May 2020 - Day 22

This month is rattling by.  In spite of that I’m occasionally not getting confused with what day it is, but sometimes what month.  Talk on the news is about children returning to school in June has made me think its June already! But thank goodness it’s still May.

Today I have been working on more scrubs bags using a second sheet that I was given,  This sheet has a design from the 70’s, I think, it looks that style. It almost seems a shame to cut into it.

With other sheets I’ve got 6 bags plus enough to make strips for the drawstrings, however this one is bigger, a double sheet which yields 8 bags, so now I’ve made 14 bags this week.

I’m hoping this weekend that I can do some selfish sewing again as the new block from the Youngish Quilters was on their blog.  I’m also keen on trying of the Modern Quilters block of a framed cross from one of the postcard tutorials.

May 2020 - Day 21

A day of selfish stitching.  I’m catching up with the Youngish Quilters Sewalong as another block is released tomorrow.  I finished of blocks 5 and 6 which weren’t joined together on Sunday.

The top one is a pinwheel and with the remaining blocks made this diagonal patch block (not sure would you’d call it).

Next was the log cabin block and I used he citrus slices fabric from the Cocktail Time fabrics.

After a trip to B & Q for more decorating bits and bobs for David (he can’t go out shopping a present) I watched some You Tube videos.  While watching I made some more progress on my Sew 4 The Soul piece, which I wrote about here.

I added a few more fabrics to the end of my piece of wadding.  I’ve added a selection of Perle threads  for stitching, some buttons.  Here are some photos below of my progress.

I had done a video clip of my progress

May 2020 Day 20

A view from my window.  It’s been a lovely sunny day and I have been indoors sewing.  David has been painting the doors from the living room and put the doors outside to paint and dry. So we’ve been keeping busy.

I noticed the sky getting busier today too. There’s not been many planes flying over in recent weeks, not even long distance ones so I was surprised to see several vapour trails in the almost cloudless sky.

This is the view I’d normally see from my window.  I am lucky to have my own room to sew, knit and read.  I was just finishing off the scrub bags and made 7 in all.  I can get 6 out of a single sheet and there was a pillowcase which made the 7th.

I’m hoping to work on my own sewing tomorrow, some gardening and enjoy the sunshine.

What’s the view out of your window?

May 2020 - Day 19

Mentioned in Dispatches.

Sometimes it’s good to know that the things you make are well received. Frontline Facemasks are a local group providing Facemasks for key workers and on their Facebook page (it is a private group though) put a few photos where they’ve gone.

 The two owl ones towards the front of the picture of those going to a special school in Ringwood

The two top masks in the above picture were given to postal workers, quite appropriate as one has stamps (the last bit of this fabric which I’ve had for years). Another has airmail labels on it,

Tomorrow will be some scrubs bag making.  I’ve already torn the sheeting fabric and a single sheet makes 6 bags with two narrow strips that will make some of the drawstrings.

May 2020 - Day 18

Monday, the beginning of the week and back on the masks again.  I’ve got some elastic now and enough to do a lot.

I’ve also made some calico bias from a large square.  That took quite a bit of time with the sewing of strips and ironing the folds but I have a substantial amount now and a found a small amount of ready made pink bias tape too.

So this was my makings today 6 masks, almost finished. Then in my bag of mask bits I found 2 linings, so I will make 2 outers and finish the others off.

May 2020 - Day 17

A bit of recreational sewing today.

I don’t often buy a collection of fabric but last year I bought a fat quarter collection of Cocktail Time by Lewis and Irene at a Quilters’ Guild meeting last autumn, at a special price so couldn’t resist. There are 15 fabrics in this collection in some fresh colours,

 They have five different designs of a Mid Century Modern style

 And just look at the selvedge - lots of colourful cocktail glasses!

I wanted to make the blocks from the Youngish Quilters web site.  This is a branch of the Quilters’ Guild, the teenage section of the Young Quilters, which caters for 5 - 18 year olds,  The Youngish Quilters are currently doing a 2020 sew along and several photos have appeared on Instagram so thought I would have a go. There are currently 7 blocks posted on the website.

It’s nice to do ‘Back to Basics’ blocks and today I’ve made blocks 1 - 4 with 5 and 6 in progress.

