Betty's (dudes22) 2020 Quilt Fest

Well I didn’t make as much progress as I had hoped last year completing some of my UFOs, so I’m going to bring a lot of them forward to this year. In fact, in looking over my thread from last year, I’m amazed at how little I accomplished. I made quite a few tops, but haven't actually finished the quilt. I do have a couple that are ready for the quilter, but will have to wait until we’re back from Fla. And I have a few charity quilt tops that I'm going to practice my machine quilting on.

I decided to cut a few single blocks to take with us when we go to Fla in Jan. Gives me a chance to try some new blocks for a small quilt display in my hallway. And I may take some more pieces from that hand quilting project I started last year. I think I will probably concentrate on my red/white quilt this year. I’m also hoping to finish a few of the smaller baby quilts to donate.

The photo at the top is the Christmas quilt I made last year for one of my walls. I can see it as I sit here and thought I’d give it top billing at least to start.

Finished Projects (Old & New):

1. Fireworks Block
2. 36 Reading Pillows - Addie, Elaine (1), Celeste (2), Vicki (2), Nora (2), Lois (2),Carol (4), Kathy (4), Lori (1), Lydia (8), Me (8), Keri (1) + extras
3. Pat's table mat
4. Baby quilt
5. Pillowcases - church (43), MaryAnn (4), Lydia (4)
6. Heart Block
7. Pinwheel block
8. 3 pillows for Carol
9. Masks - lost count
10. Halloween table mat

It's good to have plans! Will be watching in 2020.

>2 avaland: Amen to that LOL!

I've never thought of quilting as an especially portable craft, but I'm impressed with what you are able to accomplish when you are in Florida.

>3 lauralkeet: - This year we are going to be there longer so I am taking my smaller machine so I'll be able to do a little more.

Yesterday was a friend's birthday and although we don't exchange gifts, I bought her a skein of alpaca/merino blend at the farmer's market to support a local alpaca farm. I think she really liked it even though it will have to be a small project.

>5 dudes22: I bet that yarn was nice and soft. It might be enough for a hat or mittens.

>6 lauralkeet: - That's what I was thinking. Or a headband.

Got together with my best friend going back to high school today to finally do Christmas and received a dozen fat quarters as part of my gift. A few batiks, a few children's, and some patterns.

I'm sure you'll do beautiful work on whatever you decide.

Thought I'd just pop in to say that we're in Fla for a few weeks and I've been doing a little sewing although relaxing and reading are taking up most of my time right now. I started one of the projects I brought with me - just a one block that I'm going to use in a display wall in my hallway. I'll post a pic when I finish - maybe later today.

>10 dudes22: I do HOPE you are getting that relaxing in!

This is one of the blocks I brought with me to Fla. It's a different fabric layout to one I did last year. It's going to be one of a series of blocks and small quilts that I want to do for a blank space in my hallway - kind of a gallery. I'll finish them back home so they aren't too bulky to transport back. I'm not that thrilled with this one although my husband said he liked it. I think the white-on-white was to busy and prominent.

Here's the next block I've finished. I realized after I started it, that it's a variation on the one above. Both basic nine patches that have been changed a little. I think I like this pattern a little bit more. This block will be 16 inches. With two different fat quarters and some background you can make two blocks with the prints in the opposite places. When I go out to the fabric store, I might pick up some fat quarters and some background and make a quilt with 4 blocks. I'll need to figure out how much background I'll need. This pattern suggested ironing the seams open and it does lie flatter.

The other projects I brought with me are likely to take me longer. One is paper pieced, One is partly paper pieced and the other just has lots of blocks/pieces.

Oh, Betty, I like these! And they look so perfect! It's been a long time since I've done similar blocks (and I've never paper-pieced them).

I've done nothing since the first of the year but try to sort out the studio. I've been trying to finish a project related to my work on Ancestry.com and also trying to write reviews I didn't get to last fall or ones for this month's reading.

Those are really pretty, Betty. The colors in the second one really pop!

>14 avaland: - Those two were not paper-pieced. It's two other ones I brought with me. I'm still waiting for one of your reviews. 😜

>15 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura. Yes, the colors in the second one are better. I liked the idea of pink and gray; it just didn't work out exactly.

>16 dudes22: I like the design of the pink and grey one better, but I love the colors in the second one. The red has a vague pink look to it, somehow. It's probably the tiny polka dots in it.

>17 Lyndatrue: - Thanks. Actually it is a deep pink.

>16 dudes22: Which book are you waiting for the review from?

The Olga Tokarczuk book. But that was only a eye-wink. I'm not in any rush. I won't get to that til later this year. I have a category in my 2020 challenge for Pulitzer winners and I thought I might read one of hers.

>20 dudes22: I have three left to review from last fall and that's one of them. I have some notes done for the other two, but I can't seem to explain to myself yet what I liked about it so much. I'll keep at it.

>21 avaland: - The phrase "what I liked about it so much" is probably enough of an endorsement for me.

So I've been working on some blocks for a small wall hanging and in laying them out yesterday, I think I'm going to have the same problem as the pink and gray block above - not enough contrast. Could be the light where I was working on them but I think I need to rethink what I'm going to do with them. We're off later today for lunch with a friend and there's a fabric store close by so I can pick up some fat quarters to supplement if I can decide what it needs. Or I can put it in a bag and ignore it until we go back home.

After I posted above, I decided that maybe I should try the squares in another light. The room I'm using here is a little dark and I was laying it out on the bed because that's where I had the most room. So I brought some squares out where there's more light to take a picture to show here and I think I like it a little bit more. I still bought a little fabric to make a few more squares but I now think it will work without a big makeover.

ETA: I also bought a nice white and gold print thinking it would go nicely with some Christmas fabric.

>23 dudes22: Are there ample quilt shops in Florida where you are? More or less than in RI?

Well not too many near us. There were 2 that I found last year within 1/2 hr. I picked up a news paper called "The Florida Register" needle arts theme edition which has lots of adds for fabric stores. I'm going to have to grab my map app and see if there are any others close.

RI has very few quilt stores now. There's one in a town @20-30 minutes away and then there's Ryco's that is more like an hour away but worth the trip occasionally. They have tons of fabric. Almost overload when I go without at least one thing in mind.

>25 dudes22: That's true here, too.

I like both blocks, but especially the colors on the second one. Lovely work!

So a couple of things about this mini quilt:

Once I add borders, it will be about 23x26. I only brought a small cutting mat with me so I can't square it up to add the borders. They will be 1" and the same as the background fabric, a grey polka dot. I may only add borders to three sides and leave the bottom as it is.

Because the pencil points are paper pieced, and there are lots of seams, I thought it would be better to press my seams open to reduce the bulk. Which was hard and wasn't working well. I think I may go back and press them all to one side or out from the middle and see how that works.

When I showed it to my husband he said, "Happy Valentine's Day. Nice heart." When I pointed out to him that it was colored pencils, he said, "It is?" Later he said, "Oh, I can see that now." Husbands, what can you do?

I also had a lot of skinny strips leftover that I think I'll try to do like a jelly jam and if it ends up small, I bought some fabric I could use as a border.

ETA: I've added a close up to show some of the prints of the fabrics that I didn't think showed up well in the other picture.

>28 dudes22: I love this - the heart jumped out immediately.

Is the top a straight edge like the bottom?

I'm glad you added the close up. It gives us an idea of all the detailed paper piecing you had to do. I even see a strip like a fabric in my stash.

>28 dudes22: Don't blame your husband too much. If it hadn't been for the close-up photo, I don't know that I'd have seen pencils either...not at first, at any rate. It's very pretty.

Love this also! And yes, the heart jumps out first (you have more light color pencils in the foreground, that's probably why) but there is certainly no mistaking the pencils, either. Fabulous pattern!

Ok - you all win! I guess I'll use this for my Feb wall-hanging. Not this year, but next.

I used the left-over strips to do the beginning of a jelly jam quilt yesterday. For those not familiar with quilting, a jelly roll is 40-42 strips of fabric cut 2.5" wide by the width of the fabric (usually 42") When you buy them they come wrapped around each other, hence the "roll" part. When they first came out, someone came up with the jelly roll jam quilt. Basically you attached the strips end-to-end until you have a 1600" long strip. Then you bring the bottom to the top and stitch a seam down the side, cutting across at the bottom. Then you do it a few more times and you have a lap size quilt. And it usually only takes an hour or so to do. Anyway, I took my left-over strips which were 1.5"wide and basically did the same thing. They were all different lengths from the cutting above. Now I have the same problem of trying to square it off so I can add some borders.

I love that pattern, Betty! Hearts AND pencils!!

Husbands, what can you do?: that made me laugh. I feel your pain!

Love the pencil heart!

>33 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura. But your husband bought you that sweater pattern a couple of years ago with no prompting as I recall. The one that I love.

>34 mabith: - Thanks, Meredith.

>35 dudes22: True, Betty. He has many fine qualities, but I could still see him making a remark similar to your husband's. In fact, I'm sure he has, I just can't remember the specifics at the moment.

It dawned on me earlier today that all these blocks and projects will need finishing when I get back home. More UFOs. Luckily these are pretty small.

So this is the quilt I made from the left-over strips from the heart/pencil-point quilt. It's a baby quilt size- around 34x39. It will probably be a charity quilt.

Oh, lovely. It reminds me of the rectangular throw rugs my Nana used to make from leftover yarn.

>39 avaland: - I'm really happy that I won't be adding more to my scrap pile and I've managed to use it up.

I saw this quilt hanging on a wall in a quilt shop I visited as a sample for a class and it said it was fat quarter friendly. They had run out of the pattern, but I came up with some measurements I think must be close. It was the quilting on it that I really admired. But I'll need to get home before doing that.

Interesting....

I know it looks a little simple, but I was thinking for a quick baby quilt, it would work. The one in the store didn't have a border, but I think I'm going to put the floral around it for borders. It was the quilting that was most interesting for me.

>41 dudes22: I love it. I saw your post a couple days ago; but just now have had a chance to comment. I am fascinated by the modern quilts I see on Instagram and this feels sort of modernish. Clean lines, an interesting design element that isn't overly fussy. Strong color ways. Liiiiiiike lots!!

