Refocus

I thought there would be something magical about the end of the month....After all, April is a new month, time for an end to the virus and time to get back on track and a normal life, right?   It appears that is not to be.

Admittedly, I don't follow the news much because I'm prone to worry and fret but from what I've read and heard this isolation and social distancing IS the new normal ... at least for the time being.

So, with the start of a new month, AND the start of a new week this is a good time to Refocus.

According to the definition of Refocus it is time to refocus my attention by repeating my main points.
To me that means refocus my attention by repeating my normal routine.

* Get up at my normal get-up time.
* Make my bed as I normally would AND open the curtains and the window!  Let in the fresh air and the sunshine!
* Have my coffee and quiet time like any normal day.
* Participate in the streaming exercise time from my gym, Anytime Fitness
        (not quite normal as we would normally be at the gym.)
* Shower as I normally would and get dressed in normal clothes....not P.J.s.
* Be at my desk, ready to work at my normal time.
* Eat normal meals (for me that does not necessarily mean actual cooking.)

Finally, at the end of the work day, retreat to the sewing studio for a bit of R & R;
finish up the boring* masks I've been making and get back to my way more fun normal projects.

Now, THERE is my bright spot for the day.

*doing my duty to God and my country should not be considered boring...but truth be told, making masks is boring.

Doing Our Duty....

...To God and Our country..... STAY HOME!


Many generations before us have been called to sacrifice for their country.  I don't remember such a time, I don't think even my mother would remember such a time (she graduated to heaven three years ago)...my grandmother????  Maybe.

Mary Elizabeth (we kids called her MaMoo)

My Great Grandmother most certainly did; 

World War I and II.

During the Civil War.  Men wen off to war and women stayed home...getting together and rolling bandages.
(also dealing with food shortages and rationing.)

I'm sure you'll remember this scene from
Gone With the Wind.


I don't believe it was so glamorous.

Looks like there was something similar during World War II

(when they also dealt with food shortages and rationing.)

 

In the present, the world over, we are called to STAY HOME.  While I'm STAYING HOME, I decided to do what many other sewists are doing at this time....set my quilts aside and make masks. The present day rolling of bandages.

How-to videos and instructions abound on Facebook and Pinterest.  I'm not really making many, just for family and a few close friends.  We will wear them at the grocery store, or the doctor's office.... only when absolutely necessary...because we are supposed to be STAYING HOME!

I will say at this point....1/4 inch elastic is very hard to find...I think harder to find than T.P.  I didn't have much so I'm going to try long shoe strings for ties.... is this what our ancestors did?  Make do?  Give up a few creature comforts for the war (on the virus) effort?  I will admit, I have not had to give up much, other than going out with friends because I'm  STAYING HOME.

Disclaimer:  I did not make these.

I did make this one.

You may be asking yourself....why does she keep harping on STAYING HOME?"
Because a lot of people are not STAYING HOME.  They apparently think they are on vacation from work and school and therefore should head for the beach!






Really?  These are the smart people?

And I heard through the grapevine it was the

 same on California beaches.

Turn your sound on.

People, please 

STAY HOME!

 Take Brittiany's advice...Stay Home.

Sorry, I had not meant for this to be a rant...I'm done now.

Showing Our Colors

Scrappy Girls Club page on Facebook and 

the National Quilting Day Facebook page are encouraging us to display our quilts for 

National Quilting Day....so I did.

The g-son helped make a sign so the neighbors
would not think I was hanging the laundry.

Behind the Scenes
It was easier than I thought it would be.
I used safety pins to pin the over lap to the quilt.

It's not too late to show your colors.

Join the Virtual Quilt Retreat
and Virtual Quilt show on the
American Patchwork & Quilting Facebook Page

National Quilt Day 2020

Tomorrow, March 21 is National Quilt Day 
AND Worldwide Quilt Day

Two holidays for the price of one!

Now that the state of California has declared a "shelter in place" order, most of us have more time for all the things we've been complaining that we don't have time for:

*Clean out cupboards
*Quilt
*Learn a foreign language
*Quilt
*Clean the oven (me....I must admit)
*Quilt
*Clip the cat's nails
*Quilt
*Clip my own nails
*Quilt
*Practice the Ukulele (after I clip my nails)
*Quilt
*Purge my stash....well, maybe not...