These aren’t in the right order, though

 Friendship Star - Block 2

 Beggars Block - Block 1

 Ohio Star - Block 4

Churn Dash - Block 3

And blocks 5 and 6 - Windmill blocks - two for the price of one. Currently in progress.

Back to mask making tomorrow.

May 2020 - Day 16

After my post yesterday evening I had this surprise on Facebook yesterday and took a screenshot

If you are in Region 4 of the Quilters’ Guild this will be the cover of the forthcoming newsletter. It is a postcard that I made in March for the UKQU postcard swap on the theme of Dragonflies and Butterflies, which has since flown off to its new owner last month.

Angela, the newsletter editor, asked on the Region 4 Facebook page for some cheery quilt photos for the June edition and this was one of 3 I posted on the site.  Some other people posted theirs and there were some lovely photos, but I was chuffed to find my postcard photo was picked!

I’m keeping up with the book reading habit. I’ve finished Golden Hill which I started on the 3rd and started a new book, which has been on the bookshelf for sometime but hadn’t got around to reading. This is The Underground Railroad by Colton Whitehead, which was a Pulitzer Prize Winner for Fiction in 2017 and is a story about the Slave Trade in the US.  I’ll see how that goes as I’ve read a few chapters this afternoon.

May 2020 - Day 15

Halfway through May. Another quiet day when I finished off the masks with channels for elastic. More progress has been made on the book I’m currently reading, Golden Hill and have got about two thirds of the way through and pleased to have made progress by reading at least half hour a day.

I haven’t shared photos of me trying on on of the masks, so here they are (please excuse the hair - it does need some attention!)

I’ll try to do something more exciting tomorrow.  I have to start the car so as people can go a bit further afield now, so see how that goes.

May 2020 - Day 14

I haven’t done much today, but did have a walk to help out a friend with a pair of circular needles who lives on the other side of the Heath and for the first time I took two walks as I went out with David this evening.

One our return this evening just before the Clap for Carers a couple of people prepared for the occasion by dressing as dinosaurs, yes, dinosaurs! Here’s the evidence - running across the road!

May 2020 - Day 13

A brighter post today.  The sun was out and there are quite a things growing in the garden so here’s a few pics

And a more positive shopping experience as the quest for decorating materials continues.  I dreaded going to B&Q with scenes of queues a few weeks ago in the press.  The queue at our local one was bad when we went this afternoon, but timed it right later on.  It was really well organised and I found everything I wanted (or that David had put on the list).  The queue for the checkout wasn’t too long either.

All 14 blue masks are done, less the elastic, I’m going to make my own soon, but I’m going to try one of those on the Patrick Grant website because at least there are only two parts instead of six.

May 2020 - Day 12

Shopping happened today.  Finding out that The Range was open I tried to get some decorating items to make a start on decorating the living room while in lockdown.  The room hasn’t been decorated for some years and does need updating, which we’re probably more aware of now.  After a fraught time in narrow aisles while people are browsing while I just wanted to get what I want and the store layout had changed from when I was last there some months ago.All I got was a set of paintbrushes, no paint and no paint cleaner.  So I won’t be back there again.

Tesco shop wasn’t too bad as I didn’t have much to get this week but there are ‘pinch points’ in some aisles that are busier than others.

Back home more masks were completed and there are 9, less elastic, so I will make the channels for the elastic to go in.

As a change I’m doing some crochet

 This is a facecloth/dishcloth made in Rico cotton in this lovel pale green.  It’s a waffle stitch pattern, instructed by Bella Coco

And this is a pic of the masks.  Looks a bit like underwear, doesn’t it ? ;o))

May 2020 - Day 11

I’m guessing that under lockdown we all get a day now and then of “fedupedness” (even the spell checker didn’t like that word, there’s a red line underneath what I’ve typed.

Since doing the virtual retreat last month I’ve been not been sewing for myself and I guess I need to take time out for that. Having had a supply of fabric, bias and pipe cleaners (for nose support) I made 14 face mask outers, of which 5 have now got linings and bias tape on them.  There might be elastic later, which is in short supply at the moment so it’s as far as it can get.

I broke the handle of my travel iron again after David’s repair to it last week, so that didn’t hold.  Back to using the normal household one, so a new iron is on the shopping list when I go out today for the weekly shop.  I guess that added to my fed up state.

