2020 Wk 14 - CV Sewing

I found a supplier who sells coloured bobbin thread for Lizzie (until now  I only had white) so when I decided to sew a version of a rainbow to put in the front window for the kids to find I was delighted to manage to stitch it two sided!

I've also been making masks: (a lot of research, and design and research signed off by local chemist, and just for people who can’t get proper masks, this video shows how valuable they are ) using t-shirts and cotton

EDIT: Some people have asked how I am making them so the instructions are in the link above, but my adaptations are ...

• I have been using old t-shirts for one layer and old pillowcases or other 100% cotton for the other layer. 
• The t-shirt stretches a bit but SOOO many go to landfill, so it feels good to use them! 
• I boil washed everything first.  
• My village chemist asked that we include a channel for a metal strip (maybe a few lengths of garden twine twisted, or a pipe cleaner, or food tie warps) so the mask can grip the top of the nose:   I cut a strip of fabric 7 inches wide and about 12 inches long, I folded the two long ends in 1/4 inch and in again to make a hem and stitch them down (see pic below with the cat), then cross cut into hemmed strips 1.5" wide, fold in half, wrong sides together and press (and then the cat went to sleep on it so I had to start again!!!) When you layer the fabric in instruction 1, add the channel bit, centered, matching the raw edges. (if that all sounds Greek I can send you photos) 
• I also made my own bias tape, but it doesn't need to be cut on the bias. I found the 6" elastic was too short - I went up to 8" so people can knot them if they are too long 

I carefully handed a few to Lisa whilst keeping the 2m rule

And she modeled one for me!

 All quality inspected by Luna!

We've been exercising to Joe Wickes' Senior keep fit video - 5 of us in 4 locations!!!

And I've done some speed dating on this stalled project.  I'm not sure I like the blocks in alternate directions

But I'm not sure I like them alternating with plain blocks either.  This may have to go back into the the-be-allowed-to-mature pile

Mojo Monday

I had a few hours of 'me time' this afternoon, and I have a hundred and one (at least) projects I could (should?) be working on, but none of them really appealed.

I sat at the work bench and thunked, and my mojo came just when I needed it

I cut up a piece of cream loose weave fabric, into 1.5 inch squares, and pulled a few threads from each side.  I then gathered up a whole load of cream coloured treasures from the sewing room, and started sewing them onto the squares:

Buttons

Ribbons and lace

Motifs, Suffolk puffs, and beads

 

 And tapes with words on them

And they currently look like this. 

I'm hoping I can find a frame for them.  I'm calling them inchies, although they are 50% bigger than inchies!

Easter's (Nearly) Over

One of the major advantages of working in a school is the school holidays. For everyone else Easter was over and done with nearly two weeks ago, but I'm clinging to the last few hours before 'Easter holidays' becomes a normal working week!

So what have I been sewing?

I pieced and machine bound this quilt (it's twin was only finished 11 months ago!!!)

I attached the blue plus blocks to a fleece, and having mucked up the centering was driven mad by it's not-quite-symmetrical ness

And had to chop a bit off one side and the bottom

I made some little project bags to be sold at Richmond and Kew quilters exhibition in the autumn,

I made a sample tote bag for a customer,

 and a trial version which will hopefully lead to a whole load that I'm hoping to sell

 

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