#because I love making rainbow quilts but there is a limit to how many quilts I can actually use

[tj-crochets]

Rainbow quilts!! I love how these quilts look together

[gamer-logic]

Since my state, Georgia, is having the annual Peaches to Beaches event which is two days of statewide yard sales, I thought it would be interesting to show how America, the states, and any other countries wanting to participate both 1p and 2p would be during this event. So here you go!

Georgia is happily selling fresh produce like boiled peanuts and Vidalia onions and peach-based deserts. Her homemade peach cobbler and ice cream are to die for!

Antonio (Spain) also sells many fresh tomatoes, olives, and other vegetables. He doesn't understand why no one wants his Olive Juice though.

Hawaii and Alaska make a killing selling lemonade at their stand with a free complimentary handmade flower crown with every purchase. While using their sheer cuteness to attract everyone including one of those sweet biker gangs. It's really surreal to see a huge gang of buff, tattooed, tough-looking guys in leather wearing flower crowns and drinking lemonade. Allen's also there to supervise and ward of creep. Also, to provide people more 'incentive' to buy their lemonade.

Texas breaks out the Texas BBQ and is in a Barbecuing turf war with Jett (Australia). They draw huge crowds for the five-alarm chili as well and hold a competition who can eat the most without burning out their tongues and/or passing out.

Florida sells some of the weirdest stuff you'll ever see. "Want a full-scale model of a gator made entirely out of bottle caps? Only ten bucks! Want a portrait of Florida Man painted with orange juice? 15 bucks!"

Nevada also tries to sell weird and sketchy stuff to scam everyone. "This piece is the genuine article folks! One napkin gently used by Elvis Presley himself! Just 500 bucks! Also, gets into a haggling war with Lars (Netherlands). Somewhere Alfred's dad instincts go off and he reminds himself to ground Nevada.

California, Oregon, and Washington collaborate and California sells anything vegan or made with avocadoes and the autographs of Hollywood stars, Oregon sells his old tye-dyed shirts and records, they also made him sell his old groovy hippy bus from the sixties he'd never got rid of no one knew they had. Oregon can be a bit of a hoarder, so they had to tie him to a chair and gag him because he wouldn't surrender the bus without a fight. Washington also tries to sell and drink cups of coffee, but in the hot Southern heat, this doesn't end well.

Louisiana sells anything Cajun-style from frog legs to fresh gumbo, to beignets. Also has a full collection of Mardi Gras masks and shrunken voodoo heads on sale for two bucks a pop.

Gilbert (Prussia) gets tricked by Nevada and gets a ton of stupid things he doesn't need. Ludwig (Germany) tries unsuccessfully to keep him on a metaphorical leash.

Ludwig always checks the quality of things he sees and buys dog toys and supplies for Blackie, Berlitz, and Astor. Later, he actually buys a kiddie leash for Gilbert.

All the while Lutz (2p! Germany) is asleep in a lawn chair with his hat on his face after drinking like six cold beers from this really good booth. All the while, Klaus (2p! Prussia) finds an antique Teutonic Knights flag from a vendor whose family was from Germany.

Vash (Switzerland) buys antique guns from Alabama and Roderich (Austria) also checks out some of Tennessee's guitars. He's horrified upon seeing Alabama's banjo and washboard.

Mathew (Canada) and Emma (Belgium) combine their powers and tag team to sell the best pancakes and waffles on earth with genuine Canadian maple syrup.

New York sells tons of baseball memorabilia and collectibles. Allen, trying to save his bad-boy image, tries to be discreet when buying some while taking Hawaii and Alaska around to get something with their lemonade money. James also gets some hockey memorabilia with Michigan and Minnesota who also got snow cones.

Alaska and Hawaii see a giant deluxe dollhouse but are almost in tears when they don't have enough money. But they end up getting it for free because no one can resist their weaponized puppy dog eyes. Also, no one can resist a growling Allen. Using the leftover money, they buy cute little rainbow umbrella hats for everyone and have Allen wear one who begrudgingly accepts it.