The local council tip which is the industrial estate near where we live opened for the first time in several weeks. It’s opening made the local television news as the queue was so long before it even opened!  It seems people have got so much rubbish after being at home for weeks, probably sorting and clearing out during the lockdown.

Anyway it’s Tuesday today and another day. I’m sure it will be better.  Must remember to do a post this evening!

May 2020 - Day 10

A third of the way through May.  Lockdown is still going on but instead of Staying Home we have to Stay Alert.

No sewing done today but will be back on that tomorrow for some more mask making, A good tidy of my room was needed and it looks better for it.

A catch up with the family on Zoom for the third week and it’s good to see everyone albeit on a virtual basis.

A glove is finished this evening (ends to be sewn in) and a start on the second one.

May 2020 - Day 9

Today has been mask day. Only 5 masks today but I did start a bit late in the day.  The linings were cut out ready to sew and there were outers and some bias tape to cut.

So my total of bags this week are 14 - from 2 sheets and 2 pillowcases.  Bags made so far are 21.
Total masks are 10 - total so far are 16.  Small numbers but every little helps.

As well as some elastic cord from a friend I’ve also got another couple of sheets as fabric for more bags so will get cracking on those on Monday.

May 2020 - Day 8 - VE 75th Anniversary Day

Instead of having Bank Holiday Monday this week, the holiday was moved to today in commemoration of VE Day 75 years ago.  It should have been a day of celebration but with social distancing it’s much quieter.  Some roads around have had parties in their front gardens, but around here,

So for us a pootling day but it was nice to catch up with my friend and then my Mum on the phone this morning.  This afternoon I did a bit of cooking making biscuits, rock cakes, pizza base for tomorrow’s dinner and pudding for this evening’s. Flour is lasting well but I sometimes replace some white flour with wholemeal to make that go further, which is ok for rock cakes and scones.

My knitting has progressed from my post earlier, that’s due to catching up with a few You Tube videos.  Nearly at the end of the thumb shaping on the glove.

No sewing today, but will be back at the machine face tomorrow.

May 2020 - Day 7

My apologies if you were expecting a daily post yesterday. So there will be 2 posts today.

I have been making masks yesterday and will show those later in the next post.  I’ve been making bags this week from sheeting and made made 4 so far for the local ‘For the love of scrubs’ group which will go to hospitals and care facilities who have requested them.  The masks are being made for carers of young people with child friendly fabrics.

Yesterday I ran out of elastic and it seems there’s great demand for the narrow ‘knicker’ elastic as a lot of people around the country make masks, but a friend of mine had some elastic cord, which involved a walk across Canford Heath. I hoped that I could say Hi from a distance as she left a bag outside her house but that didn’t work out.

It’s only about 25 minutes each way but it was a lovely day so it caused quite a few people to be out and about and walking and cycling so it was a game of dodging people to try and your distance from them and stepping back when seeing a cyclist approaching. Though it is another matter when cyclists come from behind and I’m constantly nervous as I can’t hear them and have to keep turning round.  It doesn’t make for a pleasant walk at times.

I am grateful I can get out and walk though as those that are vulnerable cannot.  I am lucky that I live in a house and can go out in the garden. It must be a frustrating time for people who can’t leave a room, let alone go to any outside space.  For that I am grateful, must make the best of what I have.

Wow, after offloading that - here’s a new cast on - looking forward to colder days (what??). Last winter David wore fingerless gloves a lot.  So another pair are on the needles using yarns that I already have. I have a variegated Stylecraft Head Over Heels yarn in blues and greens and a small amount of a hand dyed green yarn for the cuffs. So I made a start last night

Might as well get ahead of the game.

See you later 👋.

May 2020 - Day 6

As promised yesterday I wanted to do a post about my Sew 4 the Soul project.  I started this a few months ago just before lockdown and my first post about this is  here .  It was started by Anne Brooke of Hannemade and because of lockdown seems to have quite a following,  Go to the 2020 Project page and she has a link to her You Tube channel.

My piece is 38” long and starts at 4” wide and narrows down to 2.75”.  This is because I used a trimming of wadding on which to put the fabric on,  I’ve used scrap fabrics too small to save and a few small improv triangle blocks. There are also a few small pieces of selvedges.

