Coronavirus face masks

Information and updates of the coronavirus is constantly in our day to day lives.  A week ago I came across directions to make DIY face masks.  I'm sure like a lot of other sewers I started digging through my supplies to start sewing.
As I was sewing my first couple of masks I thought to myself - who really needs them and will they get used or put aside.  Hospitals seem to have certain needs and they are all different.  There are hundreds of different patterns and opinions, which is awesome, but the more I looked through the internet for clearer answers the more confusing it got.  With the governors orders stay home & stay safe it really is hard to shop for supplies.  Unless you know exactly what you'll need it is hard to order online.
Today I decided I would sew masks for my family and friends.  I combined four different patterns to make what I think is the best option to be washed and used over and over and provide the best protection from a DIY mask.  

I made two different mask sizes - small child and adult

They have a cotton fabric front, a flannel liner (so it's smooth on the face) with an inside opening to add a filter, elastic loops that go through the sides so it gathers the fabric close to the face and wraps around the back of the head (the elastic is tied in a knot so it can be adjustable or replaced if worn out).  Putting the elastic in loops to go around ears didn't let the mask fit snug enough around the face.  If I used string ties theyget tangled while in the washer and dryer.  So this seemed to be the best idea.  I've read that vacuum micro filters bags and hepa 19 furnace filters can be cut up to insert into masks so an inside opening in the lining seemed necessary.  Will they be as good as medical masks? surely not, but they offers some protection which is better than nothing.
I just finished 25 masks.  Tomorrow I will be sending some to my daughter in LA and some to my son and his finance in Lansing,  Michigan.  I have a handful  more for my son and his wife who live here in Grayling.  That leaves a few for my husband and I and for friends.  When I hear that our local hospital and/or medical personnel is in need of masks I will certainly step up to the plate and sew as many as I can.
In the meantime - Stay safe and Stay home.

Spring welcomes the bears

As I was posting about my "Union Blues" quilt -  outside my window I noticed that our tree was bouncing around.  I stood up and looked out and there were our bears.  Mom and her two cubs evidently have just came out of hibernation - it's officially spring.   They didn't get the memo - stay home, stay safe.
Last spring there were three cubs, but unfortunately one cub got hit by a car this past summer.  I'm excited to see them.  They look healthy.  Mom has done a good job.  I hope they keep their distance during the day while I garden.

Spring welcomes the bears

We haven't dealt with bears before this past year.  So right now it is sort of exciting.  I would certainly feel better if they lived further in the woods.  Unfortunately with all the clear-cutting of trees in our area their habitat has been destroyed.  They are finding their food near humans.  Let's hope we can coexist with no problems.
Bears - I've always loved the bear paw quilt block.  This has been a quilt that I've always wanted to make.  I think that a bear paw quilt will be coming up soon in honor of my little bears.

Union Blues

This was the first Civil War quilt I made.  I had my oldest son in mind when I purchased this quilt kit called "Union Blues",  in October 2017.   When my son was younger he became interested in the Civil War.  We went to a Civil War reenactment in Jackson, Michigan, and he was hooked.  He would have loved to join a regiment to participate in reenactments, but traveling to these events, unfortunately, just wouldn't work.
Since getting involved in quilting I learned that many blocks from Civil War quilts had hidden meanings.  This is very interesting to me.  I don't believe this quilt "Union Blues" has any blocks with particular meaning, but it did catch my eye and I decided to dive in.  Starting this quilt towards the end of 2017, I finished it about mid-2018, but today I finally quilted it.  At the time I started this quilt my son had a queen-size bed, but now he has a king-size.   Not sure if this will be the treasure for my son that I thought it would be when I started it, but I love it.
There were so many half square triangles and flying geese in the construction of this quilt that it definitely was a great skill builder.  I know some quilters hate the repetition of sewing so many small blocks - I don't mind.  I feel once completed that I've mastered these squares.  I think this quilt is beautiful.

Civil War quilt  pattern "Union Blues"

I'm cruising along this month and more than reached my monthly goals.  With few more days still left in March let's see what else I can tackle in my UFOs.

