Unity Part 2 - PROGRESS!!

I was starting to think that Part 2 of my Unity quilt was forever going to be cut parts and a few random units. 
Not Sew!

I still need to add the plain narrow border strip to truly finish this round but I'm pretty sure I can get that done tomorrow!

Now on to cut my parts for Part 3. I'm gaining ground here!!

Virtual Kentucky 3 Day Event

The 2020 Kentucky Three Day Event was cancelled. It was suppose to be held over the past extended weekend.  I've gone twice - 2018 & 2019. This year I was going again but this time with two horse owning friends. Obviously, we go to see the various events but frankly, the shopping aspect is a huge draw! 

This year, the organizers live streamed the horse events of years past, while many of the vendors created special online sales with discounts to help recoup lost revenue & give us access to their fabulous products.

I didn't have a huge shopping want/need list, especially with the pandemic. It was going to be more about the going, watching, experiencing this year. But I did have 1 item I wanted to get. It was going to be a special order item and I was thrilled I could order it online & get a discount. 

We've experimented riding without using a bridle. You control the horse by using a neck strap and your legs & seat. It's a challenge that's both amazing and a little scary at the same time. A neck strap is something I didn't own. Below is a stock photo to show you the concept. 

I wanted a nice one and that's what I ordered. Black leather with royal blue padding for comfort. I get exactly what I want and I supported a small business in the process.

There are Unity Quilt Parts Somewhere Around Here...

Last week, I was working on the Unity Quilt Project, though I'm a bit behind still working on Part 2. 

But then on Wednesday night, FB messages were flying back and forth from a few friends in need of fabric face coverings.  

One friend works in a hospital lab as a phlebotomist, the other is a librarian dealing with the recent loss of her husband. Both of these incredible ladies are accomplished seamstresses (everything from Elizabethan costumes to a wedding dress) but the stress of the pandemic on top of their personal stress have taken a toll on their sewing mojo. The third friend is in the Armed Forces. 

My Unity pieces where pushed aside as I took up mask making again. Eighteen masks where sent on their way to GA, MI, IA and MN!  

I am so thankful that I have a deep quilt cotton stash (already prewashed & dried) and several Vintage Singers that sew thru everything I shove under their needles. Yes - the Featherweight handles the layers & pleats of the masks with no problem, though she is due for a cleaning & oiling after Saturday's session of even more masks! 

Hoping now that I have some extra made on hand, I can get back to working on my Unity quilt. 

Weekend Working

The weekend was dedicated to working but for work. Chore list was longer than I would have liked but oh so necessary. Banking (online), Bill Paying, Laundry, Cleaning, blah, blah, blah...
Sunday dawned sunny & bright. Since it was going to be a beautiful warm Spring day, I knew I needed to get going early.  On a whim, the DH joined Odie & I for a morning romp at the conservation area. It was wonderfully empty! After dropping my boys back at home I headed to Wal-Mart for the few things we needed. Going early was great! Got our stuff and got the heck out. 
I decided that if I was going to do some cooking, I was going to do some cooking! No sense making a mess in the kitchen for one thing. Ground beef has been tricky to come by sometimes so I grabbed a 5 lb. roll. With the recent closure of meat processing plants, I want to get some put by.

Some for us and some Odie, all cooked and in the freezer! Along with that, I stripped down a rotisserie chicken breast and portioned it. 

Each little baggie contains 4 oz. and that gets mixed with 48 oz. of cooked elbow macaroni for homemade dog food. Odie gets half cup on top of his kibble, twice a day. So much easier to have things prepped and ready. 

By the time I got everything cooked and the kitchen cleaned, It was after 1pm.  It was time to get busy. I thought I was going to sew. Or at least cut fabric, now that I have the cut list for both Part 2 & 3 of the Unity quilt done. I can't show those pics because there are sizes listed, obviously. Suffice to say, there are a LOT of pieces to cut. And Part 4 is to be released today. I will get there!

So what did I do? I got OUTSIDE!  Too early to do anything in the yard. But since this weekend was suppose to be Midwest Horse Fair in Madison, WI and I'm having tack sale withdrawal, I took advantage of being able to get both saddles cleaned and oiled. 

They still need a treatment with leather balm w/ atom wax to seal and shine. All in due time and with the nice weather this week, I should be able to get them finished up. Then we need to get out of quarantine so I can use them! 

Non-Progress on Unity

My non-progress on my Unity quilt is spectacular! Part 2 color placement chart has progressed to a cut chart.  Part 3,  released this past Monday, has nothing done on it and Part 4 is due to be released this coming Monday. I'm behind but I'll get there.  I have been busy sewing, though! 

MASKS!!

The first batch of 12 was for DH & I and friends. This batch was 14 is heading out East to my new boss, her family & friends. Oh - and see that mat my iron is setting on? That's the wool pressing mat I bought a year ago and hadn't unwrapped or used it. 

It would have came in handy for Part 1 of Unity but you can bet I'll be using it going forward. So easy to have it set up right next to Wild Cherry. Much better than a folded towel.