James, walking by with an armful hockey gear and flannel shirts, bursts out laughing when he sees this. In revenge, Allen forces him to wear one too and help him carry the dollhouse, much to Hawaii and Alaska's delight! "I said go my way puck head!" "No, it's my way, you vegan loving hoser!" A passing Francis (France)' is in stylish horror when they also make him and a nonchalant Luis (2p! France), holding a case of vintage wines, wear them too. Hawaii and Alaska go around giving umbrella hats to everyone including a sleeping Lutz they pass by.

Loving (Romano) practically has to supervise Feliciano (Italy) and keep him from buying anything too stupid on impulse or get scammed. They still end up with stacks upon stacks of cookbooks, kitchen wear, and a Mona Lisa made entirely out of Macaroni. They also get umbrella hats.

Flavio (2p! Romano) browses through clothing racks to get ideas for his vintage line. Also checks out the handmade fabrics like quilts. "Such craftsmanship! This pattern is so unique and chic! I simply must have it! What's your price Bella?" The nice old woman selling the quilt just smiles, "Oh just about five dollars young man." "Perfect!" Flavio hands the quilts off to Andreas (2p! Spain) who's practically buried underneath the fabric. Luciano (2p! Italy) facepalms while holding a new knife set in its case. "Oooh! Look at those adorable hats I just have to have one." Cue three more umbrella hats and a humiliated Luciano. "Just kill me now..."

Katyusha (Ukraine), Elizaveta (Hungary), Lillie (Liechtenstein), Natalya, (Belarus), Katya( 2p! Ukraine) and Anastasia (2p! Belarus), and Michelle (Seychelles) explore with armfuls of clothes, new ribbons, and a gun case for Switzerland (Lillie), cast iron frying pans (Elizaveta, watch out Prussia!), farm tools (Katyusha), Jewelry and unmentionables (Katya), dresses (Anastasia), an assortment of switchblades (Natalya), and one of those singing fish on a plague (Michelle). It's definitely an interesting group.

Kiku (Japan) and Kuro (2p! Japan) find a nerd booth selling comics, manga, and Japanese weapons like katanas. Kuro test swings a blade and tries to slice the table so hard it breaks the blade, "Hmmm, not sharp enough for me, got anything else?" He throws it on the pile of broken blades he's already tested. Kiku stockpiles on limited-edition manga and he and the vendor end up getting into a huge, heated by Kiku standards, debate on who's waifu is best. Further down, Alfred reads every Marvel/DC comic while keeping an ear out on every state's location. He checks on Texas via his glasses and notices he's beating Australia in the chili contest. "That's my boy!"

Wisconsin wearing a cheese head sells anything cheese-based. He's got cheddar, goat cheese, string cheese, cheese spray, gorgonzola, grilled cheese, cheese curds, Mac n' Cheese, cheese sculptures of all world monuments, you name it he's got it! He also starts a war with Iowa's corn dishes and Idaho's potato dishes. They eventually end up flinging cheese, potatoes, and corn after they start dissing each other's foods. "Take this cheese brain!" "Nice aim, I-da-ho!" "I told you not to call me that!" "I'm gonna go children of the corn on y'all's behinds!" Poor Nebraska is stuck in the middle.

Alfred (America) hears the commotion and using his parent radar, immediately knows who it is and reminds himself to ground Iowa, Wisconsin, and Idaho later along with Nevada who, though still grounded for sure, makes him feel a little proud of since he managed to out haggle Netherlands.

New Mexico and Arizona also sell Native American handicrafts along with things like dreamcatchers and giant inflatable aliens. While Delaware, being the boring stick in the mud that he is, walks by with a framed and complete U.S. quarter collection from a vendor.

Kansas sells out of every sunflower she had courtesy of Ivan (Russia). Ivan and her the team up to buy out every sunflower seed from here to kingdom come. Viktor (2p! Russia) buys all the vodka he can find and a new shovel while Xiao (2p! China) tries giving people tattoos for 10 bucks a pop.

He tries to convince Yao (China) to get a hello kitty one to match the giant plushie he's holding, with the encouragement of Leon (Hong Kong) and Yong Soo (South Korea) who all collectively agree he needs to quit being such a grandpa. They also like calling him an antique-like the items on sale. " Aiyah! I'm not that old, aru!" "Yeah, you are Sensei." "Don't deny it! Da Ze!" Respect your elders!" "Tattoos originated in Korea da ze!" He totally is that old.

