Still home!

May 9th already. I’ve now been home eight weeks since my last trip to California. I can’t remember the last time I slept in my own bed every night for this long!! There was no flight to visit the Chisholm Trail Quilt Guild in Georgetown, Texas last week. I’m not getting ready for Quilt Market in Pittsburgh next week…

But never fear. All is well in this corner of Naperville. The sun is shining and I am keeping myself busy.

The Redford family in Nashville were talking about buying masks for themselves. The children will need them when their day care is opened… this grandma thought for a few minutes and decided she really could make a few masks? So I did! I have plenty of child friendly fabric 🙂 I actually sent a box of 12 masks in total, four in toddler size, four small child size and four adult ones.

I was very grateful for all the notions and doodads that made making them so much quicker… My clover bias tape maker, my single hole stitch plate that stopped the tape getting sucked into my machine, the myriad of turners I have to turn things inside out…

I still don’t like making masks so I moved swiftly on!

Last year I bought a kit to make stitched notecards from Twenty Stitches when I was at STITCHES West. I even knew where I had put it… There were five cards with cut holes for stitching, thread, a needle and everything to complete the project, including envelopes and really great instructions. I set to sewing and in a few hours I had them all done.

I did switch out the thread for some of them, After all, I own a lot of thread. It was simple to assemble the cards.The only thing I regret is not buying more. There were lots to choose from at the show. The website doesn’t show quite the variety. I will definitely be looking them out next year in Santa Clara.

I have already sent one!

What next?

I made two more whole cloth quilts. I tried one with a a mocha colored fabric, just organic curves and lots of stitching.

I’m getting quite efficient at putting the facings on now!  I think I would have preferred teal stitching?Then I made one more, white with grey underlays,

Shades of pink and grey stitching.I’ve got a stack of small quilts now. I will be teaching an overview of these techniques as an add on in Further Steps in Walking Foot Quilting whenever I start teaching again. I’ll write up a new class that will cover all the steps, including the machine stitching, handwork and easy facings for next year. Catchy title anyone?

I could make a new little quilt every day but I have lots more projects calling my name. I bound three baby sized quilts so they are finished. I really like the way the serpentine stitch grid looks on this one…The Wish fabric by Carrie Bloomston for Windham Fabrics is just coming into the quilt stores now so you should be able to find it if you need some for yourself! Check your local store or I know my friends at Artistic Artifacts have it in stock for mail order.

I spent a lot time over Christmas stitching Sashiko panels. I made a LOT of pieces. It’s time to do something with all those 9″ blocks? I pulled out my Debbie Maddy for Moda, Shimo fabrics and I’ve started framing them with coping strips (the stitched pieces are not all the same size…) and making strip sets.

I’m not sure if I’m making several table runners or a slightly larger wall quilt (!) Time will tell.

AND, because I need a hand work project, I have started adding embroidery to a new work apron.

I will be working outside of the house again one day and I want to be ready! I will wear my apron for book signings 🙂

So, that’s me caught up to date. I have the vacuum cleaner ready to clean the floors in my sewing room this morning. I’m expecting visitors. I have tidied up (Steve was impressed) before I do an Instagram live session* with Pokey Bolton this afternoon. Being “real” can be over-rated sometimes. In Naperville we clean before we have company!

*If you want to check out my cleaning prowess you can tune in at 3 PM CST today (May 9th). Find @pokeybolton on Instagram and click on her live feed. If you miss it at three it will be uploaded for later viewing.