Scruffy Rags

I made this Bento Box style quilt over the course of 6 months. It was a Mystery Block of the Month from my Stitching Sisters Quilt Guild. I finished putting the faux piping binding on it this past Tuesday. That little bit of red peeking out makes all the difference in the world and it turned out better than I'd imagined when I first started putting the whole quilt together back in February of this year. It's a stunning quilt and a rather large one at that. I used up every scrap of the quilt top fabric I had for the not so boring back. I intentionally offset the black/tan vertical strip down the middle, but should have offset it a few more inches. I'm thinking of donating this one to a local worthy cause.

If there's such a thing as Quilter's Block, then I just got over it. I can sew and sew and sew and then I'm like, "Ok, that's it for awhile" but this time I just couldn't get going again. I have 3 quilts I need to make for special people and I was having one of those Quilter's Block episodes so I decided to make a quick and cheerful quilt top from a Jelly Roll pack and some white fabric to get me back on track. It worked!. It's now with my long arm quilter and I'm off to the next project.. Here's SUGAR ALMONDS!

I had the privilege of overnighting with my 3 Coniglio grandkids on Sunday. Mom and Dad were away celebrating their 11th anniversary. Aubrey and I dyed coiled baskets! That girl has a good eye for color and design. I hope she puts it to good use. Here are the before and after photos. I was able to make 3 baskets and a large 12" hot pad with 200' of cotton clothes line. We'll be doing this again.

Last week, my daughter, Jennifer, posted a photo of my oldest grandson, Joseph, and 4 of his baseball buddies after they'd revived their after school tradition of going to lunch weekly. They hadn't done this since March These 5 boys have been friends since Kindergarten and would normally be in the thick of game season if this was a normal year. I've been taking a break from making masks, but yesterday got a wild idea that I needed to make these baseball buddies masks for when they go out to lunch again. Here's what I came up with and with the help of Amanda McKamey, got the boys' uniform numbers and embroidered away. Jennifer will post a photo of the boys when they get together next time.

While I didn't get this done in time for the 4th of July, I did get it done a week later just in time to sit on my dining room table to the visual delight on no one but my husband and me. Looks like it's going to be visual sharing for a while!

It's been a while since I've posted anything on Scruffy Rags. With the increase in Covid-19 cases rising daily - I'm still staying close to home and even limiting visits from socially distanced family. I finally fueled up my car on 6/17 after filling it up on 3/17! 272 miles in 3 months. These are scary times, but we'll get through them. We're in this together and it distresses me to see people ANGRY about having to wear a face covering. We wear seat belts to keep us safe ...- we heed the warnings on labels to keep us safe - we don't expect to get served in a food establishment that's posted a sign saying NO SHIRT, NO SHOES, NO SERVICE if we're not wearing a shirt or shoes. We've got to work together to slow the spread of this virus. If you need a face covering, let me know. I've made nearly 300 and given many, many away. It's amazing that a little bit of fabric stitched together has become such a polarizing item, but I'll keep making them. Sewing is my Super Power Stay healthy. See more

We had a lovely rain overnight and it managed to topple a few of my tomatoes. Here's where all those odds and ends of mask binding came in handy. You'll probably need to zoom in, but the garden's now rocking some cool colors ~ stylin'!

I'll keep you up to date on my garden, too. Here'a a photo taken this morning. When I purchased a 6 pack of tomatoes and squash I never thought they'd ALL SURVIVE! What a difference one week has made! The second photo was taken 7 days ago on 5/27/2020. The 3rd photo was taken the day I planted the seedlings 5/10/2020.

With all that's been going on in Santee and across the state and our nation, I haven't been putting needle to fabric much. I'm just about 1/2 mile from the Trolley Shopping Center where all the protesters and others have been congregating for the last 3 days & nights. It's rattled me to hear the Sheriff's helicopter telling people that the curfew will be enforced and to leave the area or risk being arrested. I've watched live feeds on FB and find them riveting, scary and i...nformative all at the same time. I can't express how thankful and proud I am of our local law enforcement officers and I need to thank the guys and gals of my community who have banded together and worked with our law enforcement officers to ensure our city stays safe, our businesses stay unscathed and are able to open their doors for business in the morning. Santee is an incredible, well planned city and when I moved here back in 1997 I remember thinking, why in the heck would they end a trolley line in a dirt field? Santee Proud - that's what I am. See more

Here's what I've been sewing. I started this BOM in January 2016 and never completed 2 of the 12 blocks. Given that I've had a little time on my hands, I thought I'd finish it up. I did have to make a 13th block in order to set the quilt on point, but it was sooooo worth it. Looking over the blocks, I could see how my piecing skills have improved over the past 4 years! I'm going to keep this one on my bed (no dogs allowed~too much white!) and hopefully can find some batiks to match so I can make a couple of pillow slips.

I'm not always sewing. I really love working in my yard and garden. It's been 2 years since I planted a garden and you can see what's happened between 5/10 and 5/27. I still have some onions to plant, but after that I'll have no room! Grow on! I find serenity in greenery

Firstly - Thank You to so many who've donated, given away and even sold masks - I salute you. Yesterday I walked into a Postal Annex store to mail masks to the volunteers at my favorite charity, the CA GSP Rescue, and my close friend, Judy, who is a caregiver in Yuma, AZ. I was wearing a mask I made and the clerk was wearing a mask that was obviously homemade. Great, right? Then I looked over to my right and hanging on a display carousel were multiple homemade masks which... they were selling for $15/each. Now really? $15/each? If they'd been $7.50 I'd almost have been on their side, but $15? Come on folks. Gouging isn't in my play book and right next to being conned, it's probably my 2nd biggest pet peeve. Unless that elastic was gold plated or they used silk fabric, $15 a piece is gouging. Supply and Demand? No. Greed and Advantage Abuse? Yes. See more

Hi quarantine buddies! I've made a whole lot of masks for family and friends and by far my favorites are the little ones I've made for my grandkids. Peppa Pig, Sharks, Daniel Striped Tiger - all in mini size.