Design Wall Monday

To see what other quilters are up to go to Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

I have finished (I think, hope) all the Churn Dash blocks. Now to get the top together.

My quilt exchange group has met the last two Saturdays in the library parking lot to trade bags. This is the block I made for the exchange that happened this past Saturday.

And, this is the block for the exchange that will happen next Saturday. 

I love that every block looks different depending on fabric choice. There is always a wide range of fabric preferences. 

That will be our last exchange. We will receive our own bags back.

This last one was bittersweet. This one belongs to my friend that passed away recently. We all decided to keep working on it. It will be finished and given to her family. My friend did not think she was a good quilter. She didn't trust her ability to put fabrics together. She was wrong. She loved strong, bright colors. She made many beautiful quilts.

This exchange has been unusual, to say the least. We, as a group, decided early on to keep working on a quilt for another member who started but then had to drop out because of health reasons. We didn't meet for months waiting for Covid to get better. When it became apparent that it wouldn't we changed how we met and changed again when the weather wouldn't let us meet outside. We sped up the meeting schedule from meeting once a month to twice a month and now every week to make up for all the missed times. We shortened to meetings at first to just showing the latest block, to now just passing off the bags to the next person without showing any of the blocks. Before we would put up all the blocks from each bag on a design wall so we could see it all together and ooh and aah over each one. We are finishing quilts for people unable to finish them themselves. This is a great group of caring, creative people. I miss them. We don't know when we will get to meet again. I will likely not see any of these people for months. Damn Covid.

Our friend is doing well. My son and his housemates are doing well. My parents are healthy. I miss them, although I text with Son and Mom every day. When I retired I knew I would be home a lot. I like being at home. I am fine with that. But, I hate the limitations on being able to visit with people I love. 

Stay safe and well. 

Design Wall Monday

 To see what other quilters have on their design walls go to Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

I have not cut the fabric for the backing of this quilt yet.

I made an error in cutting some fabric for the Crimson Poppy quilt. 

I placed an order as soon as I realized I did it. After more than a week of no shipping notice, decided to order from another online shop. The orders arrived a day apart. I'm not sure why the one shop takes so long to ship, but there is a disclaimer in bold and highlighted at the top of their web page that says due to Covid, fulfilling orders is taking longer. I had noticed this the last two times I placed orders with them. It takes FOREVER. The other shop shipped quickly and the shipping was free for that day. I did order other things from both shops, so it's all ok.

I only needed less than 1/2 yard of this fabric, but could only order a minimum of 1 yard at each shop. It's my least favorite of all the fabrics in this kit and now I have much more than I need, but at least I have enough. It will get used in something else at some point.

I haven't cut that yet, either.

I preferred to spend my time making Churn Dash blocks. 

I got 16 more pieced. And, of course, I had another Oops.

I don't know why I keep doing this. 

I decided to make three 12" blocks.

Now I only need two more 6" blocks. They are cut and will get pieced today.

I finished fusing snow globes for the cards I am making.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

They all got stamped over the weekend. I think they are really cute!

I will write a little note in each one and get them in the mail after Thanksgiving. 

I do have another project I will be working on.

This looks like a mess now, but I am hoping it turns out the way I see it in my head. If it does I know the person I am giving it to will love it.

This weekend Husband and I stocked up really well. I don't care if I leave the house again for a month, or longer. I just am not comfortable going anywhere or seeing anyone. I do miss my quilt/sewing days with my friends, though.

Stay safe and well.

One thing leads to another...

Needing to cut fabric 

led to installing a light fixture that was taking up space on the cutting table.

Hanging the light fixture 

led to cleaning off and under a counter. 

I pulled everything out and cleaned, swept, mopped, and re-organized that area. Some things got thrown away, others moved to a better place.

Moving things to a better place 

 

led to cleaning out a tub of small scraps and a pile of bigger batting scraps in a corner of the sewing room.

These small scraps are gone. Bigger pieces were measured, labeled, and put in that tub. And, yes I listed the pieces and their size and taped that to the tub.

This corner is better organized. And, yes there is a list of what is in that corner taped to the shelf. 

Those lists save me a lot of time and frustration. I move things when I clean and re-organize and forget where I moved them!

This, of course, led to some fabric viewing. Which led to me pulling a pattern and fabric.

Which led to making a card.

Which led to making another card. 

And, I thought they were so

cute I made one more.

I think this one looks like Santa got shaken and the toys are flying all over the place!

I used Lite Steam-A-Seam 2 to fuse the fabric to the card. Which led to me wondering if I should stitch these down? If so with a straight stitch or buttonhole stitch or another stitch or is the fusing sufficient enough? 

Which led me to think I should probably finish up the Churn Dash blocks

that are cut before I sew the pieces together for the quilt back. 