The techniques I’ve used have been French knots and pistil stitch (which is a French knot with long stem), Colonial knot, blanket stitch, bullion stitch.  There’s been the addition of Suffolk Puffs, hexagons, lace, button, beads.  I’m using anything that I have to hand, and as I have quite a stash of stuff it’s good to put them to use.

The above photos I’ve shown on previous posts but below are the latest fabrics on the piece, there’s still a pin or two in this section.  There’s a Suffolk Puff (YoYo), a bit of blue and white lace and a bit of appliqué with one of the leaves from the tendrils which wasn’t used in the recent pouch.

 So that’s where I’m at with my project.

Today I have a finish.  Tada!!

My latest socks, started on our trip to Kent at the beginning of March. They hibernated for a while but then I finished the first sock and started the second on 23 April which I finished last night and Kitchener stitched this morning.

I hope to start on fingerless gloves next - wool is sorted ready for that.

May 2020 - Day 5

This thought came into my head ‘Cinco de Mayo’, which I thought was the Mexican Day of the Dead, which it isn’t and there’s an explanation on Wikipedia here . But I thought I would take a photo of this sugar skull hexie, which became one of my 100 hexies 100 days collection last year.

Today has been a shopping morning having ordered and collected meat from the local butchers - something we wouldn’t have thought about doing pre-virus. I would have liked to have bought bakery bread too, but their card machine wasn’t working and I’d rather not use a cash machine without any gloves.  So a partial success.

This afternoon I’m back on the scrub bags with 6 more under construction.  I did managed to break the handle of the travel iron, as the handle should collapse for travel.  David is fixing it so I’m using the big household iron, which is quite heavy and looks enormous on my Ikea table top ironing board.

I’ve discovered the start/stop button on my machine which I’ve not used much before.  It’s been useful with the long seams on the sides of the scrub bags. Just set the speed and press the button and it whizzes away.   Brilliant.

I am wanting to do some creative sewing now and hope I can get some time to do some embroidery.  Tomorrow I might share about the Sew 4 the Soul project tomorrow.

May 2020 - Day 4

Let’s get this over with - May the 4th be with you!!

Today I’ve mainly been a bag lady.  I’ve received some sheeting to make more scrubs bags.  I can get 6 out of a single size sheet and I’ve used 2 pillowcases as they are.  So far I’ve made 8 bags and there’s one more sheet to make 6 more,

We went out for our daily walk, which I will share another day. But after I came back I took photos of one of the Iris plants that we have in the garden.  Six of the plants we have are about to flower very soon and they should make a good show,

Although a pale peach colour it contrasts well with the red acer behind it and the euphorbia just underneath.

May 2020 - Daily post 3

Books

They are a challenge to me as I'm not a great reader.  What I decided last week was to read at least 30 minutes each day so I set my iPad timer and get reading and help set a habit.  I've just finished this book

I really enjoy the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency books.  It's light reading, shortish chapters (so you're not looking to see how many pages until the chapter finishes).  In this one the heroine, Precious Ramotswe meets her private detective hero from America Clovis Andersen who helps with one of her cases.

They are now a series of 20 books and I have quite a few but there are some gaps which Amazon might have to fill, but the last two that I bought were found in a charity shop in Lyndhurst last year.  Each book is a stand alone story rather than having to follow the series in order, but the main characters are the same, so you recognise immediately who they are.

I've got another book to start on which is a TG (Townswomen's Guild) book group one.  The book group borrow a set of books from the local library so we all have the same book to read.  The last meeting was at the end of February called Golden Hill, by Francis Spufford, which was a Costa Book Award Winner in 2016.  The library, of course, has been closed since March so there's been no hurry to read it.  I thought it might be good to make a start on it.

Or then again, I might checkout that Amazon order and get my nose in another No.1 book....

May 2020 Daily post 2

I  made some crochet cord for the scrub bags that I made yesterday and they were inserted this morning, so now there are 7 scrubs bags ready for For the Love of Scrubs which will be collected tomorrow. 

This afternoon was spent crocheting while watching You Tube and made 3 more of the ear savers.  

Tomorrow I'm going to do some 'me' sewing and catch up with the Sew 4 the Soul embroidery.