Cloth face masks - covid 19 sucks!

On the plane flying from Toronto to Winnipeg March 24, 2020.

Yes I'm still out here. I'm behind in blog posts and staying home to help flatten the curve.  While staying home, quilt making is on the back burner for mask making is the priority.

These were made while I was in Ontario visiting my daughter and family.  The purple striped one is 100% polyester (upholstery fabric) outside and 100% cotton (old white sheet) inside.  The blue one is recycled denim jeans with the same white cotton inside.  These were the fabrics available at Shannon's home.

There are hundreds if not thousands of free patterns and tutorials available.  In the past three weeks, I have made over 30 masks.

 Things I have learned:

•  fit is important
• comfort is important
• elastic is in short supply
• nose wires are easier to sew a casing around using a zipper foot
• masks that are well fitted over the nose do not fog up glasses
• filter pockets are desirable but not essential
• masks should be stylish and fun as well as functional
• for quilters mask making is an excellent scrap buster
• using a serger 1.25" strips by width of fabric make the best cotton ties 
• my preference of mask has a long single cotton tie with casing on the sides

Manikin head purchased at local Dollarama for $4.00 CAD.  Sadly the ears are too flat to be functional.

 Fitted mask with casing on the sides. 

Pleated masks with elastic and cotton ties. The elastic on these 3 masks was 3/8" thick and they would not stay in place around the ears, ended up replacing with 1/4" flat braided elastic.

The filter pocket is 100% polyester moisture wick away fabric used in sportswear and for cloth diaper liners.  It is very soft and does not fray but it is a pain to sew because it is slippery.

Followed a tutorial to make this mask using two 2.5" wide strips for the ties.  With side pleats, very thick ties on the top and bottom it is not comfortable.

To all my dear readers, please stay home, safe and well. To all essential workers thank you.

God Bless you all!

Exploding Blocks quilt - great scrapbuster.

My goal for 2020, not resolution is to complete my UFOs (unfinished objects) before starting new projects.  Finished this Exploding Block quilt  made with 100% cotton scraps from other projects. Started each block with a 2.5" square some are a 2.5" four patch. Then I added borders and cut the blocks wonky. The ribbons are for fondling. Free motion quilted with sunbursts, feathers in the sashing, butterflies, and loop de loops in the borders then framed with Susie's Magic Binding.

 Scrap busting is fun. 

On the design wall.

 Fabric auditions for sashing.

Light blue sashing.

The outside sashing has posts.

Ok top is complete.

I do not mark the free motion feathers.  I did draw a circle with a Crayola washable marker in the middle of the sunburst.

This quilt was started in spring 2019 and completed January 2020.  Approximately 20 hours of free motion quilting.

Princess bed curtains for Anastasia's fifth birthday.

My oldest granddaughter Anastasia turned five in October, with her mom's fabulous help we made curtains for her.

 First we chose the drapery fabric from my stash.

Since I live in Manitoba and Shannon lives in Ontario I packed the fabric in my suitcase to assemble at her house.

We made a trip to a fabric store to get the purple fabric for the ruffle and top banner as well as Michael's craft for the purple ribbon.

Shannon did the ruffle gathering and pinning.

The ribbons are attached with Babyville snaps easy to put up and take down. Also, if they kids are pulling on them they unsnap.

Shannon made the curtain tie backs.  They are attached to the bed posts with snaps and velcro closures around the curtains.

 Shannon added LED lights around the top.

  Anastasia loves her new princess bed curtains. 

reversible bucket sunhats - adult size

Made sunhats for the grandkids using this free pattern.  The pattern was upsized to adult by Jennifer here.  The first adult size is for my daughter Shannon.

 Pinning hats right sides together.

Stitching hats right sides together at brim and leaving a 2 inch turning gap.

 Setting brim in place for edge stitching.

Shannon chose multicoloured butterflies with rainbow tie dyed batik.

 

Shannon's chin straps have yellow velcro hook and loop tape closures. In the photo below I tied the chin straps under my hair.

This lovely floral hat is mine. 

 The chin straps on my hat are 20 inches long no need for velcro, just tie them in place.

 Great practice sewing straight lines on a curve. 

 Love this hat. 

Bring on summer. 

Happy stitching all.

Reversible Toddler Bucket hat

Doing some sewing for my grandkids with this fabulous "Hungry Little Caterpillar" print. First things first fabric auditions:

The caterpillar and cupcakes are on white, lots of colours to choose from.

 Batiks

 Yellow and rainbow batik

 Rainbow batik one side and cupcakes the other.

 Or mix them up?

No did not mix them up.

 Size small for our two year old granddaughter.

The free pattern (update January 2021 pattern is no longer free) has templates from xsmall to large size.  There is a step by step tutorial as well.  I followed the instructions in the pattern, made the hat then checked out the tutorial.  The tutorial added a step of stay stitching the top edge of the hat sides before clipping the seam allowance to fit the top circle and stay stitching the top of the brim before clipping to fit bottom of the sides of hat.  This was is a good added step.  According to the instructions in the pattern and tutorial you make the brim then clip the seam allowance to fit the bottom sides of the hat.  Next stitch sides A of hat to brim with right sides together.  Then press 1/2" edge wrong sides together of side B pin side B to brim in place matching the side seams.  Hand stitch hat B to brim then top stitch to secure it.  I eliminated the hand stitching part, just topstitched hat top B to the brim.  

My daughter suggested chin straps.  Introducing "Ball Head" my toddler hat model. 

The straps are two inches wide and 8 inches long.  I sewed 1/4" seam allowance, clipped the corners and turned it.  Edge stitch the length and ends of the straps.

 It fastens under the chin with velcro hook and loop tape.

 

 Buttonholes to transfer the straps to the other side. 

Version 2.0  I sewed rainbow batik hat A and hungry caterpillar with cupcakes hat B separately as two hats. 

Attached the chin straps to hat A.

Then put one hat inside the other right sides together, stitch the bottom of the brim all the way around leaving a two-inch gap to turn the hat.  

Wrong side view of hat before turning.

Clipped the seam allowance close except the turning gap.  

After turning the hat right sides out, the brim seam was finger pressed, then pinned in place before pressing with a steam iron.  Next, I opened up the turning gap to clip the seam allowance of the turning gap before edge stitching all around the bottom of the brim, which closed the turning gap.  Next top stitch rows 1/4" apart to finish brim.  Then make buttonholes for the chin straps.  Lastly, sew the velcro hook and loop tape to the chin strap ends.   Bucket hat version 2.0 is completed. 

 

 Hat A Version 2.0 has more pink and less blue.

 

 Brim down? Brim Up? 

After I finished this hat I realized I forgot to edge stitch lengths and ends of the chin straps like I did in Version 1.0.  Ooops.  The straps look more finished with the edge stitching.  Hat making is fun.  For me it was much easier to sew hat A and hat B separately first as I did in Version 2.0 instead of following the instructions in the pattern and tutorial.