>44 lesmel: - Thanks so much! I've been more drawn to a modern style of quilts than I used to be. I'm not really confident sometimes in my fabric selections, but I think this came together well. I'm somewhat afraid of all the open space that needs quilting because I don't think I do that well either, but the quilting I saw on this was parallel lines spaced close together in groups of two then separated by some space which really appealed to me.

Love that little quilt design!

Thanks, Meredith. Once I get home, I have a bunch of fat quarters that I can use to do some more.

The quilt I've been working on has a center section that is set on point and I need my bigger mat to square it off before I had borders. So I'm working on the pieced borders, but will finish it when I get home. I have one more small project I brought with me and a paper piecing project that I may or may not start. And I bought a couple of fat quarters thinking I might make some cloth napkins, so I might work on those this week before we start packing up.

You mention packing up....when are you due back in RI? You do get some sun, sand & blue green water while you are down there, don't you? :-)

Actually, we're heading to Mexico next week for 10 days and then heading home after that. We'll be stopping to see our grandson and a class-mate of hubby's on the way back. We should be home around the middle of Mar. We have been lucky and had some very nice weather while we've been here. According to the news people, it's been warmer than it usually is.

Excellent! Have a wonderful time across the border.

We do. We've gone to the same place every year for about 20 years. We like it's smallness and the staff is great.

Are you home, Betty? Settling back in?

We just got in a few hours ago. I'm leaving most of the unpacking and settling in til tomorrow. I'll get the mail too from a friend. I think my first priority will be to get to work on our taxes. So probably no sewing news for a bit. Although my favorite fabric store is having their big yearly ST Patrick's Day sale on Sat and Tues so I might need to go look and see what they have.

Welcome back. As you can see not much is happening around here :-)

Yes - I noticed. I'm hoping to get back to quilting in a few days. I'm seriously conflicted about whether or not to go the fabric sale on Tues. Everything seems to be canceling. Got an email from church that all church activities are cancelled until the end of the month. I'm not planning on going anywhere for a couple of weeks - got enough food and fabric.

>56 dudes22: I'm lower on cooking oil than I thought so I need some of that. I'm creating a list and adding to it. I figured if I get enough stuff, I can do curbside pickup at the grocery store and not feel bad about the fee for that. Otherwise, I'll just run in quickly with my gloves, get the items, and head home.

>57 thornton37814: - Good idea. I may look into that for things like milk and bananas. There were a couple of other things I discovered after I went to the market. This morning on the TV they say that they want everyone who has been overseas in the past 14 days to self-quarantine, which would be us since we got back on the 5th. I think it's a little late since people like us have probably already been out to get food as most people do when returning from vacation. Containing my husband may be the bigger issue.

I tend to be a stockpiler anyway, but I went to the store early Thursday and got what few things we still could use with no problems. We have books, fabric, the internet, television/streaming channels, endless outdoor chores.

>59 avaland: - Yes, I tend to have enough on hand to "weather the storm". I have decided not to go to the fabric sale on Tues. Let's face it - I really have enough.

I went into my sewing room this morning to get the stuff I brought back somewhat organized. I stitched a few pieces of batting together for some of the smaller projects I made while away. I pulled out one of the single blocks for my display wall and thought I'd organize to finish. WHY - when you can't see it - do I agonize over what to put on the back? Should I pick a fabric with a color from the front? Or just use a neutral? And then I need to decide how to quilt. I much prefer the making of the top.

The other project I've been thinking about is that hand-piecing project I took to Fla last winter. (oh yeah - what ever happened to that - I can hear you saying it...) I got somewhat discouraged after we returned and have not worked on it hardly at all in the past year. I was thinking how overwhelming it was and I'm not the best hand-piecer. But I saw a quilt in that style that didn't have as many units in it and that has encouraged me to try and work on it some more. I also want to see if I can figure out a way to do it on the machine. It probably means a lot of Y-seams, but they don't bother me as much. I think I'll try a test block with some of the fabric I already have cut and see how it goes. Even if I can machine piece parts of it, that might go faster.

>61 dudes22: Making the top: yes, I suspect most of us find that the "fun" part. I do fuss about the backing sometimes, and I try to keep a few possibilities on hand. It bugs me to have X amount of leftover "backing" fabric that I can't find a use for, so I try to find fabric with that in mind. Any off-white fabrics will end up in the backgrounds of some future quilt, but other colors/prints don't always integrate with my stash. Thankfully, I do very little of my own quilting these days (and then I stick to a grid pattern of some kind).

Can you paper-piece any of the hand-piecing project?

I'm tempted to do a Covid-19 - inspired project, but I'd have to finish putting together the two scrappy block quilts that are out and cluttering up the studio (of course, all the outdoor work is starting to call to me, but we have roofers and landscape people coming over the next couple of weeks...so perhaps I will have time after all)

I don't usually use a neutral for the back. I think I figure if it's a quilt to be used (i.e. baby quilt, bed top, lap quilt) that it might show dirt faster than a print. Considering some of the quilts you've made, I find it hard to believe that anything (!) would not fit into one of your quilts. You have such a great color sense and put together fabrics that I probably wouldn't - and they look great! As I've said before, I think I'm a type-A person and that tends to influence my choices even though I'm aware of it and try not to let it.

I remembered that I had bought a booklet when I was going to do a Lucy Boston Patchwork of the Crosses quilt that talked about using the machine for part of the process and hand sewing the other part or sewing Y-seams. I pulled it out to look over but I need to work on finishing a few things first. I don't think paper piecing would work. I need to do a little practice at starting and stopping that at the 1/4' mark before I decide whether or not to take this approach.

I decided to put the blocks/quilts I worked on while we were in Fla on my design wall. I hope that will encourage me to finish what I started before I start something new. (And I won't lose the borders that I haven't attached yet.) Well - except for a table mat I want to make for the friends where we stayed on our way back. I made one for them a few years ago and Pat has put it in the guest room where it fits perfectly on the night table. But she needs one for the other side.) That's the only new thing I'll do when the fabric I ordered gets here.

I'm thinking I might try a pieced binding for the quilt at the top right matching the colors in the quilt if I have enough fabric. It will mean doing a straight attach instead of a diagonal, but I think it might look different.

>62 avaland: - I had some further thought about fabric not in your wheelhouse and I think I agree. I know I'm not inclined to like the civil war type colors for quilts. And yet, when we moved and I was putting fabric away, I realized how many I had that would work in that kind of quilt. That I don't know when I'll use them.

It's a dreary, rainy day here in RI. After I finished working on taxes for a while (though not done), I decided to put this quilt up on the wall over my china cupboard as my spring quilt. I can't tell you when I made it, but it was the first paper pieced project that I did. And I even quilted it myself. Crocus are one of my favorite spring flowers; probably because they are the first ones up.

I've finished the first of the projects that I started in Florida. I chose a pink and green stripe for the back. This will be part of a display wall that I have planned for the hallway once I get a few more done.

And, while I was posting this, FedEx threw an envelope on the porch which has the fabric I need for the binding of another.

>64 dudes22: What a lovely group of projects!

>65 dudes22: I made that one, too! I like your border. Will see if I have a photo of it. I probably have the year I made it noted, too.

>66 dudes22: Oh, very nice!

The day after I sent those two small (relatively) fabric orders (yesterday), one to Hancocks at Paducah, they sent me an email offering me 20% because "We noticed that you haven’t stopped by in a while. Come back to shop our amazing new fabrics, quilt kits, precuts, notions & more." ha ha. And so I might.

>67 avaland: - re:>65 dudes22:: I think I still have the pattern so if I look at the publication date that may give me an idea of when it was too.

So - (I know, I start a lot of my posts this way :) I was thinking I'd organize some of my scraps yesterday as I'm thinking of trying the "leaders-and-enders" method to create blocks for another quilt. While doing that, I found a bag with a half-finished project using the same pattern as the quilt on the bottom right in the picture in post #64. Guess I'll be working on that too.

I finished the top of a new table top mat as a gift for the friends we stayed with on our way home, but I'm not sure I want to go to the PO to send. There's no way to leave a package for pickup where our mailboxes are (only a little letter box), so I can't even print out a label and send it.

Here is the wall hanging I did (I had very little paper piecing experience when I did this:



My notes say it was made in 2004, which was not long after I saw one hanging in a quilt shop. I made it with fabric I had and the machine quilting is kind of sloppy.... I still have the packet with the directions and the 2nd pattern if someone is interested in making one.

Looks like mine! Except it's reversed. I wonder which one of us did it backwards? I like the limey green you used - makes it a little brighter.

>70 dudes22: Oh, I hadn't noticed! I'm a lefty so it's probably me!

I've been approached to sew surgical masks for medical facilities. I had thought of this some time ago but figured they would not be the quality needed for medical purposes. I was a little surprised to hear that medical facilities were looking for them. I've put more details over on my thread. One might find a local facility looking for the same thing.

>71 avaland: - I talked to my daughter-in-law who is a nurse at the biggest hospital in RI the other day and she didn't seem that enthusiastic about that idea, although she said that someone she knew was making them. Even if they have the masks, if they still need the filters.

I realized yesterday that although I have plenty of fabric, I don't have that much batting in larger sizes. So I sorted through my leftover batting pieces to see what I had that could be put together for larger pieces and put a few together. I have a couple of large bins and I tend to just add to them. I still have a bag of white batting to go through. I also picked out some fabrics to make kits for our church sewing group (for when we can meet again). As I was looking through fabric for the kits, I have to say, I was wondering why I bought some of them. I guess my tastes have changed over the years. Now to find a way to use them.

ETA: I've also been spending time organizing my quilting pins on Pintrest and deciding what I can try next and downloading some free patterns.

>72 dudes22: This is a good time to be going through and organizing things - both physical and digital.

>72 dudes22: A lot of the cross stitch designers are offering a free design during this time. I downloaded several last night. Most are small pieces and not very complicated, but they will be good for teaching someone to cross stitch. If I'm out at the desk in the morning, I sometimes take a project out there. I've had a few of the girls say they wish they knew how to do that because it looked relaxing. I've learned to keep a "kit" so I can teach. Of course with so few on campus now, I suspect it will be fall before I need any kits.

>72 dudes22: I used quite a lot of my batting leftovers for the charity quilts and then I discovered another bin of the stuff, so that will also be used for finishing more charity quilts when I'm up for it.

