More Mask Making

DD Emma emailed me late last week with a request for masks. She works in a care facility in Columbus, and both her building and others in her corporate group face a shortage of PPE (personal protective equipment).

Get this: the subject line of the email said "In Need Of Fabric" - Emma knows. Believe me, she knows!

Then in the email: "If you have or know others that have fabric that can be donated please bring it to the corporate office." 

She and I both had a good chuckle. I mean, really. She is well aware of how much fabric resides in this house!

I told her I was perfectly capable of making masks for her and her co-workers. No need for shipping it elsewhere.

Guess how I spent my weekend? Yep! A batch of 30 masks! Add these new ones to the 14 I had last week and I'm up to 44. (Sometimes I can do math!)

I was stopped in my production last week  due to a lack of elastic. After issuing a request to my various groups of girlfriends, I am now fully stocked and back in business. One friend, Rhonda, brought me pony tail elastic - 9 packages with 75 in a package - good grief! I will be making masks into the next decade!! That is 675 ties or 337 masks using 2 per mask. (Ack! More math!) However, I am going to have to reconfigure my design, as the ponytail elastic is short. A design upgrade is in the works. I won't be letting these go to waste, that's for sure.

I watched a few video tutorials on making masks. This method was one of the simplest. Cut two pieces of fabric at 9" x 7". Add one piece of interfacing of the same size. The elastic is cut at 7" - two per mask. Attach the ends of the elastic in the corners.

The stack shown here is sewn together and ready to be turned right side out. I have left a 2-3-inch gap in one edge for turning.

These are turned and ready to be pressed. Then I pin three pleats on each side and top stitch all around which closes the opening and hold the pleats in place. Do a final press and it's finished.

I delivered 10 to my neighbor and good friend Dorothy. She is food service director at our local school district and is out in the community delivering meals to students 2 or 3 days each week. Lots of exposure in this endeavor.

A second delivery of 10 went to a young couple - the husband is doing his medical residency and even though they know these are not medical grade masks, they are useful as barriers to airborne droplets. They have a toddler and one on the way, so you can imagine their need for caution.

And all the rest will go to Emma. I will have over 50 to take to her. My assembly line currently  needs more interfacing to be cut, and then I will be back at the sewing machine.

Through all of this I am doing a good bit of scrap removal. I am pulling fabric out of the drawers which would have taken a long, long time for me to ever get around to using. This has been good for me.

And I hope I am doing some good for others.

Stay safe, dear readers!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Hello April!

We have had a gray, dreary, cool day here in southern Ohio, not at all indicative of the gorgeousness that April generally offers. However, weather forecasts indicate that the next few days are supposed to be all that one hopes for an April day - sunshine, blue skies, and warm temperatures.

I say "Bring it!"

Today I worked on more of those square in a square blocks for the scrappy effort I'm trying to finish. Helping me is Scott Harvath, star of a multi-volume series by Brad Thor. He solves all the cases and is totally supportive of my quilting while he fights the world's evils.

Not much more to report. I will need to get some monthly goals lined up so that I don't fritter too much time away.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Goodbye March

What a strange month this has been. And from the looks of things, the strangeness will be continuing into April.

I always create a 9-picture collage of highlights as I close out each month. I knew I wanted that image of the coronavirus in the center of this month's collage. So I found the picture above in an internet search, and proceeded with my collage.

I thought about just stopping here. Ha! It seems as though everyone, everything is consumed by this little germ, so that is THE highlight of the month, right?

But we had life before "shelter in place" and life continues now while we "shelter in place." This, then is my actual March 2020 collage.

I left "the germ" in the center of my collage, as it divided the month pretty much in half - prior to halting everything, and "lockdown" mode.

Before corona (BC?), we were training for the Columbus Cap City Half Marathon - well, my husband was. I was training for the 5K walk/run. We had some great spring days out on the bike trail.  The Cap City has been postponed until late August, so training has been slowed. Our grand-cat Rocky came to stay for a week while daughter and son-in-law were at Disney. I did some fabric shopping in Columbus with dear friends Dee and Sharon, and the Frienzies had a wonderful dinner get-together at Hettie's.

Then, Covid-19. Oh, my, did things change.

My one-week spring break was stretched to a two-week spring break. Then we were given the news that the entire remainder of the semester would be done through remote means: no more face-to-face classes! I endured a week or so in panic mode (as did many students, I'm sure), but have finally arrived at a comfortable alternate.

