First done? Got some embroidery done.
To refresh your memory, this project was first mentioned here.
Yep, it’s been awhile. I’ve actually gotten a fair number of blocks done on this but periodically stalled here and there. In fact, this particular embroidered block was sitting in the hoop for umm…maybe two years? Hard to remember when I started this one. It’ll need a heck of a steam to get it to lay flat again.
Continuing the embroidery theme, I got a good start on another block this morning.
It really is more relaxing to sit and do embroidery in the evening while I am watching TV than it is to play stupid iPad games. I actually took one game (Runefall) off my iPad because I was spending way too much time on it.
Here’s to one more summer thinking, “Maybe I’ll have this done before Halloween THIS year???”
Then I knew I wanted to get the baby quilts officially delivered to my niece, but to do that, I really needed to finally make myself a face mask. First one for me! After wearing one I’d made my husband yesterday (the pleat style) when I went grocery shopping, I was really struggling with it because the pleats always seemed to be right up against my nostrils no matter which way I flipped it, making it particularly hard to breath. So today I decided to try the other style that’s more of a cup. (Honestly, sorry to any guys reading this, don’t a whole lot of masks look like they cut a bra in half?)
Anyway, this went together really easily, except for the fact that I had to make a template. Got to drag some old template plastic out of a drawer, and I used my little finger-tip rotary cutter for the first time in awhile for the curved edge.
I made three out of this set of fat quarters; two medium sized and then one large just to see whether that larger size would fit the guys in the house. Yes, it does, but the floral fabric means it’ll be mine, despite being large. They’re both comfortable with their masculinity, but, well, they weren’t fans.
After the template plastic, tracing, and having to carefully cut that curve…yep, I ended up ordering myself the AccuQuilt dies for face masks. My reasoning is twofold: 1) we’re going to need masks for a long time to come so I may as well be ready to knock them out faster; 2) I don’t have time to sew masks for donation but I can create die-cut fabric “kits” to give to the new arrival families I used to work with. Many of them sew and have sewing machines, but may not be able to afford much in the way of fabric. So I’ll cut up my stash and give it to them as kits, and they can sew them for their families. Win-win.
Mask ready to go, i decided to use up a significant portion of the fabric left from Baby Quilt #1 to make a pillowcase that would serve as a gift bag.
This picture was taken once the quilts were already in the pillowcase so it looks a bit odd, but you can see the combo of leftover fabrics.
And then I got to deliver the fun! Still couldn’t get in any baby cuddles, but this time I was able to be 6’ away rather than the only other time I’ve seen her, which was from about 20’ away in her driveway. She woke up briefly and did actually look at me. What a thrill.
I try not to think about how this all is going to affect the ability of our extended family to really bond with her—from her perspective. Not being an immediate part of her circle until she’s probably done with most of her first year? Anyway, at least I know she’ll be wrapped up in my quilt, if I can’t be giving her raspberries and playing with her toes.
One last thought. Doesn’t this feel like insults we used to hurl at each other in middle school? Surely there must be a better way to say this in LED.