Like you, my Facebook is filled with quilt-related posts.  I've come across these in the last few days.

  

I thought this was a good idea and I am trying to figure out how I will accomplish it from my third-floor apartment.

So, how will YOU celebrate National/Worldwide Quilt Day?

Don't Panic....Be Happy

Do you remember this song?

Here's a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't PANIC, be happy
In every life we have some trouble
But when you PANIC you make it double
Don't PANIC , be happy
Don't PANIC , be happy now

don't PANIC
(Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) be happy
(Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don't PANIC , be happy
(Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don't PANIC
(Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) be happy
(Ooh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh) don't PANIC , be happy

Bobby McFerrin

 

I know this is a serious matter and I don't want to make TOO light of the situation.  But, we don't want to bite our nails to the quick, either.  Believe it or not, there is a God in Heaven who SEES and HEARS and is in CONTROL.  So put on a pot of soup and retreat to the sewing room when possible.

The God who SEES: Genesis 16:13
The God who HEARS:   I Peter 3:12
The God who is in CONTROL:  Isaiah 45:7*



For you Ukulele players
Cynthia Lin - Don't Worry Be Happy

*Of course, this is not an exhaustive list.

Taco Tuesday

The Needlers took to the road to visit one of our own, Miss Wanda.  She moved to assisted care about six months ago.  She isn't very far away so we each make it over to see her on a fairly regular basis.  But on this Needler Night, our little group took the show to her.  We picked up tacos, brought some Show-N-Tell and had a very nice evening telling stories and laughing.

It's good to laugh.

Wanda's place is small, but she sat a nice table.
Kate, Nancy, Wanda, Charlotte-the-Tall
(I am the photographer)

Charlotte-the-Tall sharing Jen Kingwell Long Time Gone and
Bonnie Hunter's 2017 mystery quilt, On Ringo Lake.

Nancy sharing her blocks from Kindred Pinwheel.


















I shared my progress with the Christmas quilts and Kate kept us in stitches with stories of sewing up pajama bottoms for the local high school production of Mama Mia. (She had never sewn garments before.)

The surprise of the evening, however....
Charlotte-the-Tall presenting Miss Wanda with
On Ringo Lake for her birthday.

It was such a surprise and Wanda Loved it!
There were even a few tears.

Good Food

Good Friends

Good Laughs

The Needlers (Kate is the photographer)

FREE! Is a Very Good Price

When I was a little girl my grandparents use to say "We cannot afford it, we are on a fixed income."  As a working adult I chuckle because aren't we all on a fixed income?  We only have so much money in the till to pay for all the necessities in life.

And yet... don't you just want every single quilt pattern you see?  I know I do. The reality is there just are not enough shekels in the budget to purchase all these lovlies and still pay the rent.




As I cruse around the internet I run into web sites and blogs that offer FREE patterns!  Such a deal!
Here are a few:

Apron pattern from All People Quilt

All People Quilt:  This was the very first site I found when I started quilting about 10 years ago.  This site is a wealth of information on all types of sewing.  I found an apron pattern I still use to this day.



Quilted Twins:  (Requires that you sign up for their newsletter)
If you are committed to sewing up your scraps and crumbs, there are a lot of scrap quilts on this site. 


Nancy Mahoney

Patchwork Square:  They offer a lot of free block patterns.
If you are an EQ* user you'll get a lot of inspiration from this site.

Andover Fabrics

Threadbare Creations:  Look for Bonita Bunny.
She is so cute...and she's free! (I downloaded her just today.)

Sew Can She:  This has to be one of my favorites.  Lots of free patterns, and not just for quilts or quilt blocks.

Jordan Fabrics

Last-but-not-least, Missouri Star Quilt Company.
She has so many tutorials on YouTube!  Will keep you in free quilt patters for years!

The list could go on-and-one but I think these sites are enough to get you started on your treasure hunt.





*Electric Quilt