Sheltering Art, Craft and Needlework April 2020

[Harriet]

Sheltering close to home, we may find more time for our creativity.

What are the ways in which you're finding creative paths this month?

In March, some of our art and craftings were affected by stay-in-place decisions on the Covid-19 situation around the world.

BookSaver chose to postpone a sewing date with her friend, to avoid virus concerns
Nancy sewed masks and gave a puppet to nurses
Cathy worked on a cross-stitch project that frames the word, "Love"
LisaB is cross-stitching a violet fan picture and is crocheting 2 blankets
Twins' contemplated the sending of her handmade greeting cards
Harriet postponed craft ideas for Easter for her Sunday School children

What a joy to welcome LisaB back and get to enjoy hearing about her life and her fun projects! We're so glad to have her!

[Twins' Mom]

I am sending cards, and need to continue to do. I've had one sitting here, needing to write a note, for several days! Dh asked for two the other day and they are going into the mail today - one to a coworker whose father died and another to a family friend who has a suspicious lump that can't be biopsied yet.

[DeeClutter]

I;m pretty determined to get out a ripple afghan & work on it evenings. Hate to head to bed so early -8pm- as dd needs company.

[Harmony]

The boredom here is getting pretty thick. I got out the dreaded UF from about 30 years ago. Yes it's that old and I thought many times would I feel better if I just tossed it. No, always wanted to finish it.

It's a counted crosstitch of a row of victorian houses with trees up behind, a sidewalk with some flowers in front. My first ever attempt at this. I have 2+ of the 5 houses done with the trees in between.

I started this one without using a frame and today went on a hunt looking for a little portable frame I thought I'd bought. I found a couple wood pieces but not the whole kit... and I thought I had those Q...something.... frame pieces but couldn't find them... so I will either use my hoop or just try it without a frame again. My tension looks good and even though I didn't use a frame before.

Googled the frame or not using a frame question and I got dropped into a rabbit hole of people who were calling it quarantine boredom stitching and had posted pictures. Then one lady posted a picture of one she got from a dumpster behind the thrift store... of an 18something 1863? sampler just thrown away!

Now that I've posted about it, I'll need to do something. I know if I can just get started I'll be off and running. Not sure about my eyes though.... that might be tough. But I have a neck magnifier and a nice task lamp on a stand I use for my jigsaws.

[Harriet]

Harmony, what is the size of the piece in inches?

I think it's brilliant that you would have something to point to and say, "I finished that during the ____________." (Whatever we eventually call this extended time at home - just hoping it's not called " ____________ One " and there's never a matching time.) Kind of symbolic - houses.

Please don't think you are required to do it because you posted here. We are not the Unfinished Fabric Object Police at all. Just nice to think you found something that sparks your interest.

[Twins' Mom]

I mailed two cards today - one to my dcleaning lady and one to my dcousin.

[Harmony]

Harriet, most people start with a small image for their first attempt...I never did that, just jumped right in! This one is 18" x 8". It's so old I doubt if it's online but if I ever do find a link I'll post it.

Good grief, this old thing is all over the net! Here's a link, if it doesn't work put in Dimensions counted cross stitch 3650 victorian houses and it'll come up all over.

https://www.amazon.com/Dimensions-Count ... B077SVRCXK

I love this one maybe because I used to own and live in one similar to the yellow one next to the end red one, the one with the mailbox in front. Many many years ago. I wish I had that house today.

[BookSaver]

Lisa B. ~ So good to hear from you!

Dee ~ If I'm thinking of the same ripple pattern, then DH is using the ripple afgan I made early in our marriage, and I'm using one that DMom made many years ago. It's a pretty pattern.

Harmony ~ That cross stitch design is beautiful.

My work schedule has shifted to earlier hours but I'm allowed to work almost as many hours as I did before. That means that I haven't had nearly as much sewing time as I'd hoped to find. In 4 weeks I've only been able to sew 45 cat mats; considering it's just sewing straight lines around a square, that's rather pitiful. Still, they are very relaxing to do and the fleece fabric is so soft and cuddly to touch. This time the animal shelter wants them for larger cages, so they finish 18 inches square. I think there are 8 yards of fabric left to cut, and the fabric is 60 inches wide so I can get 3 mats from each yard.

The challenge with cutting, as always, is lack of a large enough horizontal space for my big cutting mat. It's easiest to use the bed, setting out my cardboard cutting board and then the rotary cutting mat on top of that. However, the old black cat thinks the end of the bed is her property. She gets highly offended if I pick her up and move her up by the pillows. She runs off in a huff and when I'm done cutting, I have to find her to apologize and tell her it's safe to come back to *her* bed.

After I finish all the cat mats, the next projects are from a new-to-me pattern for shopping bags made from ripstop nylon. (Did I talk about these before?) Each bag will fold into its own small pocket and squish down to practically nothing. I have 6 cut out ready to sew. I love the reusable bags I made from pretty cotton prints, which are easy to launder, but they take a fair amount of storage space. I'll be able to store all 6 of the nylon ones in my car's glove box and still have room for more.

[Harriet]

BookSaver, I think it was great you had gotten to "only" 45 cat mats! Amused to think of your own cat asking, "you want me to move for what?"

Dee, are you still rippling? I took over a ripple (zig-zag?) afghan from my dfirstmil and never did get the width the same even though I pulled out to start again. She did what you would call tight crocheting, I suppose, and my "side" of it was wider.

That's a lovely image, Harmony.