Covid-19 Shut-Down, Week One

The State of Illinois shut down on Saturday, March 21st.  My job is considered 'essential' (Home Health Care Worker) so I'm still going to work every day.

My week started with snow.  Thank goodness it didn't stick to the roads.  We got almost 4 inches.  Of course it was almost all gone by the end of the day, Monday.  As I'm writing this, it's 55 degrees outside.  Welcome to Spring!

my back yard

Last week, I stopped by Salvation Army to buy a sheet and some pillow shams.  I wanted the sheet (queen size) to put over my grocery basket when I shop (to keep my items and me from touching the basket).  The pillow shams I turned into washable grocery bags.  I've already used them a couple of times.  I made 7 bags (two of each except the pink one).  As soon as I get home, I throw them in the washer/dryer.

washable grocery bags

After I finished the bags, I started cutting out fabric to make face masks (using Jenny Doan's tutorial)(photo tutorial).  I'll be adding a pipe cleaner at the top (inside, next to the seam), so that they can fit around the nose better.  I have 68 masks cut out, ready to stitch.  I even ordered some matching thread thru the Joann's app, to pick up curb side. 

enough to make 68 face masks

Yes, I know there isn't enough elastic in the photo to make 68 masks, but I have a whole large bag of different sizes of elastic, so I won't be running out any time soon.  There is a nursing home near here that wants face masks.

I had the day off today, so I had a virtual lunch date with a friend.  We got on the Zoom app, and had lunch together.  Even our dogs joined in (they all got treats).

my lunch

I also put a Teddy Bear in my window.  Lots of families are going on bear hunts (story here).  My son and daughter-in-law took our grandkids on a bear hunt yesterday in Anchorage.  They found lots of Teddy Bears AND a real live MOOSE.  They sent a video, but I don't know how to add it to my blog, sorry (I'm not tech savvy).  We live on a corner, so the side of my yard gets lots of foot traffic.  I put our bear in the side window.

teddy bear in my window

Some neighborhoods (across the country) are also putting up rainbow pictures in windows, and also adding fun chalk sayings and drawings to their sidewalks and driveways.  I've given all my sidewalk chalk to the little girls next door, so they will have to add some stuff to our driveway (they love to do that anyways). 

Lots of fun ways to help entertain everyone during these difficult times.  Are you doing anything 'extra' due to Covid-19? 

Oh yea, Marie Bostwick, the (quilt) author, is hosting a read-along of her book 'A Single Thread'.  You can hear her read her book on Facebook or on YouTube.  (I'm not on Facebook, so I'm really happy that she is adding them to YouTube). 

Well, it's time for me to head to my sewing room and finally get some stitching done.  I'll be listening to Marie read from her book.

What are YOU doing during this crazy time?

TOBE blocks and Singing

Friday evening, my husband's Barbershop Chorus had a concert, along with an even smaller chorus.  I wasn't going to get to attend, since I was supposed to be setting up my booth of vintage machines at the quilt show, but since the quilt show was cancelled, I got to attend after all.  It was a nice concert.

Sorry for the lousy photos, but the auditorium was dark, and I couldn't use my flash.

There were only about 50 or so people who attended, and everyone was spread out across the auditorium.  As we were leaving, the venue staff was cleaning all the surfaces with wipes. 

I worked on some exchange blocks (TOBE blocks) over the weekend.  I didn't get started on them until late afternoon on Saturday.  I have a couple of different exchanges coming up over the next few months.  There is the Spring Basic TOBE (Treadle On Block Exchange) which is half square triangles.  Those are due in April.  I also have a Monkey Wrench TOBE that is due in June.  I'd already made a set of Monkey Wrench blocks, since I needed them to write up the tutorial for the exchange.  Over the weekend I got 2 more sets of blocks made for each exchange.  All of these blocks have to be made on either a hand crank or a treadle sewing machine (people powered).

Spring Basic made on a Post WWII Japanese Class 15 hand crank

Monkey Wrench made on a Post WWII Japanese Class 15 hand crank

Spring Basic made on 1914 Singer 66k hand crank

Monkey Wrench made on 1914 Singer 66k hand crank

Yesterday, I decided that I needed some laughs, so I watched several Brendon Fraser movies (Encino Man, Blast From the Past, Mrs. Winterbourne & The Mummy). 

I have another machine set up in my sewing room already, to complete another set of blocks for each TOBE.  I'll get started on them after supper.

Hubby is supposed to work from home starting tomorrow, at least thru the end of the week.  I can't work from home, since I'm a caregiver for an elderly blind man. 

Everyone stay safe.  PLEASE take precautions (like wearing gloves when you go grocery shopping, etc).  Take it from me, you can get very sick from germs on grocery carts (like the flu I had in February, and my son getting chicken pox from a grocery cart). 