Oliver (2p! England) holds a bake sale and has people lined up for blocks to get some. Arthur (England), after having his scones shut down after it poisoned some unlucky squirrels, fries selling authentic magical items like unicorn hair or pixie dust. Everyone thinks he's a little crazy but he did sell a good bit of old magic books he needed to get out of his house, after making sure no one could actually use them of course.

The Nordics also went perusing for antique and handmade furniture when Mathias (Denmark) spots two full sets of Viking costumes and tries to get Lukas (Norway) to try them on with him. Lukas wasn't amused.

Berwald (Sweden) and Tino (Finland) also find a great handmade table to get after inspecting the workmanship and a full Lego set for Peter (Sealand), now if only Mathias would stop squealing like a little kid at the full piece lego death star. Emil (Iceland) keeps thinking he's the mature one until he spots a mini top hat and cane for Mr. Puffin.

In the end, everyone ends up wearing umbrella hats courtesy of Hawaii and Alaska, loving all the strange things they bought or counting the profits they made. Alfred (America) is proud of his kids and visits everyone one of their stands. He ends up looking pretty funny with an umbrella hat (HW, AK), a washboard, (AL),a picture of Florida Man, (FL), a balloon alien (NM, AZ), a tye dye shirt (CA, WA, OR), hockey stick shaped glasses (MN, MI), a giant stack of comics with a replica Thor hammer and Captain America shield on his back, all in a shopping cart (NV), and a giant turkey leg in his hand (Tx). Unsurprisingly, it was a tie between Oliver, Texas, and Australia for who earned the most with their food. Georgia just smiled as this was another great year for her state and people!

[vashti-lives]

i decided to rate the flannel in this year’s joann pride collection

First up we have the category I like to call, so bland I only know its supposed to be gay because of the label.

Its rainbow stripes, which is cute? Who doesn’t love a rainbow stripe? I’m not that into that sky blue stripe but eh. 7/10.

This heart fabric is aggressively fine. I mean Joann has cuter rainbow heart fabric than this, right now, but whatever. I can imagine a nice grandma making her 16 year old lesbian niece christmas PJ pants out of them as a show of support. 5/10

Next up we have-- the obvious. 

Love is love was a perfectly good slogan for people campaigning for gay marriage but it has outlived its usefulness and AGAIN I am not into that light blue in the rainbow,  like commit to the original pink and turquoise colors or just use the actual rainbow. I honestly can’t imagine what you make out of this. 4/10

Its rainbows. They’re fine. This is what that grandma makes into sleep pants for her granddaughter NEXT Christmas. 6/10

Now we have, the obvious, but worse:

I know common wisdom says that Rainbows Are Gay but these rainbows are not gay. This pattern looks like it should be on a rug in a low rent daycare where the bright colors and busy pattern distract from the fact that its been puked on 8 times in the last 6 months. 3/10

This next section is what I like to call: If Rainbows Are Gay, Are Colors Gay?

Yes. Yes they are. I personally don’t like this because I think the colors are muddy but I gotta admit: this is pretty gay. 9/10

My gut reaction is that tie-dye is not gay but upon reflection fake tie dye flannel fabric IS actually probably very gay. Its ugly, but I’m sure there are tick tock teens who would be into it. 7/10

And now we have... but who is this for???

This ALSO looks like it belongs in a daycare, but a much bougie-er one that really leans into neutral colors and wooden toys. 7/10

Points GIVEN because its very inclusive and that’s cool but points deducted because they got the colors of some of the flags wrong. Points further deducted because frankly this is a boring and lazy design. 6/10

I mean, its very cute and I like how inclusive it is but... WHAT IS IT FOR? What are you supposed to make out of this? I could see the print being good in other contexts, on canvas it might make a cute tote? But this is brushed cotton flannel? I... don’t understand. 5/10

OK WHO WANTS THIS? Like... if they had a whole series of pronoun fabrics that would be adorable! My pronouns are they/them or she/her or he/him is totally cute. You could make an adorable “congrats on your transition gift” out of it! This is just... lists of pronouns but with rainbows. 4/10

CONCLUSION!