Luckily, I do have mostly smaller projects that won't need a lot of batting. I have a habit if I'm not going to continue on and finish a project of using material for another project and not having enough for the binding. So I went through a bunch of unfinished projects today and tried to get them in one place and somewhat organized. I also cut a bunch of squares to use for my leaders-and-enders.

I love those crocus pieces. They're one of my favorite flowers.

>77 mabith: - Thanks, Meredith. I love them too.

Almost time for them to rise from the ground and show themselves! Meredith, if you are interested in making one of these, I can send you the pattern and 2nd paper foundation.

>79 avaland: - My crocus were up when we got back a couple of weeks ago. Of course, we're much closer the to water and therefore warmer than where you are ;)

>80 dudes22: I went out to rake up a bit of leaves, now that last week's snow is gone, and behold beneath the leaves peeking out there were some crocuses.

>81 avaland: How lovely! I spotted the first coltsfoot today, which is the earliest spring flower in these parts. We don't have crocuses here - too cold for them I think.

Betty, here’s a link with a searchable database for medical facilities looking for masks and what kind they prefer. Although, they listed one in NH but it’s not the one I was asked to make some for.

https://babylock.com/learn-and-create/inspiration/face-masks

It’s further down the page.

>81 avaland:- Nice!

>82 PawsforThought: - I had to look that up to see a picture. I also have a few daffodils that I think will pop open as soon as we get some decent sun. It's been rather dreary around here the past week.

>83 avaland: - Thanks for that. I think they might be collecting them at the quilt store also. I need to find that email.

>84 dudes22: That sounds lovely. We still have quite a bit of snow left on the ground - it's only in the south-facing slopes that the coltsfeet are popping up.

>85 PawsforThought: - Although we had a relatively snow-free winter, the weather has been grey and gloomy for a couple of weeks now. I think I would mind staying in less if I could sit in the sun on the porch and read. I still get out early to walk around our condo association, but I'd like to be out a little bit more.

So I took a little break from making some masks. I found some elastic and bias tape on Etsy and will wait for that to come before I keep going. Meanwhile I have a table topper I've been working on for our friends in Hilton Head that we stayed with on our way back from Fla. When we visited them about 8-10 years ago, I made a table topper as a hostess gift. When we stayed this time, she had it on one of the bedside tables and it fit exactly. So I went through my fabrics when I got back and actually found all the fabrics I originally used. There was just enough of the focus fabric for me to do the front and use it on the back. So I'm making another of the table topper for the other table in the guest room. Will post pic when I finish. Imagine - 8-10 years.

>87 dudes22: Glad you took a break. How lovely to see your work in situ and being used & loved. And very good on finding the original fabrics!

I have a few projects in pizza boxes to finish; sometimes, I will throw the fabric in the box with the UFO.

I decided yesterday that there's one other sewing project I need to take on. I have a friend whose daughter's birthday is the end of the month. She's going to be 6 this year and I'm sure the "at home" is getting hard. (she's very active) So I think I'll make her a "reading pillow" and get some activity books to send for her birthday. I'll probably have to order a pillow form and I just need to decide a good size. Big enough but not too big.

Yeah, my daughters, the extroverts in the family, are a bit stir-crazy. Oliver, the nearly 5 year old grandson, made his own breakfast while Mom & Dad were still sleeping twice now. The first time they woke up to him eating something and he explained calmly that he made oatmeal for himself. This last time he made ice cream "cake" by taking a Hoodsie cup (ice cream), a yogurt cup and 1/3 of a bottle of maple syrup. He told his mother he was a "chef." The daughter who is local is at the grocery store currently (a local Market Basket) and says they have lost half their staff, the store were only letting 150 at a time in, and the checkout lines were very long. She said there are more people wearing masks (she was wearing one of mine).

This is the table mat for our friends in S Carolina that I mentioned in post #87. The back is the blueberry fabric. Just needs a final press. I'll be going to the post office later this week with this and another birthday gift I need to send out. I'm trying to wait til I have enough that I won't have to go back in the near future.

Lovely!

MY order for elastic arrived today. So now I can finish some masks. Our governor just made it "mandatory" for everyone to wear masks when they go out where there will be other people: grocery, pharmacy, etc.

>93 dudes22: I was at the grocery store yesterday and it was like being part of a large quest-like board game with all of it's marks on the floors and one way arrows...etc. Everyone was wearing masks or something mask-like.

I'm working on another batch of masks which will bring me up close to 90 masks. I will definitely stop at 100.

I went to the market yesterday and was surprised at the number of people not wearing mask or gloves. And not able to follow the lines in the aisles. I also stopped at the drugstore and the clerks were also not wearing gloves or masks. I just don't understand it. There were still some shelves that were pretty empty but it's a smaller local market, so maybe that's why.

I must not have been paying attention when I ordered the elastic and ended up with 144 yards! I'll spread it around to a few people I know are making masks. I'm going to try and go to the post office today. I have a couple of boxes I need to send. I've been trying to get everything together so I can just make one trip.

This is the reading pillow I made yesterday. I haven't put the pillow in yet and I have a couple of books to go in the pocket. What a cute, quick project.

What a great idea, Betty!

>96 dudes22: I love the fabric! :)

Thank you both! I've decided to do a few more after I finish the masks I'm making. My sister called yesterday looking for some "guy" material because my brother didn't like wearing flowers which was the only material she had. So I left a bag with some elastic, fabric and cookies at her door while she was at work.

>96 dudes22: Aw, that's so cute! I love it!

Love your book pillow. Also "a bag with some elastic, fabric and cookies" caught my eye. Especially the cookies! What a nice surprise that would be.

>99 dudes22: That's a nice gesture, Betty!

I've had the habit of shopping at Goodwill for nice quality 100% men's dress shirts in nice plaids. Mostly this is to mix in with other kinds of scraps (so everything doesn't look like quilting fabric). These have come in handy to make some "guy masks" (and, to be honest, the plaid make it so easy to do the pleats).

>100 scaifea: -Thanks, Amber.

>101 lauralkeet: - It mostly self-preservation so I don't eat all the cookies myself. I made them for a birthday box I was sending out and had some extra. And hubby's not a big cookie eater.

>102 avaland: - Thanks, Lois. I wonder if I should go looking through my husband's closet? But I don't think he has many plaid shirts. That would be one way to get him to get rid of some things. My sister isn't too far away. She has an apartment on my brother's farm and I can get eggs there which seem to be an item that is in short supply around here. And I got some fresh spinach which is just coming in.

I've been flitting between projects so I don't get too bored. This is a project I started while we were in Fla. I didn't have a big enough cutting mat while we were there to square it up before adding the borders. I'm thinking of quilting it in a grey, but I'm not sure I have enough thread of the same color.

>104 dudes22: Ooh, I love all the colors in that one.

>104 dudes22: Oh, very lovely. Nice colors. How big is that, Betty?

It's about 32x32 - wall hanging size. You could make it bigger by adding more squares, I'm sure. (Are you thinking scrap quilt?) I bought the pattern for this. It's meant to be made with charm packs. I did buy a charm pack for the grey but used left overs for the colors. Because of the way I decided to set it, I needed a couple more grey squares than I had charm squares, so I made a couple more from my stash. I forgot that I had started one of these a while ago from my stash which I found when I got home. Not sure there's enough contrast, so I've put it aside again.

I found a few small spools of grey. Of course no two are the same. But I think a couple of them are close enough that it won't matter. Now I need to figure out how I want to quilt it.

>104 dudes22: Oh, I like that one. The grey looks like silver when mixed in with all the other colours-

>108 PawsforThought: - Thanks, Paws. The grey is actually a bit lighter than it looks in the picture. The light in my sewing room tends to cast a shadow on my design wall making photos a bit darker.

Somehow, even though I saw them at Christmas, I forgot that friend's son and daughter-in-law were expecting a new baby this month and she's arrived. I decided to take a jelly roll I had and use some of the strips for a quick baby quilt. I usually like to use a flannel on the back, but I don't have anything that I think goes nice enough with the front. I guess I could look online to see if there's anything or wait til we get out of this. It's not like I'll be seeing them soon.

Very pretty! I love how grey looks great with basically any color.

I agree with Meredith. I've not done much with gray but that wall hanging looks great. I'm going to settle down and check out that pattern you gave me.

Do you have any plans for your spring sewing? (we finally had a very nice day, warm & sunny; April was so rainy and frigid)

Well - The reading pillow that was featured in post #96 has caught my interest for some quick projects. I made a couple for the grandchildren of one of the ladies I walk with in the morning and one for the grandchild of another friend. Living in a retirement community, it's mostly grandchildren. I've been pulling out fabrics to make some more. Rather like the pillowcases, I expect I'll end up with quite a few.

I also finished the baby quilt mentioned in post #109. I really need to figure out how to take better pictures. The pic is darker than the quilt. It's actually quite a nice shade of coral: (it might be too dark where my design wall is)



Today, I'm going to go through scraps and reorganize some for a few scrap projects. I really need to use up fabric. (So I can order more, of course :)) I'm not good with the method you use of piecing odd pieces together and then cutting out squares - I tend to agonize over it way more than I know I should. Plus I have a lot of novelty print left overs from baby quilts that have lots of color in them. The best I do with those is to cut large squares and then subcut and shuffle and put back together. You know what I mean...

ETA: Oh - and those jelly roll jam type quilts.

So much fun to get in and play with fabric. I have a pattern you might find useful. Will post tonight after the pick up the grandson if I don’t fall asleep.

Thanks. I went through a big tote of scraps I had and couldn't believe some of the small pieces I kept. I decided to get rid of a lot of the holiday scraps I had, put some larger pieces aside to cut into squares, and separated the others by color. I already had some scraps by color so I just added to them.

I pulled out some rectangles that I had made from scraps and realized I had more than I thought. So I decided I'd make enough more to make a quilt.

I also pulled out pieces from the hand sewing quilt project I started last year while we were away. I saw a picture for a smaller version of it and figured maybe I could at least finish a smaller version.

Update on scrap quilt:



While laying out my scrap quilt on the design wall, I realized that it was going to be way too narrow for the length. And I didn't start far enough up the wall so I ran out of room - but you get the idea of where I'm going. (there are borders not in the picture also). That's what happens when you don't pre-plan. So after figuring a few different configurations, I've decided to add an extra column and an extra row of red in the middle. I guess I'll pull all my scraps back out and make some more rectangles.

