My Life, Quarantine Quilting

COVID 19 Quarantine Quilting & Supporting Our Local Quilt Shops

I hope you’re staying healthy during this crazy quarantine period.

It’s a strange time for sure.

What are you doing with all of your quarantine time?

Are you making masks?

I’ve made a few dozen by now.

Are you getting lots of quilting done?

I’m actively working on our 3″ blocks…

My stack is considerably taller now.

I’ve also started a new project with our guild.

There are 182, 4″ x 5″ blocks in the book.

I’ve cut kits for each of them.

Yesterday I posted #1.

Just 181 to go!

Oh yes, I’ve also spent COUNTLESS hours trying to get our lousy internet to work properly…

(& my mom’s too. They live just down the street & also having issues).

I guess our crappy service just cannot take the overload.

It’s off, it’s on, it’s off… Welcome to rural America.

Anyone use Viasat?

It’s the only service that looks like it might work,

but I don’t know anyone who’s had success with it

so we’re leery to jump into a 2 year contract with them.

Perhaps you’re working on your flower beds getting them ready for the season?

Can’t really take credit here except

that I have dug some up to share

& to move closer to the house to better appreciate them.

Getting some exercise?

I’m walking 2.4 miles/day.

It was so windy one day last week that it blew this sign loose.

Love that it’s pointing up!

Here’s my sign!

Doing lots of praying, but that’s not new for me.

I realize many are out of work & I feel badly for them.

I’ve had all of my spring into summer shows & teaching opportunities disappear.

I also feel bad for our local quilt shops that have had to close during the quarantine.

If you can, please support them.

Many shops have websites that are open.

Some are offering curb-side pick-up.

It’s going to be hard for many to recover & we need them!

If you’re having problems finding notions

I have all the notions that I use on my website for sale.

If I don’t have something you need I may be able to order it.

Just send me an email SuznQuilts@aol.com.

Sorry, no 1/4″ elastic.

I’d like to see what you’re doing!

Post pics over at my Sewing With Susan Facebook page

so we can all enjoy your progress for some inspiration.

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan

My Life, Quarantine Quilting

Second Quarantine Quilting UFO Finish

The second UFO that’s been on my list for almost a year…

Robin’s Wreaths,

a 5-part quilt designed by my good friend,

Robin Koehler of Nestlings By Robin.

It was featured in

AQ Magazine 2018-2019.

I had the 6 blocks complete pretty much on schedule

with the release of each of the magazines.

The tiny leaf templates were all cut out

& fused to the leaf fabric.

That’s where I stalled out when I got too busy with market prep this time last spring…

So this is where I began.

Trimming seam allowances & gluing.

Starting with the smallest of leaves,

then the little bit larger, small leaves.

It’s my own fault!

I thought it would be so cute made miniature.

I actually made the templates from the printed

size templates in the magazine instead of enlarging them 200%.

Next, to glue the tiny leaves to the 6 finished blocks.

An issue which came with making a smaller version of this quilt is the fact that I had to improvise parts of the design that were just too small to incorporate into this scale.

Some I turned bias strips into stitched vines & some I left off completely.

The blocks are still very full of applique!

Next, borders!

This was a great opportunity to use my new Cricut BrightPad.

Love this!

I’ve been using a very old & crude (but much loved)

version of a light box that my then college boyfriend

(now husband of 31 years)

made for me to use in my design classes.

Lots of little hearts were next.

Thanks goodness for my Apliquick tools!

These things are a life saver!

It took me all day,

but the borders were soon made

& ready for stitching;

applique by machine then embroidery by hand.

It was nice having some hand work to do while watching TV.

With top complete, it was time to contemplate how to quilt it.

I decided on a grid to complement the block background

so as not to overpower the tiny applique.

These blocks are only 5″ finished.

It doesn’t take much to fill them.

Then binding!

And voila!

It now resides in a place of honor in our kitchen.

LOVE it!

Love that I could finish it in this crazy quarantine period.

What are you working on?

Please share your projects & progress on my Sewing With Susan FB group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SewingWithSusan/

Please stay home & stay safe!

Just Keep Sewing…

Susan