Mask Making

I've added another 17 masks to the number I've made so far.  These are the latest installment of adult masks.  I also made some child-sized, for the grands.  These are a sneak peek at Easter gifts.  What a year, right?

Yesterday, I made some Easter cards as well, but I will save those for another post.

My Mystery quilt remains stalled at step #3.  I'm glad I didn't sew the blocks together, after seeing the layouts.  I'm going to do something a bit different in piecing one of the blocks, so I'm thinking my version might be a bit unique.  I hope to piece those blocks today.  We'll see what happens as the day progresses.

 I've been doing some baking, but it came to a halt when I ran out of eggs.  Savemart had no eggs in the store, when I went in search of them.  I am very thankful that a friend has chickens, and came to my rescue with a dozen.  Later, my son waited for 30 minutes to get into Costco.  He bought some eggs for me there, as well.

 The one thing that has not changed is that the garden is still celebrating the arrival of Spring.

We've had a lot of rain in the past week, which has helped keep people home and indoors.  The iris look a bit bedraggled today, but the unopened buds are still pushing, so I've got a lot more to look forward to in the coming weeks.

I hope that you are staying healthy, and safe.  The days are pretty crazy.  Good thing I know that God is in control.  He's got this, and will work it all to the good.  Families are definitely getting to know each other, and time?  I've always lamented the lack of time to get things done.  I have no excuses now, since all I've got is time at home, time to get things done.

What am I doing?  I'm spending a lot of time reacquainting myself with my sewing machine!  I liked the post that said, "I used to be a fabric hoarder.  Now it's called being prepared!"  yup.  There you go.

Happy stitching!!

One Day at a Time

And so it goes.  Home alone, for the most part, just me, my sewing machine, and my stash.  We are keeping each other quite entertained, so no worries on that part.  I'm continuing the hand quilting on the queen-sized quilt that I showed in the last post.  I am more than halfway through with the quilting, which feels like a milestone.  Indeed it is a milestone, seeing as it took me from May 2000-April 2020 to get this far!  I'm not sure if that is more horrifying or embarrassing.  I've been told that other quilters would have trashed the project long ago, rather than allowing it to linger in the back of the closet.  Different strokes.

I've been making quilted cards, and mailing them out.  It's a single stamp if they are less than 1/4" thick, but almost $4 if I add buttons and the like.  Here are my most recent quiltlet finishes:

 The first was for a friend who is recovering from knee replacement surgery.  I finally had time to make her card and mail it.   The second is for a friend who has been housebound since the pandemic began.  Her birthday is in a few weeks, but I couldn't wait that long.

 The next is for another housebound friend.  I hear that she is recovering from an illness, so I was glad that God set up the timing for delivery of this card.  It arrived the day she returned home from the hospital.

 And this one?  For yet another housebound friend, who is recovering from pneumonia.

So many people are stuck at home these days.  I find it fascinating how many people, who might otherwise be tempted to ignore the warnings and run out and about, have been forced to stay home.  Me?  Were I not under prohibition to lift anything over 10 lbs, I suspect I might be sneaking out to see the grandchildren.

Our local quilt shop, Calico Mermaid, has been sharing clues for a Mystery quilt.  I've been keeping up so far, having finished the first 3 clues.  Clue #4 arrived today.  I'm not quite sure whether I want to sew the blocks together now, or wait until the last clue arrives.  It might affect my choices for color placement.  or not.  I have no idea.  I guess that's why it's called a mystery, right?

Here's what I've been working with:

 The pale turquoise looks washed out in the pictures.  All of the colors look a bit washed out.  They are actually quite vibrant.  I suppose I will look at them for another day, to see if I want to sew the blocks together, or wait until the final reveal on Tuesday.  Patience has not been my strong suit.  Then again, procrastination has been.  Funny combo, right?

And I guess that will do it for now.  I hope that you are staying home and staying safe and healthy.  This too shall pass.  I'm looking forward to having a lot of show and tell when it comes to an end.  How about you?

P.S.  Our Thursday group, the Itty Bitties, has been unable to congregate.  However, on Thursday, we held our first Zoom meeting.  It was great fun, especially since we were able to include our friend who moved to Ohio.  It's been a long time since we've all been able to visit together.  I highly recommend it!!