New Project for My Husband

Part of the whole quarantine & social distancing means needing to find projects to keep DH busy.  The latest one benefits the whole house at this strange new time we are living in.  Our townhouse is blessed with an under-abundance of storage space. We've done several projects and storage furniture purchases to overcome the shortcomings. Trying to balance additional food storage needs with the need to make fewer shopping trips to be safe, I came up with a wild idea. The upstairs hall closet measures a tiny 3 feet wide by 2 feet deep. We don't keep coats in it because the hanging space was even smaller due to some useless wire shelves.

Stupid smaller shelves already removed

 I suggested it would be better used for food storage and cleaning products and turned DH loose on it! Much discussion on shelving type, number of shelves, configuration, spacing, etc. So while I've done nothing on my Unity quilt, DH stripped out the closet, measured, measured and measured some more, found & marked studs, and cut wood. I swear I was starting to hear the electronic beep of the stud finder in my sleep!

By the end of today, we should have a new pantry ready to be stocked! The 'stock' is already laid in - it just needs to be organized into the new space, which will be a project for me.

Unity Quilt Along - Part 2

Since Part 3 is due out today, I figured I should get busy and work on Part 2. My challenge was deciding whether to stick with my colors from the center block or bring in new colors. And then figure out the placement of the colors. Whenever you deviate from a pattern, you have to live with the consequences of your creative choices. With this project, unlike mystery where you build units, not blocks,  we get to see what part goes next to which. That makes color choices easier. Part Two looks like this, around the center for those following the color selection. 

In order to figure out the cut list, I need to draw up a color plan. It's not pretty but it will do. 

I added some deeper value squares (navy) for more contrast. Unfortunately, I didn't get anything cut or stitched. Yesterday turned out to be a bit of a bust, productivity-wise. I had such high hopes of progress but the motivation was lacking.  

I was feeling out of sorts. Not sure why exactly but I need to figure it out an overcome the inertia. Late afternoon, I seemed to reach a point of snarky-ness. Rather than bite DH's head off, I jumped in the van for a drive by myself to change the scenery. I came back a bit more civil and commenced cooking Easter dinner. Steak & potatoes offered some comfort food goodness, without requiring hours in the kitchen.

Just. Keep. Going.

How cool is this - so convenient to have it set up right next to Wild Cherry as I stitched!

Happy Easter

For those that celebrate it

Who is that Masked Bandit?

COVID-19 precautions are urging all those who go outside to wear masks or face coverings of some kind, particularly when running necessary errands. Ever since the recommendation came out, DH has been asking me when I'm going to make some.  I knew there were many, many video tutorials on the interwebs but dreaded slogging through them to find one I liked and worked well. 

Since someone needs to keep the ice cream supply stocked in this house, I used a double over bandana on Thursday for the shopping run and that is NOT a good solution, fit wise. Nor did I like looking like a bandit, a bad bandit at that. 

The time had come for me to stop procrastinating and get busy. You all know I have enough fabric in this house! And I knew I didn't want to deal with elastic loops over my ears, especially since I wear glasses. 

Actually, the procrastinating worked in my favor for once! I was reading thru my favorite blogs and it turns out Bonnie Hunter combined the best of two masks into one, created a quick video, solved my 'No Elastic' restriction (and very creatively, I might add) and BAM! I had my plan! 

I am not going into the how-to here, just click the link above to see her post, complete with YouTube video.

I will mention the cool hack for the ties. Use an old T-shirt, one that has no side seams and cut 1 inch wide strips across the body, creating a loop. 

Then s-t-r-e-t-c-h the loop. the fabric lengthens, curls inward and forms a soft tie string. It's flipping brilliant!!

I made two in about a half hour but I wasn't rushing. If I decide to crank out more of them, I would set up a production line to be as efficient as possible. So far, 2 for me and 2 for DH and 1 for backup or someone else.  DH loves his masks, especially since they are large enough to fit his goatee! Making these masks only requires fabric, thread, t-shirt ties and time. 

And time I had yesterday.  Normally, my April is chock-a-block full of events, road trips, doings and more. Not this year. But just because all of those things were put on hold, and I'm working from home for the foreseeable future, didn't mean I couldn't use a break. Really? A staycation in the middle of a quarantine? 

YEP!

I took yesterday off! And while I though I'd spend a relaxing day at the sewing machine, responsibilities reared their ugly little heads. I pulled on my big girl panties and tackled filing our income tax returns, paid bills & did laundry before rewarding myself with machine time.  Would you believe it take twice as long to file the state return as it does the federal return? I only needed to print out 4 pages for the federal vs. 11 pages for the state! Yeah - that's crazy! But now the whole weekend is free to spend as I wish, with no big chores hanging over my head. Studio time for sure! 

Spring COLOR!

Who Knew? 

Gardening is considered an essential business! I understand that, given we can grow our own food, but not quite yet around here.  The calendar may say Spring but it's not safe for tender plants until after May 15th. 

BUT, (and there's always a BUT) there are some cold weather hardy plants available now. In an effort to overcome some of this 2020 general icky-ness, I made a special stop while out with Odie the other day. I like to take him to the conservation area in town for exercise rather than walk around the block. More nature and less other dogs, kids on bikes & people. 

