Blame It On The Hat

I pass by two thrift shops on my daily walk - no other route out of my development. Many days I find the siren song strong as I lalala my way past and thank my lucky stars I don't carry cash or credit card with me on these walks. But the other day, I cut through the parking lot of one, getting too close to the windows, spotting a display of straw hats just inside the door. And the next thing I knew, I was in the door and trying them on.

I'd had that fleeting thought, would I really want to wear a hat that had been on someone else's head - a somewhat ewww-inducing thought. But look! Every so often the thrift stores get brand new merchandise and that was the case with the hats. I'd been wanting something with a bigger brim, and who could argue with "organic naturally harvested raffia". And since the profits from this thrift shop go to the adjoining animal shelter, I was even prepared to pay the $26.95 price. I liked the way it looked and made a mental note to come back with money in a day or two.

And I'm sure you can guess what else I checked as long as I was there (siren song, siren song), even though they are always at the very back of the store and I hardly need any more to add to a huge stash I seldom tap into. Yes, I just HAD to see what they had in the way of silk ties. This thrift shop rarely has silk ones so it felt somewhat safe, but I should have known. I moved these to a hook in the back and made a mental note to come back maybe sooner than in a few days.

 

On the swing back out to the front door, I checked housewares for some small water glasses - I've been breaking ones I've had for years at an alarming rate lately and am not particularly enamored of what I am finding in the stores. Goodness, there were 4 matching ones, no chips, that caught my eye and felt good in my hand. Definitely coming back. And when I did, another silk tie had appeared - a rare find. You just don't find them in such a light value very often and I couldn't believe this yellow one had nary a spot or snag.

You have to admit, great graphics on these. They were only 99 cents each. And when my total purchase of ties, hat and glasses was under $13, I was puzzled. The hat alone was more than that. Take a closer look at the tags in the photo - that pink sticker on the left one was the thrift shop price. Wow - what steal!

And then it struck me that this is pretty much the palette I'm working with on the baby quilt. Progress is slow - it's been an unusually busy week for out of the house appointments and errands, and the cutting instructions a bit fussy requiring rapt attention and the old "measure twice, cut once" routine. So many pieces in so many sizes, some only varying from another by a half inch in one direction. It's been quite awhile since I've followed a pattern like this, and it took a bit to brush off the cobwebs of how to approach it. Organization is key - thus the pencil notations on the pattern instructions and the sticky notes labeling different pieces. Not sure how clear it is in the photo, but it occurred to me that the main yellow I am using is quite dulled and I'd pulled one brighter, clearer hand-dye with the idea that it would add some spark. Normally I look at that kind of color pairing and instinctively think one or the other will stand out like a sore thumb. And then I am disappointed when my finished quilt looks a little flat. So with the photo of the ombre fabrics in the pattern as my guide, I cut a few of the pieces of this brighter yellow. I also discovered some brighter areas of the dull yellow when I unfolded the pieces I had so made sure they got in the mix as well. Next up - the blues!