First Weekend of May -

This is Lola -

Evidently she is trying to compact the triangles back into the box to keep them from overflowing.

It feels like they are overflowing anyway.  And my current project isn’t using up enough of the small ones so there may be another paper piecing idea to put those to work soon. 

Well, maybe not THAT soon – but I’m on the lookout for something that will use small precious and pretty triangles too sweet to just toss unceremoniously into the trash.

It’s the challenge that makes it fun, right?

This was yesterday at the QPO – which turned out to be much more of a pleasant day and frankly made up for Friday’s downward spiral of events.

That “not enough seam allowance” issue?

Solved it on this one!

(Because I am bound to repeat this accident regularly it seems.)

The shortness of the seam allowance overlap was found BEFORE future triangles had surrounded the piece so I was able to add a bit more to it before continuing.

I AM including this in the quilt just to mark the day and the time in which it was sewn.

I think it is important that we record these things for future generations.

Through this whole process of shelter at home during a global pandemic I have been wishing to know what life was like for those who lived through the 1918-1920 crisis.    Was it written down and recorded in journals, diaries and day books of ordinary folks like you and me?

Are we recording this somehow so that future generations will be either proud (or appalled?) at how we handled this?

Today is Sunday May 3, 2020.

-Gas at Wilson’s is $1.37

-milk is $3.49/gal

- We are nearing 60 days of social isolation. In the US alone, there are just over 1.1 million confirmed covid19 cases with nearly 65,000 deaths as of this morning. Numbers are increasing rapidly.

- Schools have been closed since March 17th and are teaching remotely on-line. Schools will not reopen for the 2019-2020 school year.

- Only “essential” retail stores are open such as grocery stores, hardware stores, and pharmacies. Amazon delivery windows average 3 - 4 weeks when they used to be max. 2 days. No gyms are open, and it’s almost impossible to find weights, exercise equipment, bikes, etc.

- All extra curricular/ volunteer/business meeting and other gatherings are now on virtual meeting platforms i.e.(Zoom, House Party, Go to Meeting, Whatsap, Webex, Google Duo) the list goes on. Hang in there, life will continue and eventually, all together, we will get to a new normal!

- There are lines / tape inside the stores on the floors to keep people 6 feet apart.

- Bars and restaurants are open only for takeout, home delivery & drive through.

- Playgrounds and sports fields are closed. Most beaches, parks and cemeteries are closed to the public. No visitors are allowed in hospitals.

- All major and minor league sports competitions have been canceled as well as kids' 
sports. The NFL draft was done virtually this week. 

-American Idol was done virtually this week.

- All festivals and entertainment events have been banned.

- Weddings, family celebrations, and graduations have been canceled. Funerals limited to 10 people graveside.

- People are doing drive-by parades to celebrate birthdays.

- Young kids can’t understand why they can only see grandparents & other extended family and friends on a screen or thru a window if someone visits in person or on Facetime online.

-Visitors are prohibited at nursing homes and assisted living residences.

- Hugs and kisses are not exchanged.

- Places of worship are closed or online. (Though some in my area still gather and ignore church closure rules.)

- We have to stay away from each other more than six feet.

- Shortage of disposable masks and gloves in hospitals.

- People are wearing masks, some places REQUIRE that you wear them to enter. People are even sewing their own cloth masks for sale or donation to medical facilities. In Virginia, face coverings are recommended, but so far not mandatory.  I am wearing a mask when I am around people.

- Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, bleach, antibacterial wipes and anything Lysol or Clorox is in short supply and limited per person.... IF you can even find them! (This goes the same for flour and yeast).

- Stores are closing early to disinfect everything. (24 hour stores are even closing by 6,8 or 9pm)

- Store check outs, pharmacies and even fast food drive thru windows have added plexiglass between the employee and the customer. Have to reach around or under to pay!

- You can't find isopropyl alcohol easily. .. the supply per person is limited.

- Australia, USA, Canada and Europe have closed their borders.

- Western Australia has been divided into 9 territories & an instant $1,500 fine issued for crossing the border without a valid reason. (Transport workers, Essential services etc)

- No one is traveling for leisure. Airports empty. Tourism has the worst crisis in history.

- Wi-Fi and cell phone providers have extended their limits to provide connection to the Internet for people to continue to work from home and for students to learn from their teachers.

- Many public pool access, concerts and summer activities will not be allowed/take place.

- We don't know if baseball seasons will start, hockey season will continue/end or any summer camps, etc. will run. Lots of teen/college summer jobs are up in the air.

-Colleges have not made definite decisions about whether to take their classes online, in person, or open at all for the fall.

-K-12 has ended their school year and plans to open for the fall have so many unknowns, social distancing, new guidelines for keeping everyone safe. How will it be scheduled? Can sports and activities continue as they have?

- Society appears to be divided about whether or not we should continue to isolate or open back up and get the economy going. It's an election year and politics are messy and complicating this issue.

Why do I post this?

Next year & then every year after, this will be an annual reminder that life is precious & that nothing should be taken for granted. We are where we are with what we have. Let's be grateful.

The other day I had the privilege of chatting with Lyric Kinard about our situations, our families, our designer jobs.  There was no agenda – just a chat, seeing where it went.

Click to Play:

It was a lovely break and good to chat with a friend and gain their prospective and a feel for what is going on in their world as well as share my own.

While I don’t feel safe with opening up, I am very aware that folks have lost jobs, families are impacted in ways I can’t imagine and I understand the need for many to get back to work. 

But let’s do it in the safest way possible.  Storming state capitals with assault weapons dressed like soldiers from the death star is not the way to do it.

And masks may be a hassle and inconvenient, but they are necessary for the next while to get us past this.  This isn’t a time to be selfish about our own rights, but more concerned about the rights of that elderly couple next door that may be more susceptible to this disease than you think you are.

And with all of this going through our minds – we turn to our creativity to help sooth those frayed and frazzled emotions.

And some?

They just keep packing those triangles down to the bottom of the bin -

And no matter what – keep purring!

Enjoying the little things -

Our first “eat out on the porch” meal of 2020!

I will take a home grilled burger over a restaurant burger any day.  And eating outside always makes things taste better, doesn’t it?

Today Jeff is coming up to mow the inn.  I will go visit and chat with him (from 6 feet away) and catch up with how things are going with Ashlyn in their new place.  

I’ll take care of the cats at the QPO, do a bit of work there, and then get ready for tomorrow’s next clue for our Unity Quilt Along.  Are you ready for it?

Did you catch yesterday’s announcement?

To celebrate the beauty of May and Mother’s Day coming up I am putting all digital patterns in the Quiltville Store at 25٪ off using coupon code DIGITAL25.

This coupon code is good for the entire month, but code must be used at time of purchase for the sale price to be in effect. Don't forget to use the code!

No refunds if you forget, okay?

You'll find everything in the digital pattern section of the Quiltville Store.

Where you will also find the Addicted to Scraps book still at the low low price of $15.99 while lock-down lasts. (June 10th here in Virginia.)

And it comes with a free Wanderlust table runner PDF pattern, so maybe instead of purchasing that one at 25% off in the digital pattern sale, you’d like it for FREE with the purchase of Addicted to Scraps?  No coupon required for the book purchase.

I have also added new goodies to the store, so check out the NEW category and see what’s there that you might also need.

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Oh, how I love a simple nine patch!

Any amount of moving forward is still moving forward!

Sometimes progress can't be measured by the eye but it's there.

However you spend your Sunday, be safe, be happy, be grateful.