Beast of Burden

In November 2019 our quilting group conducted a weekend quilting retreat.  During this weekend we agreed to participate in a block exchange. I was a little reluctant to take on a new project, but one of my wish list quilts was to make a cheddar colored civil war quilt. I decided this was the perfect time to tackle that quilt.
The rules were easy -  we would use light and dark civil war reproduction fabrics to construct 60, 6 1/2", nine-patch blocks, to exchange with each of the 12 participants. This would give each of us 60 assorted colored blocks.  We would exchange these blocks in February during our winter weekend retreat.  This gave all of us a few months to make our nine-patch blocks and decide how to incorporate these blocks into a quilt.
Coming up on the February retreat the ladies were getting excited to put these blocks to use.  We came to the retreat with a plan and ready to tackle this challenge.  We were on a mission and the results were beautiful. The assortment of fabrics used are stunning.
I don't recall anyone completing their quilt that weekend, but they certainly were pretty close to putting on the finishing touches.
Now here comes the "beast of burden".  Of course I couldn't settle on using only 60 nine-patch blocks, I wanted more.  In fact, I ended up making a total of 130 nine-patch blocks for my quilt.  Also, I wanted the blocks to be connected with the cheddar fabric in a zigzag pattern on point.  A lot of thought went into the construction since I had no pattern - just a vision.
Yesterday  I used 14 fully wound bobbins and spent about seven hours on my longarm quilting this beast. It finished as a 97" by 96"quilt. The result is exactly what I hoped for.  I love this quilt.  It also feels good to check off a project from my wish list.

Block exchange quilt I call Beast of Burden

Close up of quilting

At the time of this posting the other ladies have not shared their finished quilts.  As they do I will share pictures.

Scrap Mania

Scrap Mania was one of the first classes I took from our local quilt shop in the early 2000s.  I started with fabric choices in green and red, but it looked too much like Christmas so I added the yellow and blue.  Definitely scrappy.
This was a great skill building challenge.  We were given a quilt block layout and three pages of different size blocks to decide which we wanted to insert in our quilts.  Being new to quilting (first time to use a rotary cutter) it was a little intimidating to be left with so many decisions. but I was up for the challenge.  Here are the directions we were given:

Quilt layout guide

Six and eight inch block options

Page two of block options

Final page of block options

It was a blast to start making random blocks, but when I started to put it all together I got a little nervous that I got too crazy with fabric selection.  When it was all assembled I actually liked it.  Very scrappy.  In fact, I even pieced large scraps of batting together using strips of iron-on Pelon featherweight interfacing to enforce the batting seams.
Unfortunately there wasn't a follow up class to see all the participants final quilts.  I would have loved to see what direction they went in.  Here's my final quilt.

My final scrap mania quilt is 64" by 60"

I decided to try a variation of feathers for my quilting design called paisley feathers.  After sewing the design a couple times it was actually very easy.  I will use this same design on my next quilt.

On the quilt back you can see a close up of the paisley feather quilting design

It's said that practice makes perfect and I must say I've mastered my longarm quilter during these past few months since I'm quilting a quilt at least every other week if not sooner.  Back to the UFOs.

The 24 yard quilt

National Quilting Day, weekend or month. It's confusing to know which one it is or is it all of them? Depending on the website you visit some claim monthly, while others claim weekend or day.  Regardless, hope everyone is enjoying on one of their favorite projects.  I've been busy in my studio tackling my UFOs.
I have a crazy story about the Bargello quilt  below that I finally quilted today.   I call it the 24 yard quilt.  Yes you read this right - 24 yards.
Back in 2013 our local quilt shop was offering a class for the bargello quilt.  One of my great quilting friends asked me if I'd join her in this class.  Boy this quilt looked pretty hard, but I love detail and told her I would love to.
We paid for our class and received a discount to purchase our fabric for this class the day.  So we both scoured through the quilt shop to find our fabrics.  The class directions required 2 yards each of 12 fabrics.  My friend went right to the batiks and found 12 green fabrics that coordinated great.  As I looked around the shop everything was pretty picked over.  There were no other batiks to choose from unless I copied my friend, which I wouldn't do.  And greens weren't my colors.  Three employees working that evening could only coordinate together a geometric fabric in the colors of black, gray and lime green.  Definitely not my colors either, but I felt sort of pressured and gave in.
As I brought the fabrics to the cutting table it dawned on me that the directions said I would need 2 yards EACH of 12 fabrics.  That's 24 yards!  How big is this quilt going to end up?  I always go big or go home, but this was crazy!  I questioned that the amount had to be wrong.  This must include the backing, right?  Nope, that would be additional fabric.  I always make queen-size quilts and backing alone usually is around 8 to 9 yards.  As I argued that 24 yards had to be wrong my friend was getting her fabric cut.  After about 30 to 45 minutes of questioning the staff how this amount of  fabric could be possible I gave in and let them cut the fabric.
My friend and I went out into the parking lot and she said to me that she paid over $300 with the discount.  She wasn't paying much attention to what I was saying until she got to the cash register, than her light bulb went on.  My fabric, with my discount, was just shy of $300 and I didn't even like the fabric. To top it off we still had backing to purchase.
We took the class and wow how stunning and simple the bargello is.  My friend's bargello is stunning in the batiks - exactly what she wanted.  My bargello is cool, but the color isn't to my liking.  This is nobodies fault but my own for compromising the purchase.
Well, with our bargello quilts finished - mine a queen-size and my friend's a king-size we both have over a yard left of each of the 12 fabrics. That's 12 yards.   My friend had made pillow shams and a wall hanging to match her quilt, but still has leftover fabric.  I have no idea when I will use all this leftover fabric.  Maybe a baby quilt.  I'm still not sure.
Well here she is - the 24 year quilt:

This quilt looks difficult, but is actually pretty simple.  My
favorite is the swooping rows.