Meanwhile, I'm finishing a bunch of pillowcases that are in various stages. (mostly just cut in a pile.) Although I'm not finishing any tops, I'm working on more organization and smaller projects.

>115 dudes22: Ooooooo! Pretty! I just love (saaaarrrrrcasm) when all the planning I think I do is for not. Like my December wall hanging. Mom got her version. Mine is languishing on the dining room buffet again.

>116 lesmel: - I can't say there was a lot of planning before I started laying it out. Just a general idea of what I could do with these rectangles.

So all of a sudden, my sewing machine started giving me trouble while I was working on the pillowcases. I had the message that said it needed oiling so I stopped to do that. When I went back to sewing, I started having trouble with my backstitch. I had seen a message from the place I take it that they were still doing repairs so I called and gave them all the information and then took it up and dropped it off. They had a table outside where you could put your machine and then you call and they come out and take your machine and leave your slip. Still a 3.5 week wait to get it back. Luckily I have a "smaller" machine that I can use. Meanwhile, it time for a deep cleaning in my sewing room.

>117 dudes22: oh that's a shame Betty. It kinda makes you want to have an extra machine as backup, no? But then again, being "forced" into a deep cleaning may not be a bad thing either.

Oh, Laura - I do have an older machine. I use it for just straight piecing and just don't put quilts together with it. I can still do the extra rectangles I need. I noticed a few "kitties" yesterday which gave me the push. "Deep" in this case is mostly vacuuming (I hate to vacuum).

>117 dudes22: As you might remember I needed to inconveniently take my machine in for service in the middle of mask-masking, so I feel your pain! Good to see that one of us is moving ahead with sewing projects.

I was thinking of you when I decided it needed to go in. Unfortunately I won't be getting mine back as quickly as you did.

Various updates:

Lois sent me some soft cord elastic. Our governor is moving on to Phase II of reopening so I should probably make us a few more masks so I don't have to wash them as often. I'm still making some off and on for the homeless shelter our church supports and may use some of the cord for them too.

I've finished the extra rectangles for the quilt from #115 and have put sashing between the rectangles and am now putting the rows together. Then I'll have to figure the measurements to fit the border pieces in.

When lesmel posted her wall hanging of the mugs, it reminded me of a paper pieced project of tea cups I started ages ago. I decided to pull them out and see what I had. I was hoping I had enough done to do a small wall hanging. But only one block is complete, two just need the border pieces, and a couple more are in various stages. So nothing I could do anything with quickly. Back on the shelf, for now.

I also cut up a bunch of scraps into some blocks for some quick projects our church group might be able to work on if we can start getting together.

So I found another partially started quilt in the same pattern as #104. I had thought I might just trash it, but there was more done than I thought so I decided to keep going. But all that piecing in the borders has gone a bit wrong and the borders don't fit the sides. When you're sewing 26 1.5" strips together, just a thread or two can make a difference overall. So I could: a - put it back in a bag until I feel like fixing it, b - fix it now, or c - trying to block the inside a little bit bigger and then see how the borders fit. Not sure what I'll do. Finish a book, I think.

Is your church group doing projects physically as a group now, or still individually? (you are always sewing!)

We're still not meeting in person. No idea when that might happen.

One of my friends who winters in Arizona and spends summers here in RI (they bought and built in our condo community after we told them about it; they live about 6 houses away.) made me this pair of socks as a thank you for a few things I did before they got here this year. She knits and crochets and makes a lot of socks. They fit perfectly. I have a very short foot and usually the heel of a sock is up my ankle. I just wish we weren't heading into summer so I could wear them a lot.

Laura - the stitches around the heel seams are so neat; I'm amazed. Now I can appreciate your sock pictures even more.

I really like the colors in those socks!

>126 dudes22: Ooh those look fab, Betty! Sock heels are a technique to be mastered for sure. I'm working on a pair right now that uses a different method for the heel and it doesn't look as nice as others I've made. There are some gaps along those edges. I think I can snug it up with some darning at the end but I'll probably avoid this heel method in future.

>127 avaland: - I know, Lois - and the picture isn't that good. Now to wait till it's cooler so I can wear them.

>128 lauralkeet: - I knew you'd like seeing them, Laura. I remember you mentioned before that there were two different methods to make heels.

Well - I finally got my sewing machine back. And dropped off my second one as long as I was going to be there. And since I was already half-way across the state, I decided to go to my favorite fabric store and buy a few things. I was mostly looking for white batting and actually didn't buy that much fabric. In order to make it better to shop, they moved things around and there wasn't as much fabric as there usually is.

>130 dudes22: I fear we'll see a lot fewer options of many things because of the coronavirus. I'm finding it difficult to find the variety pack of canned food my cats like best. I have to get the closest they have, but there is one flavor in there my cats don't like nearly as much so even though three cats are eating the one can, I'm throwing a good bit of it out. If it continues, I may just opt for purchasing individual cans, and those are not nearly as convenient as purchasing it by the box. It may be worth paying more just to have them eating it.

Glad you got your machine back, Betty! Other than my elastic order via Amazon (which did, eventually, turn out okay), and an order of the bias tape maker (and a bit of fabric) from a store in Mississippi, and recently, some fat quarters from Spoonflower (which I have yet to receive) I have done little shopping over the last four he months.

I have gotten batting online from Backside Fabrics when I've ordered some nice backing (every now and again I want to put a really nice backing on a quilt rather than the usual. When I do this, I am always thinking about how much I will enjoy the leftovers!)

I saw this quilt on Pintrest and downloaded the free pattern. The original pattern didn't have the sashing, but I saw a picture with it and liked it better. It's 19.5" square. The hearts are paper pieced using a slightly different technique I learned in a class I took a long time ago using freezer paper. Now I really need to stop procrastinating and figure out the borders for the quilt up in #115.

>131 thornton37814: - I think you're right, Lori. Would it still be cost effective if you donated the kind they don't like to an animal shelter?

>132 avaland: - I thought about ordering batting but some places charge extra to ship it so I didn't bother. But now that I have some (I bought some of the cream color too), I'm going to finish some of my larger projects. I'm only stitching batting together for smaller projects. I'm going to check out Backside Fabrics though. Can always use another fabric place.

>134 dudes22: I was able to get the kind they liked when I did my PetsMart pick-up so I'm hopeful things will go better as soon as I finish the final layer in the current box.

>133 dudes22: That looks so cute!

>135 thornton37814: - OH good!

>136 genesisdiem: - Thanks.

I need some advice:

The top picture is the middle of the quilt in #115 with the sashing of 1" which is a white-on-white print. My idea was to put a white sashing around the middle. Then use the strips in the bottom picture with sashing to make a border and then another row of white before the binding. But I don't have enough of the white fabric and it's so old I'd never find it again. Here's what I've thought of so far as solutions:

1. I have enough white that I could do a border of 3" or less. Leave out the multi-colored pieces.

2. I could make more of the multi-colored strips and attach them together to make a border without sashing. I might have enough white to make two narrow white sashing strips to go between the middle and border and border and outside edge.

3. Since the blocks in picture one were mostly scraps, I could see if I have any larger pieces and do some kind of rainbow border which I haven't designed yet. Still with a white strip around the middle.

4. I could take it all apart and replace the sashing. Yuck!

Is there any way that I could use another white that wouldn't look jury rigged?

Advice?

Intriguing conundrum. 1. good grief, do not take all that sashing apart. Yuck, indeed.

The color collections with the white washings says: colorful, quiet, orderly; however the newer mixed color strips say at the moment: colorful, noisy. Your eye does different things over each. If your plan is to put sashing around the mixed colors as you did the color collections that would add some order to those, but it seems you'd need something bigger than 1" sashing between the two kinds of blocks. You could use the mixed colors as a border if you put a smaller inner border bigger than the sashing.

Of course, it won't be perfect with another white, but perhaps you could find one similar enough to the first? If it were me, I'd have to play with it up on the design wall for a while.

Absolutely leave the sashing! I love the way the colours form a continuum and the way the yellows have been integrated between warm and cool.

Is it possible to use the same width of white sashing between the middle and the border and omit it between the border and the outside edge? Is the outside edge binding or another border - I'm not quite clear here. Leaving it out would work if the outside edge is binding, not so much if it is another border.

With regard to what >139 avaland: says - would the border colours be in the same kind of sequence as the middle? I also wondered if they would be vertical or horizontal in relation to the middle.

So many things to ponder!

I wish I had your kind of colour sense.

>139 avaland: The color collections with the white washings says: colorful, quiet, orderly; however the newer mixed color strips say at the moment: colorful, noisy. Your eye does different things over each.

I felt the same way. The top photo, as is, is pretty and soothing. Your option 1, a white border all around, would be nice.

That's probably the easy way out, and that's not to say there isn't a way to use your mixed color strips. I just don't have the color sense, as SassyLassy called it, to imagine these things (I've been swatching lots of Fair Isle patterns because I am unable to picture how colors will play together).

Thanks - I see what you're saying, Lois. I was thinking that without the other blocks, it would be kind of boring. I went to breakfast with a friend this am and we were talking about it and she gave me another option I hadn't thought of. I could make a white border - either at a size that links to the size of the inner blocks (like 2-3 inches) or as wide as I can make it and then use the multi-colored blocks for another border around and then just bind it without any more white. Maybe use the more solid colors from the middle for the binding. I would probably have to make more of the multi-colored blocks so I can have enough to go all the way around. I'll have to play with it a little more before I decide.

Laura - I really don't think I have a very good color sense either. Especially mixing prints in quilts. I'm way to analytical and type A wanting everything to match. Good luck with your color choices.

>142 dudes22: I'm way to analytical and type A wanting everything to match.
I can so relate to this, Betty! I lean toward matching and symmetry and those urges are very strong. In one of our previous houses, our bedroom was such that the bed could be placed at an angle, which my husband insisted on doing. I never got used to it!

>143 lauralkeet: - ha, ha!

Have you thought further about your color blocks? I'm sure whatever you decide will work out fine. If it were me, I'd find a very colorful print, a floral perhaps, and use it as a border (but then, I probably wouldn't have been as orderly to begin with). Glad we are NOT all alike, so we can share different perspectives:-)

>145 avaland: - Well - The multi-colored strips in the picture in post #138 are done on muslin. So to attach them and make more, I'd have to cut some of the muslin in the back so it wasn't too bulky, so I'm still putting it on hold for now. I might just look for a multi-colored print and plan something else for the multi-colored strips I have.

