It's a New Day: Why Not Make Something?

I love the color of the sky just before sunrise. Today at the horizon there is a pale pink infiltrating the gray clouds above. The day is beginning--- and who knows what's ahead?

What I do know is I am thankful to be warm and safe. I am grateful for my life and family. And I know that my dear husband and I will be quarantining until our (hopefully negative) COVID test results appear online.

I also know that I will make something today. I am not sure what it will be. I might write a poem, or bake cookies, or put the binding on a quilted table runner. I might knit or try to learn more about rug hooking.

You might ask, why do I make things?  Well, I make because something calls to me from deep within. Perhaps it is my soul, or God, or the Universe. Who the caller is I am not sure. I only know that I am called. I also understand that when I remember times in my life where I was unable to create I was frustrated and angry.  So as a matter of self-care I create.

I always have a project going. You could call it my therapy, and maybe it is.  I know that making helps me stay on the happy side of the street. 

Don't get me wrong, I still have challenges. We all carry a bag of rocks. It is the stuff that doesn't show up on Instagram or Facebook posts. It's the real stuff that we all contend with. It is the dent in the car fender. It's the morning with messy hair, no makeup, and a hole in the sock. It is the day you start chemotherapy.

So this morning I am going finish my coffee, pet the cat, and then do a little knitting. I have some yarn leftover from a child's sweater that I completed last week and I think there is enough for a little matching hat. I will find out. There is so much to learn and some things are experiments because you can learn from any experiment.

Enjoy your day and your life because only you can make it sweet.

Thank you for reading,

Mary

This is my variation on the 'Rosemary's Little Sweater' pattern from The Green Mountain Spinnery Knitting Book by Margaret Klein Wilson and the Green Mountain Spinnery,
The Countryman Press, Woodstock,VT, 2003

"Don't wait for inspiration. It comes while working." ~Henri Mattise

Stay Sane - Make Art

Most of us have been self-isolating for weeks. My office reduced hours and furloughed personnel back in March, so it has been more than 8 weeks of this new reality.  I am working every third week. It is strange.

Last month Bustle published this article: Making art helps your mental health 

Are you working from home?  Have you been furloughed?  How do you stay focused and productive?  Please share your strategies.

Even Mona Wears a Mask - Image from Pexels.com

Isolation Days

Each morning as I awake I give thanks for the day.

I drink a glass of water and get out of bed.   Matilda, the cat, is always ready for her breakfast, so I feed her, then check for any overnight text messages on the phone and have my coffee.

I have a day job, but I am on a reduced schedule for a bit. It is on odd time. I feel that a regular routine helps me stay focused.

Most days I eat a granola-type cereal or nuts, dates and berry combination that I assemble myself.

I limit the amount of news I listen to. More than once a day can cause me to have anxiety.

I try to get regular exercise each day, by walking or doing yoga.

Matilda thinks she might also keep a journal one day.

I keep a written journal and I make art each day.

The largest project I am tackling this month is sorting my mother's personal papers and photos.  In the 1940's she taught physical education at the University of Akron. She saved everything from the list of academic course offerings to Goodyear Rubber Company memorabilia.

Last week I contacted the archives department at UAkron to ask if they were interested in a donation, and to my delight they said yes!  I am thrilled because these items need a new home.

Traveling to the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach in July 2020

My quilt “Meditation Light” is traveling to International Quilt Festival in Long Beach, CA July 9-11, 2020...or at least that is what I am hoping given the current coronavirus pandemic.

This piece was inspired by summer vacations on Kelley’s Island in Lake Erie.  

Lake Erie is one of the five Great Lakes. It shares an international border with Canada. 

Kelley’s Island is the largest island in the U.S. waters of Lake Erie. 

As a child, I learned to swim, fish, and canoe there.  My brother and I would hop on our bicycles in the morning and not return until sunset.

It was a carefree time. 

Nowadays I still go there, but much less often. 

When I sit on the shore I am one with the Universe marking the passage of time by the position of the sun setting on the horizon.

Free Quilt Block Pattern - Nine Patch Variation

This is my finished quilt top. A 9-patch variation. Simple to sew. I found the white blocks on the sharing table at the Shoreline Quilt Guild retreat in January. I am drawn to cast off orphan blocks made with OPF (Other People's Fabric).   

I picked up 13 perfect blocks on the sharing table - not my color palette (since I rarely if ever use white), but, they were lovely and excited my spirit.

My affinity for cast-off goodies is deeply rooted in my psyche. It comes from wanting to create and knowing the scrap bag in my mother's closet was fair game for anything I wanted to try.  The love of little pieces of fabric coincides directly with my love of quilting.

I didn't think 13 blocks were not enough for a small quilt and I wanted to add more color, so this is what I did. 

The block is a simple 9-patch variation:
center square, flanked by rectangles with cornerstones. 

Let's do it!  Dig into your stash and let's play.







For each block you need the following:

• One 5.5 inch square (A) (I used a floral.).
• Four 2.5 x 5.5 inch rectangles (B) (I used a med/dark fabric.)
• Four 2.5 x 2.5 inch squares (C) (I used a light floral.)

Assembly:
Sew one 2.5 inch square 'C"' to each end of 'B'. Press toward dark. Make 2.

Sew a 2.5 x 5.5 inch rectangle ('B') to one side of the 5.5 inch square ('A'). Sew another 'B' to the opposite side of 'A'. Press toward dark. 

 And there you have it.  Check back for the finished quilt top.

Saving the Planet One Scrap at a Time

Anyone who works with fabric has scraps. Some people throw them out, some folks give them away, and other people (like me) are willing to use my own and accept OPF (Other People's Fabric)!

The image below shows just one of the simple ways I re-purpose the itty-bitty pieces that might otherwise end up in a landfill. 

Mug Mats by Mary Lachman

To Make One...

Supplies:

• One 5-inch square of fabric (anything! as this will be the back)
• One 5-inch square of batting
• Assorted scrap fabrics. No piece is too small. 
• Sewing machine, etc.

Assembly:

• Just stitch the scraps, one at a time, creating an abstract layered collage as you go. 
• To finish just bind it as you would a small quilt or just zigzag around the edges. 

Happy New Year

Here we are in 2020. Who knew it would come so quickly when we were back in October!

In January of each new year I find a word the indicates what I would like to embrace for the coming months. This year my word is CONNECTION. I want to connect with friends who are on the same wavelength for fun and food.

Back in the studio at home I am finishing some projects including:

The binding is on the hexagon quilt I laid out in the Kaffe Fassett/Brandon Mambly class in October in Colchester.

Here it is at the end of the workshop, the turquoise blue will be the inner border and the spiral reds the outer border. 

I assembled a sampler of sorts from some orphan blocks. I think the binding and the black accents really kick this piece up a notch.

Over the balcony as viewed from below.

What would you like to learn or do in 2020? Do you pick a word to inspire you?