Staying at Home

 The above picture was taken in 2011, as I worked to hand quilt this queen-sized quilt.  This particular quilt has lived for YEARS in the UFO pile.  Last week, I picked it up.  I've gradually been working my way across it.  At the rate I am quilting, I hope to have it finished by April 30.  Goals are good.

 I made a second set of masks.  The smaller masks are for one DIL, the larger are for another.  I'm hopeful that they will fit.  If not, I will move on to making masks with ties, since I've run out of elastic.  I definitely have plenty of batiks available to make many more masks.

 Instead of adding the scraps to the scrap pile, I turned some into a birthday card (above).  A few weeks ago, I cut up a worn piece of embroidery to make a butterfly card (below).  I mailed them both yesterday.  And then I started some new cards.  I'm hopeful that some will be finished and mailed today.  Goals are good.

Things here are pretty quiet.  Husband still goes to work everyday, as Ag workers are essential.  Same with one son.  One DIL has been furloughed, though she is in a health-related field.  Those of us staying at home are spending time cleaning and organizing and the like.

But, for the most part?  I'm digging through my stash of fabrics and UFO's, and trying to make a dent.
Hope you are staying safe and sane.  Be well, and let's continue to illustrate what a good investment quilting is.  Goals are good.

Quiet Week

With the quilt show on postponement, I found several hours last week in which to sew.  I spent some time making masks for my DIL, who is a licensed social worker in the medical field.  Each day she interacts with patients.  She has been understandingly concerned.  They seemed a bit large for her, but I've yet to have a chance to make more.  Perhaps today.

 I attacked another UFO, which had been untouched for maybe 5 or 6 years.  The outer border is actually a reddish violet, lighter than it shows in the image.

 I've had a break from sewing this week, as I had surgery on Monday.  The hospital was eerily quiet, with no visitors allowed.  I came home on Tuesday, and have been keeping quiet.  Easy enough, with the prohibition on getting out and about.

It rained for several days, and now the gingko trees are pushing leaves.  Ahhh, the promise of Spring.

 And finally, my iris are putting on a show.  Love, love, love being here to enjoy them.

I have pulled out an OLD handquilting project.  It is the next easiest item on my UFO list to tackle.  I'm not to lift anything over 10 lbs, so UFO's in bins are going to have to sit idle for a while.

I do hope that you are staying safe.  It's a crazy time around the world to be sure.  I am thankful to be a quilter.  I do not expect to become bored, no matter how long this Stay at Home order stays in place.  I have more than enough to keep me busy.

Happy Quilting!

STAY AT HOME

Well, what better hobby/obsession to have than to be a quilter?  How long have you personally been looking for some extra quilting time?  Looks like we all have it, whether we want it or not, that is if you live in California.

I spent the first part of the week sending out notifications that Best of the Valley Quilt Show, originally scheduled for April, has been rescheduled for October 9-11.  The response has been very positive.  It does my heart good to know that people did NOT want it to be cancelled altogether.  We have a LOT of support from the quilting community.  Thank you!!

After finishing the bulk of the notifications, I took a few hours on Wednesday and Thursday to work on a UFO.  It's been hanging in my closet for over a year.  It required about 2 hours of quilting and then binding to finish it up.  And here you go, my first COVID19 UFO finish:

I still have 38 UFO's on my list.  That is more than enough to keep me busy for a long, long time.

This particular quilt was put together with one set of blocks from a two-block mystery quilt.  The blocks were made sometime in the 90's.  When I sewed them together, the result was hideous.  I took them all apart, and separated the blocks.  I believe this is the third quilt I've made from that particular project.

hmmm.  I wonder if I have digital pictures of the first two?  hmmm.  Seems not.  Maybe scanning more old-school photographs is something I can do if I find that I have idle hands as we wait out this emergency.

Last Friday, I probably went to the last local estate sale for a long time.  I bought 200 skeins of DMC perle cotton.  There were no duplicates in the bunch.  When there were two of one color, there was one skein of size 3, one skein of size 5.

 Finally, the pandemic has had no effect on my iris garden.  The buds are beginning to pop, and their beauty is enough to calm the most frantic heart beat.

Be wise, be safe, stay healthy...

And get some quilting done!  :D

Abundance of Caution

Now that's a phrase going around a lot these days.  Close this, close that, do not congregate.