I've decided to make some more reading pillows. I have a bunch cut out so I'm going to make sure I have the right colors of thread for top-stitching and maybe cut some more out.

>138 dudes22: I love that! Lovely use of colours and shades. I hope you can work it all out with the border issue.

>146 dudes22: I'm sure you will come up with something fab! Do post your reading pillow when you finish one, please.

>148 avaland: - The first one I made is up in post #98, but I'll post a few more when I finish some.

>149 dudes22: Oh yes, now that you mention it, i did see that. What size pillow goes in that, a standard size or something you make?

Yeah - it's standard. I made it so it fits a 16" pillow form. That way the pocket is big enough for a couple of books. Or a book and a stuffed animal.

All okay in Bettyland?

Yeah - things are good. I've been working on multiple projects at the same time. More reading pillows, some pillowcases for pillowcase dresses for our church charity sewing group (which isn't meeting), a few masks here and there. Still no decision on that quilt from #138. I've picked a couple of fabrics that I might use for a border but still have it hanging on the wall.

I always said that I would never make a quilt from selvages. Even though I saw a cute one last year at a quilt show. So I give away any selvages I have of a decent size to a friend who swears she's going to do one some day. But I saw one on Pintrest today that was a bookshelf and the selvages were the book spines. It was really kind of cute with the writing and the color dots. And when I've looked at bookshelf quilt patterns, I've never thought the spines looked like books. I have to say it was an interesting way to use them.

Finally! I got my sewing machine back yesterday - 7 weeks! Now I can sew both upstairs and in the basement. No excuses now to get some things done.

>155 dudes22: How awful! What a long 7 weeks that must have been!!

>153 dudes22: "pillowcase dresses"? What are those? (maybe you've mentioned them before and I've just forgotten)

>154 dudes22: Selvage quilts? I've not heard of that, but nothing should really surprise me anymore.

>155 dudes22: Now I can sew both upstairs and in the basement

Wow. Do you actually have two dedicated sewing spaces? And are certain projects better suited to one or the other?

I did have my other machine while this one was being maintenanced, but this one is the one I use upstairs so I'm not stuck in the basement.

Pillowcase dresses start out as a pillowcase (usually homemade). From there, there are a few ways I've seen to make them into a dress. There are patterns to cut arm and neck holes for different sizes. Then you can use double edged binding to finish and some make a casing to use a ribbon at the shoulders. If you google it you can see some pictures.

Yeah - I was surprised when I first heard about selvage edge quilts. I guess that works for people who don't want to throw anything away. I have enough scraps as it is.

I really need to finish things I start instead of starting more things. I think I'll have that tatooed on my forehead. Backwards so I see it every time I look in the mirror.

>159 dudes22: Nice to know I’m not the only one with that problem.

>159 dudes22: ha ha ha I bet we all have that problem, to varying degrees! Not a bad problem to have, IMO.

>159 dudes22: Singing in the same choir here :-)

Betty, I got your package! How wonderful! Thank you! But, before I could get it to Oliver, the 5 year old; Rory, the 2 year old grandson, who was visiting from Virginia, co-opted it! He is very big on dinosaurs and snatched it. I was amazed I actually had a 16" pillow form, too! Thanks, again (see photo below that his mother took for me; he would stand still for her, not me)

Your work is so wonderfully crisp and accurate, too. Puts some of my messy doings to shame.

>163 avaland: oh, that is sooo cute!

Oh - he looks so cute. I didn't realize there were two grandsons. What does the other one like? Sports, cars, fish? other things? I might have one already made.

>163 avaland: Oh, that is very sweet.

I was in my sewing room today cutting some squares for a leaders-and-enders project.

For those of you not familiar with quilting, it's suggested that you leave a small piece of fabric under the sewing machine needle because it saves thread and provides a smoother beginning each time you sew. The fabric and thread doesn't get caught and sometimes make a knot.

So I use them to create blocks and pieces I can use in other quilts. Kind of like a "two-fur". I'm cutting blocks to make some half-square triangles. I need 100 blocks. I had decided to use a grey speckled for one side and then I thought I'd use some of the polka dots I have for the other side. I use a lot of dots and stripes to make baby quilts because they go with a lot. I couldn't believe it but I cut 100 squares of dots all of them different from my stash. Yikes!

>165 dudes22: Oliver, the five year old is an expert on cars/trucks. He is local, whereas Rory and his not-yet-born sister are in Northern Virginia.

>167 dudes22: Weeeee! (or should I echo your "Yikes!"?) Looking forward to seeing that project.

>168 avaland: - Well you're up early today. I know I have cars and trucks. I was working on some more pillows yesterday that I had already cut out. I was ironing them getting them ready to top-stitch. That usually means changing thread color with every pillow, but I can still do them assembly-line like.

>169 dudes22: (Wasn't sleeping well, went back to bed around 5:30 am for a bit). That's sweet of you to do that (!), please don't feel obligated. I know that assembly-line thing, that's how I'm doing the masks. At a certain point I have them sorted by expected thread color to finish. Of course, I don't have as much variety in my thread color (you know what I mean, one has an evergreen or a bluegreen, but not a spring/yellow green). I think I'm going to have to buy some thread sets, even if a poly-cotton blend, for the non-quilt projects.

>170 avaland: - I try to do the thread thing too. I found a couple of pillows today that I'll need to wait until I get a more correct color than I have.

So this is the first quilt that I did using my "leaders-and-enders" process for some of the half square triangles. When it seemed to be taking too long, I decided to just make squares. There are 100 half square triangles and the quilt is 20"x20". I also wanted to show you the fabric I picked for the back. I've had it for a long time and never wanted to cut into it. So I thought the back would be nice. Going on my display wall.

>172 dudes22: Oh, that’s gorgeous! And I love the fabric for the back - the pattern reminds me of the kurbits pattern that’s common in old folklore/peasantry furniture and crafts here. But more brightly coloured. It’s super pretty.

>172 dudes22: wow!!

>173 PawsforThought: - Thanks. I wasn't familiar with kurbits but looked it up and it does kind of look like those patterns. Or even a more modern stylized type of Jacobean. I still have enough that I'm thinking of taking a piece and framing it to put on a wall somewhere.

>174 genesisdiem: - Thanks.

>172 dudes22: that is absolutely amazing, Betty. I love the backing fabric and can see why you didn't want to cut into it. It's perfect for this piece!

Thanks, Laura. Too bad no one will see the back while it's hanging on the wall.

>172 dudes22: That is just gorgeous — both sides equally! Maybe you could periodically hang it with the back side facing out?

>178 rosalita: I was just about to suggest that! When the back is as pretty as the front, you need to show it off!

>172 dudes22: Love the way the front and back play off each other. What a wonderful job with the shading on the front.

>175 dudes22: What about a cushion front or back for the backing fabric on the quilt. That way it will be seen. You could even quilt the uncut fabric to a backing for one side of a cushion cover.

>172 dudes22: That is gorgeous! And I'm so impressed with your accuracy and neatness. Love the backing, too.

>181 avaland: - Thanks. As I was quilting I realized that the accuracy was not as great as I thought when I was piecing. The stitching on the white really showed up where things didn't meet as well as they should have. Not too obvious from the picture.

>182 dudes22: You must be more a perfectionist, or just hard on yourself. It is wonderfully made.

Thanks.

So - here's the story of these pillows: Back last spring, my next door neighbor's friend Carol asked Nora if she knew anyone who could make some pillows from some silk scarves that she had. I guess she used to buy them when she would travel and once she had grand-daughters, she let them be used for dress-up. Her grand-daughters are now in their 20's and her idea was to give them a picture when they were little playing dress-up along with a pillow for Christmas. Nora asked me if I would be interested. Don't ask me why but I said ok. Once I got them, I realized that they would need interfacing and lining and I was petrified that they would melt the instant I touched them with an iron. So I procrastinated all summer. Realizing that Christmas isn't that far away, I finally decided to give it a try. I tested on a corner applying the interfacing and once I knew it wouldn't be a disaster, it actually went quite quickly. I used the same method I use for the reading pillows, making an envelope back. They're each about 12" square.

>185 dudes22: Oh, that's a lovely way to re-use scarves! How nice for her granddaughters (and how nice of you!)

>185 dudes22: How brave you were! They look fabulous. Betty (and what a nice gift for the granddaughters; pillows which have a story)

>185 dudes22: what a great idea! Good for you for taking this on.

>185 dudes22: What a lovely way to use these scarves. They seem to be a fairly regular size in the picture, but as they were bought individually, were they of different dimensions to start, and did you have to modify?

I have some silk fabric I am terrified to cut. How did you finish the seams?

>186 PawsforThought: - >187 avaland: - >188 lauralkeet: - Thanks

>189 SassyLassy: - They were all different sizes. I cut lightweight iron-on interfacing (one 12" sq, a 7.5"x12" piece, and a 8.5"x12" piece from each scarf) and ironed that onto the back of the pieces. Then I cut the same size pieces from white cotton lining material. I folded over one edge on each back piece including the lining and top-stitched. Then I just layered everything together, stitched and turned. I didn't do any special finishing to the seams. I thought of doing French seams but I was concerned about the bulk. Besides, I'm lazy..

Wow - two weeks since I've been to my own thread. I found a pattern I liked better for face masks than the pleated one I was using and I've been alternating between making some more masks and other projects. (I'll see if I can get a picture of one to post - I made one with a red and black ladybug fabric that I took to my sister at the library that was so cute. She's the children's librarian) I've finished a few more reading pillows and I pulled out a baby quilt top that I had on the shelf to put together for a neighbor who is expecting a grandchild in Dec (?). There are so many quilt patterns I want to make. How will I ever find the time?

We've decided to expand our deck so I'm hoping it will warm up today so I can transplant my plants temporarily. My coleus took a hit the other night when it dropped into the 30s and I had to pull most of them.

Ok - that's my update on what's been going on.

>191 dudes22: Yeah, we've been just above freezing at night, but my flowers are still hanging on.

Would like to see the photo of the masks if you get a chance. Not that I want to make any more, just interested.

