Month: April 2020

Black Rock Beach – III

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I spent several hours yesterday working on the thread painting on Black Rock Beach – the sky, the distant shore, the black rocks point, the water near the shore.

Black Rock Beach

I closely stitched the Black Rock Point

Black Rock Point

Then I worked my way toward the foreground

Black Rock Beach III

Standing back from it I can see the curvature of the waves is jarring. The piece would feel more calm were I to straighten out the water movement. That’s a challenge – because I’m not sure I won’t be left with stitch marks I won’t be able to eliminate once I’ve taken that stitching out.

However, I’m going to give it a try because I’m not happy with how the water near the rocky beach is flowing.

A Return To “Black Rocks Beach”

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This “staying at home” has my brain befuddled. I was able to feel productive while engaged in face mask production but for the past week I have not been able to settle on a new quilting project or wall art project or any garment making. I’ve whiled away my time with puzzles and following news, a minimal amount of cooking, and an occasional walk but I’ve not been getting anything creative done.

Day before yesterday I put the “Black Rocks Beach” piece (started a year ago!) back on my cutting table. Last spring I concatenated three photos to create the one image. In December/January (I can’t remember when, exactly) I’d got as far as laying in the background sky, far shore, the black rocks, the near shore but stopped short of doing any thread painting.

Two days ago I fused small bits of fabric to indicate the movement of the water near the beach. I think today is the day I pull out my boxes of rayon embroidery thread and start working on water and sky.

Black Rocks Beach

David’s figure is fussy cut and ready to go but not fused to the scene yet – the water has to be thread painted before I can put him in place and thread paint his clothing. This is one of those moments where I have to take a deep breath and just start stitching – there will be no going back, no correcting what I’ve done. Here’s where the art form is unforgiving.

Ready – set – go.

COVID-19 – Some Interesting Information

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I’ve read a lot of news during this time of physical distancing (five weeks? six weeks? is it now). In the last week I’ve come across two pieces of information that could prove significant should, heaven forbid, I start showing symptoms of COVID-19.

The first is the “peanut butter sniff test” which I read about in the National Post (April 18 2020)

Peanut Butter Sniff Test

a simple do-it-at-home sniff test, using common household items, would allow participants — the great mass of us — to start tracking their sense of smell. In this way, an asymptomatic carrier who feels like a million bucks, but notes a diminishing sense of smell one day to the next, could consider quarantining, ASAP, instead of carrying on until their olfactory sense disappears altogether.

The second which I came across in the New York Times (April 20 2020) describes how the COVID-19 pneumonia is presenting differently than pneumonia from other viruses:

“patients are presenting with dangerously low oxygen levels and terrible pneumonia presenting on X-rays… Silent hypoxia progressing rapidly to respiratory failure explains cases of Covid-19 patients dying suddenly after not feeling short of breath.”

Pulse Oximeter

However, the doctor explains in this piece, “detecting silent hypoxia early through a common medical device that can be purchased without a prescription at most pharmacies: a pulse oximeter” would allow earlier detection of the pneumonia and therefore more immediate medical treatment.

My take away from these two articles is I can monitor myself in two ways. First, keep checking my sense of smell – loss of smell may occur even before other symptoms like fever, cough, upset stomach and fatigue appear. Should that happen, I need to quarantine myself (not just keep a physical distance) so I don’t pass on the virus.

Second, should I start showing symptoms I want to begin checking my blood oxygen saturation. This latter may be even more important than confirming the presence of the virus so a visit to the doctor may be warranted to make sure my oxygen saturation is checked. Since, as far as I know, oxygen saturation may not be checked except on hospital admission (which could be too late to escape a severe manifestation of COVID-19), that is something I will have to advocate vigorously for myself.

Just thought you might find these two tidbits worth stashing in the back of your mind. I’ll share anything else useful (and unusual) I may come across.

Carrying Case For iPhone

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Finally finished the face masks two days ago. Those last 20 were difficult to do – I’d reached my boredom threshold and could barely force myself to work on them. However, I got them all done and washed, and I delivered them yesterday.

The Final 30 Face Masks – Delivered

Now on to some other sewing.

I’ve been wanting to make a small carrying bag for my iPhone. I find the version of the phone (XR) I have now is just a bit too large to carry comfortably in a pants pocket. So I’ve taken to using an embroidered glasses case (that has a side pocket with a zipper in it). I was given my first one by a friend. I added a cord to the open end and turned it into an iPhone case.

