Getting me some of that Corona

Okay, maybe I won't get some Corona as I'm not a big beer person, but it sounded good.

Snow/ice storms and hurricanes - we're used to prepping for those. We make sure we've got food and water, that our clothes are clean as we can't run the washer with the generator, and we've done this a lot. But this virus thing is different. There is nothing to see or feel. The threat is invisible. We can't see that snow falling or the wind blowing the trees at unnatural angles. We don't feel anything when we go out. It's just weird.

What is pretty cool is the sense of humor that is emerging from people I didn't expect it from. We truly are in this together and laughing is important. Google "coronavirus meme" and enjoy. There are some clever folks out there.

Today, though, I went out and bought rocks. If I'm going to be stuck at home, I'm going to have rocks to paint. Other than handing the guy my money, there was no interaction with anyone except the rocks and they don't count. The point is that in order to combat impending cabin fever, I'm trying to make sure I do have activities. I have enough yard work that needs to be done for 10 people. I highly recommend tapping into any hobbies you might have.

Watching LivePD, they're reminding everyone that first responders don't have a choice; they have to be around people. It's a sign of the times that they're telling us to go to the CDC or the Red Cross sites and get facts. In general, it's a nice diversion, though.

The local news has informed us that one person in our county has now died from the virus. They're not offering much in the way of details yet. Close to home for sure.

The unknown, the inability to see this and feel it, the lack of an end time, all adds up to frustration and wondering WTF to do next. And it's worldwide. That's just freaking amazing.

Matt Colvin and Katie Williams, both being skewered on Twitter. He hoarded sanitizer, etc., to sell online at a profit. She is boasting about doing what she wants (going out to restaurants). This is America today.

Colvin in NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/technology/coronavirus-purell-wipes-amazon-sellers.html
Katie Williams on Twitter: @realkatiejow

Hashtag Sewing and what's what

I haven't posted #sewing gems lately, so thought I'd bring you some today.

I agree! Moving a sewing machine is full of muscle building movement. Maybe we should move them around just for grins!

I responded to this one by reminding the Twitterverse that #Sewing is my cardio.

For me, it's all about the blouse making. More on that below.

Day Dreams Sewing had asked earlier what your favorite sewing machine was. I responded and she responded back. I mean it, too. If it dies, I'm getting another just like it!

Now, about that blouse. 

I've been working on a wearable art blouse in a block style for some time now. I've made blouses and boys/mens shirts galore over the years and never hesitated to get them done. There's something about this Kwik Sew pattern that has me stymied, though. The collar instructions are a little funky and the cuffs have me scared to proceed. I've never been this way with a pattern before! I need to get over myself and just finish the damned thing; it sits there cut and half constructed, taunting me. Maybe this is the week? Have you ever had a situation like this? Hard to believe I'm letting a lil ole pattern intimidate me!

On the other hand, I've finally adjusted a pattern to make myself pants that fit. It's amazing to not have the crotch hang down and the butt be baggy, and to have the rest of the pants fit right! Store-bought pants for women just don't have enough pocket space. My pants do! I adjusted the seat of the pants by taking the pattern up a bit; that way, the crotch fits front and back. I also adjusted the length ever so slightly to make up for the part I took up in the upper part of the pattern. Lastly, I took some of the width out of the legs to create a more modern style; they're not painted on, but they're also not super wide legged. Store-bought pants also sag and bag on me due to the shape of my body (long story short, abdomen!), and it's wonderful to have a pair of pants that fits. I have to nice pieces of denim to make jeans and have made a couple pair of these already. Who cares if they're all the same style? They fit like a glove. 

Sew on. It's that time of year when it's cooler and the machine makes one feel warm. 

In progress:

Cathedral Window quilt. 

Peter Max tote bags.

Slacks galore.

Tops with pieced inserts. 

Rock painting - hey wait, that's not sewing! My rock page on Pinterest. 

Crafty and not sewing stuff

You may have heard about rock painting. You paint a rock, label it on the bottom, and "hide" it in your town or somewhere else. When someone finds it, they post on the Facebook page (in this case Williamsburg VA Rocks!) that it was found. If you find one, you can keep it or rehide it. It's just a fun hide-and-seek thing to do. This is my first one. It's going out into the world today. 

I've been working on this whacky peg rack and this is how it started - painted black and then stripes taped and painted white. 

I'm almost done with it. I got the pegs themselves painted and the oogly eyes started around the edges. I have one side edge to finish placing the eyes, and this, too, will be sent out into the world for sale on Etsy.

Lastly, I've seen doll part drying racks online for anywhere from $9 to $25. I showed one to my husband and he got to work. A few pencils and a chopstick, a cast off piece of lumber, and a drill bit, and I have my own doll part drying rack. Now I have somewhere to place doll arms and legs when I paint them! It's like another set of hands.

That's it from the wacky world of crafting. I'm never sure what I'm going to do next. Peter Max tote bags one day and rock painting the next. Semi-retirement is suiting me very nicely.