By the way, the quilt backing has not been cut yet. 

What I am working on

To see what other quilters are up to go to Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

My quilt exchange group met on Saturday at the home of one of our members. We have met there several times now. The first few were outside on her lovely big porch. Everyone wore masks. I felt fairly comfortable doing this. Then the weather got cold. She invited us to meet inside her home. I went to that meeting. It was decided that we would meet every two weeks instead of once a month. Several of the members talked about how they have been going to classes and meeting together to sew in each other's homes. I am not sure how cautious they are being and so I decided I would not attend anymore inside meetings. I did hand off the bag I had to our 'leader' and explained that I just don't feel comfortable meeting inside. She understood. Apparently, some of the other members feel the same way. We are so close to finishing this exchange and everyone just wants to get it done. It was decided that we will meet the next two weeks in the parking lot of the school library where we had our meetings pre-Covid just to exchange bags quickly. We will do this two times to be finished with this exchange. There are currently no plans to start on the next one. We will wait until it is safe again - if that ever happens. I am so sad that I can't get together with my friends safely. I miss them. I miss the creativity, support, and encouragement of all these lovely ladies. I quickly made my block so I would have it done. 

I have sewn more Churn Dash blocks.

 

I have cut more Churn Dash blocks.

And, I goofed again.

In my defense, my mind has been on my son, his GF, and her sister. All three have tested positive for Covid and are in quarantine. I text and/or talk to them every day. So far Son's only symptom is a slight loss of taste and smell. The girls have had coughs, headaches, loss of taste and smell, but both are improving. Thankfully they had gone grocery shopping a few days before they began to feel unwell. Then their grandmother was going to be in the area so she picked up some over the counter medications that the health department had recommended and some Kleenex since they were running low on those. I, or my parents, will make a grocery run if necessary. The local W-M recently started on-line ordering and pick up so they could always do that, too. The quarantine period for the girls ends tomorrow, then they will both need to test negative to return to work. Son's quarantine will end on the 22nd since he didn't get tested until later. 

Our friend recovering from Covid is still improving. He still has a cough and got retested as a precaution. Negative. He does tire easily but is so much better. 

I have been giving my husband a chuckle every day. 

I decided that I don't really care if my socks match or not since no one but us sees them. And, when I am wearing shoes they don't show. I find that matching socks isn't really something I care about right now.

Stay safe and well. Please, wear a mask.

Monday Again

 Although lately I really have to think about it. The days seem to just melt into each other.

To see what other quilters are doing go to Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

I have been spending TV time basting diamonds and hexies for Grandmother's Flower Garden. When I get tired of basting I sew a few on. 

Disappearing Double Nine Patch is quilted

bound 

(I was wearing a bright pink T-shirt that the backing look pink!
It is a white-on-ivory print.)

and finished.

I loaded another small quilt on the frame.

The weather has been windy, but unseasonable warm here. Husband and I spent two-afternoons baling corn husks/stalks that will be used as bedding this winter. 

Today I took a little trip to see Son. The plan had been that he would hunt in the morning, I would arrive around 11:ish, unload the car, have food and drinks delivered and we could all have a socially distanced driveway lunch. Over the weekend I loaded the car.

There are two bales of hay to stack against the outside of his house where the kitchen water pipes run against an outside wall on the inside to prevent them from freezing, two crates of miscellaneous items I need out of my house that he may want (he knows if anything I bring him isn't wanted or needed he is free to pass it on or dispose of in any way he sees fit). Many years ago someone gave me a big roll of canvas type fabric and some upholstery samples. I sewed the canvas into a teepee-like tent and sewed the samples into a ground covering. Son and I did spend one-night 'camping' in the tent. After that, there were no more overnights but he did play in it a lot. One of his buddies likes to attend Rendevous/Civil War camping events. Son had told him about the teepee I made and they are wondering if it will be useful. I loaded that up along with the very long poles used to keep it upright.

But, the plans changed. Yesterday Son called to say GF wasn't feeling well, thought it was probably just seasonal allergies but was going to get tested for Covid. He decided not to go hunting.

OK. I will come a little earlier, unload the car and go home. I felt the less contact the better. So that is what I did. She stayed in the house the whole time I was there. I stayed outside and visited - distanced - with Son then headed for home. Halfway home he called to let me know GF received her result - positive. Yikes. Son said that they were told that since he didn't show any symptoms and had been staying outside as much as possible that he may be safe, but they all (Son, GF and GF's sister) all needed to wear masks all the time, sanitize and distance from each other as much as possible. They felt I was probably not at risk since we had been distanced outside and I didn't touch anything while there. I'm so tired of all of this, so worried about people I love, and even people I don't even know. I know everyone is as tired as I am, but I wish we could all be considerate for all and wear a mask, distance, sanitize. 

Please be safe.