Memorial Day 2020

What is Memorial Day?

In Loving Memory of those who have fallen for our Liberty and Freedoms.

~Deb

Victory in Europe/VE Day 2020

What is VE-Day?

In Memory of that Victorious Day - 75 Years ago... 

Thank YOU to those who sacrificed for ALL of us.

Blessings,
~Deb

351 & 352 - Mission Accomplished!

Did it - exceeded our 300/30 Day Mask Goal...Yippee!!!

Here's 351 & 352:

351 & 352 face masks

A few pics of the last 50+  - got a little busy sewing/delivering masks ;-)

Pinned/ready to sew!

Optical Illusion - ready for liner/filter to be sewn in

Musical version

Filter/sleeve

Created especially for a 'Special Someone', who's also a Front Line Responder

ALL ready for delivery!

Latest batch of fifty (50), ready to be bagged & delivered!

It's been an incredibly rewarding experience - one we won't soon forget, and even FUN picking out the different fabrics to use for so many of our front line responders and caregivers...Thank YOU to those who've supported us in ANY way, and especially to those who joined in our face mask creating and volunteer efforts.

If you made one or 300+ face masks, you know that you participated in an effort not seen in decades, to help keep our country and those who sacrifice and work on our front lines each and EVERY day, safe from harm's way.

And to those we created these special face masks for - to help keep them safe, Please know we value YOU and EVERYTHING you do for all of us...THANK YOU!

My Best to Each and EVERY One of You.

Later,
~Deb

50 More - Masks, that is...;-)

Up to 250+/300 face mask coverings and counting!

My latest 'batch' of fifty (50):

50+ face mask coverings = 250/300

There's plenty of variety in this latest batch including carrots:

Carrots

Cucs:

Cucumbers

Red Cabbage:

Red Cabbage

and even a Pink Bambi!:

Bambi & flowers

Additional varietal face mask coverings:

Greens

Peppers

Green Cabbage

On to some 'musical' FUN... but first, some 'fruits' to go along w/our veggies...;-)

A fellow face mask sewer...meet 104 year old, retired nurse Gertrude...Thank YOU, Gertrude!
https://www.inforum.com/community/people/6273286-104-year-old-retired-nurse-from-Fergus-Falls-sews-masks-during-pandemic

Later,
~Deb

2 Weeks Later - MORE Masks still being created!

Up to 150+ and counting of our 300 Masks in 30 Days commitment, as are sooooo many of YOU...Thank YOU!

While I've gotten sewing/quilting down and can create/quilt those fairly quickly, NOT so much with these face masks.  In an effort to ensure the finished product will provide the most available protection, taking a bit of time to do my best.  As such, sewing along rather slowly but deliberately.

My latest:

Red Bandana face masks w/ties

Making the needed supply of 'ties':

Ties and filter sleeves getting created

Dug these tools of the trade out of my 'dressmaking' stash to make these ties w/bias tape maker...work great!

Bias tape maker kit

Making Red Bandana ties for masks w/Bias Tape Maker

Got some more Denim masks finished up from the 'donated by Family member' light-weight denim work shirts - used the lower 'tucked in' tails of the shirts that don't generally get much exposure/wear, AFTER they were laundered, of course!

Denim face masks w/ponytail holders for elastic

Finished up these colorful masks - created from various quilt-shop quality/tightly woven cotton prints w/filter sleeve:

Ready for elastic to be sewn

Working on these - just need to add the inner liner/filter sleeve & side elastics, and they'll be ALL finished and ready to be donated for area public service needs:

Face Masks - ready for filter liners and side elastics

For now, time for a little break-ey break ;-)

1st chocolate bar in 6+ weeks...YUM!

For those of you who have been making literally hundreds and HUNDREDS of face masks...Bravo and Kudos! 

Reduce your risk of contagion...One Mask at a time - https://www.linkedin.com/content-guest/article/saving-your-health-one-mask-time-peter-tippett-md-phd/


Later,
~Deb

300 Masks in 30 Days...Let's Do It!

Been working on face mask 'covers' for the past couple of weeks now for immediate family/personal needs, and to comply w/request from one of my daughters who works on the front line in public service.