So ok this is their example of what you could do with this fabric and I think it really hits why I don’t like this collection. Because like. This doesn’t look gay. This looks like it should be hanging in a community center during an anti-bullying week. Like... I cannot imagine a queer person making this and putting it in their home because its just so deeply impersonal. Which really is the heart of the problem.

This collection is *about* the gay community but its not *for* the gay community. Every pattern attempts to encompass the entire community but like, if I’m making a quilt for myself or a friend I want it to be *about* that person.

I mean ok... giant corporation doesn’t get Pride Month, more at 11. I know I know. But like... last year they quietly released two rainbow plaid prints and they were the best rainbow plaid prints I’ve ever seen??? Why not just do it again this year but with more purpose! Release plaids for every flag! Or stripes or... something. Joann is pretty good at prints that come in multiple colorways? I just... generally people don’t want merch with *all* the pride flags they want merch with *their* pride flag. They released 11 pride prints this year? It was so many this post is formatted weirdly because it was over the picture post limit! WHY ARE THEY ALL GARBAGE??? They didn’t even reprint any of last year’s good rainbow plaid!!! That shit sold out in like, a month. I *know* they know it was popular. I deeply suspect if they rereleased it people would snap it up again. I would literally buy at least 10 more yards. But no, we get rainbow elementary school grammar exercises.

[kholran]

Tagged by @vishcount Thank you for being such a reliable tagger. Fun fact, I love tag games.

1. What is the color of your hairbrush? Blue and black.

2. Name a food you never eat. I am SO picky so there’s a lot. A lot is texture-based. I’m not a big fan of foods that mix textures, like things with crusts that have gooey insides, or crunchy things inside creamy things.

3. Are you typically too warm or too cold? Too cold. I have been known to wear hoodies inside my house in the middle of summer because the AC is too cold.

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Getting ready to eat dinner.

5. What’s your favorite candy bar? We have a local company called Sarris that makes such good chocolate. Either plain milk, or caramel.

6. Have you ever been to a professional sports game? A few. Never football, but I have been to Penguins hockey games and Pirates baseball games. Not often though, I’m really not a sports person.

7. What is the last thing you said out loud? “Puppers what are you doing?” because my dog was getting into things.  

8. What is your favourite ice cream? Mint chocolate. You can pry it out of my cold dead hands.

9. What was the last thing you had to drink? Cherry Pepsi

10. Do you like your wallet? I don’t have a wallet anymore. I just cram my cards and a bit of cash into a small purse. Which I do like, because it’s cat shaped.

11. What is the last thing you ate? Just finished dinner. A steak gyro with cheese and onion, fries, and a mandarin orange.

12. Did you buy any new clothes last weekend? No. I haven’t bought new clothes in a while.

13. What’s the last sporting event you watched? Voluntarily? The Preakness Stakes, I think. My dad always has some sportsball or another on TV but I don’t pay much attention to it.

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? Extra butter.

15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? My boss, trying to figure out when her Covid quarantine was up so I could go back to work.

16. Ever been camping? Once. And never again. I like wi-fi and indoor plumbing too much. Also I got horribly sunburned on a canoe trip from hell, and a raccoon tried to break into the tent on the first night.

17. Do you take vitamins? Yes. Gummy ones.

18. Do you regularly attend a place of worship? No, not since I was a kid.

19. Do you have a tan? Ahaha no. I have two modes: Ghost and Lobster. There is no in between.

20. Do you prefer chinese or pizza? Chinese.

21. Do you drink your soda through a straw? Yes. I have a reusable one, and not having a straw feels weird now.

22. What color socks do you usually wear? All colours. My socks are all the fun kind. I have enough Halloween socks for the entire month of October. 

23. Do you ever drive above the speed limit? Are you a cop? You have to tell me if you’re a cop. But yes. Usually 5-10 over, unless flow of traffic is going a lot faster, and then I keep up with that so I don’t get rear-ended by a speeding truck on the highway.