Cross Stitched iPhone Case

I have a second one – also a repurposed glasses case to which I’d added both a cord and a zippered side pocket.

Remodeled Glasses Case

But that one, too, is beginning to get a bit worn. Time to make a new one. The challenge was figuring out how to assemble the double pocket case. A small zippered bag is no big deal. An opening ended case is also no big deal. But doing them together in a single carrying case took a bit of trial and error.

I made one yesterday which didn’t work out but in the process I figured out how to construct the iPhone case.

First put the zipper in the side of the case (complete with lining) as if I were making a zippered bag, but leaving one side and end open. Then tack the zippered bag lining to the outer bag and now (with the zipper partly open to facilitate turning the bag right side out out later) attach a second lining to the open end (remember to place cord between bag and lining with ends included in this seam). Top stitch the bag/lining seam. Then sew the side seam of lining/bag. Turn bag/lining right side out, finish by folding in the open “bottom” end of the lining, stitching closed. Push the lining inside the bag between zippered bag lining and bag outer layer.

Trial Carrying Case With Zipper

Once I had figured out I had to partially make the zippered bag, then the open-ended bag, the process went quickly. I used a scrap of quilted batik fabric I had on hand as a test piece. Worked fine. Phone fits.

Now, I’m in the process of embroidering a cross stitch design on a piece of linen so I can make a fancier case.

New Case – In Progress

Here is the iPhone case finished (Click here for instructions):

Finished iPhone Case

[Click here for a more detailed set of instructions.]

 

“Mask Maker, Mask Maker…”

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I’m now a “mask maker”.

These days people are keeping themselves sane by creating parodies to keep themselves and the rest of us laughing.

Yesterday a friend sent me a link to one of those parodies. I answered “Is this a request for some masks? “She answered: “No 😊. I just thought it was so clever and I like parodies! And YOU are a mask maker!!! LOL!”

So I went looking for “mask maker” parodies and found two more:

and this one,

And here is the somewhat longer one sent by my friend:

 “To a mask maker I know :-)”

Enjoy!

Two Pairs Of Socks Completed

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In the last month I have completed two pairs of socks.

First was the pair for my Chiropractor – I started knitting and the colours kinda looked like him so I made the foot a bit longer to accommodate his foot length.

Socks For Brian

The very day I was  planning to take them to him everything shut down. No appointments in the foreseeable future. So the socks are sitting on my kitchen counter waiting for a chance to drop them off at his office. No idea when that might be.

The second pair had no name on them. Just yarn to be turned into a pair of socks. Not the most interesting of socks, I must say. But there was just enough pattern to keep me moving on them. Slow going though – these socks took more than three weeks to knit.

Just Finished

In the stash with several other pairs. And on to the next.

Another Batch Ready To go

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I wasn’t planning on doing another batch of face masks, really! But when a nearby senior residence called (I’d called and left them a message but hadn’t heard back for a week, by then I’d given away the masks I’d finished) I couldn’t say “No” – so I’ve another batch on the go.

Another Batch Ready To Go

I wasn’t going to do it, but I came up with enough fusible non-woven interfacing by using the 1″ grid interfacing I used for the watercolour wall art pieces. I have cut and fused the interfacing to the back of half of the mask fabric. I’ve cut enough elastic for the ear loops, and enough pipe cleaner for over the nose.

Now to get to the sewing.

Fabric Face Masks

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I’ve been collecting various patterns for creating fabric face masks since I began production on March 20. I have not bothered to write a set of instructions or to make a video tutorial – there are many good ones available.

After a bit of experimenting, I settled on the instructions offered by Leah Day (with some modifications of my own).

All Ready To Go

In case you’re interested here are some of the fabric face mask instructions I’ve collected:

There are a gazillion fabric face mask tutorials/instructions now available – all you have to do is google “fabric face mask”.

Pipe Cleaner Clipped In Place

You can follow my fabric face mask journey through the following links:

I’m about to start another batch of 60 face masks for a second nursing home around the corner from me. This is a pared down version of the previous masks – I’m not adding fusible interfacing to one side; I’m not sure whether I’m  going to add a piece of pipe cleaner or not yet; I thought about using ties but I don’t have any cotton tape in my sewing/quilting stash so it’s going to be elastic cord again.

