More Masks

I know everyone is tired of these posts. I'm tired of making masks. But this is what I've been doing with my creative time and energy so that's what the blog is going to get.

I just grab a a piece of fabric that has been in my collection for a while, and I have no idea why I bought it, or how I would use it, and cut a few masks. This happens several times a week. That way I can sew up a few on the weekend to give to family. I was hoping I was done. But when your husband doesn't have one to go to the market you have to solve the problem. 

Articles
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings, Especially in Areas of Significant Community-Based Transmission (includes references to recent studies on the use of cloth masks to prevent transmission)
NPR: Coronavirus FAQs: Is A Homemade Mask Effective? And What's The Best Way To Wear One?
NPR: Adding A Nylon Stocking Layer Could Boost Protection (added 23 April)

Mask Patterns
Domesticity Fabric Shop (three free patterns linked)
Craft Passion (Pattern C)
Delectable Mountain Quilter's Guild (several patterns and references)

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle
Creative Grids 6.5" Square Ruler
Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion
Fiskars 8-inch scissors
Juki TL-2010Q
Oval Shoelaces Half Round 1/4"
Clover 2-Type Bodkin

Sewing Up the Past

Some projects seem to hang around my creative space until they have matured a bit. I think I bought this roll of red mesh to make a tote back about six or seven years ago. This is the little stack of lingering projects I pulled out of hiding this week. I may not get all of them done but if I don't look at them they will never get done.

I bought this mesh, so long ago that when I searched for the pattern and pattern maker online I couldn't find either. I did find several YouTube videos that helped me figure out exactly what the pattern designer had been trying, poorly, to articulate. Maybe I'm a more visual learner than I think. I liked the video tutorial offered by the Fabric Junction on their shop page. Easy to follow, explains everything, and I basically went with their directions.

This is a seriously sized tote. The mesh was trimmed to about 18" by 18". The fabric was on the discontinued shelf at my local quilt shop and was entirely too cute to leave behind. I'm super-pleased with how this turned out.

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle
Creative Grids 6.5" Square Ruler
Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion
Fiskars 8-inch scissors
Juki TL-2010Q

Making Masks

I know, this is what everyone's Instagram and blog feed is filled with. Sorry. A family member with little ability to get masks asked for a few. I needed to make a couple more for my husband, too, so I grabbed some fabric and got cutting. This is the free pattern from Craft Passion. 

These work pretty quickly once you get going. The best part about this was using some fabric I knew I would never use for anything else. That fabric ended up as the lining. 

I used the t-shirt ties I mentioned in my last masks post.

Articles
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings, Especially in Areas of Significant Community-Based Transmission (includes references to recent studies on the use of cloth masks to prevent transmission)
NPR: Coronavirus FAQs: Is A Homemade Mask Effective? And What's The Best Way To Wear One?
NPR: Adding A Nylon Stocking Layer Could Boost Protection (added 23 April)

Mask Patterns
Domesticity Fabric Shop (three free patterns linked)
Craft Passion (Pattern C)
Delectable Mountain Quilter's Guild (several patterns and references)

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle
Creative Grids 6.5" Square Ruler
Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion
Fiskars 8-inch scissors
Juki TL-2010Q
Oval Shoelaces Half Round 1/4"
Clover 2-Type Bodkin

Tunisian Crochet Update

I finished another dishcloth using the Very Pink pattern for Tunisian Shaker Dishcloths. It was super fun to watch the colors of the variegated yarn work up. I still have cotton yarn, so I will likely make several more of these. 

I also found some really amazing Tunisian crochet patterns for shawls. This is just the beginning of one called Saoirse. It's a stunning shawl and the designer has so many other great Tunisian crochet patterns. Check out her work if you want to try something new. I don't think this is quite the right yarn for this, so I may have to find more suitable yarn. I'll let you know how that works out. I can tell you that I'm super excited about the potential for Tunisian crochet shawls. I have so many ideas.

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Set of 11 Aluminum Tunisian Crochet Hooks 

Making Masks

I saw a different mask pattern put out by The Happy Zombie and wanted to give it a try. It comes in three sizes and is free.

You can pick up your own copy of Happy Zombie Mask Pattern. If you want to support them, check out their site at The Happy Zombie. I liked this pattern design but not as much as the one from Craft Passion.

I used the instructions from the Happy Zombie Mask Pattern to make a t-shirt's worth of ties for masks. This is the result of cutting up one medium-size adult tee. That's almost 20 ties (19 was a somewhat annoying result). 