24. What terrifies you? Abandonment. lol hi there childhood issues.

25. Look to your left, what do you see? My phone and a lamp.

26. What chore do you hate most? Dusting.

27. What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent? David Berry.

28. What’s your favorite soda? Cherry Pepsi/Coke.

29. Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? Usually the drive-thru but it gives me anxiety that I’m going to hit something.

30. What’s your favorite number? 3?

31. Who’s the last person you talked to? My parents. Or @vishcount, if we’re counting online chatting.

32. Favorite meat? Steak, I guess.

33. Last song you listened to? Spotify says September by Daughtry. I almost always have music on in the background and I don’t always pay attention to it.

34. Last book you read? I’m in the process of reading Mo Du (Silent Reading) and I am SO INTO IT you guys. It’s so good. If anyone out there is into crime drama with a mlm protagonist, go read it.

35. Favorite day of the week? Monday, oddly enough. It’s the one day of the week I consistently have a day off.

36. Can you say the alphabet backwards? I have to think about it really hard.

37. How do you like your coffee? Black. No decaf, we die of caffeine overdoses like adults.

38. Favorite pair of shoes? I’m getting a pair of Doc Martens with rainbow laces for Christmas but since I don’t have those yet, I can’t say they’re my faves. I guess I’ll go with my...work boots? Because I don’t often wear shoes other than at work.

39. Time you normally get up? Ahaha...haha...ha. Like 1pm at the earliest. Look, I’m nocturnal, let me have my inhuman sleep schedule.

40. What do you prefer, sunrise or sunsets? Sunsets. Like all the photos on my phone that aren’t my horses or my cats or my dog or my fish are of sunsets.

41. How many blankets on your bed? I sleep under three (fleece blanket, quilt, comforter) but I have two other fuzzy soft blankets folded up for the cats.

42. Describe your kitchen plates. Fiesta-ware in multi colours.

43. Describe your kitchen at the moment. A bit chaotic but I can find stuff?

44. Do you have a favorite alcoholic drink? I can stomach Captain Morgan and Coke but I rarely drink. I’m extra sensitive to most alcohol and all of it tastes like paint thinner to me.

45. Do you play cards? Not regularly, but I know how.

46. What color is your car? Dark grey.

47. Can you change a tire? Maybe if I had a Youtube tutorial to follow.

48. Your favorite state or province? I like North Carolina a lot. I have family down there, in the mountains. And it has beaches too, so that’s cool. The conservative-leaning politics suck though.

49. Favorite job you’ve had? Probably the one I have now- working on a horse farm. Anything with animals is better than working in a cube though. Wow ok so that was pretty long. So I’ll just leave an open “Tag yourself” invitation. Please do it if you want!

[biayahlife]

Quilting Diaries: Charity Quilting

We all have our hobbies. I may not have a singular hobby, but all the hobbies I have tend to fall into some sort of fiber art – think sewing, embroidery, knitting, crochet. I wanted 2021 to be a time where I could be a little less haphazard about my hobbies, but that really hasn’t happened. 2021 has been a wild mess in our lives, and while we were hoping for a quiet autumn and winter seasons, moving has put a kink in that. I’m excited for this move. We’re still waiting on news from the complex we’re interested in, so keep your fingers crossed for us! Even with this move looming in our near future, I still find myself in need of time to really unplug from the stressors in my life, so I am making sure that I take time to engage in the hobbies I have.

We all have things that make us feel like it’s “okay” to engage with our hobbies. One of the things I struggle with is that my hobbies tend to create things. I often choose to not engage with my hobbies simply because I don’t have a space or use for the item I create. I’ve also really missed having something that I can provide volunteer hours for. As I was researching a quilt that I’ll be (hopefully) showcasing at the end of December, I came across the idea of charity quilting. I dug a little deeper into the topic and found out that there are many organisations with the sole purpose of collecting charity quilts. I felt like charity quilting would really fill a space in my life that would help me feel fulfilled in a way that I wasn’t. I found a local chapter of The Linus Connection. Their goal is to provide handmade blankets to children in crisis, and that really spoke to me. Bex and I investigated the next meeting date, went and had a great time. Immediately after this, our lives got very busy, and we haven’t been able to make it back. That doesn’t mean that it hasn’t been on my radar though!