50 Face Masks – Done

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I started this latest batch of face masks four days ago – that’s how long it’s taken me to complete this batch of 50. There are a lot of steps which I’ll itemize.

Halfway There

To get this far I had to:

  1. Cut 50 fabric pieces 9″ x 13″; cut 50 interfacing pieces 8 1/2″ x 6″; cut 100 elastic pieces 7″, cut 50 pieces of pipe cleaner to 5″ lengths
  2. Fuse interfacing to one end of the fabric
  3. Fold right sides together
  4. Stitch the end seam in two sections (leaving an opening in the middle)
  5. Press the seam open (rolling the tube to position the seam 1/2″ from the “top” edge)
  6. Pin elastic on one side, pin elastic on second side
  7. Stitch both side seams
  8. Turn face mask right side out
  9. Position and clip pipe cleaner at opposite fold from the seam
  10. Sew 1/4″ seam along edge to encase the pipe cleaner
  11. Trim threads

Pressed And Pleated

Next I had to:

  1. Press each face mask in half, then in quarters, then pleat at each fold
  2. Stitch across the pleats on one side; on the second side
  3. Trim threads
  4. Wash in washing machine
  5. Hang to dry

That’s where I am at the moment: 50 masks to be delivered tomorrow are hanging and drying.

Washed and Drying

I still have to:

  1. Press
  2. Place in bags

I’m just about to press them and bag them and then they’ll be ready to go.

All Ready To Go

In a factory setting these tasks would be going on simultaneously as small batches would be moved along. In this one person sweatshop each step for all 50 masks has to get done before passing the masks on to the next step – it’s been more labour intensive than I imagined before I started.

I actually have managed to scrounge supplies for another 50 masks (elastic and non-woven fusible interfacing are now in short supply both locally and online), but I’m not rushing to commit myself to making them. We’ll see whether the nursing home I’m delivering them to REALLY needs me to do another 50 or whether their call to the local sewing guilds will produce enough masks for them that I can put those supplies aside and get on with other sewing.

Craving Cocolate!

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I ate the last of the chocolate I had in the apartment three days ago (except for the chocolate chips which I have been saving to make some cookies – more later).

This afternoon I found myself craving chocolate. I remembered the sugar/dairy free chocolate which I haven’t made for a number of years – I had the ingredients, I hauled them out, and put a batch together.

Sugar/Dairy Free Chocolate

I more or less followed the recipe – I added ground cacao nibs, some finely chopped candied ginger and dried cranberries along with finely ground hazel nuts. This batch should last me a couple of weeks. A little satisfies.

Click here for the recipe and other commentary.

The chocolate was actually the second thing I made. I started with Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (Flourless, No Butter). (I made a batch last week which are, of course, gone.)

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Another recipe I didn’t follow precisely. I used both chunky and smooth peanut butter, but I also had a small amount of tahini I wanted to use up which I threw in. In addition to the oatmeal (called for in the recipe), I added 1/2c finely ground hazelnuts; forgot raisins or dried cranberries.

No flour in the recipe, no butter. What makes this very sticky dough is the nut butter/egg combination. The only way to get it onto the cookie sheet is to pick some up with a tablespoon and push it onto the cookie sheet using a teaspoon. You can’t handle it. The Silpat baking mat makes it easy to remove the cookies when baked and cooled. I store them in the refrigerator.

Says to bake for 9-12 minutes; I baked these for close to 15 before I thought they were firm enough to take out of the oven.

They are “right some good!”

[A recommendation from my friend Susan in Alberta:

I made the peanut butter cookie recipe you posted on your blog. Wow!They are great.David loves them.I broke up a dark chocolate bar. 90% cacao to add since I didn’t have dairy free chocolate chips. It will be a standard recipe now for us. April 11/2020]

The cooking/baking overcame me AFTER I finished up the face masks from yesterday, washed them and hung them to dry.

Today’s Batch Of Masks Hanging To Dry

I have to collect 20 of them, pack them up to courier to Toronto tomorrow. I have another batch of 40 sitting by machine ready to work on when I get up in the morning.

There’s now a huge controversy raging over whether there’s any value to these face masks or not. One of the local seniors’ homes has put out a call to the local sewing guilds to please make face masks for them. So whether public health considers them useful or not, clearly there is a demand in my community.