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.

I May Have A Problem

 About 15 years ago, we started to foster cats. To date, we have fostered 187 cats in need of a quiet place to stay and get ready to find a forever home. Shortly after that, I started getting gifts of cat fabric. I may have also added a few pieces myself. 

I decided to take inventory today.

I found 17 cat fabric in pieces 1/2 metre or more.

Then, I found another piece.

That doesn't count the scraps and fat quarters. There is lots of variety, too.  I may have a problem. Or maybe, I just have a carefully curated collection of feline fabric art.

I did use some this week.

The Lyndhurst Feral Cat Project is having another fundraiser soon. so I made a set of small pouches. Then, I started looking for something to use for another bag, and was surprised at how much fabric I had. I do have to match the size of the print to the bag. Many of those prints are quite large. You will have to check my next blog to see what I chose.

Meanwhile, the dining room conservatory continues to delight. Today, we saw the first of the amaryllis blooms.

 Two stalks have started to open.

There are three more still to come. As you can see the azalea is still blooming. The hibiscus puts on two or three flowers every week. And, I got a surprise in my groceries, this week.

There were purple carnations at the checkout and the household shopper knew I would delight in them. After nearly a year, stuck at home, little surprises can really cheer one up. 

This week, we also welcomed a new foster cat.

This is Maggie and she is staying with us while she recovers from surgery. 

Waste Not!

 My son makes his own craft beer, in his kitchen. Among the byproducts of brewing are "spent grains". These are the grains used in brewing, boiled to get all the sugars out of them, and then strained out and discarded. They are low in carbohydrates and still have a lot of nutrients, so lately, people have been looking for ways to use them, besides throwning them into the "Green Bin" (municipal composting). 

After my son gave me some from his latest batch, I made dog cookies.

In addition to 4 cups of grains, I added some flour, peanut butter, and an egg. Then I mixed them with my hands, and rolled them out.

After 3 hours in the oven, they look very sturdy.  However, the dogs give them 2 paws up.

Spencer Ogg Designs posted a video tutorial for a new pouch. She calls it the Bummity Bum Bag, but I thought that with a bit of work, it would make a nice pouch for carrying masks to school. 

I had the bright idea to make them from denim, and that turned out to be a bit of a problem, but in the end, my lovely vintage Singer was up to the task. Turning them right side out was a challenge. 

They hold three masks, nicely.

Yes, I made more masks.

The "waste not" part of this: all of the fabric was from my scraps. The zippers, stabilizers. hardware and appliques were in my stash. The only materials specific to this are the filter fabric and elastic for the masks.

It's an Ordinary Day

 I have been busy, sewing, and knitting, though I only have one finish to show you.

Of course, it is more masks. A funny thing happened last week. I had ordered from a local quilt shop, and since they offered it, I got next day local delivery. After 5 days of waiting for my next day delivery, I contacted the store, and discovered that they had accidently dropped my parcel on the neighbour's porch. She offered to go get it and deliver it to my house, but I thought I could walk the 100ft. or so. I did think it odd the the neighbour didn't send it over, or send me a message. It turned out that the parcel was in a plastic bag, with no identification on it at all.  When I sent the neighbour a text, she was happy that I was coming to get it. Since she had taken such good care of the parcel, that contained polypropylene to interline masks, I offered to make her daughters some masks for school. So, these are the ones I have finished so far. I have lots of scraps of fun fabrics, so I will make a few more, in some other patterns.

The dining room conservatory continues to brighten my days.

 We see one or two of these, every week.

The azalea is a riot of colour.

Meanwhile, the amaryllis shows promise of  future blooms with three flower stalks coming, so far.

The other day, I came across an uplifting video of Canadian doctors singing a song from the Newfoundland group, Great Big Sea. They look like they are having a wonderful time. It's a virtual kitchen party!

It's An Ordinary Day by The Canadian Physicians' Virtual Choir