Wego Challenge Quilt (in progress)

My little quilt guild is having a challenge.  We are supposed to make a quilt 'All About Me'.  We can make anything 'quilted', any size, that says something about ourselves.  Well, I think that anything that speaks about quilting or vintage sewing machines (or red, my favorite color) speaks about me.

Way back in September 2018, Erin at My Patchwork Life, gave away some of her UFO blocks.  I won a set of blocks with quilty sayings that were in red/white/black (set #F on the post link above). 

I've been planning to use these blocks, along with a sewing machine cut out (red and white polka dots) that I've had since 2012, to make a quilt for this challenge.  I just needed to sit down and figure out how to put them all together. 

Well, since I also love to find things at the thrift stores, I included some quilty panels that I found at Goodwill a couple of  years ago. 

I actually bought this one at a quilt show, along with the matching T-Shirt

I drew up a plan (graph paper is great), then started making Flying Geese, Half Square Triangles and 4 patch blocks.

Stitched on my Featherweight

I'm behind on all of this due to making face masks.  I finally got started stitching everything together last week.  Below is my design wall.  I finished the hand applique on the toilet paper quilts on Thursday.

And the quilt progresses...

bottom row is on the floor

The blank spot is waiting for me to stitch the blanket stitch with my Janome on this block.

Hopefully I'll get this block stitched on Sunday.  This quilt top is supposed to be finished on Monday.  Not sure it will happen, we'll see. 



I made more kids masks for my neighborhood.

46 kid sized masks

Hubby has been advertising them on our neighborhood website (for free).  I only have a couple of them left.  I'm making more masks as my 'leader/ender's' while working on the challenge quilt.

I looked out the window of my sewing room today and saw this.

bird nesting in the gutter

Hubby isn't happy about where the bird is nesting, but he'll leave it alone. 

This week I got to work 3 days (I've only gotten to work 5 days the whole month of April), and had lunch with a friend (sitting in the grocery store parking lot in separate cars).  Today was a drive by baby shower.  Oops! the baby quilt isn't quilted yet, but I still participated.  I'm behind on baby quilts (one baby born in April, and 3 due sometime in May). 

Happy Easter! and Face Masks

Happy Easter!

It was strange not going to church today (or any Sunday in weeks).  Still, I got lots of 'Easter' services today.  My Sunday school class is online now.  After that, we watched Franklin Graham and Michael W. Smith's Easter service in Central Park.  Our church also had a great service that included music, a special reading and even a children's sermon.  When I finally got up to my sewing room, I watched Andrea Bocelli's performance in Milan.  Even Dolly Parton had an Easter song.

As for sewing, I'm like lots of you.  I've been stitching face masks.  My first set of 64 masks.  Puppies, kitties, forest animals, tie dye, flames and leaves.  I've added pipe cleaners to the nose area of all of my masks so far.

Then I stitched a few masks for hubby and my son.  Camping and Star Wars.

I thought I was thru, then they suggested that everyone wear a mask when going to a store, so, my neighbors also needed some masks.  I cut out 28 masks for kids, and 16 for adults.  Camo, batiks, some sewing themed (for me) and some animals, dragonflies and Cars.

my neighbors, wearing their new masks

My little quilt guild has been making masks, too.  We've been distributing masks to my veterinarian (thanks for taking care of my dog, Ratchet), and several different nurses from several different hospitals, and some to an assisted living center. 

I didn't stitch any for a couple of days.  Somehow my right hip joint froze up, and I couldn't barely walk for 2 days.  The doctor gave me meds, and I'm back walking again, thank goodness. 

A friend asked for masks, too.  She works for a hospice, and people have been stealing masks from them (shame people).  She gave me kits for me and my guild ladies to make more masks.  I'll be working on those tomorrow. 

With so many masks, I haven't had any time to sew anything for myself.  I hope to remedy that this week.  Hopefully I'll have something besides masks to show you soon. 

Have you been stitching something other than face masks? 

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?