What is a person to do, when planning a quilt show scheduled to take place in one month? With announcements of closures happening every time you turn your head, how does one make an informed decision?  If Spain is closing their entire country, following in the steps of Italy?  Well, does that make the decision to shut down any easier?  I just don't know.

We're meeting this week, to discuss our options.  Once we've come to a decision, we will be notifying our competitors, sponsors, vendors...but how do we get word out to the show-goers?  We have a page on Facebook, but not everyone has found Best of the Valley Quilt Show.

sigh.
'Tis a quandary, to be sure.

In other news, I finished the little bird quilt, and took a terrible picture of it.  I call it "Sing For Joy."

I think he turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

Other than that bit of sewing?  I've been thinking about the quilt show, pretty much day in and day out.  We will have a plan before April 1, though what it might be?  I just don't know.

In the meantime, stay safe, stay healthy.  Aren't you glad that if you're anything like me, you have enough quilting supplies to keep you occupied at home for a long long time, should it come to that?

yep.  I am very glad that I am a quilter.  My husband?  If he ends up stuck at home?  Is going to climb the walls, because we don't have one single solitary dairy cow anywhere on our property.  huh.  Maybe he can take up quilting?

Stay healthy!!

woohoo!

I received an email late last week, from M-AQF Mancuso, regarding my quilt, "Sunset Stroll."  woohoo!!  It was awarded Best Handworkmanship at last week's show.  I am thrilled!

The entry deadline for the Best of the Valley Challenge, "Seasons," is March 15.  I've started mine, it features a little bird.  I'm basing the quilt on a picture I took at Asilomar, at least 5 years ago.  I heard this LOUD bird song, and looked around and around.  There was a tiny little thing on a hedge, singing for all he was worth.  He was definitely worthy of a quilt.

This picture doesn't do the blue justice.  It is really spectacular.

Okay, well, this little piece is not quilting itself.  I'd best get back to work.
Happy Quilting!

Checking In

Wow!  Hard to believe it's been a month since I last posted.  The days are flying by quickly.  2020 will soon be a memory if it keeps advancing at this rate!

We spent the second week of February in Oceanside, CA.  Hubby was there for the first part of the week.  I spent the second part hunkered down with my quilting.

 I had a view of the water from my upstairs suite.  Very nice!!  At one point I worked on this wonky fish quilt, but it wasn't coming out the way I'd hoped.

 Eventually I switched back to "Two Beauties," and was able to finish it in time to enter in the Best of the Valley Quilt Show.  The entry deadline was February 14.  Acceptance letters went out this past weekend.

I was busy finishing the facing on Valentine's Day, so hubby had to wait a few days for his valentine.  I decided that our little beach getaway was the perfect inspiration.

 Earlier in the week, I'd put together this valentine for our oldest granddaughter.  She will soon be 9.  I used a hand towel that I'd found at an estate sale sometime during the past year.

 I had lots of quilted scraps that I put together for granddaughter #2's valentine.

 Her valentine was 2-sided, and stuffed like a tiny pillow.

Granddaughter #3's valentine was stuffed, with a rattle inside.

 It was also 2-sided.

 Granddaughter #4's heart was also stuffed, with a rattle.  If I remember correctly, both sides were similar.

 Last, but not least, our grandson's stuffed heart also contained a rattle.

 His had this cute bird fabric on the back.  Very baby boy manly, in my opinion.

And there you go.  Some stitching has been happening, but not a lot.  From now until the end of April, the quilt show will be my priority.  Goals are good!

Road to California

Yesterday, two friends and I took a road trip to Road to CA.

It was particularly exciting this time because, not only did we have a quilt hanging a quilt in the show, the quilt had a ribbon hanging on it!!  Another friend sent this picture to me on Wednesday, during Preview Night.

 Will you look at that?!!  Best Group Quilt!  Congratulations, Sew Eclectic!!

 When I arrived on Sunday, I was a bit disappointed by the quilt's presentation.  It was hung about thigh level, and the signage almost blocked it from view.  I am grateful that Linda was able to get such a good shot for me!

I hadn't been to Road in several years.  This year was the best presentation of quilts that I have ever seen there.  As the years went by, the vendors grew in prominence, and the quilts?  Well, I often had to work to see them.  But not this year.  This year, the quilts were set apart, with decent lighting, good signage, room for viewing, and piano music playing in the background.  It made viewing them pleasurable, rather than some sort of athletic competition to swim past other attendees to see the quilts.  oh yes.  This year's show was wonderful.  I am certain that we will be returning next year.