The Linus Connection accepts cash donations as well as donations of blanket making supplies or craft store gift cards. What this means is that you can hook into the local group, and they have almost anything you could need to create a blanket for a child in crisis. We didn’t realise this when we first went, but it was a welcome surprise. I planned to make a couple of quilts, so we went through the fabric stash and selected enough fabric to make several baby blankets. While there is a plethora of free quilt options available online and through The Linus Connection itself, I didn’t completely follow any of the available patterns. I took inspiration from Stash Buster 9 from Just Get It Done Quilts. I liked the idea of a rainbow of colours, but the measurements in her cut pattern just didn’t fit with what I needed for the quilt sizes used by The Linus Connection. I took some time to modify the cut sizes, and honestly, I’m pleased with the resulting top.

We also found an adorable trio of fabrics that I thought would be lovely in a straight patchwork quilt as well. I’m not used to working with such large motifs in my fabric, but the happy little monsters were cute and would do well with a larger square. I’m really pleased with how the squares are coming together as well. It feels cheery, and I smile every time I see it. These quilt tops are easy and straightforward in a way my other quilting project isn’t. They’re also a nice space for me to let go of a lot of the more complex things gripping my brain.

Everything I’m showing today is a work in progress. We live in a time where we are bombarded on social media by beautiful, complete projects that are started and finished in a quick video or singular blog post. If I only showed completed projects here, I wouldn’t have anything to post until December. Completing the project has never been the cornerstone of my life. The journey to the end has always provided me with more knowledge and insight into myself.

What I’m learning:

There is something beautiful about simple patterns. My other quilting project is much more complex and much larger. I was hitting a place where I was dreading sitting down to work on it. The project is so large that in order to complete it by December I started in August. I need short, simple projects to operate like a palate cleanser so that I can keep going with my marathon projects.

Sewing, and quilting more so than many other forms of sewing, has a HUGE ironing component. My normal idea of breaking down a larger project into small pieces that offer my brain a moment of completion doesn’t work with quilting, at least not for me. I learned this with my bigger project and have put that into practice with these smaller quilts. I get so much more enjoyment out of the process now! Instead of ironing between each piecing step, I’m building my sections as much as I possibly can without going to the iron. This does two things - one, I don’t have to leave my iron on all the time, and two, I can lump all my ironing into short sessions. When I was ironing as I went, I would end my quilting time feeling like I hadn’t accomplished anything at all. Now I feel like I accomplished a lot more when I can end my time by ironing out completed sections that are MUCH easier to see. It disrupts my checklist for my larger project, but it also has made these charity quilts feel much more real to me. I can sit down for an hour and have a small quilt top almost entirely completed.

I knew that I enjoyed quilting. When I made my first quilt my goal was to try all the steps to see if I liked quilting as a hobby at all. Now I’m learning to refine my process so that I can give myself some mental space and engage in something relaxing. I still hate cutting out pieces, no matter how many things I do to make the process less awful. I’m thankful that I have the space to engage in something that tickles the creative part of my brain while still being helpful to someone.

If you’re interested in charity quilting and are in the greater Austin area, I encourage you to check out The Linus Connection. Their website keeps a small archive of completed quilt pictures, and the meetings have a show and tell component. Bex and I really enjoyed getting to see the completed quilts. It felt like a mini-art show. Meetings aren’t even necessary. Their website has everything you need to know about how they need their blankets structured as well as alternate drop locations. It’s also not limited to quilts! They accept knit and crocheted blankets as well as weighted blankets. Hopefully I’ll complete these quilts before we move, but I’m not stressing out about it. I’m thankful that I have an opportunity to do something I enjoy for someone else in need.

[fashiontrendin-blog]

IT’S HERE: Man Repeller’s Official Guide to the Next Big Trends

http://fashion-trendin.com/its-here-man-repellers-official-guide-to-the-next-big-trends/

IT’S HERE: Man Repeller’s Official Guide to the Next Big Trends

Hello and welcome to the future.

