I've got to be honest, I'm spending a lot more time making masks than working on my business. Since the CDC (finally) admitted that wearing masks helps all of us, the demand has far outstripped supply. I know that most of you are doing the same thing if you aren't already doing your part as one of the fabulous front-line workers in our hospitals, delivery services and grocery stores. 

I got the family and friends taken care of and then turned to the community. Our local pharmacy wanted some and we took some to the grocery store and ABC store. Everyone was very grateful. But my favorite story happened yesterday. My Mom lives in a senior apartment complex and they are not allowing anyone in the campus but we can meet at the gate to give her supplies. Just before I left home to visit her I happened to pick up the last batch of a dozen masks. I don't know why, I just did.

While there I noticed the gate attendant was wearing a knit ski mask! I went over (not too close) to ask if he needed a mask. You would have though that I offered him $100! I asked how many they needed and the answer was 12. That's fate right there and that's all I needed to get motivated to make more. I can't do a lot to help but I can do this and I believe that we wills tart lifting stay-at-home orders but we will all continue to wear masks for months to come. In a month or so the supplies will catch up with demand but if I can do something to help in between, I'm happy to.

That's why I only have 2 little bits of fabric news this week. Priorities are a little different for all of us right now.

It's possible that I made a mistake and made more of the Daybreak Gradient than I intended. That mistake is your opportunity. For this week only Daybreak is clearance priced at 25% off! This is a beautiful gradient for landscape backgrounds but could also be used to make a simple, but striking, bargello. I'm going to have to make a new baby quilt soon and this might be a great candidate for the quilt.
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When I design gradients I simply do them based on colors that I like and I never have any idea which ones will be popular. Autumnal colors are probably my favorite colors and Sassafras was designed during a particularly beautiful autumn display in my back yard. I didn't know it at the time but this is one of the all-time favorite gradients for you too.

It's also a favorite of fiber artist Patricia Caldwell. She has used it several times to represent the beautiful red rocks of Sedona. She used it in this piece with Blue Sky as the clear blue western sky.

Stay safe and have a creative week!

I'll admit right up front that making masks isn't a fun task but it's also not fun to be a nurse, delivery person or store cashier right now either. Calls for masks started coming in last week and have continued all weekend. I made this group of 30 Friday night and Saturday morning and they were all gone by Saturday afternoon. 12 went to our local pharmacy and the rest went to family and friends and families of friends. I give one to every delivery person who comes to the house too. Many of these were mailed but we actually got to "visit" with some friends who came to pick theirs up. It would have been funny to watch us all dance around in the driveway passing off a bag of masks but is was good to see friends and chat for a few minutes.

But this batch didn't sate the need so I got back to cutting Saturday night and sewing Sunday morning.

Saturday night I cut out 60 more and got 30 of then sewn together Sunday. I'm down to using tshirt strips for ties but they work just fine. I think people are starting to accept that wearing a mask is the new reality and will be for several more months to come. I'll keep making these as long as they are needed and I know many of you are doing the same. It feels good to be able to do SOMETHING/ANYTHING productive. The next 30 are all in that leaf print fabric. My batik fabric collection is actually getting pretty skimpy.

Over that past week I was able to set aside some time to start the a new quilt.

Now that the penguin quilt is done for my SIL, Carol, it's time to make a quilt for my SIL, JJ. JJ LOVES cats and she liked my cat wall hanging that I made last fall. So I'm doing a large version for her. 

First I had to work out the pattern. These are going to be some giant cat heads.finishing at 8 x 10. The pattern that I used for the wall hanging is on the left but I wanted to avoid the trapezoid between the ears. I re-drafted to the one on the right. This way I can cut squares for all the HST pieces.

I split the face into 3 pieces on each side and the symmetry will be straight down the middle on all of them. I'm not going to get into any complex piecing. Here are the pieces cut for the first cat.

Here's the first block. JJ's favorite color is blue so the background is a blue Marbella fabric, also designed by Paula Nadelstern. This will be a total Paula quilt.

