Buenos Dias todos. Today is a good day, I can feel it. I'm sitting here listening to Andrea Bocelli Mixes on youtube. Did you know that Andrea Bocelli has a son, Matteo Bocelli that can sing? If only I was a few decades younger.
I have stopped trying to finish my quilt when Vermont Quilt Festival said that they were cancelling their show that was to happen in June. Since the cancellation, I have focused my energy on making masks.
Below is the first reiteration of the mask. This mask has three pleats. At the time, I did not have elastic so I made ties. For me, the pleats were difficult, even though most people were doing this pattern.
This is the second reiteration. This came from a youtube video that I stumbled upon on my first day of investigation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2B7Twkh2SI It is a pattern from Sewing with Sara. This one I made it with a filter pocket and ties.
This is the third reiteration. This was also from the same pattern from Sewing with Sara, but without a filter pocket and with elastic bands. I was able to get 10 yards of elastic from a local quilt shop. It didn't go as well. Hubby said it hurt too much.
Here is Paula the Koala, that's really her name, showing off the final result of the first finish of the masks. What that means is, after I made a bunch of these and gave them away, I perfected them further.
The first picture of Paula the Koala, is a fabric called, Mi Familia by Jesus Cruz by Andover Fabric created in 2013. I don't have a lot of that, it was an impulse by from way long ago. If anyone wants to buy me a present, there is some on ebay. Just Kidding.
Paula the Koala, below is wearing a fabric by Cranston Cotton Salamander Chamelion Gecko Lizard Iguana. I didn't fuzzy cut it properly, so you can't see the freakin' animals. This I bought in 2008.
Here is the pattern. The top one is the outside, and the bottom is the lining.
The first finished batch, I made the ties by hand, without a bias tape maker. I mentioned it to one of my girlfriend, and she went on a hunt looking for a bias tape maker locally. She was able to find one, and purchased and delivered it to the house. We had a hard time figuring out what size to use. Single fold, double fold... ugh, it hurt my head too much. She couldn't figure it out. The explanation on the websites didn't make sense, and finally I found one with an actual picture. So the final result was I needed the Bias Tape Maker 25mm, which makes a 1" single fold or a 1/2" double fold strip. Note that I am not cutting it on the bias, I am cutting it on the width of the fabric. So it's 2" x 40" or 42" (depending on the width of the fabric).
I also figured out that if I notch the inside of the strip, when I fold it in at the ends, I have less bulk and it makes it easier to sew through.
Below is the strip that is attached to face mask.
A week ago, I read a blog post by Kathleen Loomis, Art With A Needle, and adapted a few of her ideas onto "my version".
She writes that she puts interfacing into the mask. After researching more about interfacing, I learned that it is a good extra layer, and still making it breathable. The key was to make sure that it was non-woven. As I was researching, I stumbled upon a youtube channel called "The Fabric Patch". It talks about interfacing and the different type of masks to make. It was very informative.
From Kathleen Loomis' rendition, she says to turn the top ties 45 degrees, and the bottom ties 90 degrees. I asked hubby to try it, and he said it was much better.
I zig zagged this portion. I gave a finished one to my friend who was also making masks and told her to make this version and she did. She said she was not going to turn the ties. A few days later, her husband said the ones that were angled were better. Now she is doing it this way. She was also doing the pleat version and since then, have changed to making this version.
I think I have the final version of a mask that I am very happy with and that I will be mass producing, I meant making. I can only make 10 a day, so it's mass producing. There's only one me, and many stuffed animals who want to model.
Below Paula the Koala is modeling off more masks.
This one is all black, at a request of a friend, who's husband needed it for his uniform. I think Paula the Koala liked it, because she felt like she was a Ninja.
Here's Paula the Koala peeking.
Besides sewing masks, I have been cooking. I go out once a week, usually when it is raining, either on Sunday or Monday to the grocery. My thinking is, if it is raining, less people will be inclined to go out. I did go yesterday morning, just before the monsoon. I have been cooking a lot. I cook three big meals over the week, and then eat leftovers when I really don't feel like cooking.
Below is Beef and Broccoli from The Woks of Life. I think I use skirt steak for the recipe below, but I have used flank steak before. Their recipes are to die for. I have tried a bunch of their recipes, and it has never failed. Some are recipes that I grew up with, so it hits home and is a home run.
This, my friends, is another to die for. So my friend and I went to Bon Chon in Salem, MA for lunch a few months ago, before the whole lock down. On the menu was fried chicken. Bon Chon is well known for their fried chicken. For years I have heard about it, but never had the opportunity to try it.
OMG, to die for. I dream about it.
On television the other day, they were saying that there was a surplus of chicken wings because there is no basketball, I'm assuming it is March Madness
Back to chicken wings. So I put chicken wings on my list of things to purchase. Got to BJs, and bought BJs size chicken wings. It was messy, with the frying, but worth everything. I also bought BJs size canola oil, to make sure I don't run out of oil. Below is the result, it won't disappoint. The recipe is from Foodiepinoy.com, and I didn't change a thing, except I didn't strain the garlic and ginger from the sauce. For the next 3 days for lunch, we will be having chicken wings. Hubby doesn't like messy food, but he ate this one!
Our dishwasher is also running on overdrive. Usually we run it once a week, but now it's once every five days. Again, plenty of dish washing tablets.
Okie, so below is a preview of the quilt that I am trying to finish. The new deadline is end of July, plenty of time, plenty of time. It is going to be a king size, and I can make it as big as I want, because there is no restrictions now since Vermont Quilt Festival is kapot temporarily.
My pajamas and sweat pants are overused, and the jeans and "go-out-clothes" are currently going on time-out, I meant hiatus. When I do curb side pickup, I'm in my hello kitty or seven up Old Navy pajama pants.
I still have a days where I absolutely do nothing. Tears still flow. Fear has taken over. One day last week I said to myself, "Will we see the other side? Will we ever come out of this? What if we don't?" I can't even talk to people without crying. It is so hard. Keeping busy is hard, there is only so much busy one can do. So doing nothing is a good thing.
So thank you for reading, be safe, be well.
Quilt & Bitch
