Mining my scraps

I continue to work from home, grateful for both the distraction of it as well as the paycheck.

I continue to deepen my relationship with my boys; we were starting to drift apart here in their teen years, but we've been having some good times lately - exercising together, practicing Spanish on Duolingo together, cooking together, having late night chats, watching cringe-worthy movies, even making some TikTok videos (I refuse to get drawn down that rabbit hole, but the boys have cast me in a couple of their productions).

And I continue to sew, losing myself in my piles of scraps, loving the way this quilt top is coming together.

I'm pretty sure this one will be for me, for summer picnics and for snuggling up in the hammock.  To me, this quilt is clamoring to be used heavily, to accompany me on my adventures.

I'm linking up with Oh Scrap and Monday Making.

Another new project

I haven't blogged because I feel like I haven't had anything positive to say.  My uncle died from complications of COVID19.  Someone tested positive in my twin sister's house today.  Helpless and hopeless - those are the two prevailing feelings I've been experiencing.

If I dig deeper, there is good, of course.  Spending all this time with my husband and boys has been wonderful.  I have a job that I can do from home, so my mind stays busy and my bank account isn't empty.  I have a lifetime supply of fabric and yarn here at home, so I can create.

I adopted some tan/beige scraps from Cynthia's Quilty Adoption event this spring.  I've been using them to make these blocks - I don't know what they are called, do you?

My inspiration was from a 2012 post I stumbled across: https://quiltingtwin.blogspot.com/2012/02/im-happily-working-on-my-scrap-projects.html. (OMG, I just clicked on her profile to learn more about her - she's also an identical twin and her name is Keryn, which probably rhymes with my name, Erin, don't ya think?  Cool!)

Anyway, sewing, in particular, has been a balm to my soul.  Since my home office is also my sewing room, it has been neat to fit in 10 minutes here and there throughout the day since I'm always at home.  It means that I can sew every single day - a dream come true.  So this project is growing quickly.

I like the antique feel the tan & beige fabrics give it.

And I'm also participating in Bonnie Hunter's Sew-in-place Unity Quilt Along, although I'm a week behind.  I love mystery quilts, and I love making scrappy quilts, but I always get bogged down with Bonnie's mysteries because I get tired of using the same colors over and over, even if it is scrappy within each color way.  Here is my version through Step Two (minus the final 1.5" border).

And, of course, I've made masks and knitted ear savers.  Here's the latest batch, currently on its way to my brother and his family in Virginia.

Back to sewing I go.  Be well, everyone!

I'm linking up with Oh Scrap and Monday Making.

A finish and a start

I am blessed to have a job that I can do from home, but I'll be honest, this past week was HARD.  On Thursday morning, I woke up weepy and despondent, feeling like everything was pointless.  I was in virtual meetings all day, every day last week, and my eyes and back and head were all aching as a result.  My husband's uncle, a reverend who officiated at our wedding twenty years ago and whom I just visited less than a month ago, is in the hospital on a ventilator and dialysis from COVID-19.  My twin sister's husband was laid off; my brother is likely to be laid off soon.  My other sister's husband is an ER doctor, putting himself at risk of infection and bringing it home to his family, including my mother, every day.  I keep having to put things into perspective to keep from being overwhelmed by the uncertainty.  I know there are many out there who are affected much worse than I am by all of this.

So, in my spare moments, I sew.  I finished piecing my Floral Purge top, which I am hoping to make into a patchwork duvet cover.  Of course, the wide muslin that I ordered to finish it off has been delayed in delivery - hopefully it will arrive this week.  And it rained almost every day this week, so it was a struggle to get a photo with decent lighting.  I don't have any floor space big enough to lay this 92" x 92" top down so I commandeered my sons into being quilt holders.

To reward myself for persevering and finishing up a UFO, I started a new project, Bonnie Hunter's Unity Sew-in-Place Quilt Along.  Of course, I changed up the colors...

And I read two cozy mysteries this week, Arlene Sachitano's The Quilt Before the Storm and Sally Goldenbaum's Murder Wears Mittens.


Finally, in advance of today's trip to the grocery store (hopefully I won't have to go again for another two weeks), I made myself a face mask, and then made seven more for my boys and husband, as well as my twin sister and her family since they live so close.

My son donned a mask, hoping to go to the store with me.  He was pretty disappointed when I made him stay home.

I'm dreading the return to Zoom meetings in the morning, but the forecast is calling for 60 degree temperatures and some sunshine, so I will be sure to spend my lunch hour outside.

We're going to get through this, right?

I'm linking up with Oh Scrap and Monday Making.