Stretched into a tie, each measures more than enough for however you want to tie your mask.

Articles
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings, Especially in Areas of Significant Community-Based Transmission (includes references to recent studies on the use of cloth masks to prevent transmission)
NPR: Coronavirus FAQs: Is A Homemade Mask Effective? And What's The Best Way To Wear One?

Mask Patterns
Domesticity Fabric Shop (three free patterns linked)
Craft Passion (Pattern C)
Delectable Mountain Quilter's Guild (several patterns and references)
Happy Zombie Mask Pattern

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle
Creative Grids 6.5" Square Ruler
Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion
Fiskars 8-inch scissors
Juki TL-2010Q
Oval Shoelaces Half Round 1/4"
Clover 2-Type Bodkin

Charity Quilting

This is the last of the tops I picked up from Annapolis Quilts for Kids. That means I may have to piece a couple myself. 

If you want to contribute but don't have the time or skills, you can support the national Quilts for Kids by shopping through Amazon Smile. I don't earn anything from this link. This link lets your purchases support Quilts for Kids through Amazon. I don't add affiliate links to my charity quit posts on purpose. I donate my time, my machine, my thread, and my skill to the cause. 

Here is the EpochConverter for 2020.  

2020 Charity Quilt Count: 27

Trying Something New

I spent too much time thinking about giving Tunisian crochet a try. So much time that I ordered a set of hooks from Amazon. They came in nothing more than a plastic bag, so I think I'll have to sew up a roll-up carrier for them. 

I found a simple pattern on Ravelry for Tunisian Shaker Dishcloths. There is even a YouTube tutorial for this one. The picture above is my first try. It didn't end up becoming a dish cloth, but the next one did. 

Here is my finished dishcloth and another one in the making. 

That makes two! Have you tried anything new lately?

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Set of 11 Aluminum Tunisian Crochet Hooks 

Crochet Crazy

I've been working on different crochet projects over the past weeks. This was an experiment with a single ball of Red Heart Unforgettable. I used one of the stitches from Crochet Every Way Stitch Dictionary: 125 Essential Stitches to Crochet in Three Ways to make this cowl. 

I worked until I ran out of yarn, then ripped back about half a row of double crochets so I would have enough to join the ends into a tube. 

I joined the ends using a row of single crochet through the cast on edge along with the working edge. This made a really quick project. I'm working on writing the pattern for this one. I will likely make it a few more times to see how different yarn works up.

This has so much potential! Make it longer to wrap around a couple times. Add a twist when joining the ends to make it a Möbius loop. Add an edging for more drama.I'll have to play with it. 

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Crochet hooks: Clover Crochet Hook Set (10 hooks)
Crochet Every Way Stitch Dictionary: 125 Essential Stitches to Crochet in Three Ways

Red Heart Yarn Boutique Unforgettable Yarn, though you might be able to find it cheaper locally.

Charity Quilting

Scrappy pieced by Mary. 

Cool cats pieced by Cindy.

I'm almost out of tops pieced by other members of Annapolis Quilts for Kids. That means I may have to piece a couple myself. 

If you want to contribute but don't have the time or skills, you can support the national Quilts for Kids by shopping through Amazon Smile. I don't earn anything from this link. This link lets your purchases support Quilts for Kids through Amazon. I don't add affiliate links to my charity quit posts on purpose. I donate my time, my machine, my thread, and my skill to the cause. 

Here is the EpochConverter for 2020.  

2020 Charity Quilt Count: 26

Crochet Crazy

I shared this project in March. I finished it in April. After I ripped out every bit of the work you see above. The switch from regular to working the front post single crochet was entirely too obvious and I just had to start over. It was the right thing to do. 

Here is a close up of those stitches. The design is a super simple two-row repeat. 

I used two cakes of Mandala.

This colorway is called Phoenix. I don't know if it is very fitting for this colorway, but there you have it. 

Since the two cakes started at different colors, it was super simple to alternate between cakes to get this result. It could just as easily be made with two solid cakes, a solid and a striping, or two different colorways of striping.

Two cakes work up into a nice-sized triangle shawl.

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Crochet hooks: Clover Crochet Hook Set (10 hooks)
Crochet Every Way Stitch Dictionary: 125 Essential Stitches to Crochet in Three Ways
Lion Brand Mandala is available on Amazon, though you might be able to find it cheaper locally.

