Corona Quilt Along - Off the Wall Friday

So how are you all doing?  Are you as thoroughly sick of your house as I am? Normally, I'm happy to stay at home for the most part.  But with the first day of spring, it feels like it should be a time of rejoicing and renewal.  Nope.  We're stuck in the house as if its still January.

I have not  been wasting my time though.  Not only have I've been doing a bit of spring cleaning, but I took back out my Craftsy 2016 Block of the Month  Quilt.  I mean what better way to celebrate spring 2020 than to finish up the Summer 2016 Block of the Month?!?  I share

this with you because I know you understand.  

I've been having trouble getting back to this quilt because I find the directions really confusing.  The last time I worked on it was April 2019 while on retreat in Millersburg.   UGH!! just thinking that that hotel is a mere three hours away and I'm stuck in this house at least for another couple of weeks is annoying!  

Sorry, I digress.  Can you tell I'm getting cranky?!?

Anyways, I find the directions really a pain since the 10 fabrics are labeled A-J and the different cuts of fabric shapes are labeled with capital letters as well.  So you're constantly deciphering what is color letter and what is a shape letter.. Then there's the fact that the measurement fractions are written in small, tiny small print.  So if you aren't careful, you're old eyes might mistake 1/8th for 1/4th which in the regular world is not a big deal but in the quilting world, it's TRAGIC leading to several minutes of sole ripping seam ripping.  

See I told you cranky and a bit dramatic.

I did manage to get the cornerstone blocks done perfectly this week.  This is the third time, I've made these blocks and apparently, the third time is indeed the charm.  I was so proud of myself that they came out to the right unfinished size.  Oh yeah, that's another thing.  The directions left out the unfinished sizes of the block parts so you could check your work as you go.  So the first two times, I got the end only to find a block that was too small.  

I am onto the next month in the pattern and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Hopefully, I'll finish the quilt by the time our governor gives the ALL CLEAR sign and lifts the  Stay In Place order.  (By the way, our whole county is on lockdown for the 5 cases we've found here - yes 5! after a ton of testing) 

Ohhh I found a Thing I Like this week.  Luckily, Amazon is still delivering albeit a bit delayed and I

received my much anticipated "Cleaning Gel" better known as Neon Slime.  I bought it to clean my ever dusty work keyboard.  Not only did it work like a charm on the little crevices of my keyboard but it worked on my sewing machine too!!  I keep forgetting to cover my sewing machine at night and it ends up all dusty in places that don't see to come clean.  One press of the cleaning slime and out comes all the dust AND oils from your skin.  I had my doubts but it worked just as described.  All for about  5 bucks.  You can use it over and over again until you decide its too dirty.  So not only did it clean what it was suppose to but it's fun too!!

So that was my creative week in captivity - traditional quilt blocks and slime.

What Have You've Been Up To Creatively???

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Corona-Quilt Along.....Off on Off the Wall Friday

My life in the last few years have become pretty routine and mundane.  Which I  like. A LOT. Needless to say the last few weeks have been anything but mundane and routine.  Every morning brings a new day's challenge .... a new day's reality.  Just when you think that the news couldn't get any worse, it does.

Here in Pennsylvania, our K-12 schools are shut for at least 2 weeks, most universities are switching

to online learning for the semester, and all bars, restaurants, theaters etc are closed.  Sporting events, concerts, church services, weddings, funerals ... all cancelled.  Now this morning our governor has shut all non-life sustaining businesses (offices, manufacturing etc) down.  That means my husband
and daughter will be home with me.  The enormity of all this  is kinda overwhelming. 

And to top it off...my long awaited vacation to John C. Campbell's Folk School was of course cancelled.  (As it should be - but still!  geesh!!)

The good news is that taking a break from the hustle and bustle of life in a first world country isn't such a bad thing.....especially when you're passion involves taking perfectly good fabric, cutting it up into several pieces and sewing it all back together.

So I'm proposing the ....Corona-Quilt Along

Its easy enough.  

1. Make a list of quilty, creative things you want to do (that doesn't involve binge watching Netflix or eating too many snacks!)
2. Take pictures,blog about them in progress
3. Write a final post of what you got done when the powers that be say we can get back to our busy lives.
4. Post to Off the Wall Friday

Need some ideas??

• clean and organize your fabric/notion storage
• Challenge yourself with a new skill and practice it!
• watch a class on youtube or blue print
• take up hand work
• research your favorite artist and do a piece inspired by them
• journal this unique time and base a piece on that
• finish as many UFO's as you can

Feel free to invite any other blogger/creative to join in the fun.  Use my Corna-Quilt Along banner or make your own!!


The biggest thing to remember is that as far as world wide emergencies go this isn't the worse one.  Concentrate on the things we are blessed to have and the things we still have under our control.  Remember this is going to make one good story one day!!

SO JOIN ALONG IN THE FUN....TAKE THE CORNA-QUILT CHALLENGE AND START POSTING NEXT WEEK!!

Take care of yourselves, be safe and Quilt - On!  God Bless!!!


So What Have Been Doing Creatively?

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