Pin It Weekly #322

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Hello! Happy weekly! I hope you are well and wearing a mask. I know, there are lots of opinions about whether masks help. How can they not? The world has believed that a tissue helps to prevent colds and flu when someone coughs or sneezes. How can two or three pieces of fabric NOT help? It's just common sense. 

Wearing a mask helps to prevent viruses and bacteria from being expelled forward from the mouth or nose. Maybe it doesn't prevent every bit of mist from getting away, but surely it stops some droplets from getting to others. 

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I suppose I'll get off my soapbox.While I do, you check out these pins and links to various face masks. 

this link goes to a video: https://fabricartdiy.com

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Masks, nieces, and more masks

I've been a little busy making more face masks. One of my many nieces asked for a small favor. "Please Aunt Mary. You are so awesome. My favorite aunt." She went so far as to call me one of her people. Hmm, that's a bit thick, don't you agree?

Of course, I can't say no to anyone, let alone KT. So I cut out a few more. Except, she wanted these for friends at work and really no really wanted them in gingham. Navy, pink, blue, fuchsia, please. Somehow I had all the colors she really no really wanted.

Included in this pile are some sherbet-color ones that I'd just made before KT's request. Currently I have about 10-15 cut out and waiting to be sewn, but they are not top priority because there are still about 8-10 waiting for a home. 

production work

There's a Facebook group that takes requests and then asks for help in making the masks. I've joined the group and when a request comes, I'll offer whatever masks are still here. 

For now though, I'm getting back to some creative, fun pursuits. What are you busy sewing?

More Masks and "Favorite Fabrics" ~~ finished!

Do you know how good it feels to pick up a quilt top, quilt-bind-label it, and call it done? Yes? Great. I'm here to tell you it feels even better when said quilt top has been waiting, patiently, in a basket or bin or (gasp) plastic bag for longer than you care to remember. Oh yes! It's a wonderful thrill. I recommend it highly. My heart still does a little flip when I think of it. 

More on the quilt later. First let's get these masks out of the way. There are 15 in this picture, more or less. Eight will go to a friend who requested them. The rest, I don't know. Maybe I should have a few here in case we need them. Heaven knows, I am done with these things. Could it be more boring? Not for me. I'm kind of ashamed, really. But 50ish are all I can wring out of myself for now. Maybe after Easter if there's still a need I can make more. 

Now back to this finish. At some point I realized that the very pretty pieces of colorful, playful fabrics that I'd purchased at 
Lola Pink in Lafayette were becoming smallish scraps. It occurred to me that together they would make a pretty quilt. So I gathered up pieces Since they were literally scraps, sizes were varied, but showcasing the designs was important. Otherwise, what was the point? 

The sizes were not cooperative but finally I came up with this clean, modern design. The blocks are 3½", 5½" and 7½" each with 2½" white strips. Into the waiting bin the top went. And just like that, quilt tops are forgotten. They deserve better, so it's time to get them finished. 

I had this white linen with small navy stripes that was just large enough, so I figured it was meant to be. I should have used those stripes to my advantage, but no, I prefer to make things... challenging.

For no reason at all, I decided to use straight line quilting but to leave out the prints. Then after all that quilting, I realized that the largest blocks were too big to leave un-quilted. I added fleur de lis and lotus flowers to those blocks. It was a good opportunity to play with those two motifs, which I really like.

		Quilt Stats
	Name:	Favorite Fabrics
	Size:	54" X 58"
	Fabrics:	Various fabrics from stash
	Pattern:	My design
	Backing:	Linen from stash
	Batting:	100% Cotton
	Binding:	fabric from stash
	Quilting:	Straight lines w/ motifs in largest blocks
	Completed:	2020

Tell me what you think. I really like constructive comments. They help a person to access and grow. So yeah! Comment.

Family, flowers, face masks...the little things in life

A rose from the new bushes

 

A beautiful moth Rich discovered this morning.
 Look at those markings.

I haven't been sewing very much of late. Between enjoying the beautiful weather and the yard, dealing with being quarantined, and making masks (yes, sewing but not my fav), the days are flying by. 

My new issue of Quiltfolk,
dedicated to Louisiana quilters

The children do occasionally visit, but we are keeping social distancing alive in the back yard. And of course, we visit Rich's mom daily, but again social distances have become the norm. 

New tee-shirts that a wonderfully talented friend 
delivered to my mailbox. 
Social distancing means not visiting as usual.

I've been walking more while it's cool enough to be out-of-doors. I took these pictures of the slough down the hill from our house on one of those excursions. 

And those masks! Thus far I've made and mailed four to my sister Laura, donated 10 to the local nursing home, and have two ready to mail to my niece who cannot find completely black masks for her flight attendant job. 

Happy birthday little reader!

And the most heartbreaking of all: this little guy turned one Sunday and we could not attend his birthday party. Family who live close by drove to their house and sang happy birthday from their cars. We did so via Skype. 

My fear is that they littlest ones will forget who we are if the quarantine lasts as long as projected. I guess it just means we'll have to make up for lost time by spending lots of time with them when CoVid-19 is in the past.

Please keep safe distances of six or more feet from others, even the ones you love. We can beat this pandemic with time, distance, and clean hands. 

Face Masks ~~ finishes

Yesterday's SQI was about making cloth face masks for health care workers and patients since there appears to be quite a shortage. Today the president said there would be ample supplies shortly, including face masks. I won't argue with the president. I'll just say I've made a few masks and have plans to make more. 

These four are for my sister, Laura. Her chemo treatments wreak havoc with her immune system, and she must wear a mask every time she goes outside. 

I realize that she'll probably need to wear the CDC approved masks while in the clinic or hospital, but at home or in the car, she can wear one of these. Since she leaves home at least once or twice a week, this will help her to save masks for when she knows she'll encounter people.

These are two-sided so that she has twice the options. She loves flowers but may not always want flowers splattered across her face. Though now that I look at them again, the backs of two are tiny flowers. Well, they'll have to do since the envelope goes out tomorrow. I'm used this PDF pattern but I think I'll try this pattern to decide whether I like it more. Neither one looks difficult and the first ones sewed up pretty fast. Are you making face masks for family or organizations? Do you have a great pattern? Share a link in the comments.

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Face Masks

With all the issues of the Coronavirus pandemic, running out of supplies seems to be in the forefront of the news. The situation is expected to become much worse in the coming months. Makers can help alleviate the problem:


 "In settings where facemasks are not available, HCP might use homemade masks (e.g., bandana, scarf) for care of patients with COVID-19 as a last resort. However, homemade masks are not considered PPE, since their capability to protect HCP is unknown. Caution should be exercised when considering this option. Homemade masks should ideally be used in combination with a face shield that covers the entire front (that extends to the chin or below) and sides of the face.” Forbes

It occurred to me that if medical personnel are having trouble finding masks, ordinary citizens are also. But there's a difference. People who have compromised immune systems are staying home. Their masks are for added protection and they are not coming in contact with the virus. If these people use the handmade masks, it frees up available masks for those directly treating Coronavirus patients. 

At the very least, it provides some protection for those who are unable to get masks at all. 

And here's the good news: the masks are easy to make and do not take much in the way of supplies: fabric and elastic.

Here are a few tutorials on how to make the masks: 

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