Cancelled & Chaos

Late this morning, my quilt guild cancelled our quilt show this weekend.  They are hoping to reschedule it for October.  I had everything in my living room and dining room, waiting to be loaded in my car this afternoon.

10 machines waiting to be loaded in my car

treadle, 5 machines, and stuff

I had 14 full sized and 2 toy machines, along with sewing tables, recovered chairs, etc, for my booth at the quilt show. 

Oh well, it is also my church's Wild Game dinner this Saturday night.  Nope, that has also been cancelled.  Glad they cancelled it before I started cooking this afternoon.

My son and I went to Sam's to get gas and a few things on my list.  Oh My!  I've never seen so many people at Sam's before, even on the Saturday before Christmas!  It was crazy!  I couldn't get bread (all sold out), no toilet paper in the whole store (people were buying Kleenex as a substitute).  The lines were crazy long.  Most people had several cases of bottled water in their baskets.  What happened to the water that comes out of the faucet?  It's clean. 

Since we couldn't get bread or toilet paper, we decided to head to Meijer (grocery store).  It was also packed.  At least they still had some bread, but we missed the toilet paper by about an hour they said.  Why do people feel the need to hoard toilet paper?  Crazy!  Just buy a package, and leave the rest for everyone else.  Hopefully I won't run out before they restock it. 

I guess it's a good thing that I didn't need to take the time to load my car, or cook 4 recipes of venison Stroganoff, since one of our dogs had to be rushed to the vet this afternoon. 

drugged dog after x-rays

Poor Ratchet, our Alaskan Malamute, has been having pain on occasion the past few months when he tries to get up or down.   He's been on pain med's for the last month, hoping that it would help.  Yesterday and today he has gotten much worse, pain wise, to the point that he wouldn't even step up onto the stoop after he went outside.  After he squealed just walking to the grass, I called the vet again.  Now he is on more med's, to try to control the pain.  There really isn't much else we can do. 

I guess I'll be sewing at home this weekend. 

Quilted Chair

I love the freebie table at my large quilt guild.  Several months ago someone put three different Mary Engelbreit blocks on the freebie table.  I knew I could do something with those blocks.  Well, I finally did something with two of those blocks.

I've had these blocks basted to fusible fleece for several weeks now, I just haven't gotten them quilted until today.  I attached the finished blocks to the chair parts this evening.

I quilted two other chairs two years ago, but hadn't gotten around to quilting the last two chairs.  I still have one more chair to recover.  I don't know what I want to use for the last chair.

This chair is done just in time to be in my booth at the quilt show this weekend.  I'll be using my three sets of chair wheelies for these chairs. 

This Week's Stitching

I'm finally recovering from the flu and pneumonia.  I'm well, but I'm still trying to get some energy. 

I have been stitching.  I finished the binding on the board game quilt.  Sorry for the lousy photos.  I just kept adding layers onto my design wall.

Olde Game, board game quilt

I had some burgundy binding already made, so I used it instead of cutting some black.  I think I have enough of the burgundy to bind the other 5 board game quilts when they are quilted.

I stitched the hanging sleeve on the Hobbit/Lord of the Rings quilt.  I also made labels and stitched them onto all of the quilts for the quilt show, along with all of the pillowcases that the quilts have to be in when we drop them off.  Woohoo!  All the quilts are ready for the quilt show. 

I stitched a set of blocks for one of my Treadle On Block Exchanges.  I kitted up 3 more sets that I'll stitch on some of my vintage machines at the quilt show next weekend.  I also prepped blocks for another block exchange with Treadle On.  These are the blocks I finished.  They are made with 1930's reproduction fabrics, and it's the Monkey Wrench block.

set of 8 Monkey Wrench blocks

signature label attached to the back of each block

Earlier this week I finished another 10 blocks of the striped circle blocks.  I now have 32 blocks finished.  Sorry, but my design wall is full at the moment, so you just get to see the blocks stacked.

10 more blocks finished

Today I stitched the pieces together for another baby quilt.  This is like the one I made in February but in pinks instead of blues. 

baby quilt top

I have 2 more baby quilts to make by early May.  I also have to quilt all 4 baby quilts.  March and April will be busy. 

If you will be in the Western Chicago suburbs next weekend, please come to my guild's quilt show.  I'll have a booth with 14 of my vintage sewing machines at the show.  Pride of the Prairie's quilt show will have over 300 quilts.  We also  have 'Strip Search' (our fabric booth), at least 50 raffle baskets, a raffle quilt, bake sale, magazines, patterns & books and a silent auction.  We'll also have VENDORS.  We'll be at Richland Grade School, 1919 Caton Farm Road, Crest Hill, Illinois.