Some Political Peace

 I know our nation is not yet out of the woods. The contrast of the capitol attack on January 6 with the normalcy of the January 20 Inauguration of Biden and Harris is stark.  The majesty of all the events on Inauguration Day gives me great hope and some political peace.  The last four years with Trump at our nation’s helm - and those Republicans who enabled him - have been a shit storm.  Disregard for convention has been rampant.  But the three days of the Biden presidency point to a return to political sanity.  So still I sew, but with a deep sense of optimism.  

This quilt has been batted with wool and is incredibly soft.  It’s 60” x 80”.  

And of course more masks.  Still.

Combined with my sense of a growing political peace, my heart is rejoicing for two new lives coming into this world.  And for the baby quilts I’ll be making.  This one is an exclamation point quilt - Get Happy! - for my doctor’s second baby.  

The days are getting longer.  The sun shines more.  It’s still cold, and there are winter storms still to come. But in the paraphrased words of Keats, can Spring be far behind? 

                                                          

Happily Plugging Away

I love jelly rolls.  They are a reasonable way to place with a fabric collection, like this one - “quotation” by Zen Chic.  These colors are not one I gravitate towards, but I really like how this quilt turned out. It’s 60” x 80” and will be looking for its owner once it’s quilted.  And this will not be hand-quilted because the whites are all sort of heavy,  ot the kind of fabric I want to needle.  So I’ll baste this and put it in the “needs to be quilted”

I’m part of a little bee group in my Chicago Modern Quilt Guild, and December was my turn to be Queen Bee.  I asked my bee mates to make tuning fork blocks for my “Piano Tuner’s Daughter” quilt.  And these are finally starting to come in - these blocks are from 3 of us.  I asked for blocks that are 5.5”or 10.5” wide.  And that clever little Laura Hartrich also sent some that are 2.5” wide.  I love these and think the layout will be more interesting with this third size added.  To be continued as more blocks arrive.

And I’m still making masks.  

All Projects, Great and Small

The beauty of having such a great studio is that I can  work on several things at once - piles of future projects, fabrics I want to do something with, patterns with fabrics already chosen.  And I can put aside these piles to do something quick.  Last week I was dismissed from Physical Therapy after 8 months.  My two main therapists were terrific.  As a thank you, I made them each a Mors bag and put a loaf of pumpkin bread in each.  And my hairdresser Juanita requested two masks - periodic table and chemical elements - for her son who is in med school. Such great fabrics.

The big project for the past week has been this big broken blue heart for a family grieving the loss of their 8-year old.  I will start quilting this today.  It’s created great sadness on the studio accompanied by a deep appreciation for today.  Despite my heart racing over Tuesday’s election.  

Four years ago after the election and Trump victory, I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt.  That effort soon ended.  He is a selfish, shallow buffoon. I sure hope this heart isn’t symbolic of the next four years.  While I’m thankful to him for how productive I have been during the past four years, I would love to slow down a bit and take some deep breaths...

Project Dreams

 

I’m in the best space - purses are done for the time being, I just made a pile of masks, the studio is clean, I’m finishing a hand project and happy to be starting a new one, and I have several projects I’m excited to start.  

        This pattern caught my eye.  It’s similar to Interwoven, one that I made last year.  This pattern uses 2.5” strips instead of 1.5” strips.  It ought to go together nicely.  Below are the fabrics I want to use

The above jelly rolls are going to be a chevron quilt.  Eileen gave me the idea and shared her Mr. Domestic chevron design.  And then I found the picture here.  This design spreads the chevrons out, and I think that’s what I want.

This backpack design intrigues me.  I don’t need another backpack, but they are great for sewing that demands a lot of concentration, a perfect diversion from the current political scene.  I’m appalled by Trump and his GOP Enablers. See?  time for a back pack.

Last - and this is sad - I have a pattern for a Retreat Bag.  Even though there are no retreats scheduled.  But a girl can dream, right?

As I’ve said before, I have never been personally happier and never more unhappy politically.  These days leading up to the election will be very productive for me. 

Masks! More Masks!

One thing is clear to me. We are going to be wearing masks for a long time.  As my shattered humerus heals, I’ve discovered I can do minor cutting.  Like for masks.  And I can sew.  Only not in reverse - I don't have the strength yet to press the reverse lever down. I see my bone doctor tomorrow, the same woman who surgically repaired my wrist in February.  At a previous appointment, she was wearing a mask I gave her - nice.  I see her tomorrow morning for X-rays and evaluation, perhaps to start back with OT/PT.  Buddy Cecilia cut long strips so I can continue working on the quilt below.  Slowly, surely, I heal.  And I’m thankful.

The Quest for the Perfect Mask

 We're now three months into Covid-19 and all that comes along with it.  Mask-making and mask-wearing is now just as important as it was in late March,  There are a zillion free masks patterns available.  But which one to use?  It's kind of like trying to find the hottest/steamiest iron or the quietest, best-stitching sewing machine.  I have a favorite iron (Oliso), a favorite sewing machine (my Brother 1500 straight stitch), and I now have a favorite mask pattern.  Ami Simms and Valli Schiller, both women I know, created a pattern with darts for the nose and chin as well as some pleats.

This mask pattern allows for a variety of way to fasten.  I'm out of elastic right now, so I am using home-made fabric straps.  This kind of mask goes over the head and then is tied behind the head.  It can easily be removed and yet still be attached.  There is also a huge discussion about filer vs non filter.  And here's what I am comfortable with:  using a batik which is very tightly woven for the outside and a soft cotton for the inside.

Two of the grandsons have graduated - one from hs and one from college.  Another grandson just turned 21.  We are having a socially-distancing get together.  14 people.  The party favor?  Yes!  A mask!

Mask-Making Guilt and Mother's Day

 Just as I was getting into my whole one-handed, broken-waisted rhythm of physical therapy and figuring out what sewing tasks I could do, the Covid-19 virus hit.  "Lockdown" started March 21.  And cottage-industries of mask-making began.  If there is one glittering generality about quilters  it is that they are very quick to respond to a need they can fulfill.

The Internet was immediately full of mask patterns.  Some of my Quilty friends have made hundreds.  HUNDREDS!
I had elastic, I had fabric, and I could handle a rotary cutter with my left hand (well, I am left-handed...).  So I tried making masks.

 And I could sort of do it.  But it hurt and took me all morning to make one. Kind of like trying to find an iron that is the hottest and steamiest, I was looking for mask patterns that were easier than the one I am wearing here.



I did find ones that were easier to cut.  But then they had to be pleated, a manipulation that was almost beyond me.

Like so many others, I ran out of elastic. Everything was on backorder.  So I found and tried this pattern.  It was fairly easy.
Here my friend Cecilia models hers.  But personally, I don't like to tie things behind my head - it's a hair thing.

My shipment of elastic came in just as I realized that mask-making just wasn't something I could do.  And of course I felt a bit guilty,

But then something happened to assuage my guilt.

About this time my friend Jenny and I were out walking, with our masks on, when she mentioned she was thinking about a sewing machine so that she could make masks but the time just wasn't right to buy one. I offered her the most reliable and lendable machine I have - my mom's 1948 Singer Featherweight.  I also sent over fabrics I new I would never us.    And Jenny has gone to town making masks. She is one of the 400+ makers. I loaned her a second machine, a White/Singer that John's mom bought for me in 1982. A friend of the family's is working with Jenny making masks. They have even made masks for children!  Here's Jenny's grandson modeling his.

Normally I spend Mother's Day sewing on  my mom's Featherweight.  This year my mom, and John's as well, spent the day in the most noble of  company.