In my previous blog post I wrote about the funk I’ve been experiencing, and am happy to report that the dark cloud is starting to lift. I’ve found some joy watching tutorial videos by the popular crochet and knitting folks on YouTube, but have still not had much interest in crocheting or knitting myself. In addition to this, I have been working hard on NOT pivoting to shopping when I’m in a slump for the quick dopamine hit, as I wrote about in an earlier blog post.

I will pause here and note that I really, REALLY miss Joann stores :-(

Last weekend I was doing some laundry and found fabric that I had put into the wash, and felt a teensy bit of inspiration, so I have been spending a little time in my sewing room, making that crossbody bag pattern that I’ve shared on here before (photos of previous ones at the bottom of this post, along with a photo of my sweet kitty, Ganymede).

One of my latest versions – made out of fabric from a packet of fat quarters that I purchased at Firecracker Fabrics here in Pittsburgh – features a gorgeous mushroom print. I added a snail charm and some thin, pink ribbon to the zipper pull and am enjoying it a lot, including the compliments I get when I am out and about. The colors made me happy and working with the fabric to create something fun, useful and beautiful is almost always a boost to my mood.

While working on that one, I decided it would be fun to make another one with denim and chose a patriotic themed cotton to pair with it. I didn’t think I’d get around to that one until NEXT weekend, but avoidance behavior won out over chores and other boring stuff. I ended up binging an Agatha Christie audiobook (“And Then There Were None“) and finishing that bag this afternoon.

I have learned that when a funk settles in, it’s my cue to take action. Thankfully, I’m surrounded with a lot of creative action options, and this weekend, my fabric stash came to the rescue!

Before I close, I also want to introduce my new roommate, Lena (pictured at the top of the page). She was living with Ganymede’s brother, Figgy, and when Figgy passed away (3 weeks before my Ganny passed), she came to live with me. I had hoped it would be to keep Ganny company when I had to return to the office 5-days a week, but she ended up being MY guardian angel kitty when I had to say goodbye to my dear Mr. Kitty, Ganymede.

Lena lived with 2 noisy dogs whom she wasn’t fond of, so she spent most of her days hiding under beds or in the basement. The joke in my family now is that Lena hit the kitty-cat lottery, living in a cats-only home with a card-carrying cat lady!

Speaking of Figgy, there’s a STORY about him on my other blog site. If you’re interested in the spiritual side of things, you’ll enjoy that story about a wayward cat and how he made his way home. You can find that blog post from 2014 here.

So here we are at the end of another weekend. Like many of you, I’ll be off to work early tomorrow morning, and teeing up another whirlwind week.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week filled with laughter, joy, and of course, fabric and yarn!

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