Quarantine Chronicles - Corona Style - Week 10

Welcome to another edition of Quarantine Chronicles!!  This post is my response to the ongoing pandemic.  It's my record of the Lockdown Life.  We're nearly at the end of May.  It doesn't seem possible!  Can you believe we've been at this whole Stay-at-Home order thing for TEN weeks???  How did THAT happen?!?!  At least, I've got my quilting to keep me company!  Knowing that I couldn't cope with a daily post...

Corona-cation.  Week Ten.

This series began on as Thursday, March 19th.  Time is moving so quickly, even though each day seems as long as two!  Thanks for staying with me to see how the weeks are unfolding.

On Day SIXTY-FOUR, Thursday, May 21st...

It's my favorite day of the week!  ZoomBEE met this morning:

Jean provided the group photo shown above.  It's our weekly record of those who were in attendance.

Disaster struck!!  I made a rookie mistake.  After FOUR years on the longarm?!  Working thru the issue and hoping to be back up and running soon.  :o((

Day SIXTY-FIVE, Friday, May 22nd...

ZoomKNIT this morning.  You guessed it!  I was late...  Again!  Six  Seven members were in attendance...

This is what the others saw when I was on the screen and Tracy taught me how to make it so that everyone was there at the same time:

Stacy

Beth

Tracy

Cindy

Linda

And, somewhat late in the game, Nicole joined us:

I guess that means it's time for another group picture:

I released a new Design Floor Friday post!!  Here's a preview:

Tonight starts Phase 2 of North Carolina's reopening.  That doesn't really change anything for me.  I'm still staying home the majority of the time.

Day SIXTY-SIX, Saturday, May 23rd...

This morning, I linked-up with Angela and the RSC Quilters for ScrapHappy Saturday.  This evening?  I did speed piecing on a special birthday gift.

Day SIXTY-SEVEN, Sunday, May 24th...

Here is a LINK to the final challenge of Project QUILTING Quarantine Edition that was issued this afternoon.  I started working up an idea and then finished up a gift that I've been working on.  (Sorry, Belinda!  It's not yours.  YET!!)

Day SIXTY-EIGHT, Monday, May 25th...

Bonnie Hunter's Unity Sew-At- Home QAL is complete.  The final step was released last week.  Let's make a start, shall we?

I would LOVE to, but...

Look who I ran into at the coffee shop:

It's Memorial Day and I made plans to meet-up for the Great Toilet Paper Exchange!!!

Day SIXTY-NINE, Tuesday, May 26th...

According to an article in today's News & Observer, due to the ongoing problem of wipes, facial tissues, paper towels, and wash rags found clogging pumps in the water system, our town is currently giving away Eco-Wise 2-ply toilet paper to any water & sewer customer FREE of charge.

I tried a new-to-me mask pattern tonight:

Thanks to my friend Graylagran for sending me the video link:

The exterior fabric is from another friend's gifted scrap bag:

The interior is scraps from one T-Quilt or another:

I made some incorrect assumptions about the pattern and wrote down the wrong measurement for the elastic.  This is me.  Holding my ears back so the mask doesn't pop off my face:

I'm DEFINITELY trying this one, again!  I now know to mark the corners from the seam line NOT from the edge of the piece.  I also wrote down the correct elastic measurement AND made a note to include the nose wire BEFORE top stitching the pre-shaped mask closed.  Speaking of elastic... Thank you to Sandy @ Sew High blog for sharing some of her spool with me.

Day SEVENTY, Wednesday, May 27th...

Last night, I came across this recent article about states with uncontrolled instances of the novel coronavirus.  North Carolina is on that list (and we're in Phase Two of re-opening.)  Combine these two things and you've got the recipe for a perfect storm.  YIKES!!

I started on my fourth cloth face mask last night.

But...

I forgot to take a photo.  Making the changes that I noted and ended up with this:

The exterior is a recycled J. Crew shirt that I've used several times during the last month or so:

The interior is another off-cut shirt from one of my T-Quilts:

SEW...

There you have it.  I've survived another week of this corona craziness!  The end of 10 weeks of staying home!!!  I'm going to continue staying home, however, this may be the last Quarantine Chronicles post for a while, as North Carolina has gone into Phase Two of re-opening the state.  I'm feeling the need to stop (or at least pause) the series.  Perhaps, I'll take it to a monthly post until things are fully back to normal.  I'm not sure.

Until next time...
Stay well and keep QUILTING!!!

A New Linky Party - Patchwork & Quilts

Welcome!  I've been invited to a party!!

A brand NEW Linky Party with an international flair.  I'm late (as usual.)  Frederique @ Quilting Patchwork Applique began the weekly event last Sunday.

Want to come along?

Any kind of quilter.  Any type of quilt-related project.  Planned projects, works in progress, or finished items.  The purpose is to celebrate community.  To re-create her online quilting community from several years ago.

The thing that really resonated with me was Frederique's desire to motivate, encourage, and inspire.  That's my favorite part about the majority of quilters I know.

