And Still More

 Mask making continues. After a year, people need new ones, filters are added. So, I was making masks again this week.

A collection of fun ones, made from scraps, because it is bad enough that we have to wear them.

A pretty one, with a matching ear saver, for someone who wanted something professional looking.

And to go with them, I made a pouch with a pocket that can hang off a purse or tote bag.

Sadly, the crane ended up with his head cut off. 

It has a nice pocket for hand sanitizer and a credit card.

The crane on the back kept his head, but he is flying upside down.

I used a tutorial from Bethany of Sweet Bee Buzzings.

In order to have matching zippers, I used a 22" zipper cut in half and I added new zipper slides. The first zipper piece, I zigzagged over the ends after adding the slide. I got too self assured on the second and didn't bother.  Of course, while sewing in the second one, I zipped the slide right off the end of the zipper. At least the ends were still free so I could put it back on.

Randomly, on a Tuesday!

 I've been having one of those weeks, when nothing really gets finished, but some progress is made.

First, the jungle in the dining room continues.

My grandson cut some forsythia branches for forcing. I will need to cut more for Easter. Free spring flowers!

I was asked the other day how you tell what size a zipper is. For the uninitiated the ones I use are usually #3, #4.5, and #5.

On the back of the zipper slide there is often a number. This is a #3 closed end. (3C)  Didn't you want to know that?

I finished a pair of socks. 

They are even twins. It is my usual vanilla sock with self striping yarn. The leftovers will become baby socks.

A year ago, I bought some "comic book boards" to use as mini bolts for my fabric. I started wrapping my fabric around the boards and it really makes things tidy and easy to find.

There are about 40 pieces of large print and novelty fabrics in this box. The best part is that two rows exactly fit on my IKEA Drona boxes. I have now started on my cool colours. I also ordered another package of boards, since I seem to be running out.

I have some more masks to make, and a binding to sew onto a quilt. I think I need to add a fun project to that list.

Finishes

As I have been sorting and tidying my "stuff", I have been looking at my UFO's and decided what to do with them. Some I have totally lost interest in, so their materials have rejoined the stash to become something else. Some are actually getting finished.

First up: Through the Witch's Midnight Garden

I am socially distanced from all my usual shawl models, so I resorted to the hook on the bathroom door. The yarn is two skeins I was gifted at Christmas time. 

Lots of easy to follow lace, which was pleasant to knit. 

Lovely shades hiding in the second skein. The picture doesn't really show it, but the yarn is glittery, because it has "Stellina" blended into the yarn.

I played yarn chicken on this one, and won, sort of. I used nearly every inch of the two skeins and I have a join in the yarn, in the cast off. Hopefully, it will hold.

This is the Spring Rainbow shawl.

It is a one ball shawl from Katia Yarns. I started the shawl in 2017. I think I got bored after awhile, and put it aside for other projects. However, after a bunch of Zoom meetings, it is done. 

Again, I played yarn chicken, and this time, I lost.

The ends should really match, but I didn't make it. I imagine if the beige is wrapped over the navy and held with a shawl pin, it won't be noticed.

Finally, we have Floatini. It was finished last May, but has been waiting to have all the ends woven it. Last week, while supervising Remote School for my grandson, I sat and wove in the ends. So now it is done.

This one had lots of yarn left over. It is light as a feather, and is done in time for spring outings. It is done in mohair, merino and silk. It's a lovely, light and soft shawl. The pattern looks much more complicated than it actually is, but if you don't like counting, I wouldn't recommend it.

In my sorting, I came across a fabric panel.

I feel as though these need to become spring purses. As I recall, the panel was a gift from someone who thought it looked like my kind of fabric.

Project Quilt Season 12 Challenge 5

 I discovered Project Quilt last year. The idea is that a challenge is posted on a Sunday and you must have a completed quilt on the theme by the following Sunday. The rules are pretty loose as to what constitutes a "quilt". The rules for this weeks challenge are here:

https://kimlapacek.com/2021/02/12-5-youre-crazy-challenge-5-of-project-quilting-season-12.html

This week, with the theme of Crazy Patch, I decided to enter.

Tada! I have a completed "quilt". It is 10ish inches by 7ish inches and I call it "Canajan, Eh". The fabric is left over from a quilt I made for Canada 150, and from the apron I made for my son. The binding is left over from something else. It will look lovely under my mug in my sewing room.

I have done machine crazy patch before. This is my camera case.

So, this should have been easy. However, I forgot how I had done it before. So this was my first attempt.

It has two problems. I didn't have enough coordinating scraps for the red, black, and red fabric. and I forgot that you need to trim after each seam.

Yesterday morning, I tossed the whole thing and started over, with a bag of much more coordinated scraps.

Within an hour, I had this. 

I made a practice sandwich to test out the embroidery stitches. From there is was a quick job to finish the piece. I stitched the back side of the binding, this morning, and it is complete. 

And this, of course, is the back. I covered all my stitches with a piece of silly fabric. Looks much tidier.