More masks!!

Yesterday was a bit gray and drippy, so I stayed in and made more masks. I'm plugging along on there customer quilts, too, and feel like it is almost business as usual in the studio. Too bad it isn't business as usual in the United States. On Tuesday, my Wisconsin friends had to stand in long lines during this pandemic to exercise their right to vote. It is a new kind of insanity in our government right now.
Last night, Mr Wazoo and I watched the sky at 8:35 to see the space  station pass over the house. At least they don't have to worry about getting Covid 19.
Our  old neighbor called yesterday from Wisconsin. They need some masks for their family. The good news is they are going to be first time grandparents in August! I'm really happy for them all.

Staged parts ready for assembly

Chain sewing makes the task move faster

The pile of tee shirt strips for the ties

And the finished product, 20 more masks. That's the pattern I am using next to the masks. It has taken a beating over the last week!

Ready to wear!

I finished the last of my sister's quilts, and sent them off in time for her birthday. Happy Birthday, Anne!!

I think this is a wonderful use of ombre fabrics. It is so colorful and happy!

Panto: African Samba

This pineapple fabric sets it off perfectly!

My next customer made two quilts from a collection of ethnic fabrics. Both are colorful and exciting. I love being able to see all these fabrics together while I quilt.

This stack and whack example is beautiful and full of energy. 

The fabrics give the illusion of a spinning motion. I used the panto: African Samba again, but see how different it looks on this quilt, with variegated thread!

This is the backing she chose.

The second quilt used the fabrics in a delectable mountain block set like saw blades. The purple inner border pops, and sets apart the blades. A few of them escape into the outer border, taking the interest  right out to the edge of the quilt. I love it!

Panto: African Storm

It's hard to see, but the thread on the back is the same color purple as the inner border. Set on the black backing, it looks quite dynamic.

After I finished work for the day, I took my walk around the yard to see what happened while I was toiling inside. All of the hard work Mr W puts into the yard is showing in the way the trees, flowers and shrubs are bursting with Spring color.

We planted this small pink dogwood tree two years ago, and this is the best it has ever bloomed!

The flowers are so delicate and pretty.

We also planted this flame azalea two years ago. It gets more blooms every year!

The dogwood next to the driveway has fully bloomed too, and is beautiful.

I think the dogwood trees are the best thing about living in the south.

The iris are slow to open, but are coming on.

Mr Wazoo loves pink and purple flowers best, so you can catch the theme of his garden  on every side of the yard.

The assortment of potted pansies are blooming a last hurrah. They will fade when the weather warms up.

More purple...

We stay in touch with our kids and grandkids with the app, Marco. My son sent this little video of how my grandson uses some of the pent up energy he has from being trapped in the house. Don't you wish you had this kind of exuberance? I sure do!

Another day in isolation

I started the day delivering masks to my neighbors, as well as some cupcakes I made last night. It was good to see some other faces than Mr Wazoo, and chat at a distance about what's going on in their lives.
Yesterday I quilted a customer quilt and worked on the flannel HST quilt. The customer quilt is one from my Cat Stairway to Heaven class, and this is her finished project.

Masks for the neighbors, ready to go.

The lady who made this is gifting it to a friend who is battling cancer.

Panto: Twinkling stars

Starry back, too.

The only time I get outside these days is during the walk down to the studio. The flowers and trees are really coming on now that the weather is warm and sunny.

The gardening gnome is keeping watch over the bird condos. The blue on has a bird coming and going, so I think there will be a nesting pair there. We also have the Eastern Phoebe back, building her nest on top of the yard light. It is sheltered by the eave from other predators, like crows.

Two colors of phlox are blooming en masse, and the bees are already taking advantage.

We had this sign in Wisconsin, but it works just as well here!

The iris are about to pop.

Lilacs are also making an appearance.

Mr W's Japanese maple made it through the winter and has lush foliage. It was a gift from some of our friends for his birthday last year.

Now, I need to get to work. With Millie back in service, I should be able to get busy on one of the commission projects. Stay safe...stay tuned!

Planets aligned...Millie on the move!

We fixed it!! I am so happy, I could do a little dance...but I will spare you that image. Mr Wazoo and I started over at square one and put in one element of the "fix" at a time and re-tried the machine. It took a while, but we found out it was the second cable that was bad. $35 for the fix. The un-needed parts are boxed up and ready to ship back to APQS. I really hope I never have to call there again...

To test the machine, I quilted one of my sister's quilts, figuring if it went awry I could fix it and she would be understanding. Nothing went wrong, and the quilt is lovely!