SEW...

... Since Frederique was kind enough to invite me to join.  I'll be linking up to share the product revealed in THIS POST.  Link parties need pretty pictures.  This is my overflowing Dark GREEN Quilted Scrap Basket made for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge:

Until next time...
Come on.  Let's go!!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC20 - Week 21

Welcome to Week 21 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  Angela set us up with a TALL order this for the month of May. This month, we are focusing on our Dark (and Sage) GREEN scraps.  It's been QUITE the challenge and all I can say is...

At least we're in the home stretch!!

SUNDAY - Q.4 challenge quilt release.  (At RSC post time, this seems like a REALLY long time ago!)  Here's a teaser:

You will NOT want to miss seeing what I did with these strips!!!

H2H Update post.  I'm getting closer to shipping my quilts out.

MONDAY - Don't miss this new Mini Monday post today!

This evening, I played with some Dark GREEN scraps:

TUESDAY - I spent some time working on a Dark GREEN scrap project:

WEDNESDAY - Longarm :o((

I switched to Dark GREEN scrap sewing...

... Was followed by Girls Night Out.  Zoom style, of course!  There were 6 of us in attendance...

photot!!

This week's edition of Quarantine Chronicles was released.

THURSDAY - Success!!!  In the wee hours of the morning, I was FINALLY able to unearth a new section of cutting mat:

It may not look like much, but I've been working on this excavation site for several weeks now (one fabric scrap at a time!) and I'm SEW very glad to see this bit of Dark GREEN:

Once I cleared several more inches of space, I took a little time to work on a Dark GREEN Orphan Block Pin Cushion:

Well...

It's not technically a pin cushion quite yet, but once I fill it and stitch it closed, it will be!  :o))

FRIDAY - Design Floor Friday post:

Surprising news from the Quilters Knitting group on Ravelry...
Bluprint/Craftsy is shutting down!!!  Find the info HERE and the 60% off SALE at the Bluprint website.

SATURDAY - It's LINK PARTY day over on Angela's So Scrappy blog!!  I'm anxious to see how the other RSC Quilters coped with using their Dark GREEN scraps (in MAY!!)  I'm thinking, like me, they might have added a fair dose of LIGHT green or some BRIGHT color into the mix.

Until next time...
SCRAP safely!!!

Design Floor Friday - {Quilted Basket} Challenge Accepted!!

Welcome to another edition of Design Floor Friday?!!  On Saturday, Judy @ Busy Hands are Happy Hands called me out on a challenge that I set when Dark GREEN month began at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

You see, there were a few of us who were somewhat less than thrilled when Angela called for playing with our Dark GREEN scraps during May.  (No worries, Angela!  We're coping.)

I offhandedly issued a challenge to Judy.  And now, she called me on it:

Are you still up for your challenge of a green scrap basket. I am going to do a second one! Join in if you wish, and we will share next Saturday, the23rd!

How could one NOT rise to the occasion?!?!

Here was my response:

Challenge accepted!! It's an "off" week for Project QUILTING, so that won't factor into the mix. Plus, two of my three projects for next month's Blog Hop are nearly finished. There's NO REASON that I can't put a Quilted Scrap Basket into this week's quilting line-up! I appreciate the reminder, Judy.

The scraps:

The making of the "made fabric" panel:

Pairs on the design floor:

All stacked up and ready to trim:

Trimmed pairs on the design floor to get an idea of how many more Dark GREEN scrap pairs need to be made:

The basket panel...

... Got added onto, since it was about 4 inches too short:

With the top done, I turned to my GREEN fabric cubbie:

I chose three lining options:

... Before remembering that I had a quarter of a drawer filled with green fabrics, too:

SEW...

I searched through and found another three potential choices:

I also selected a batting off-cut to be Franken-batting'd together (but that doesn't make for an exciting (or even interesting) photo.  :P

I really like the middle fabric in the first photo, but quilted...

... The basket panel up using that crazy fabric in the foreground.  What ELSE would I have done with it?!?!  Once it was trimmed, I moved on to the shaping.  First, in 2-D...

... Then, it became a 3-D object...

... In need of binding.  Which was a process in and of itself.  With (another) THREE options.

One was too bright:

One was too dull:

Ding, ding, ding!!!  We have a winner.  This one was just right:

Here is my Dark GREEN Quilted Scrap Basket, bound and done:

And, of course, filled to capacity:

Thanks, Judy!  Now, another corner of my table has been cleared:

I was feeling really good about my progress and so excited to see that free cutting space, that I put even MORE stuff away:

And here is a LINK to Judy's answer to our challenge.  This was SEW much fun (and a great way to spur a finish, too.)  Thanks, Judy!

Sharing with Cynthia

for

Oh Scrap!

and

With Kelly

for

Needle and Thread Thursday

Until next time...
Go, GREEN!!!

The outtake...  It was raining for 3 days and there wasn't enough light to get a good (color accurate) photo inside.  Maybe I've lost my head!