I'll try to remember if I get to making one today.

Here are the pictures of the mask. The last one is the inside.

>194 dudes22: That one is lovely!

I was having trouble with a mask I was making yesterday - the first time, I cut the fabric the wrong size and the second time, I sewed a right side to a wrong side. So I quit that and decided I needed a little mat for the table for Halloween. I was thinking this would be cute with one more row and each block of four for one of the months to make it a calendar quilt. I actually have fabrics for all the holidays - I made my niece a table runner for each month when she got married so I have stuff. Sometimes I have the attention span of a gnat - always looking for what I should do next.

>196 dudes22: Sometimes I have the attention span of a gnat - always looking for what I should do next.

Some people might call that executive planning skills, so keep it up - it keeps us going through the technical work of our current projects that we conceived while working on earlier projects!

That binding really sets off your mat well. Great fabrics for the season

>194 dudes22: Meant to post earlier that these are beautiful fabrics. I keep seeing them as a tie.

You must have a great stash.

>196 dudes22: so cute! And I like the idea of a calendar quilt.

>194 dudes22: Interesting! lovely fabric.

>196 dudes22: That's so cute. I love the binding.

>197 SassyLassy: Some people might call that executive planning skills, so keep it up - it keeps us going through the technical work of our current projects that we conceived while working on earlier projects! I like that!

>197 SassyLassy: - "executive planning" - never thought of it that way. I like to use a stripe on the binding when I can. I think it gives it some interest. I do have a large stash.

>196 dudes22: - Thanks

>197 SassyLassy: - re:194 - Even wearing glasses, I find this style fits better. It's not as close to the nose and mouth so it doesn't feel as constricting.

ETA: Sassy - I also have some fabrics that I could weed out. Don't know what I was thinking when I bought them. I'm going to try to do some charity quilts with them or I might take a bunch to the quilt store I like that has a charity group (once they can meet again). You can see my stash (although it's grown since) at post #31 on last year's thread.

Your quilts are just lovely! Thank you for inviting me to join this group. I haven't done any quilting for a long time, despite having UFOs! So I hope I can be inspired to make time for more of it. I have mainly been focusing on my knitting.

>201 JayneCM: Welcome Jayne! I hope you will start a thread to share your projects with us, even as WIPs or UFOs! Knitting, quilting, whatever -- all welcome!

>201 JayneCM: - Laura got to say it before me- Welcome. Laura is a knitter too. She does wonderful stuff. Check out some of the other threads too.

I have nothing new to show, but thought I'd stop by my own thread with some updates. I've been working on masks again now that I've found a pattern I really like. Thought I'd do some holiday ones.
Also working on some more pillowcases. Our church participates in Samaratin's Purse which sends shoeboxes with stuff to children in need (foster, refugee, etc). Our church sewing group tries to make a pillowcase to put in each one. For many of these children, a pillowcase is where they keep their possessions. Even though we haven't been meeting, we're each trying to get some done to go in the boxes.
Also trying to get my Christmas shopping done - mostly on-line. We're going to try and go visit friends in Az for Thanksgiving and we'll probably have to quarantine when we get back until we can get a test.
ok - that's it.

>204 dudes22: We do Operation Christmas Child from Samaritan's Purse too. I hope they are able to get enough volunteers at the processing centers this year. I know I have not volunteered, and I often go to the one in Boone once or twice. Our church is offering an option this year where you pay $25, and they'll do the shopping for you. I'll probably do that this time. I usually spend more than $25 on the stuff in each of mine. It's just too hard to shop in times of COVID.

>205 thornton37814: - That's true, Lori. We usually have a pizza party and do a packing party one Sunday after church, but I'm not sure what will happen this year. I haven't felt comfortable enough yet to go back to services, and the stats in our state seem to be getting worse again. They usually have a box in the foyer and you can call about coming to drop stuff off during the week when there's usually just one person there. That seems pretty safe.

>204 dudes22: I should have read this thread first! I'm glad you are also doing charity projects this year. What a great gang of giving women we have here.

I also have a mind to get all my shopping done in the next couple of weeks. Just the grand kids, though, and my cousin's teens. If my three want to give us stuff, they can buy some fabric for future charity quilts, LOL. I do plan to get to a few stores. We have a mask mandate for stores and I carry hand sanitizer with me. I don't browse, but shop with intent, and on a day like a Monday. We are wondering how our favorite restaurants are going to survive the winter. I'm not sure take-out alone will be enough.

>201 JayneCM: Hello, Jane! We used to have more Aussie's here (Judy in Melbourne & Amanda in Sydney) but FaceBook stole them from us :-)

>207 avaland: - I've been trying to use up a bunch of fabric. Back at the beginning, when we weren't sure how long this would last, I cut out a bunch of fabrics for "baby" quilts that we do for a shelter. They're a decent size - a bunch of strips done in rows - width of fabric by 5 6.5"strips (main print), 4 3" strips (contrast) and 8 1.5" strips (accent). Whatever that works out to length-wise. Then we never met so I still have a bunch on a table. Then there were the reading pillows and pillowcases, and some smaller pillowcase-like ones that we make dresses for a mission in Africa that my brother started.

I've been giving some of the reading pillows to my neighbors for their grandchildren. I've found that working on some of the smaller projects is what works for me, right now as you can tell from the pictures I've posted. I haven't touched the red/white quilt I was working on nor the hand-stitching one. I'll get back to them at some point, just not right now. I need (almost) instant gratification.

>208 dudes22: For future plans, I thinking of some more artsy or experimental (for me) quilts, and or possibly taking up the Victorian Crazy quilting again now that I've had the carpal tunnel surgery. Perhaps I will do something with the family linens., some might work into a crazy quilt, some not.

I have fabric (silks, velvets..) I've had on the shelf/in a drawer for years, thinking I might do a one block wonder of a crazy quilt block, but I doubt that's going to happen. Good luck with it. Look forward to seeing it.

>210 dudes22: Thanks, but I'm not overly optimistic; I've been here before:-)

I got an email with the date for the packing of the shoeboxes at church so I got in touch with the person that heads up our sewing group to see how many pillowcases they have already. Not that many. So I pulled about 25 from the box of ones I have done already and as soon as I finish a few more reading pillows, I'll be switching to pillowcases for a couple of weeks. They're hoping to pack about 120 boxes so I've got some sewing to do.

>212 dudes22: Wow, that's amazing, Betty.

I spent a large portion of yesterday picking out fabrics and cutting pillowcases and cuffs for them.

That's a very worthwhile project, Betty. Good for you.

>212 dudes22: Wow, that is a big thing to do. You have a good heart.

Would you send me your instructions for those when you get some time? No hurry. We made pillowcases in 7th grade Home Ec. I want to say it was with just a yard of materiai; pillow and cuff all of the same fabric.

>217 avaland: - I'll put it on your thread.

>218 dudes22: thx

I mentioned up above somewhere that we were thinking of going out to Az to see some friends for Thanksgiving. But after the last few days of increases in covid nationwide, we've decided to cancel our trip and stay home. It wasn't the planes so much that had me worried as it was the airports. But I think this is the best thing.

After Lois posting about the charity quilts she's been making, I decided I need to get my scraps more organized than they are. I'm not too good with unstructured quilting, but I did like one of the blocks in a quilt she posted and thought I might try to make some blocks that our church group could put together into quilts. I have a tendency to just fling excess fabric from whatever I'm working on off to the side thinking I'll get to it later instead of cutting it right away. Plus, the last time I did this, I didn't think about the extra 1/2" for the seams so I have pieces that don't work conveniently for projects. Anyway, I ironed a bunch this morning and am going to do a bunch of cutting later. Step 1 to cleaning up my sewing area.

So much fabric, so many ideas, so little time....

>220 dudes22: I'm sorry you've had to cancel your trip, Betty, but I have to admit it's a good idea and I'd make the same decision in your shoes.

Good luck with the Great Sewing Area Cleanup. Think how satisfied you will feel when it's done!

>220 dudes22: I wish I could convince my mother to cancel her trip Thanksgiving trip to NV. :(

>220 dudes22: Even if it hurts to cancel a trip you’ve been looking forward to, it’s definitely the right thing to do considering the situation now. I wouldn’t step foot in an airport with the way the virus is spreading atm.
My brother’s family are coming up from Stockholm for Christmas but they’ll be driving so won’t have to be around other people (and they both work from home now so can isolate before they leave).

Thanks all for the commiseration. It seemed like the most prudent thing.

>220 dudes22: You are doing the right thing re the trip to Arizona, but I understand your disappointment. My daughter & family in the DC area are now mulling over a trip north with the new baby. They would quarantine for two weeks beforehand and then drive all night. I suggested they come before the holidays, she was thinking after (the weather becomes a potential problem after, of course).

>221 lauralkeet: "Great Sewing Area Clean-up" ha ha...

So, how have you organized your scraps? (I'm always interested in other methods). And which block interested you?

You remind me that I have to now clean up the scraps I have flung away as I worked :-) Most are the excess backings and I likely will not keep the sheet scraps.

>225 avaland: - Yes - we are disappointed. But better to be safe. In theory, they are supposed to be coming back over Christmas, but they are debating that too. I hope your family makes it.

The block I'm liking is the one you said was 8x10. So I've been cutting a bunch of scraps into the sizes that would make that. I have a bunch of other sizes too. The smallest I'm cutting is 2x2 to make some 4-patches to go with other things. And if I have a big enough scrap, I'm cutting some 5x10 pieces. I found some patterns that work up quickly with them. And I use the odd shaped scraps to do some strip quilting on muslin. (those are separated by color) I'm all over the place. Too many ideas.

I stopped over at the church yesterday to drop off some more pillowcases for the shoeboxes. I had another 18 done so that's 43 altogether. I had a few more cut that I didn't get to so those will be the beginning for next year's boxes.

I cut out some more reading pillows that will be Christmas gifts for some great-nieces and -nephews. And a few friends. I still have a few left from ones I made earlier that I haven't given away yet. Lots of the friends I have here have grandchildren at the right age so I gave a bunch away to them. I figure Christmas shopping will be difficult this year and this is something small. So far I've given away 24.

I also worked on some scrap blocks today. I'm trying to do them fairly random. I think if I make the blocks, our church group can put them together for a project.