After the CDC/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidelines on wearing face masks in public with their latest announcement on April 1, 2020 recommending we ALL start wearing cloth/homemade face masks to slow/control the spread of this wicked virus, decided to 'up' my production game, and share what I've learned from creating homemade face masks.

Cloth/homemade face mask covering

If you'd like to follow along to create your own face masks for your own personal needs OR for someone in the Health Care Service that has requested face mask coverings, Please feel free to join in!

First - the pattern I've chosen to use comes from the generosity of Craft Passion and their face mask pattern and the Mods that Lisa's at Carolina Handmade implemented, w/ a few of my own for good measure ;-)

You may choose ANY face mask pattern design you wish.  My advice is to first decide who/why you are making the face mask(s) for and check and see IF the intended recipient(s) have preferences and in MANY cases their own institution-designed face mask pattern they prefer.  Additionally, MANY are already being provided online for F R E E w/download options.

Recently, a call for face masks went out from one of our medical centers.  Their request was for the 'pleated' design-type mask.  Since that is currently NOT the design I've chosen to work with, will be checking with them to see IF the design I'm currently working with and 'tooled-up' for w/fabrics and supplies, will work for them.  If not, will still create masks for them per their face mask design request, once I finish up w/latest 100+ requests for my current face mask design.  (Actually, have over 300+ current face mask requests, some are not in as dire need as others.)

Most of the sewing for this face mask design is fairly straight forward, and I enjoy doing fifty (50) at a time for efficiency and speed:

Chain-piecing face mask 'outside/pretty side'

I'm using cotton surgical sheeting for the inside/lining side that touches the face, that was generously donated:

100% cotton surgical sheeting fabric for lining of mask

With this surgical sheeting/lining, I also create a 'sleeve' for a potential filter to be slid into the mask by the recipient/wearer:

Mask w/filter sleeve getting ready to be sewn

Right-side of face mask

Been cutting these out four (4) at a time in bunches of fifty (50).  It's been a bit slow going:

Cutting in bulk

Soon, will be able to cut up to ten (10) layers of fabric at a time with this latest AccuCut/Studio die:

Face Mask Die

This die is now available from AccuCut HERE: https://accucut.com/products/face-mask

There are several sizes to choose from, in addition to several face mask design options.  If you are creating masks in BULK and you have a Studio/Grande Mark type cutting machine, this could be a wonderful option for you and/or your organization.

In the meantime, time to choose some 'pretty' fabrics for the outside of our mask:

FUN face mask fabrics

Whichever face mask design you choose, Please join us in creating 300 masks in 30 days.

First batch of face masks complete - created four (4) of each fabric = 64/300 total masks:

1st batch of face masks

Just 236 left to go...back to cutting/sewing!

Later,
~Deb

Donna Ruth Tribute 'Picnic' Quilt

She fought the good fight against ALS, w/her family and devoted husband, my younger brother, by her side.  This is a Tribute quilt to honor the life of our Dear Family Member, Donna Ruth.

Donna Ruth Tribute "Picnic" quilt - coming off the frame

I decided to create this postage stamp quilt awhile back out of primarily reproduction fabrics - mostly from my stash ;-)

I really thought I'd get back to quilting it sooner than now but apparently, now is when it was supposed to be quilted.

Originally, the Busy Bees E2e quilt pattern from My Creative Stitches was chosen to compliment this Picnic quilt because...what is a picnic without a few honey bees buzzing about?

This design is also an appropriate nod to my SIL Donna, who always kept busy with her home & family, gardening/canning/freezing food stuffs for her household and extended family & friends, creating beautiful quilts and afghans, all while caring for her children, grandchildren and my brother, her husband.

Quilting close-up...Can You See the Honey Bees?

Quilting back

We'll miss her...

Donna Ruth

And we'll think of her often as we take a nice Spring walk, stop to pick a flower and take joy in the singing of a happy bird, or even while spending some time to have a nice Picnic w/our loved ones...

Goodbye for now, Donna Ruth.

Later,

~Deb