Review of 2020

 Despite the lack of blog posts quite a bit of sewing took place in 2020.

The Carnival Auction Quilts for the D class and the G class got done just in time for the Spring Carnival which was the very last big event at school before the lockdown.  6.6 yards out for borders, backing and bindings

On our last day of school before Spring Break I took the sewing machine one more time (they had done much of the sewing on their signature quilt blocks) and we made scrunchies.  That was a huge hit with the kids.  The principal walked in and I wasn't sure how that would go, but he was impressed!  1 yard out. 

I also made 24 student aprons for grade level science investigations.  That project came before the spring lockdown and distance learning, but I made them anyways over the summer.   I was able to use lots of heavier weight fabric from the stash, so that was a bonus.  12 yards out.  

Cut fleece into strips for a "Snuffle Mat" for Grown Up R's new dog.  Little S put it together when she went for a visit.  Pretty clever.   That used up all the random fleece.  1.63 yards out

We made a Felt Craft Kit for a 9-year-old family friend who had a birthday early on in the lockdown.  She really liked it.   1.05 yards out.  Didn't make a dent in the felt stash!   

Microwave bowl cozies for the older girls.  Clever idea.  8 cozies = about 0.75 yards 

In the summer I decided to start "quilting by check" to get projects finished.  Moving to distance teaching/learning and all that that involved made me realize that I need to stick with what I enjoy - the piecing.  Now that I am gainfully employed and seem to be an essential worker I am going to slowly work my way through getting my tops quilted.  

The first quilt was the curtain quilt, which is made from curtains of the house I grew up in.  It has been ready for years.  It appears as though I never posted about that quilt - or took pictures.  11.75 yards out for everything.  

Next up was the Tropical Hexagon baby quilt.  This went to a cousin's granddaughter born in the summer.  I found the perfect backing when we got a bright sheet for masks.  Backing didn't count, but binding used 0.38 yards from the stash.

Currently waiting for pick up is the quilt I finished at the end of the year 2019.   The borders and backing were from my mother's stash, so this will stay in the family.  4.68 yards out.

The biggest stash outtage was masks!  Like most quilters, I dug into my stash to make masks.  My sisters and I have made and donated over 3,000 masks so far.  They have gone to nursing homes, military, churches, students of all ages, medical workers of all kinds, prison hospital workers, coworkers, neighbors, and random  strangers.  We have made a variety of styles depending on supplies and needs of the recipients.   The evolution of the mask is a good story all by itself. 

One of my early pleated masks with ties when elastic was unavailable and then the Jesse mask, which was a game changer for comfort for me. 

I keep all the donated mask supplies separate so that I can track what actually comes out of my personal stash.     109.14 yards out.

The only fabric that has come in this year has been for masks, so that does not count as my regular stash.  People have donated fabric and/or money for supplies to keep us going and going and going.  One person donated over 100 yards of fabric!  It is so much that she gave approval to use in any way that was useful.  My next quilt backing will come out of that box!  My favorite thrift store gave us fabric for free on several visits and let us pick and choose what we wanted from supplies in the back when things were at the height of high demand, low supplies.  We gave away hundreds of adult masks through them and then hundreds of kids masks for their back to school drive.

My total for 2020 is 148.98 yards out.  Wow.  Usually I am happy to just break even.  

May 2021 bring more fun sewing!