I did a bit of shopping, but just a bit.  My big purchase was perle cotton, to work on that little roses piece that I've been giving you glimpses of.

We drove down to Ontario and back yesterday.  As we came over the mountain, my friend commented on the "smog."  I told her it wasn't smog, it was fog.  This is what fog is like in SoCal.  They rarely have the clouds-on-the-ground type of fog that we experience in the Central Valley.  Instead they have "haze" and "overcast" and "marine layer," which are all ways to refer to that above ground fog.  We spent about 15 minutes talking about fog.

Imagine our absolute shock a few hours later, when we learned that the fog that we had been discussing and debating played an active part in the loss of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and the others aboard his helicopter.  While we thought we were just commenting on the weather, the lives of others were ending because of it.  

Every day I remind myself that every day is a gift.  The events of yesterday illustrate that more than any words I could come up with to underscore that truth.

Every day is a gift.

Live your best life.

A Bit o'Stitching

Our Sew Eclectic "challenge" for 2020 is to "make a bit of art every day."  We can do whatever we like to fit that broad definition.  My "bit" is a teeny tiny bit.  I am making some progress on my roses, but they're not done yet.  And they won't be done today, either.

A huge storm just blew in.  I thought they were joking, but the sky is black and the rain is pouring and the wind is blowing the dead wood out of the trees.  whoosh!!

I don't want to get started on anything when it feels like the power is going to go out at any time.

Which makes me think that blogging isn't such a great idea right now either.

Just wanted to check in and let you know that stitching is happening here, bit by little bit.

Happy Quilting!!

P.S.  Don't forget to enter Best of the Valley Quilt Show.  Entry forms are available for download here.  Be sure to download both the entry form and the guidelines.   We look forward to seeing your entries!

It's Our Blogiversary!

Yes, indeed.  Twelve years ago today, I began this little blog.  I began in earnest, looking forward to each post.  Over the years, I've gotten so busy that, well, the blog has fallen a bit by the wayside.  So much for my resolution to "blog more."  I'd hoped for once a week, but here we are, creeping up on the end of week #2.  I guess this counts?  I hope to do better.  Goals are good, doncha know?

I don't know what is going on, but Blogger is not allowing me to load photos.  weird.  Earlier this morning, Bible Gateway wouldn't let me search for Bible verses.  Is it them?  Or me?  So strange.  oh wait.  Now it's working.

P received her pillow.  She found it to be a bit on the wild side, but she likes it.  yay!

 Yesterday I began working on a challenge for our Art Group.  We assigned the challenge a year ago February.  The assignment was to make a small flower quilt with green in the background.  Yesterday, I pieced together my background, then went to work on my applique pattern.

 Here it is, with the petals all cut from a piece of Kristin's hand-dye.  I am excited to see how this will come together.  Did I or did I not successfully place the freezer paper to show each petal to perfection?  hahaha!  I'd best get stitching if I want to know the answer to that question!

Happy New Year, Happy Quilting!  I'm hopeful that this year will be a productive one.  Goals are good!

A Belated Happy New Year!!

oh, my goodness!  I can't blog and stitch at the same time.  And I have definitely been stitching.  I think I told you I set the goal of making 8 stockings.  I began the first week of November, and finished a couple of days before Christmas.  It was more of an undertaking than I realized, until I hit December 15.  Then I knew I was in trouble.  But, perseverance, and all that!  (I made 2 of them a few years ago.)

 They provided the perfect backdrop for pictures with the grands.  (The older ones were a bit squirmy.)

We had a wonderful Christmas, full of making good memories.  I think the boys and their families are all coming back next year, so I'm thinking they had fun, too.

I spent the week working on a gift for my older granddaughter, who was not able to join us for Christmas.  I just finished it, and shipped it off.  I am hopeful that it will arrive on Epiphany, which is a fitting day to receive a gift.

I have really been enjoying playing at crazy quilting.  I am hopeful that there will be more of it in my future.  Goals are good!

And with that, I'll confess that one of my goals is to blog more this year.  It should not be hard to beat last year's activity, since the blog was in the lower echelons of my priorities.  Hopefully I'll be able to fix that.

Happy New Year!!  Here's to setting goals that we can actually have the potential of achieving!!