Something is Better than Nothing

I've been carefully watching the homemade mask discussion over the last few weeks. We went from "they don't do anything" to "you should wrap a bandana around your face" and finally to "wear a mask when you go to the grocery store". It was a social experiment set on overdrive. I collected a few links to tutorials along the way. Everyone had their idea of what a mask should be. By the time the CDC announced people should wear face coverings when going out, the number of tutorials and free patterns was mind numbing. Domesticity, a Baltimore fabric shop, is working with several Maryland medical centers to supply face masks for their healthcare workers. That seemed a pretty good place for me to start. I'm making these masks for my own use. I decided to try patterns A and C. 

Pattern A: I thought pattern A could support another layer of cotton so I grabbed some muslin to go with my prints. I layered the three fabrics like this before sewing together. In the end, I don't think that extra layer of muslin was worth it. It makes the mask somewhat heavy; I don't think I will add that layer again. I made a couple modifications from the published pattern.

Modification 1: I only sewed along the top and bottom before turning. Then, pleated and stitched down the side pleats. This reduces the bulk in the side seams.

Modification 2: I used two pieces of binding (cut width of fabric) to enclose the raw edges and create ties. Since it is cut width of fabric, and left the selvage on, the tie ends won't unravel and don't need to be finished. 

I didn't mind the fit of this design but those ties were not something I could handle with all this hair. So much hair. I was due for my March haircut when this business started and I'm certainly not going to get that haircut anytime soon. So, I either wear a hat or wear a mask with elastic. 

Pattern C: This mask is slightly fitted and can easily be made using ties or elastic. It fits me better than it fits my foam head.

The use of channels at sides of the mask make it super easy to use a single tie, two ties (one on each side), or elastic for over the ears. This one used a single 47" shoelace to create the tie. You just feed the lace in from the bottom on one side and down through on the other side. Again, this had the hair problem. Both designs show you how to add a sleeve for a piece of wire across the bridge of the nose. I used pipe cleaner cut to length as that is what I have on-hand. Remove and dispose of pipe cleaner prior to laundering.

In the end, I made Pattern C and used 1/4" elastic (because that's what I have). If I had 1/8" elastic I would have tried that.

Articles
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings, Especially in Areas of Significant Community-Based Transmission (includes references to recent studies on the use of cloth masks to prevent transmission)
NPR: Coronavirus FAQs: Is A Homemade Mask Effective? And What's The Best Way To Wear One?

Mask Patterns
Domesticity Fabric Shop (three free patterns linked)
Craft Passion (Pattern C)
Delectable Mountain Quilter's Guild (several patterns and references)

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle
Creative Grids 6.5" Square Ruler
Creative Grids 4.5" x 12.5" Rectangle Quilting Ruler
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion
Fiskars 8-inch scissors
Juki TL-2010Q
Oval Shoelaces Half Round 1/4"
Clover 2-Type Bodkin

Charity Quilting

Another scrappy quilt for Annapolis Quilts for Kids. This one was pieced by Cindy. 

If you want to contribute but don't have the time or skills, you can support the national Quilts for Kids by shopping through Amazon Smile. I don't earn anything from this link. This link lets your purchases support Quilts for Kids through Amazon. I don't add affiliate links to my charity quit posts on purpose. I donate my time, my machine, my thread, and my skill to the cause. 

Here is the EpochConverter for 2020.  

2020 Charity Quilt Count: 24

Elvira Quarantine Quilt

I loaded up the finished Elvira Quarantine Quilt Along by GE Designs and got quilting. Yellow thread is one of my favorites for long arm quilting and it was perfect for this quilt. It blends in while lending texture. 

The pieced back worked out perfectly. This will make some little person so happy. Great for tummy-time when tiny and play when older. 

I can imagine little cars driving around those city streets. 

Polka-dot binding might be my favorite. A fun little pop of color. The best part about this project is that purchased no fabric or batting. This entire project came from my collection. I used my Jaybird Super Sidekick Ruler to create the 60 degree diagonal cuts for the blocks.

Tools and supplies (affiliate links):
Creative Grids 6.5" x 24.5" Rectangle
Fiskars Rotary Cutter
Fiskars Self Healing Rotary Cutting Mat
BLACK+DECKER Classic Steam Iron
Grabbit Magnetic Pin Cushion
Fiskars 8-inch scissors
Juki TL-2010Q
Cheryl Ann's Quilting Design Wall - 72" White