Sewing and a Crochet Sling Bag

Last February, my sister bought a sewing machine for my mother. For several weeks, she worked tirelessly on her curtains, while I ordered some fabrics online to complete the quilt I had been working on since last year. One side of the quilt was from a damaged malong of my mother's, and I sewed the usable parts by hand.

I always sewed by hand. Growing up, I have been hesitant to touch the sewing machine ever since my mother recounted an incident when she was young: the needle broke, pierced her finger, and... yeah, I'd rather not continue. Suffice to say, it was not a story you tell people averse to needles.

This time, though, I was determined to learn. So when my mom was done with her project, I sat down and she taught me. It was initially really hard and needed more hand-eye-foot coordination than I thought. I can already imagine how difficult learning to drive a car would be.

But I eventually got the hang of it, and I am glad that (finally!) I now know how to use the sewing machine. I'm still on the straight-line phase, though.

I finished the quilt last April.

My sister modelling the crochet bag.

Then last month, I crocheted a sling bag using a local thick cotton thread brand. The pattern was from a Japanese book, and as always, when using different materials from what the pattern required, I ended up changing some things.

The final bag fits my phone, a small wallet or notebook, and maybe a couple of pens.

Trivia Night

Last Saturday, I went out with two of my high school friends (one of whom I haven't seen for more than a decade) for trivia night at The Daily Table in Ma-a. Tin has been inviting me since last year. Recently, she has been putting off her weekend travel plans because of the rising fuel prices, so we finally had the chance.

That's us to the left of the host. (Photo courtesy Trivia Nights Pinas)

I genuinely thought I wouldn't be able to answer anything, but it's surprising what random things we have stored in our brains. And we won the night! We were lucky enough that some of the questions catered more to our age group. Most youngsters would not have heard of Diana Ross, much less know what group she's in. It was overall a very enjoyable game, with a funny host, and great company!

After the game, we went to Starbucks to chat. Tin and I meet yearly, so it was mostly Jeck who gave us life updates. But the highlight every now and then... was BTS. I'm not really a fan, so they ended up trying to convince me. Just so you know, I'm not a hater. I'm more into vocal groups like BtoB, Beast, Pentagon... and my favorites have goosebump-inducing voices (Changsub, Yoseob, Jinho, Sandeul). The sole BTS song in my K-pop playlist is a ballad called "The Truth Untold" sung by their vocal line.

I got home at around 1:30 AM. That's how much we needed catching up. Next time, we'd have to meet earlier.

BBC's The Other Bennet Sister

Spoilers ahead.

The Other Bennet Sister - Mary and Tom (BBC)

It's been a week since I finished watching The Other Bennet Sister, and I am having a hangover, an obsession. The last time I felt like this was last year's season of The Wheel of Time (I'm still devastated that it was cancelled). I had done one rewatch with my sister. I've invited (more like pestered) friends to watch it. My sister's close friend borrowed my copy of the book, and I already want it back. I devoured clips and tributes on social media, but I still can't get over it! So I hope writing about it will help.

There were several changes made from the book, and I was initially disappointed, but it gradually became its own entity. The book had a more serious tone and rightly so because it followed Mary's thoughts, while the show was more light and funny. It had me alternately crying and in stitches from a combination of second-hand embarrassment and kilig. While the book focused on Mary's growth through her journey from one place to another, the TV series decided to jump to the London plot, a.k.a. the love story, and what a story it was!

Some parts were improved by the show, notably the Pemberley segment. I especially loved that conversation between Mary and Elizabeth and that we got to see more of the sisters in action.

I thought the book needed more scenes between Mary and Tom, and it's still the case with the show. I felt that since the show added a non-book character, Miss Baxter, it lessened what could have been more screen time and development for our couple.

Then there was the proposal. It was beautifully made. In the book, it happened indoors. In the show, it was in a park, which is true to the theme of their favourite poet, Wordsworth. I'm happy that it was still Mary who said 'I love you' first.

Ella Bruccoleri and Dónal Finn were phenomenal! This show has really cemented Dónal's abilities for me. He was great as Mat in The Wheel of Time. I've already seen him as James Moriarty in Young Sherlock's first episode (it's on my watchlist). Plus, he's a musical actor.

I'm so glad that the show is getting more attention. We have definitely been missing some good old-fashioned and meaningful period dramas for years.

The Other Bennet Sister will be released in the US and Canada on May 6th, while the rest of the world is still waiting for an announcement. There are, however, unconventional ways to watch the show, which I used, if you really can't wait to see it. Then support it still when it comes out in your area. Personally, I cannot wait for the DVD!