No one quite remembered who first called it The Cozy Makers Club. It just… fit. The door to the craftroom was never locked. In fact, it seemed to open a little wider every time someone new arrived — whether she came from Texas, Toronto, Melbourne, Manchester, or a quiet village somewhere no one else had heard of. Geography didn’t matter here. What mattered was that everyone walked in carrying something: a project, a hope, sometimes a doubt they hadn’t said out loud yet. Inside, the room always felt gently alive. Soft lamp light. The hum of conversation. Fabric spilling from baskets, yarn tucked into bowls, beads glinting in little dishes. Someone always had tea brewing. Someone always had encouragement ready. There was 'Restart Maria', rediscovering her creativity after retirement. 'Healing Keisha', stitching courage back together after a hard year. 'Unsure Anika', learning that her art deserved space in the world. 'Shy Little Jules', who said little at first but laughed the loudest now. And dozens more — different ages, backgrounds, accents, styles — yet somehow immediately familiar. No one had to explain why they needed this place. Everyone understood. Here, mistakes became experiments. Quiet people found their voice. Beginners became mentors without even noticing. And confidence grew the way handmade things do — slowly, intentionally, beautifully imperfect. It wasn’t just crafting. It was sisterhood stitched across oceans. It was permission to rest, to try, to shine. It was the rare feeling of being both accepted exactly as you are and encouraged to become even more yourself. Sometimes someone would pause mid-project, look around at the laughter, the focus, the gentle support, and say softly: “I didn’t realize how much I needed this.” The others always smiled. They knew. Because the Cozy Makers Club wasn’t just a craftroom. It was a safe harbor—a confidence workshop. A global circle of creativity and kindness — where the door stayed open, the lights stayed warm, and there was always room at the table for one more maker.

This is my first hug book. i learned a few things. Practice first! Ha! i’m happy with it.

My desk is where I do all my work. The first picture shows how much room I really have to work in. It's about 8 inches. Tonight I took some time to clean it up. You probably don't think it's much of a clean-up job . It is I have at least 3 feet to work in at this time. Don't know how long it will stay cleared off.

Day 3 — The Power of 10 Minutes Today we honor short creative time. Set a timer for 10 minutes and simply begin. No pressure to finish anything. Just showing up counts. Consistency comforts the spirit more than intensity. ❤️ Drop a heart if you took your 10 minutes.

I recently experimented with avocado dyeing some fabric remnants. Everything I read in my research said the outcome would be a pale pink. I would not describe the final product as pale pink. Maybe more like beige or light tan. I will use the pieces in upcoming projects, but it was not what I expected. Read on if you want to learn about the procedure I used. Equipment and supplies: 6 quart stainless steel stock pot, slotted spoon, skins and seeds from 23 very dry avocados (I had been saving them for quite awhile!), 8 pieces of assorted size cotton fabric (muslin, sack cloth, bed sheet) and lightweight polyester , all white. Procedure: Day 1, around noon. Avocado in the pot. Add water to about one inch from the top. Cover. Bring to a boil, let simmer 1 hour. Turn off heat. Let steep. Around 5 p.m., bring to a boil and simmer again for about 1 hour. Turn off heat. Let steep overnight. Day 2, repeat heating and steeping. Again around noon and 5 p.m. Day 3, noon, bring to a boil, simmer 1 hour. Turn off heat. Using the slotted spoon, remove the avocado. Meanwhile, soak the pieces of fabric in water. Squeeze out the fabric and place in the pot of dye. Stir around. Let sit 24 hours, stirring occasionally, when you think of it. Day 4, remove the dyed pieces of fabric from the avocado dye solution and rinse well in cold water. Hang to dry. Iron on hot setting to set the color. I got these instructions from the "Four Rabbit" website. I am inspired to try vegetable dyeing again, next time with hibiscus and then turmeric. -M