The weather has turned terrific. It has been so nice getting outside and working in the garden. Mike mowed the field yesterday, much to the consternation of the kitties. Here, Smitty can be seen praying for an end to the noise. It scares the squirrels away, and his mission in life is thwarted.
Sadie just wants to go back inside. That white smudge near her shoulder would indicate she's been rolling around where there is medicated body powder. The body powder was a hint I picked up from one of my friends (I forget who, but thank you) to deter the squirrels from eating the sunflowers. It seems to be working!
Before getting outside, I finished up the 10th of the Appalachian Memories blocks. This one took a long time.
Here are the other nine blocks I have for this quilt so far.
Just two blocks to go on this one. This morning, I'll get started on the 7th block for Dancing Chickens and Flying Pigs. It shouldn't take too long.
There isn't much going on in the garden right now, but there is lots of activity as things get ready for their moment in the sun. This hydrangea is very close to opening all the way.
Also, I noticed the star lily is getting close to opening. I might have a picture of the lily for you tomorrow. So, I hoed the vegetable garden and filled the bird feeders, and then I went back inside to sew.
I had in mind to work on the City Bank quilt, but then found some motivation to make a few more masks. I've wanted to make the more fitted style of mask, hoping it would fog our glasses less. I was able to get some
black "banded" elastic from Shabby Fabrics, and I really like it. It comes in all colors.
I used the same
free tutorial to put these together from Edyta at Laundry Basket Quilts. These were super easy to make, and her tutorial is excellent. My mask is the medium size. Mike's is the large size. He prefers the elastic around the head. I like it over the ears. When I had those finished, I made two more. When I had four masks finished, I kind of lost my sewing mojo for the day.
The only change I made to the tutorial was to top-stitch all around the edge of the mask. Since it is lined, I thought it might hold its shape better in the wash. I'm going to make one more for Matthew today. I wish I'd thought of this earlier, but this mask can be thought of as reversible. The ones I've already made are lined with a solid color, but there's no reason you couldn't use two different fabrics and have two choices. With masks a part of our future for some time, I think it's important to be fashionable, don't you? And speaking of that, our governor in Oregon has now ordered mandatory masks in public buildings in certain of our counties. We've been doing that anyway...it just makes sense. But if we're going to be wearing masks, I figure we should have some choices.
When I left Sadie to come upstairs, she was crashed out on her back.
The cat sure knows how to relax, doesn't she?
Today I'll make a quick trip into town...it's my one short grocery trip to get stuff for the weekend. I want to make one more mask for Matthew, and then I want to get back to the City Bank quilt. The weather has been so nice, and so we're hoping to eat outside today. I'm going to make up some gazpacho this morning, and let it chill in the fridge until we're ready for dinner tonight.
17 comments:
Very nice masks. I have made them from several patterns and this one seems just a skootch different so I will make them from this pattern, too. I've found that different faces sometimes need different masks so I like to have a variety. Does Sadie give lessons? I could use some of her expertise. And love the barn quilt block, as always.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QY8V5XT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 This is supposed to be a link to amazon for Fearless Skin tape. If your skin can stand it, if you put it on the nose part of the mask it will hold it tight to your face and prevent the mask fogging. I used it to make some haircut masks from shop towels that you use the tape on the sides as well so nothing to be in the way for the stylist to worry about. It works very well.
Poor Smitty. The injustice of it all... As for masks fogging glasses, the guys at work have found if they scooch them way up their nose, so their glasses sit on the mask and pinch it down, they have less trouble fogging their glasses. I won't tell you to put shaving cream on them because, though I've heard it helps, my glasses cost upwards of $400 from a cheap place (I'm literally blind without them, but contact lenses are amazing!) and would never do anything that might cause such an expensive, needed item any harm. Particularly right now when so many places are either still not open or very, very busy making up for lost time!