I quilted swooping arches following the fabric colors

We now laugh about the 24 yard quilt, but still are trying to find ways to use up the leftovers.
Happy quilting.

March Madness

It seems like March is Madness.  So much is celebrated during this month - National Craft Month, National Reading Month, National Quilting Month also, National Quilting Day on March 21, and International Woman's Day.  And let's not forget we just sprung forward to Daylight Savings Time.  Next week everyone will be wearing green on St. Patrick's Day.  And as the snow banks start melting, crocus will be popping up from the ground and here comes the first day of Spring.  I'm sure there are many more special events during March that I'm not aware of.  Unfortunately the real term of March Madness, the NCAA basketball tournaments, have been canceled due to the growing concerns of the coronavirus pandemic.  As I wonder how this virus will play out  I'm in my own March Madness mode.
Working on my March quilt challenges - I've quilted my January String A Long quilt - String A Ling.  The fabrics should look familiar if you've followed my past blog post of my bargello quilt entitled, "Come strip with us".  I had plenty of fabric leftover from this bargello quilt to use in my first String A Long challenge (and still have more).  The bright colors surely reminds me to be bright as a spring day.

January challenge - String A Ling

close up

Back to my madness.  I have more projects to finish.

Spring Fling

Temperatures are starting to warm up and forecasted for tomorrow to be high 40s and Sunday 50s.  I'm thinking Spring.  
Going through my UFOs I came across Spring Fling - Star Fling quilt top that I assembled in 2002.  The fabric is nice and bright with primary colors. What an appropriate time to finish this quilt with spring on it's way.
This is the only time I purchased a quilt as a kit so it matches the pattern - no trying to find the best fabrics they already did the work.  It was actually a pretty simple quilt, great for a beginner and I learned a few techniques that were new to me.  Stars with no matching points took the stress out of the assembly.  This was the first time I used piano keys for a border and loved it.  I have been able to use this technique over and over - it's a great way to use up the scraps.

Looking forward to spring with this Spring Fling - Star Fling quilt

The quilt size is small, measuring approximately 51" by 60".  This could make a great baby quilt.
As I'm marching through March I have more UFOs to complete.

Bag Babes

A new sewing group at the OOOOOlala quilt shop started in January called Bag Babes.  I joined the first workshop to make a purse.  Making a purse and sewing with faux leather was a new experience for me.   

This small shoulder strap purse is about 10 " wide by 7" high and only took about three hours.  What a great learning experience.  I learned how to assemble a purse with hardware, made a decorative tassel and even added a custom button over the magnetic closure.  Pretty easy peasy.

Faux leather shoulder strap purse

Purse inside has two compartments

The workshop for February was another small purse with appliqué flowers which I wasn't interested in making.  Possibly March's workshop will be a bag I want to make.  Since I don't need dozens of purses, I decided to pick and choose which bag workshop to participate in.
I always thought making purses/bags was more difficult and time consuming than what it was.  I already have some great ideas for some new bags to make.

Rock-a-bye-baby

Time flies by fast - it seems like yesterday I was sewing a baby quilt for Nyla.  Her quilt has been one of my favorites.  Little Nyla is now 2 1/2 years old.
A couple weeks ago Nyla came over with her mom and dad.  Tucked under her arm was one of her baby dolls.  Her mother stated that Nyla loves her baby dolls and takes them everywhere with her - she sleeps with them, eats with them, and plays with them all day long.  I decided that I needed to make Nyla's baby dolls a couple quilts.
Going through my stash fabric I found some leftover fabric from Nyla's baby quilt, plus some small heart fabric.  These fabrics were perfect for her baby dolls.  Over the past week I sewed Nyla a couple baby doll quilts.

Nyla's baby doll quilts

The approximate size of each quilt is 26" by 32".   Even though they are small it did take a few hours to assemble since I constructed them with small blocks.
Hopefully I'll get to see Nyla this coming week to give her her baby doll quilts.  I can picture her now - rock-a-bye-baby.