My collage shows a picture of my longarm room, which I finally decorated. (I did not quilt the 4 quilts draped over the bar, however. Bummer.) The bottom row shows the only true finish of the month, my Peachy Surprise, made simply because I found a stack of random 4-patch blocks. The Ohio Star illustrates a tutorial I put together for a reader, and the final picture is of some protective masks I made to donate to local facilities.

I am not beating myself up too harshly for failing to quilt those quilts. Covid-19 forced me to spend way more time on schoolwork than I normally would have. I fully expect that I will far surpass my 2-quilt goal in the coming months, so it will all even out.

I also have worked pretty exclusively on sew-along projects which don't lend themselves to finishes. I am thinking that I will start something in April that will also be finished in April.

Yeah, I need some finishes.

One nice thing about all this staying home - DH and I commented the other evening that it hasn't been so bad. We are lucky in that we don't need much; we aren't lacking for activities; we have our hobbies and phones and internet and television and books. We are doing okay.

I hope you are, too.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Doing My Bit

Have you seen all the quilters and seamstresses who have been making masks? Patterns are being shared everywhere for these, and I have made a few to donate to the cause.

This little batch of 14 masks took me no time at all to whip out. The stitching is basic from start to finish. These are lined with interfacing.

I used up my original package of elastic, so I dug around in some old stuff from Grandma's sewing kit. I found some treasures.

The pink elastic has a price tag of ten cents for the 2-yard package. The other package is newer, and it was opened. Three yards for .75 - a bargain rate! It was pretty cool finding these in her sewing supplies.

This close-up of the pink elastic gives you more detail, if it isn't too blurry to see. The company is Cameo out of Massachusetts. I did a brief search, but didn't find anything about it; perhaps it no longer exists.

So this little bit will go to serve the greater good. I was reluctant to climb on board this mask-making bandwagon, as I was skeptical about the level of safety they provide. After speaking with my sister-in-law, a dentist, I decided to move forward with these. Her comment that any barrier is better than no barrier makes sense. These aren't going to be used in surgeries or the like. But if a hospital worker of some sort will be safer, then wonderful. I am not sure where I will take these masks. I have several options.

One nice side benefit of doing this is that I was able to use up scrap fabric that had no usefulness to me any longer. Additionally, I used some sew-in interfacing that never gets used. I am paring down, if only in small increments.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Scrapping Right Along

Many quilters know about leaders and enders, that technique made famous by Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville in which you are always sewing - never cutting the threads at the machine - here is Bonnie's explanation. I'm not a purist about this, but I try to do it as often as possible. For example, when I'm making a Blockheads block or one for the sew along we Frankfort girls are doing, I reach for 2-inch blocks for the scrappy quilt I've been working on.

Consequently, I have a good-size stack of 4-patch blocks piled off to the side of my sewing table. I cut a whole bunch of triangles of red and white, for the first round of the square-in-a-square blocks I'm making. Trimming them is always satisfying; they line up so nicely when sized properly with trimming.

Then I continued with the outer round of triangles. Then, these too, needed to be trimmed. Throughout this month, I have accumulated quite a few blocks and I think it's time to begin sewing rows together.

I have 30+ white blocks and 30+ red blocks. I need a whole lot more. I will make blocks as long as my fabrics hold out. Of course, the 4-patch blocks will be unending. The red is plentiful. The white, though, is running thin. I will either have to buy some (which defeats the purpose of making a scrap quilt) or substitute some likely similar white. I will dig around; there's a good chance I've got some.

So, as the month of scrap quilting comes to an end, I have barely dented the scraps available here. I will have, though, a mighty pretty quilt when all is said and done. Mighty pretty, indeed.

Happy Quilting, Friends!

A Reader Request

On Monday I received an email from a reader, Vivian. She had been perusing my blog and found a picture from the page where I feature Grandma's Quilts. She said she was particularly inspired to make one and asked if I knew whether or not there was a pattern.

The quilts contained on Grandma's page are just a fraction of the quilts she made over her lifetime. From that page, I took the three pictures below showing quilts that are all pretty much the same pattern  -  one Grandma called Stars and Stepping Stones.

My guess is that the blocks are 12 inches - what Grandma seemed to prefer - more expedient to make quilts with big blocks, you know. She was a no-nonsense quilter. There was no time for fussy-cutting or using ridiculously small pieces and complex construction in her day.

So back to Vivian's request. I do not know of a specific pattern that Grandma would have used, but I can very easily help out with instructions, as these two blocks are very basic and easily adaptable to any size. Vivian had already begun working on 10" blocks, so that determined the size I would work on.