This pastel, low volume quilt is very soothing to me.

I used the panto: Flower Power

Paris on the back, too!

I continue to make masks and get them sent to the places that need them, but I am tiring of doing the same thing over and over. I think I will work on something else today.I made us some sausage biscuits for breakfast, and have enough of the biscuits left for supper tonight. Mr W did a brief house cleaning yesterday, so we aren't looking like a dust bin! Outside, it is sunny and cool. We soldier on and pray this isolation passes soon.

Some of last week's masks made it to their recipients!

I think the lilac bush we almost gave up on is going to bloom this year!!

The back garden is waking up. I'm glad you can't see the dog poop in this picture...it would spoil the illusion of Mr W's perfect landscape.

The trees have just the tint of the leaves opening.

Daughter in law watched some You Tube videos and bravely tried the machine I gave them for Christmas.

She made the family masks!
As you can see, they are a Super Family!

I'm impressed with the fussy cut bear on grandson's mask!
I think she did a good job!

Living in isolation

We're doing okay here, but I miss my quilting buddies. Guild has been cancelled again, and we will all try to get by without the camaraderie we love. To everyone out there reading this, STAY HOME!!

 The more people who do this, the sooner the curve flattens and we all go about our lives again.
Spring has begun to bloom here, and Mr Wazoo is spending a lot of time outdoors digging, raking and sprucing up the yard.

Tulips coming up for the first time! He planted them last fall.

He said the package said they were multi colored, but I guess they lied! Good thing we like pink.

The supervisor.

I love red bud trees! They always look lacy and pretty. This one was planted two  years ago and is getting really tall!

Aren't the flowers nice?

The supervisor doesn't know what's going on here. 

Our little pink dogwood tree flowers are beginning to unfurl. 

The white dogwood isn't far behind!

Phlox in all its glory!

We have limped along with the quilting, sending off for a new controller box for Millie ($1074), a vertical hold cable for Big Gammill ($30) and a new Joey box for the studio Dish receiver (free, if we send the old one in within 10 days). Trying to fix everything over the phone has been exhausting. I have wasted more time the last couple of days than I care to remember.

Dismantled and broken...Millie looks sad.

I finally finished the giant quilt, and am happy to have it behind me.

I told you it was big... it ended up 102x119 after quilting.

Thimbleberry fabrics, all complimenting one another.
Panto: Primrose Swirl

Muslin backing.

Mr Wazoo took a few hours off to quilt this Spring-like project.

This is a sweet collection of floral prints.

Panto: Ribbon Roses

The backing is also a lovely floral.

Today, I spent hours sewing down baby clothes  the customer glued to the background. Glued. Yes, with glue. I had put it off because I knew it would be a mess to do, but pulled up the big girl pants and tackled it today. The needle is shot, but I am finished with that part. Some of the areas were so thick with fabric and glue, it was hard to sew through. Now, I have to quilt it.

Here is a sample of what I had to sew through. I used a wide buttonhole stitch.

None of the rick rack is sewn down, either. I will sew it down during the quilting.

Another big quilt. I wonder who will use a baby clothes quilt this big?
It is 78x98.

Well, my day is done and pot pie is in the oven. I have been researching my family's ancestry and have made some startling discoveries! But that will be  for another day. Now, I think as glass of wine and some Britbox TV is in my near future.

Socially distanced

We have taken the order seriously here at Wazoo, but the greater population seems to have no fear of what may come.Mr Wazoo and I took Molly along and went for a car trip on Sunday. We passed by Home Depot, Walmart and the grocery  while driving and the crowds of  people in each location were astounding. What the heck are they thinking? If anyone thinks the virus won't find them in Blairsville, they will be surprised when it does. People are fleeing Atlanta to get away from the virus, and many of them have cabins up here. My fear is that will transport the virus here. We continue to heed my daughter's advice and stay home.
I made the masks for each of my other three kids to wear to the grocery store, and will stick them in the mailbox here today.

Masks for the kids

I finally finished the pick-out on the giant quilt, removed all the threads, spritzed it with water to close the stitching holes and got it loaded on the big Gammill. I have four rows done and hope to finish it today and move on to another project.

I really like this quilt. The customer said she used up a stash of Thimbleberry fabrics she has had since the 1980s. It's a simple block, but is very effective in showing off this collection of fabrics.
I'm using the paper panto: Primrose Swirl, one of my favorites for large quilts.

Things are budding out and causing some excitement for Mr W. He will be outside all day, I'm sure.Right now, it is after 10:00 and I haven't started to work...I had better get moving! Stay healthy and get a breath of fresh air sometime today!