Here are the first 4 blocks just placed on a length of the background fabric. I sent this to JJ to get approval before proceeding. She loved it, Mom loved it and Chris loved it so I'm moving on this week to focus on this between mask making sessions.

While I have these fabrics spread all over the sewing room I'm also cutting pieces to finish this quilt that I started a few years ago. All the blocks are supposed to look like they are spinning. This will be a larger version of my Pleiades quilt. 

But wait, there's more!
When cutting into the symmetry fabrics the fabric is left looking like Swiss cheese. When there are bits left hanging on the edges that aren't really useful I'm cutting them for a Blockade veterans quilt.We'll see how this goes.

I've also been doing some crochet but just haven't gotten around to taking photos.I'm almost done with the ripple blanket so might get motivated to at least take a completion photo later this week.

Today Chris is going grocery shopping early and taking some masks to the grocery store and then I'll take groceries to my Mom. Her apartment complex is locked down pretty tight. They had a confirmed case last week but, so far, no others. They said that the resident didn't use any of the common facilities (like the restaurant) so I'm guessing that she had some in-home health care. There are a couple of nursing homes here that have had serious infections. Mom is staying in except for a daily walk outside and coming to the gate to get groceries from me. I got her an r95 mask from my craft supplies and goggles.She was a nurse so she knows how to protect herself and she's doing really well and sewing a lot. I'm not feeling very optimistic about the family vacation in May. Although it's a dedicated beach house and there's only 10 of us (in a giant house) I don't know if North Carolina will have the Outer Banks open by then. There's no need to worry about it.

The pollen has been horrendous around here. It seems like everything came out all at once. I'm hoping for rain tomorrow so I can get out in the kayak Wednesday. 

​I hope you and your family and friends are all safe and well.

I made all 40 masks yesterday and that's all I did! Some have elastic and some have ties. The only thing that determines that is what I have. All the bias tape I'm using came from my Aunt's sewing stash. She gave me all her sewing supplies over 10 years ago and she passed last August. I think she would be happy to know that it's being used. After the CDC FINALLY recommending people wear cloth masks I expect these to come in high demand. Everyone will be looking for a sewing friend. We're now the cool kids. 
Dig it.

I also made my first trip to Walmart. We go to the store once a week and this time it was my turn. I wear the mask and nitrile gloves (my dyeing gloves). Id' say about 30% of people had on some sort of protection. They had toilet paper (I didn't need any) but the stock was still low. How much toilet paper do we need? I hope Purel is back in stock in the next month. We have enough to last till then. The surprise out-of-stock item is frozen peaches. We haven't been able to find them anywhere but I think I'll be able to survive without them. Otherwise the customers were being nice to the employees and the employees were being nice to the customers. Early morning is the best time to go.

I've been thinking a lot about what kind of long term changes we will see after this is all over. I think companies will embrace telecommuting in a big way. Why pay for expensive real estate when all you need to do is buy the employee a laptop and cell phone? My nephew who works in purchasing and inventory has no desire to go back and work in the office.

Speaking of embracing. As a short person I've always hated business and casual social hugging. I'm down with hugging my family and that's it. I may like you a lot but I don't want to hug you but it's become something even done in the business world. I think that's OVER and no one will be happier than this short girl.

This weekend I'll be starting a new project. Yay! I hope you have a safe and wonderful weekend.

Well now that the CDC is admitting that all people would benefit from wearing masks in public I'm starting a second set of 40 masks. Some will be with elastic and some with ties. Chris and I wear them every time we go out because it keeps is from touching our faces. Also it's allergy season and if I sneeze in the grocery store I don't want to scare people. My allergies are out of control right now so the mask is good for everyone.
​I cut these fabrics out last night and will start sewing today.

For the last few days I've been slowly working on putting this quilt together. I've ordered backing for this one and for the first vintage flower quilt. I have most of a quilting plan for this one so I'll quilt it first. 

It's going to have a wide checkerboard border that, I think will have a lot of feathers.

I finished getting it all together but it's too big to layout anywhere. This is a quarter of it and I'll use this image to draw out my quilting idea.

But first, more masks! Today is my first foray to Walmart in 2 weeks and I will be wearing one of my masks and gloves.