Mask Making Frenzy

Like many quilters right now, I have devoted much of my time making masks. I know that there are doctors and nurses out there that on the front lines in this battle. Hopefully, we can get this virus slowed down before we lose too many people. 

 So far, in the limited time that I have since I am still working, I have made close to 100 masks. Those masks have been made for the hospital, for family members and friends. I don't expect payment, even for shipping. To me, it doesn't seem right that people have to pay to protect themselves and others. I have told my friends to just pay it forward. That is how we are going to get through this. We have to do it together.

Even Mr. Weasley is trying to do his part!

I started making masks with cloth ties instead of hair ties so I could make that I would have enough hair ties for the masks that the hospital were requesting. 

While I can't wait to get back to quilting, I know that this is important. While the coronavirus hasn't been too widespread here, I know that it can change quickly. I thank each and everyone in this fight. Please keep masking those masks! If you have the time and materials, please make a few. There is a need out there. I know hospitals, nursing homes, family and friends can use them. Make sure that you don't forget about yourself, especially if you have to be out in public!

Be safe out there!

Quilt Retreat Fun!

While I didn't get near as many quilts finished that I would have liked, this weekend was still fun. I finished two quilt tops and randomly climbed a rock wall after a Boy Scout group went through. I didn't think I was going to make it to the top, but I did! It was very challenging and took all of my strength to make it to the top to ring the bell. Luckily, I had my fellow quilters down below cheering me on. 

I think that is why I love quilting so much. I always have so much support from my quilting friends when I doubt myself in what I am making. They gave me the strength to keep going on that wall as well. I hope that I can pay it forward when the times like those come around. Somethimes that is all it takes, a kind word or a little encouragement to make a huge impact. 

Another lesson that I learned here is to take advantage of opportunities when they come up. I am almost 48 years old and have never climbed a rock wall before. I saw an opportunity and I took advantage of it. Life is too short not to experience all of what it offers.

Keep quilting, keep climbing and keep encouraging others!

Happy Quilting!

String & Crumb Quilt Blocks

I am a firm believer that scraps do somehow multiply when placed in bins or boxes. I have been trying to get my sewing room cleaned up and organized, so I have been working on getting scraps cut up into useable sizes such as 2 and 2.5 inch squares and strips. Anything less than 1.5 inches gets put into my string and crumb blocks. I have been working on both my string and crumb blocks and feel  like it's taking forever to make any progress. The laundry basket doesn't seem to be getting any emptier!

I have continued to stick with making 4.5 inch crumb blocks. I have sewed four of them together to make an 8.5 inch block in the past. I think anything bigger with the pieces I use would be a challenge. 

Many of the strings I am using is from trimming the backs of my quilts. I didn't realize I had so much of it in my scrap bin until I started pulling all of the pieces out. From now on, after I trim off the backing and batting on a quilt, I will be taking care of the scraps right away. I will take the time and trim everything up into useable pieces. I think part of the problem was I that I quilted a whole bunch of quilts and was getting ready for a quilt show and was in a hurry.  

So many crumbs! 

This design wall is next to my sewing machine. It is really handy because I can grab a block that I am working on and add a piece. I normally use it as a leader/ender project.

A nice stack of string blocks!

I have been making 6.5 inch string blocks since the phone books that I am using work for that size. I really prefer 8.5 inch string blocks but that's ok. It's nice to use stuff up!

Time to get back at it! More crumb and string block to make! 

Happy Quilting!

New Year, New Attitude

Happy New Year! As I write this post, I had to reflect back on 2019 and think about all of the quilting goals I had made for the year. Needless to say, I fell way short on most of them. Am I upset that I didn't make one quilt per week? No, a person has to do more than quilt day and night. There are things like spending time with friends and family that matter more than cranking out a bunch of quilts. It is all about perspective. Do what you can with what you have and where you are in life at that moment. For 2020, I am not setting any quilting goals. Looking at the year already, I realize that I will have a lot going on so why put unrealistic goals out there only to stress myself out?

This past week I have been cutting projects along with sewing some blocks together. I managed to get all of the blocks made for my White House Squares Quilt and cut everything up except for the sashing for my second Bear Paw Quilt.

On another project that I have been working on, I had a ton of four patches to make. I finally decided to see if I could learn to spin my seams. Needless to say, it is fairly easy once I got going. I used the power of google and found a ton of videos on how to do it. A fellow quilter once told me to challenge myself. I had just joined my quilt guild and I thought that was an excellent piece of advice. I hope that I will never stop learning new techniques or trying new patterns. I know it is easy to get stuck in a rut and never do anything different. That was how I was for my first twenty years in quilting.

I hope that this year will be a good one! Happy Quilting!