Potion Number 75. 

😜  

Ending the post with a trail cam image from last month. 

A to Z Challenge letter U is about unfortunate Uglies in fabric. 

Simply Delightful Thrifted Ball Gown

A to Z challenge S letter day highlights the Simply Delightful Thrifted Ball Gown. 

This dress made its first appearance in the theme-reveal-for-2025. This secondhand slinky is a mermaid design. For the challenge theme reveal, I highlighted the back of the gown and BLUE hair! 

The blue hat was a thrift shop find last month. In the lead-off image you can see the killer stilettos needed to wear this gown. 

Photo shoots are also something I enjoy. 

My second cat making her appearance - Susie. Otherwise known as "Miss Hiss" because she hates Lucky, my other cat. 

I was spending some time down the rabbit hole of the internet and discovered the video to Somebody that I Used to Know - amazing choreography!

A to Z letter day T will be about tap dancing. 

Rules, Who is in Charge?

Pattern of the Day is a vintage 1988 Dream Spinners Grand Rabbits.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/187125213055

A to Z challenge R letter day is about breaking the rules. If you have been following along with my posts for this challenge, you will see that I don't follow many of the rules. I make up my own rules. I bend the challenge letter day to suit my purposes. When I first started the challenge, I stuck with the usual A is for Apple, B is for .... boring! 👹

Upcoming letter days include Weird and Wacky and You Get One Free Pass. 

Rules are meant to be broken.

Come back tomorrow for the A to Z letter of S highlighting the Simply Delightful Thrifted Ball Gown featured in the theme reveal post. 

Happy Easter

We interrupt the regular programming with an Easter break. It is also the Mr.'s birthday - 73 years young. 

The crocheted cutie in the image is from the 1985 Carry-Along Crochet publication. 

Every once in awhile, I purchase mystery boxes of fabric from my fav online auction site. My latest purchase included this small pieced purple portion and a few pieces of Easter-themed fabric. 

Gonna sneak in a thrifting update - A bag of doll clothes $7.99 at thrift will be turned into approx. $40 profit. There were many Barbie clothes, a few specialty doll clothes, and an original Cabbage Patch dress. 

Each month there is a new display at hospice thrift - here is the Easter-themed one. 

When my children were small, each year I would dress them in Easter outfits and they would go on an Easter-egg hunt in our backyard or at the lake in Cameron Park. 

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter! 

A Skosh of Quilting

Lucky photobombed my photo session for this quilt. 

A to Z challenge letter Q required a post on quilting. I can't remember when I picked up these fairy-themed blocks. Last month, I purchased fabric from the now-bankrupt Joanns. Here was the first fabric pull for the fairy quilt. Mystery quilter created 6 different fairy block designs. 

A round of FabHop shopping meant I located some fairy print fabric that matched my set of 6.

The second fabric pull. 

I had intended on this quilt being queen-sized but it told me it was finished at a twin size. Quilts have a way of telling you what size they want to be. This flimsy measures 58"x75" which falls short of the 70"x90" to make it twin-sized. I will have to add more fabric. 

Close-up of the quilt top

Now my quandry is whether I quilt it myself or send it out to be professionally quilted by a longarmer. I will bind it in the gold-brown fabric bordering the blocks. 

This will probably be one of two quilts I might finish this year. 

🙩

A to Z Challenge letter R is Rules, Who is in Charge? 

Peeps and Pinterest

A to Z challenge day is the letter P. There is a phenomena here in the U.S. of a candy called peeps. They show up around springtime, a marshmallow sugar coated confection. Highly addictive. 

Who knew you could combine Peeps and artwork? The Racine Art Museum - 16th-annual-peeps-exhibition is holding the Art Exhibition 2025 which runs through April 26. Here is one of the entries. 

PEEP dress not part of the exhibition. 

Pinterest is my go-to site for recipes. I have also been "pinning" on those boards for some time now. Pinterest is also the top referring site to my blog. On my boards pinterest.com/thriftshpcomndo/  you will find Top Tami Posts on my blog, the Countdown to Christmas, and the posts for this current challenge pinterest.com/thriftshpcomndo/2025-blogging-from-a-to-z-challenge/

🍿

I couldn't resist posting this recipe from the 1993 Mary Meade's Country Cookbook.

Popcorn Balls

1/3 cup molasses                                2 tblsp. butter
1/3 cup light or dark corn syrup         2 quarts popped corn
1/3 cup water                                      2 cups salted peanuts
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine molasses, syrup, and water in a saucepan; add sugar and salt. Stir and heat until sugar dissolves, then cook rapidly to hard-ball stage. Add butter. Pour syrup slowly over corn and nuts, stirring to coat all kernels. While mixture is still warm, shape into balls with the hands. 

Popping in a Pattern of the Day, one from my latest sewing pattern listing session on eBay. A cutie patootie from 2018. 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/187125195590

A to Z Challenge letter Q day is about quilting!