Masks - take two!

I got to finish some masks that were overdue in their delivery. My son's girlfriend put in a request that needed to be put on hold while we got the bulk of the garden planted. I already made some masks for others near and dear, but that pattern was quite vague on some key areas making for a rather unpleasant experience. I swore off mask making for a while. Then this request came, and many more pattern options had become available. 

One (called "Taco Tuesday" on JoAnn.com) caught my eye with easy to follow directions for assembly plus an easy pattern for cutting. The recipient for these masks is not a fan of reds/pinks, so picking fabrics from my stash was simple and fun. I broke out some fun Tula Pink fat quarters just waiting for a purpose and got to work!

Cutting came first. No need for keeping anything "directional" as they are just masks.

Assembly was so easy.

Trickiest steps of assembly were tacking down the seam allowance on the curve. It required a teensy bit of extra patience. 

I took the clear plate out from around my machine to make working with the material easier and assembly in those first steps so much faster.

Then I remembered I still needed to cut ties. Masks I made prior had ties made like binding. A bit tedious and not a process I wanted to repeat. T-shirt material was up for a try. So simple! 

When I went to put the clear tray back in my table I discovered so many areas that need some TLC. Yikes! Don't forget to clean around your machine if it sits in a table/cabinet like mine does. Much of this excess can get into your machine.

One done. Three to go. The fit was great! Might have to make a couple for the people in my house.

This was a pleasant mask making experience. I know some have taken on making them to donate or sell by the droves. That is not a desire of mine. Making a few here or there is enough for me around the rest of life.

Time to check on the garden!

Fawn

June 2020 Monthly Color Challenge!

Yay! My first 2020 Monthly Color Challenge from Patterns By Jen blog month is finally here!!  You can get the block with instructions that includes a video tutorial on Jen's blog. 

June's 2020 Monthly Color Challenge inspiration is the bluebird. I secretly love that this is the first month I am a blogger for the challenge because my mother's birthday is in June AND blue happens to be her favorite color. She is also responsible for initially getting me into quilting. Thanks, Mom!

Where I live, we are visited by the Eastern bluebird throughout spring, summer, and fall. They are quite beautiful in color and eased the fabric selection for this month. 

The male and female display dark and light blue colors for us nicely. I got to work sizing my fabric. For me, this step is essential in keeping my fabrics in check throughout the construction process. I do not have a preferred brand of sizing product (what is in my spray bottle is not what is on the label). Try a few yourself and use what you feel works best. 

I soon had all my fabric cut and marked for assembly under the close supervision of one of my four-legged shadows. One or both of our cats is always keeping a close eye on my quilting progress - waiting for dropped scraps or loose threads to play with. 

The machine I currently use always stops in a needle up position. (An older machine I started on would stop wherever releasing pressure from the foot pedal.) While this is helpful when completing a project, I find it to be a hindrance when doing almost all other sewing. Stopping with your needle down can help control where your fabrics are at for pattern matching, chain piecing, just lining things up for a straight stitch down a long seam, and a variety of other reasons. 

The photos above show where I stopped with needle down for piecing and straight stitching, but also show the reminder to myself that the bobbin case is not the only part of my machine in need of some cleaning. I have a few other projects to finish before sending it in for some much needed TLC. 

As you can see in my finished block, I followed the lead of the birds for color inspiration. Perfect match, if I do say so myself.

Every quarter of 2020 that you complete and link up your block on Patterns By Jen link-up specific post you have a chance at great prizes from wonderful sponsors. This quarter's sponsors are:

Quilters Chic - PDF pattern

For the Love of Geese - PDF pattern

Said With Love - PDF pattern

Quilters Dream Batting - Dream Poly 60"×60"

Island Batik - Garden Party Fat Quarter Bundle

Cherrywoods Fabrics - (2) $40 Gift Certificates

Warm Company - 100 Warm - 100% Natural Cotton 55"×60"

Patterns By Jen  - Superior Thread S-Fine 50;  PDF Pattern

After you check out our generous sponsors, hop on over to each of this month's bloggers posts for their creative take on the block. 

Jen - Patterns By Jen

Kate - Katie Mae Quilts

Terri - Purple Moose Designs

Joanne - Everyone Deserves a Quilt

Kathleen - Kathleen McMusing

Don't forget to link up your block at the end of each month when Jen posts the link-up post for a chance at those prizes. The specifics for the 2020 Monthly Color Challenge can be found on her blog.

I will be blogging for next month's block. Come back to see a fun twist on my interpretation and the reasoning behind the "why". July will also start a new quarter for prizes, sponsors, and new month of bloggers!

Please join me on my blog for some personal quilting projects I have in the works. Plus, with summer upon us, it is a great time to expand on my other page. Gardening sneak peeks, fails and triumphs will be shared as we put in 6 (yes, 6!) raised vegetable beds with more work to do for planting in the ground. It has been a few years since we had gardens, so taking this on is quite satisfying. 

As always, keep quilting!