>227 dudes22: Wow, you are a sewing goddess! Those reading pillows are great., Betty.

If you are looking for a very simple but versatile quilt pattern, I just posted my latest project which was intended be a Yellow Brick Road quilt but I thought I might simplify it to three different pieces which would be enough since I was using a mix of fabrics, some larger motifs.

>228 avaland: - Saw that - I was at your thread first.

>229 dudes22: Stealthy ;-)

Well, I think I'm done making reading pillows and pillowcases for this year. Finished a last few for myself today. I do have a few extra just in case. My last project for this year is a baby quilt that I need to quilt and bind. I'm going to try and find a few minutes here and there this week to get it pinned together so I can quilt it this weekend. The baby's due in Dec, but the quilt is for the grandparents so I should be ok.

>231 dudes22: And what will you do during the entire month of December? :-)

"The Great Sewing Room Cleanup"

Along with cookies and breads and wrapping.....

So I found a bunch of these while I was going through sewing stuff:



All different colors. They measure 8.5" x 2.5". I think they might have been from this project:



There aren't enough for a border and some are from fabrics I ended up not including in the quilt. So I'm not sure if I did them and they were the wrong size or what. I'm wondering if I should take them apart and use the pieces in a scrap quilt or leave them as sewn and try to fit them into a scrap project. I might have some more of some of the fabrics so I could possibly make more and use them as a border. But I'm not sure that's the look I'm going for either.

Thoughts?

Could you make a center section that is a center square with two white rectangles on the top and bottom- to use between two of the pieces like the one pictured? It would make a block for you to work with. If you didn’t have enough of these blocks you could alternate with 8.5 squares of floral/s or other prints.

I love that quilt pattern, btw.

>235 avaland: - That's sort-of what that quilt is. I think these were blocks that I made wrong for that quilt where the sashing is only a color on one end of the block. I went back to last year's thread to see if I mentioned them when I was making the quilt, but I don't see anything. Only this quilt which I made from the blocks I took out because the colors didn't work:



I have all the other halves from the half square triangles (I hate to throw stuff out) which are smaller HSTs and they're all similar colors. I came across them but put them aside because I was working on cutting for the scrap quilt. I need to see how many I have and if I can work them together somehow. I do still have some of the fabrics and also the white. Or shove it all in a bag and put it aside again.

Oh, I see that now. Hmm. Seems Oliver's fishy quilt had pieces like that. This one has similar pieces:

{Photo Removed}

{Photo Removed}

I can copy the pattern for the latter, if you like.

PS: Thanks so much for the surprise package. What fun. I'm rethinking the pink.

OK - shove it in a bag won.

I stopped by the library this morning to return a book and went by the children's room to visit with my sister for a minute. (She's the children's librarian.) We usually go by her house Thanksgiving night for turkey sandwiches. It started when she had my niece and her birthday and my other sister's two sons all had birthdays at the end of Nov/beginning of Dec. So Thanksgiving night was their family birthday party. They're all now in their 30s but the habit of going by stayed. I also give each of my sisters and my sister-in-law a dove of peace ornament every year on Thanksgiving to start the holiday season. Of course this year there will not be any visits. So I went by to give her her ornament for this year. Anyway - long way around to say that she dropped the not so subtle hint that she wanted Christmas masks to wear at work. "Are you making Christmas masks?" Subtle. I've made them for her for the other holidays and some summer ones, etc. SO back to the sewing room I went this afternoon. I did 5 and now I think I might do a couple for my sister who works at the bank. And maybe some for myself. This is how it starts...

>238 avaland: - Oh - The PO thought you wouldn't get it til Fri. I'm sure you'll find a use for them even if it's not the pink quilt. I'll pass on the pattern. As you can see above, shove it in a bag for next year won.

>239 dudes22: ha ha, I've used some form of the 'shove it in bag' solution myself!

I thought about holiday masks but get seem to get motivated to actually do a few. I did tell my hubby I would make him a lightweight denim one with elastics.

I've just be here browsing old quilting books, looking for inspiration for my next project.

So - although we don't usually talk books here - I thought I'd mention a book I just read that might be of interest here.

I just finished a book - Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color That Changed the World by Simon Garfield. In all honesty, I only managed to get through half but not because it wasn't interesting. The book is about William Perkin, who in 1856 while trying to find a treatment for malaria, accidentally discovered how to chemically produce color. From coal-tar of all things. I only managed about half because chemistry was never a subject I really enjoyed at the time and there are a lot of chemical compounds mentioned and a lot of dates and names. But the parts about how color dyes changed from plant based to chemical based was interesting. Also how chemical dyes allowed for a bigger variety in color and hues.

Anyway - if that sort of thing interests you, you might try this book.

I have read several books about the history of colors; it's fascinating. 743 members have that book. I have The Brilliant History of Color in Art and Color: A Natural History of the Palette both by Victoria Findlay. I would recommend the first if one would rather have more pictures than text. Then there is A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire by Amy Butler Greenfield. The one I haven't read yet is On Color by David Kastan, it's in the very large TBR pile.

Maybe I'll look into the book (although these days my literary 'eyes' are much bigger than my literary 'stomach', so to speak.

------
How is your December sewing shaping up? Are you already thinking about what you might do this winter?

>242 dudes22: >243 avaland: I have both Mauve and A Perfect Red. I've even read them both! I thought the social history relating to who wore the colours when was covered well, as well as the economic and political measures taken to keep monopolies on the dye processes as long as possible.

>243 avaland: Will look for Victoria Findlay

>243 avaland: - I'm not sure I'll get much done in December. I do have a baby quilt that I need to quilt and bind. I've started cutting up some of the fabrics left over from the pillows and masks in preparation for the "Great Sewing Room Cleanup".

>244 SassyLassy: - Yes - some of that was interesting.

>245 dudes22: Yes, I still have to do a proper job with my clean-up plans. I did an initial run. I need it neat enough to vacuum in there (which is always dangerous). My daughter loved the blue circle quilt, she says the old quilt will be relegated to picnics.

>246 avaland: - Oh - It's always nice when someone likes what you've done for them.

I've got a lot of left overs from the reading pillows and pillowcases and some from masks that I've been deciding whether to put on a shelf or cut up. A lot of them are novelty fabric so I decided to cut some blocks larger (if I had enough) and give them borders of tone-on-tone or smallish prints and then I'll put them in rows.

>247 dudes22: Good idea.

As I was trolling through Pintrest last night, I came across a video from The Missouri Star Quilt Co using 2.5" strips and layer cakes cut in half which makes a 5x10 rectangle. A 2.5x10" strip on each side of the rectangle and then trimmed to the width of the strip. Then set as a split rail pattern. I have a bunch of 5x10 rectangles I've been cutting from the novelty prints and a lot of 2.5 strips so, if I get some time today, I might give this a try.

We're supposed to go with some friends (4 couples) today for our annual tree cutting but this year we'll all go in our own cars and just use our truck to get the trees back. Then if it's not too windy and cold (which it's supposed to be) we're going to have hot toddies on one couple's deck.

>249 dudes22: What are layer cakes? I admit I don't keep up with quilt culture so miss a lot of the lingo. I think I'm going to have to see that block finished, as I can't put it together in my head.

Oh, stay safe! RI still looks scary red on the Covid map:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html

>249 dudes22: I love MSQC youtube videos. I could watch them for hours.

>250 avaland: Layer cakes are pre-cut 10" squares sold in packs. There are charm packs (5" squares), layer cakes, jelly rolls (2.5" strips), etc. Good lord. There's even something called a Jolly Bar. I thought layer cakes and charm packs were just so twee when they showed up on the market.

https://www.fatquartershop.com/pre-cut-quilt-fabric-guide

Actually Jolly Bars are already 5x10 but I think The Fat Quarter Shop is the only place I've seen them sold. I bought a pack and a book/pamphlet of patterns. Most of the patterns also require a charm pack of squares, but I usually cut mine from the background fabric I have already.

>250 avaland: - Yes we're getting bad again here. They've even opened a field hospital at the civic center to handle covid patients who don't need ICU care. I also heard on the news tonight that our governor is one of two finalists for the job of Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Biden White House.

>251 lesmel: - Watching MSQC videos only makes me want to start another project.

After our tree cutting trip, we all went over to one couple's deck and had drinks and snacks in coats and mittens. There were discussions on what we should do about the Jan & Feb book club meetings. There are a lot of us who don't go into other's houses and some won't even consider the garage. So we might either push everyone out by two months (the Jan host would do Mar, etc) or add them to the end (right now it's May, so they would become Jun and Jul). Our host for this month is going to do two days because gatherings are limited to 10 people. What a mess.

Our governor has called a two week pause in where we were as far as openings, etc. Restaurants have to cut back again, etc. My sister-in-law who runs a small business selling Native American jewelry to boutiques, etc was telling me yesterday that two of her best clients have decided to close. I'm not sure what states they're in.

Anyway, I didn't get to try that pattern out today, but I'll post a picture as soon as I do. I'd post the link, but my computer is acting wonky and I can't get Pintrest right now.

>249 dudes22: Is this the Jelly Basket pattern?

>253 lesmel: - I had to look that up, but, yes, that's it. I didn't know what it was called. Thanks for taking the time to find it.

Here's the link to the video I saw, Lois.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNP8T8p9tuc

ETA: I saw one which was only 16 blocks (4x4) which makes a 40x40 quilt which is a good baby size - or you could add another row (40x50) and/or add borders.

>251 lesmel: Oh, yes, now I remember. I don't often buy the 'layer cakes' but I do buy charm packs and an occasional jelly roll to add to the 'scrap' pile.

>252 dudes22: You are braver than I am (although being the introverts that we are here, we'd be less prone to gather in groups anyway).

>255 avaland: - I will say that we've all been really careful here in our own little neighborhood. We social distance even when together. No one goes into anyone else's house. Each couple sat together with heir own table between and we all had gloves and mittens on so not to much worry about passing germs that way. We usually have a neighborhood solstice party and bonfire on the 21st, but this year we think we're going to try and have a luminary walk instead. Our street in "U" shaped and has about 50 houses. Or people can ride around and see the houses decorated.

>256 dudes22: It must have been nice. I miss my occasional solo three-day weekends, where I take off and spend a long weekend somewhere else. I do miss the freedom to go and do what I like.