And now, I am going to offer up an easy tutorial for Vivian and all you readers, as well. First, let's tackle the 10.5-inch (10-inch finished) Ohio Star block.

The parts shown in the picture above will make one star block. Cut 4 squares at 4.75-inches, then sub-cut them twice, diagonally. Cut 4-inch squares, 1 dark and 4 light.

Construct the star points. Press. Trim to 4-inches. Lay out and stitch the star like so:

NOTE: If you prefer a 3-color star instead of a 2-color star, the simple difference in cutting is this: When cutting the 4.75-inch squares, cut two in the fabric for the star, one in the background and one in the 3rd color. (Look at Grandma's 3 quilts above; two of them have a 3rd color.)

Now, we will move on to the 10.5-inch (10-inch finished) Stepping Stones block. I am opting to make mine using a different pattern than Grandma did, as I think it will require fewer steps and less cutting/stitching. Two different blocks, yet the exact same look.

Cutting for this block will require 8 light squares and 8 dark squares at 2.25 inches. Sew these into 4-patch blocks as shown in the picture. Then cut 5 squares at 4 inches, one dark, four light. Lay out the block and stitch using the picture as a diagram.

And that is all there is to it. Both blocks are super simple, and would be quick work. The hardest part will be fabric decisions, as this will look gorgeous in lots of color combinations.

Can't envision it? Wonder how these blocks would look in a full-sized bed quilt? I used a photo-editing app to mock up an entire quilt. Oh my goodness, this might have to go on my to-do list, for sure!

This is a straight set, meaning no side and corner triangles, whereas Grandma's were all on point, which did require triangles; either way, the look is fantastic. Doesn't this make you want to dive right into your stash and get busy?! If my calculations are correct, the mock-up above would require 41 Stepping Stones blocks and 40 Ohio Star blocks for a quilt that will be in the neighborhood of 90 inches square. You'll have to figure out yardage requirements. (That kind of math is above my pay grade!)

Well, Vivian, I hope this is helpful. I sure am glad you reached out. Be sure to send some pictures of your work as you progress; I would love to see!

Happy Quilting, Friends!

Bragging Time

Do you mind if I take a moment to brag on daughter Erin? It's been awhile since I've said much about any of my kiddos, but Erin made a baby quilt, and I now have all the pieces of the process to share.

Of course, beginning with the cute part makes total sense. Baby Sophia is now 7 months old and her momma (Erin's sister-in-law) shared this adorable bundle of preciousness on social media. Wouldn't you just love to hold and squeeze her? I bet she giggles all over; she looks like such a happy baby.

No doubt the quilters who follow this blog also noticed an interesting bit of a quilt folded over the back of the chair. Erin made it! I have pictures saved here from last spring when Erin was working on this quilt and knew that eventually I would be able to share.

Gorgeous florals and soft coordinating solids comprised the fabrics Erin selected for the quilt. I love that she chose the 9-patch block. That is such a versatile block. It is simple, great for a baby quilt, and can look quite sophisticated with gorgeous fabrics. Winning all the way around.

Blocks laid out on the dining table. Controlled scrappy look, I would say. Erin has a designer's eye, so I am sure she took great care in where she placed certain colors and prints.

The completed quilt top called for a picture to mark the accomplishment. It sure is a beauty!

Then to the hand-quilting. I can remember having her sit beside me to try hand-quilting when she was a teenager. I was certain she would take to it, but NO! She was outa' there after about a dozen stitches. Perhaps a seed was planted that day, though, because these stitches put mine to shame.

Here are a few random shots Erin sent of her finish. Check out the scrappy binding and the label.

I'm thinking that most of the print fabrics are from AGF, including the backing. Just beautiful!

I am so proud of Erin and her quilt-making. Click back to see this one she made about three years ago for Sophia's big brother.

I began this post with cuteness and I will close with cuteness. Erin always has a trusty helper nearby when she's working on a project. Assistant Rocky is never far from the action.

He's proud of his quilt, or maybe he just adores his human. Either way, he sure is a handsome boy.

I had a big technological breakthrough yesterday after the moaning I shared here. I feel so much better now about "distance learning" -- it does not seem quite so daunting now as it did before. After that success, I made great progress in the quilting room. I have some awesomeness coming in the next few days!

Hope you all are sheltering in place, minding your social distance, and doing your part to flatten the curve. (So many interesting phrases coming from this pandemic.)

Happy Quilting, Friends!