I’m not kidding. As soon as you scroll down, you will be privy to the 12 biggest trends you and everyone you know will be wearing in six months, as predicted by the very reliable crystal ball known as fashion month. I stared into its swirly interior for four solid weeks and recorded my findings from New York, London, Milan and Paris so as to properly gird our loins (literally and figuratively) for wardrobe updates to come.

Be forewarned: Some of them are a little weird, which is why I’m giving you plenty of time to digest. Take a sniff, maybe even a bite, and let it sit on your tongues like an Everlasting Gobstopper until what was once strange or unfamiliar starts to taste like pure thrill.

1. Swap your leopard for tiger in the coat department

Animal prints of all kinds were all over the runways this season, but tiger coats were a standout component, conceivably edging on leopard for the title of Best Non-Neutral Neutral. Honorable mention goes to cow print, an unexpected yet very welcome addition to the jungle that is Fall 2018. (Shop animal-friendly options below).

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2. Grab a balaclava and some baklava

I’m convinced there was some kind of balaclava advocacy convention that took place, thus lodging the idea of producing them into every designer’s subconscious. That’s the only logical explanation for the sheer number of appearances they made on the runways this season. I’d also like to think that (at the convention) there was some discussion around how to thoughtfully resurrect a garment that for many people is symbolic of wartime. With appropriate sensitivity around how and why balaclavas came to be (you can read more about their history here), I hope today’s designers can give them a new identity, just as they have done with camo pants, bomber jackets and aviators. When in doubt, pair with baklava.

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3. Make a face (or two, or three)

If you’ve ever wanted an extra pair of eyes, you’re in luck. Graphic face prints were everywhere during fashion month. I’d like to think this trend was inspired by that time when Ryan Gosling wore a T-shirt printed with a photo of Macaulay Culkin’s face on it, and then Macaulay Culkin wore a T-shirt printed with a photo of Ryan Gosling wearing that T-shirt, and then Ryan Gosling wore a T-shirt printed with a photo of Macaulay Culkin wearing that T-shirt. Still with me? Great. This could be your fall look.

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4. Embrace the rainbow with your kneecaps

Not only were colored tights all over the runway this season, they also made numerous appearances in street style ensembles. A logical question followed: How easily would they translate to everyday outfits outside of fashion month? Haley and I attempted to find an answer via guinea pig journalism, though given that this trend has only just begun to percolate, the jury is still out. I have a good feeling about its potential.

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5. Shine bright like a diamond

There was enough iridescent stuff at fashion month to outfit a whole fleet of stylish crossing guards. Given the inevitable Kirakira-induced glitter fatigue, it makes perfect sense that a new and equally eye-catching material would capitalize on the opportunity to make a splash. I wonder if everyone will start turning their phones into mobile black lights. Wouldn’t THAT be a trip.

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6. Don’t be afraid of baggy knees

For years, the prospect of a pant knee billowing like a forlorn muffin top sent chills down my spine. I avoided pairing loose trousers with knee-high boots at all costs; it was skinny jeans, skirts, dresses or bust. Even when this photo of Princess Diana wearing blousy pants with cowboy boots came to my attention and I fell promptly in love, I still thought to myself, Just because Princess Diana can pull it off doesn’t mean YOU can. Well…given the preponderance of baggy pants tucked into trousers that paraded down the runways, I guess the universe wouldn’t take that cop-out for an answer.

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7. Make like Grover and try head-to-toe royal blue

Are you experiencing millennial pink fatigue? If you’re vigorously nodding your millennial head in reply, I have great news. There’s a new sheriff galloping into town, and its name is royal blue. This particular color wasn’t just everywhere — it was everywhere IN SPADES, by which I mean full looks, by which I mean head-to-toe. Get ready to paint the town you-know-what.

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8. Tell your tie-dye to grow up

I’ve been thinking a lot about tie-dye recently and how I want to incorporate it more into my aesthetic. I’m not exactly sure where this impulse stems from, but I’m pleased as punch that designers seem to be on board, as evidenced by the appearance of a highly sophisticated tie-dye variation that comes off as a bit more subtle, not to mention versatile, than the technicolor sleepaway camp productions of my childhood.