So this is the quilt I was talking about back at post #249 that Lois wanted to see. It's a 5x10 rectangle with 2.5x10 strips on each side. Then cut the block length to equal the width. Mine was 9". And flip every other one. This one finished at 35" square so I'll probably add a 2.5" small border so I don't have to piece the back.

I have a bunch of 5x10 rectangles and a lot of 2.5" strips that I can use for a scrappy look.

>258 dudes22: I really like that one. There plenty of colour and a busy pattern on the large pieces, but since it’s all tied together and repeated, it’s not too much going on. I’m always a fan of simple.

That's cute, Betty!

Oh, I love that, Betty! The colors are so bright and happy, and I like the puzzle-piece look turning some of the sideways give it.

>261 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber. I'm looking forward to trying it with different fabrics.

Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since I've been to my own thread. I was busy with Christmas cookies baking, wrapping and mailing, etc.

Lois has "encouraged" us to look at the year and what got done. I didn't feel like I accomplished that much this year, but a review shows that although a lot of them were little projects, I was steadily moving fabric.

I did a few small (20" sq) wall quilts while we were in Fla at the beginning of the year that actually got quilted and hung on the wall. Then the reading pillows that I got addicted to making. I made at least 28 that I gave away to folks in the neighborhood for their grandkids and kept 8 that I'm using for gifts and I have a few left over. Then there were the pillowcases that our church group makes - 43 for the church and 8 for friends grandkids. (I'm pretty much out of those so need to make more.) I made a bunch of masks but never kept track of how many.

There was 1 baby quilt, a couple of table mats and 3 pillows for a friend to give her daughters made from silk scarves (never again).

I have a few things that didn't get finished and maybe I'll try to do that next year. (I always say that.) Lois gave me some ideas on how to make better use of my scraps so I predict scrap blocks will be done. And I'd like to get labels on some of my finished wall hangings and quilts so people know who-gets-what when I die. (Not soon I hope - too many UFOs).

And I'll wish everyone a Happy Holiday and a good needlework year next year.

Oh - and reading!

That sounds like a very productive year, Betty. I'm especially impressed with the quantity of reading pillows. So you're all out of fabric now right? HA HA HA HA HA.

No...No...No... I did spend some time starting the "big sewing room cleanup" since I had a little time today. I started to straighten some of the fabric on the shelves and I did see some fabrics that I really don't know why I was attracted enough to them to buy them.

I really like making the reading pillows and they work up pretty fast.

I think you adapted fairly well during the pandemic. The smaller projects seemed a good idea, more frequent gratification!

If you find yourself desperately low on fabric (LOL), do send an SOS :-)

>266 avaland: - oh that's funny. I was going to offer you some of my "why did I buy this" fabric.

As I was riding around doing errands this morning, I was thinking that the picture at the top of my thread was one that wasn't quilted yet and I really should get to it. But I see, looking at it, that it's the same pattern but a different quilt. The one I'm thinking of was my topper picture last year and it's still all pinned together but not quilted. I couldn't decide what color thread to use. I've finally decided how I want to do it and it will be one of my first projects after the clean-up.

I just finished my last batch of Christmas cookies and once they're cooled and iced, I can start putting together the trays and baskets I give to neighbors, family, etc. This year I did 20 different kinds and there are still a few I didn't get to. Plus 11 small cranberry breads and 7 small fruitcakes. I still might need to make one more batch of Hot Cocoa Bombs (I need to count how many I have left.) Put one in a mug, add 6-8oz warm milk and stir until they dissolve.

>268 dudes22: Twenty different kinds of cookies? Wow. What did you make? We make less than a dozen each Christmas and I think that's quite a lot.

>269 PawsforThought: - Well, there are 4 kinds of biscotti, 2 kinds of icebox (slice and bake) cookies, a 2 kinds of jello sugar cookies, 2 kinds of vegan (walnut and apple), pecan balls, jam thumbprints, chocolate crinkles, peppermint oatmeal, ginger crinkles, spritz, a pineapple kind, cuccidati (an Italian fig/date filled cookie), date bars and gingerbread.

ETA: I hit post before I finished the list.

>270 dudes22: That's impressive!

>270 dudes22: Like Laura said, that's impressive. And I'm unfamiliar with most of them so have some googling to do after Christmas.

>268 dudes22: 20 different kinds does seem like a lot. And I may have said that last year, too. They sound yummy.

I have pulled off about a dozen different ones but the last time I did that was maybe 5 or 6 years ago. I'm making some breads, both quick and yeast, and possibly a pie (or two). Are your vegan cookies using white flour or some other?

I think it's really just an excuse to indulge. Cookies are my favorite desert and this way I get a few for myself too without having to eat a whole batch. LOL. And I'm always a little afraid I won't have enough for all the trays. Which I always do. When I used to work, I would make trays for my office workers and I've never gotten out of the habit. I can always freeze the leftovers for winter reading and tea.

I do use regular King Arthur white flour for these two. My nephew is vegan and so I usually do some that he an eat, but we won't see him this year and one neighbor is vegan so she will get a lot. I recently so an ad for an egg substitute that is supposed to work just like eggs (an scramble, etc) but I haven't found it in the store yet so that would mean more vegan cookies.

>274 dudes22: Cookies are my favourite too. I'd rather have that than almost anything else when it comes to sweet things.

The egg substitute sounds interesting. I'm not vegan so don't have a need for substitute but I'm all for variation. I tried making merengue with aquafaba this summer - that was surprisingly good.

>274 dudes22: Good thinking! Yes, I use King Arthur also, buying it locally. I did just have an order from them arrive yesterday. Hubby loves the ginger syrup they carry and I bought an extra for a box I'm putting together for a friend (her daughter who lives with them is a strict vegan and also no white flour, but my friend is vegetarian so I try to accommodate re: baked goods.

I haven't tried it but there is this: https://www.iherb.com/pr/Bob-s-Red-Mill-Egg-Replacer-12-oz-340-g/78665?gclid=EAI...

>275 PawsforThought: - I've read a couple of articles about aquafaba but haven't tried using it yet.

>276 avaland: - I like their boiled apple cider too. I haven't seen that egg replacer. I'll have to check it out.

To my fellow crafters:



And many good crafts next year!🎉🎄

Cookies assembly line:

Stage 1:


Stage 2:


Stage 3:



Stage 4: Delivered!

Note: My vegan cinnamon quick bread was a bust. It looked good but trying to get it out of the pan, it completely disintegrated into clumps, half of which ended up on the floor. Weird. This is the 2nd vegan quick bread disaster, which are, because of the ingredients, expensive ones, so I'm taking early retirement from vegan baking and sending my half bags of various flours, alternate sugar...etc to the person herself (I should have stuck to cookies).

Oh, all your lovely, delicious photos hadn't loaded when I started writing the previous post...

What an enterprise, Betty, and the lucky recipients must be thrilled! Have a wonderful and safe holiday, see you on the other side.

Thanks, Lois. I just went to the PO to ship off a box that included cookies to our friends in AZ that decided to stay there and not come back for Christmas. (No line)

Sorry about your vegan bread. Luckily the vegans I know are ok with regular baking flour and leaveners. And I look for recipes for which I can substitute shortening for butter and no eggs. That's the tricky thing with cookies. Almost all call for eggs. I don't really do any gluten-free where flour, etc becomes a problem.

ETA: I did do one recipe last year that used an alternate sugar. But it was like brown sugar so it wasn't a problem.

>279 dudes22: that's absolutely amazing, Betty!

>283 lauralkeet: - Thanks - I really enjoy doing it.

I have used applesauce as an egg substitute. There is a list online of egg substitute. And I have a fair number of old cookbooks whose recipes call for shortening rather than butter or lard (ah, back when Cool-whip and Jell-O was cool!) and I often use them as I'm lactose intolerant.

>285 avaland: - Yes - I've used applesauce in breads but not cookies. Maybe I'll experiment a little more during 2021.

I use applesauce instead of oil when I make muffins.

Chia eggs are a good sub for eggs. Not sure how well they would do for crisp cookies.

>288 lesmel: - I've seen that but not tried it yet. Guess I'll be experimenting this year.

ETA: But I'm cookied out right now.

I got a cute video from one of my sister's last night of her three grandchildren with the pillows I made them. One boy is just getting into BMX biking and I found fabric and a book which impressed my sister. I'm taking an easy day today. I might do some fabric arranging later.

I did get a gift certificate for my favorite fabric store and their pre-new year sale is next week so I might take a trip there. Also, my daughter-in-law gave me a wool pressing mat which I'm excited to try. Some coffee and book cards, a jigsaw puzzle...I think I can make it through the winter stuck here in the Northeast instead of someplace warm.

One of the things I asked for for Christmas was a wool pressing mat. My daughter-in-law went a strep further and got me this lovely set. A smaller mat to take to class (someday), a silicone iron mat, and that little bag with a tape measure, some snips, and some pins. She's so wonderful. She's a floor supervisor at the largest state hospital and she was saying, with all the new covid cases, she and her assistant now have two floors to manage. She should be getting her shot next week.

I'm going to test it out later today.

What a nice gift! Does the mat take the place of an ironing board so you can set it up pretty much anywhere?

>292 lauralkeet: - Pretty much, yeah. I put it on top of my ironing board for now. It works really well. And it would probably work well for a dorm room.

>290 dudes22: Turn the heat up and paste pictures of warm places in the windows. I suggest some tropical beach photo for the bathroom window. :-)

You are understandably cookied out!

A lovely gift, they know you well. I hope you did take a break yesterday. Seems you might be back in the sewing saddle today ;-)

>294 avaland: - Not sewing, but working a little each day with the clean-up of the sewing room. Refolding and restacking fabrics, I realized that I used quite a bit of my novelty fabrics this year with pillowcases and reading pillows. (But I still have plenty). But that's given me a little room on some of the shelves to put fabrics I've pulled for specific projects. I spent some time last night looking through some of the projects I've pinned on Pintrest and I need to pick up the pace. There's so much I want to try.

>295 dudes22: Winter will be a great time to explore and do those things you've been wanting to, Betty.

Yes, Lois, that's true. Most of my projects may be of the "minimalist" type. I want to go thru all the teacups I have and make separate boxes for my nieces for one thing. And look through and organize all my seasonal decorations.