My shopping stop involved safety measures - mask, gloves, hand sanitizer and social distancing, all while supporting a small local business. 

Add to that seeing all the pretty plants in and out of the greenhouses, giving a lift to the soul. 

Things are hard right now - we have new realities across so many aspects of life, be it work, friends, family, recreation, hobbies, necessary errands, finances, etc. Everything is different, and it needs to be so we can stay safe & healthy. But "Different" requires adapting to changes, accepting limitations, finding creative solutions, fighting against the isolation maintaining safe distances, finding an inner place of peace, remembering that things will continue to evolve. It can be exhausting!

I brought home not only bright pretty pansies, with a few violet stock. I brought home a reminder that hope springs eternal, and that the wheel of the year keeps turning, regardless of what's happening in the world. 

I need to get these potted up for the front of the house and maybe they will help brighten up someone else's day. Any little bit of normalcy helps right now. 

Tuesday Technology Glitch - Good Morning!

This morning has been a bit of a challenge! 

I simply needed to print 3 pages of a document from my personal laptop & home printer, in order to work on a critical project for work. Easy, right?

Never had a problem printing from this laptop before but apparently today was the day! 

An hour (!) later, I finally had the 3 pages in hand. However, that made me late logging on for work and for getting a post up to this blog. But the fun didn't stop there.

OH, NO!  No good deed goes unpunished!

My trusty lappity-top needed several updates and what better time than now to get these done. ARGH!!

Okay - so this is totally my fault for not taking care of housekeeping duties on the electronic devices in a timely fashion. I need to go stand in the corner! And I might - outside, in the sunshine, on the patio later today - LOL!

It's rather amazing how much of our lives right now, particularly now, are dependent on electronic devices and virtual technology. Can you imagine trying to do what we do - blogging, working remotely, online shopping, etc., - if we were all still using dial-up connectivity? 

I'll take my sewing machine vintage any day but I'll keep my technology modern. 

So now that everything (I hope!) has been updated, I will return to some regular blog content tomorrow.

Hope you all are staying safe & healthy!

Working on 'Unity' Quilt Center

Cut my pieces.

Drew my sewing lines and got busy. It didn't take much to get this done by Friday evening.

All set for the Part Two instructions releasing today. I'll wait to see what it is before deciding to stay with my colors for the next round or change things up. 

Right after I finished this up, I realized that I have a wool pressing mat, brand new, still in the package. SMH!!  I'll be opening that up before I start stitching next.

Dreaming Progress

The outline stitching around the petals on my Dream Big panel is done.

I changed thread colors as I progressed outward.

Lots of thread tails to bury as I didn't want to stitch back over areas excessively. 

This has been put to the side, but not too far, until I figure out the texture I want to add to the petals.

Unity Quilt Project - Colors

Got around to digging in my stash to select the colors for my version of Bonnie Hunter's Sew-In-Place Unity Quilt. Getting the fabric to show up correctly in pictures has been a pain. I tried a couple of combinations of light source, time of day, etc. both inside and outside. This is the best it's going to get - taken this morning outside in the cold Spring morning light. 

Cream, Aqua, Turquoise, Cobalt & Navy

I decided to go with a monochromatic color scheme. Do I have all the yardage amounts recommended in my colors? 

Cream, Aqua, Turquoise, Cobalt & Navy

Probably not but I may only make this lap size quilt or I can find different fabric in the stash or I can change the colors with each border I add. Bottom line - it will happen the way it happens. 

No Stress Here!

Speaking of stress, I needed to iron the fabric and someone in my Studio HATES the ironing board. Odie loathes the sound the iron board makes when it's unfolded. I get that  - he has very sensitive hearing. So rather than send him running just as he settled down for a snooze, I opted to iron the fabrics atop a towel on my sewing table. 

Totally hi-tech here. LOL!! On to Cutting, next...

Quilter's Version of 'Shelter in Place' Order

Most States are under some version of a Shelter In Place order, as it's called in Illinois, to help battle the spread of the Coronavirus. Ours is in effect until April 7th, though it most likely will be extended. Further, my company has issued a Work From Home directive to those who are able to do so, which was recently extended to May 1st. I fully expect that to be extended until June 1st, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Working from home has some advantages, though certainly so one is thrilled with the reason why. For me, it eliminates the 2+ hours I spend driving back & forth to the office. That affords me more time for activities like dog walking, cooking and of course quilting!

It's times like this I am thankful for the luxury of a good size stash. But what project to do?  I'm not wanting to have to design a quilt right now, I just want the soothing, productive action of putting fabric bits thru the machine. 

Many quilt instructors have been offering up quilt projects online to help quilters stay connected. On Monday, Bonnie Hunter revealed Step One of her "Sew-in-Place" Unity Quilt Along. It will be a medallion quilt, adding rows each week around the pieced center. Check out her blog for details on the getting Unity Introduction and the Unity Part One. 

My goal is to use my own colors, though I have NO idea what they will be, and shop my stash for this quilt. This project will add some direction to my quilting and hopefully re-ignite some designing passion. There are a few quilt design ideas languishing in the dusty corners of my mind.