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9. Quilt yourself!

Like “frost yourself,” the marketing slogan coined by that dramatic party scene with all the diamonds in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, “quilt yourself” is an utterly glamorous endeavor. It’s easy, too. All you have to do is adorn your upper half in a quilted jacket and enjoy the perfect lightweight outerwear experience.

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10. Send your sleeves back to the ’80s

Break out your time machine and stick your arms inside it — they’re going to prom circa 1982, so think puffy sleeves rendered in jewel tones with plenty of stiff sheen. For further reference, see: any and all party looks from the show Dynasty.

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11. Belt your sweats

If you thought joggers (i.e., pants with elasticized waistbands AND ankles) had no hope of ever looking “put together,” think again. The answer has been dangling right in front of us all along: belts! No belt loops required. Just make sure the joggers in question are high-waisted enough to accommodate a tucked-in sweater and you’ll have yourself the look of the season.

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12. Give your dresses more than one option

Thanks to this fall’s impending two-tone dress trend, your frocks can feel free to broaden their horizons and adopt more than just one colorway. Why limit yourself to pink when you can be pink on one side and red on the other? Let me answer that question with another question: Why would you limit yourself to one frozen yogurt flavor when you could order a combo swirl?

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Last Q: Which of these are you excited to wear — so excited, in fact, that you may start now?

Animations by Melanie Duran;@melbduran.

[tj-crochets]

Every time you post you make me want to make something!! How do you manage to start and finish so many projects constantly? I’m also disabled and its always so hard to find the spoons to finish my projects 😭

I definitely feel you on the difficulty finding spoons thing, I had multiple days this week where I did absolutely no crafting at all because I was just completely out of spoons. This explanation got long, so it's below a read more

For me, crafting is a...I'm not sure how to word it. A load-bearing hobby? Making a physical, tangible object gets me those good "finished task" brain chemicals while at the same time letting me learn a skill (one of my favorite things to do) and ending up with an object that I will probably eventually give to someone (also one of my favorite things to do, matching objects to the people who will love them). If I go too long without crafting I get antsy and grumpy and I get frustrated easily. Other load bearing hobbies for me are reading and making music; too long without any of them and I feel off-balance, metaphorically. I have a variety of crafts I keep supplies for on-hand for different spoon level days; for me crochet takes less spoons than knitting, which takes less spoons than all but the simplest plushie sewing, which takes less spoons than most quilting. There's some differences; plushie making is less physically taxing for me than quilting but takes a lot more focus, so if I'm having a good physical spoons day but a bad mental spoons day I might opt for quilting instead of plushies? The other thing that's helped me a lot is forgiving myself for unfinished projects. I used to feel guilty when I got hung up on a project and couldn't finish it, and I'd struggle through it and not want to craft and it would take forever and I'd be unhappy the entire time, or I'd set it aside and try to make other things but feel guilty the whole time because I thought I should be making something else. These days, I have gotten a lot better at accepting that I have limits, both physical and mental, and it's okay for me to respect them. Not finishing a crafting project is a morally neutral thing; for me, crafts are for enjoying, and if I enjoyed making the part of the project I made then I got something out of it even if I never finish it. I also think no crafting effort is wasted, you'll learn something from it even if all you learn is that you don't like that particular craft. The other other thing that helps me start and finish so many projects so often is that I am lucky enough to be able to keep the basic supplies for a wide variety of projects on hand at all times, so that I can make almost anything as the whim strikes me (like grumpy bunnies this week). I think of it like keeping a stocked pantry as a baker; you might not know what you'll want to make tomorrow, but you know you'll probably need sugar and flour and salt, and as you learn more about baking you can tailor your stock of supplies to what you like to make (for me in sewing, that means keeping a rainbow of minky and some faux fur on hand, so that I have many colors to choose from because I really enjoy working with color. In knitting, it means keeping a particular yarn in any color on hand because I pretty much only knit beanies these days and I don't care what color they are but do care about the yarn. Your "staple supplies" will vary based on your craft, your preferences, your budget, and your storage space, but I absolutely love being able to impulse craft things)