If you have any pipe cleaners or thin wire, it's easy to fix the top of the mask so it fits tighter around the nose to prevent fogging. The way I do it is to cut a one-inch-wide, six-inch-long strip of fabric and then use my bias strip maker to fold in the edges and press, but you can also fold by hand. Top-stitch the now half-inch strip close to the top of the mask (center it, of course), leaving one end open. Cut a six-inch piece of pipe cleaner and bend the ends over a little bit so they don't scratch. Insert into the strip. You can remove the pipe cleaner for washing, but I've left them in without any problems.
I was going to suggest essentially the same thing that Fribble did above. Our masks have a piece of wire or something similar in the top that can be molded to your nose and prevents your breath from fogging your glasses. Works great!
I used the piece of pipe cleaner in my masks, too. I think I am done making those - they are tedious. Oh, Sadie girl - you look so comfy. Just love a lap kitty. Finally getting to work on my chicken quilt.
My task today is to make some masks for everyone so they can go for dental and eye appointments. It's only for public transport and healthcare appointments we have to wear masks at the moment.
Well, I know the outcome of the star lily, and I'm sorry. Will be fun to see the hydrangea in bloom. I just made another mask the other day; John lost his preferred one, and we can't seem to locate it, so I had to make another. I need to make another for me too, with fabric I like more. I'm currently wearing the first one I made, and it was the test model, so not in fabrics I would choose. I just saw a FB video with a nifty and simple fix for the fogging. I'll see if I can locate it and send it to you. I'll bet you two can make it work with those masks.
Ditto on the added wire for face masks. It changes everything for the better. When I make them I use 3 in wide by 6 in long bias strips. Tuck the short ends, fold in half lengthwise and close the short ends with stitches. This is added to the inside layer at the top before the two layers are stitched together. Match raw edges. You only need to stitch the bottom fold. The top will be enclosed in the seam line. Voila! You have a channel to add a wire.
I too, prefer the contoured masks. I like the Craft Passion ones but will check out your preference. We will be wearing these for a while so I can use more. I like your fabric choices.
Love your entertaining feline pals! Thanks for the mask link. I just finished up a batch that were in various stages of completion and will donate them. But I'll check out the tutorial because I'm sure more masks are in order. Those barn blocks are so appealing and you are making good progress. Lovely blooms, too.
Hubby and I wear our masks when we are going shopping. Oregon governor isn't being consistent unless the media is wrong about Seattle. Love your newsletter.
What is the name of that powder that deters squirrels? I have recently started growing strawberries for my 3 year old granddaughter. We have several squirrels in our area that run across the backyard fences and electric and telephone wires. I have a Granny Smith apple tree that they used to eat the apples, but this year it has had no blossoms, hence no apples. I I used to buy inexpensive nuts and put them on the fence, but they still ate some of the apples.
About 2 months ago, I made 30 masks for my daughter and her colleagues at UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco where she is an Occupational Therapist. Each one was from a different fabric, so everyone was different. My husband selected one of the masks with the Snoopy fabric I had left over from making Isabella a dress. He gets many compliments on his make when shopping. I used old T-shirt material left from a t-shirt quilt for the inside of the masks. They were very simple to make.
Barbara, I have some brand new never used plastic coated wire twist ties that I can send you to zig zag sew to the top of your masks. It helps keep the hot air from going into your glasses. Email me an address I can mail them to. :) Kara
ooooh - I do so love those barns!! Not that I have a thing for barns or anything of the sort. The weather has turned warm here too and methinks it might be a good thing to take a lesson from Sadie and enjoy it.
Did you find that this mask design reduces glasses fogging up?
I will be wearing masks until COVID is a distant memory, so want to find the most comfy design and have a range of options :)
I love your barn blocks... it really makes me happy to see all the various designs, so perhaps I do have "a thing" for barns!?
Thanks for linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching!
Love your barn blocks and shots of the kitties. The lily is beautiful!
Love your barn pics. Can't wait to see what you are going to do with them!
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