Wednesday, April 8, 2020

To Do Tuesday

I am linking up with Roseanne at Home Sewn By Us for this Make-a-List party. I thought about writing up this post yesterday but IRL stuff got in the way; let's just say that grocery shopping is at a whole other otherworldly dimension these days. It was the first time I've left the house since March 18; groceries prior to that were either dropped off on our doorstep from the little farm market across the road, or ordered online and a week later, picked up in the parking lot outside the store, no contact with anyone. And then. You get the groceries home and MacGyver unloads them, latex gloves on, into the garage, takes stuff that can be out of the packaging, brings it in in a bucket to me, where I either sanitize with Lysol wipes or for produce, put into a sink full of water and wash. Quite the process.

Which I know, all of you know and do as well. This will be the new normal for some time. On that online order we were shorted 20 items, quite a shock, like no lemon juice? Is it like toilet paper? Which I still do not get... So after I sent off four masks to Dayna on the other side of the river, (and let me tell you, sending that padded envelope was quite the process as well - all this 'new normal' of restrictions, and signage and STOP! and plexiglass and masks and lines to stay back behind is really unnerving and kind of undid me a bit I'll admit), anyhow, after I finished at the post office I cruised by the grocery store to see how busy it was, and it wasn't. I'd fooled myself into thinking meh, I probably won't go in; I'll just see how I feel. Well, in I went, mask on, latex gloves on.




Even though it was not busy at all, it was not always possible to keep a 2 metre distance between people, like letting someone pass me in an aisle. Not everyone followed the arrows of direction in each aisle, but for the most part they did. I was successful on most fronts, but for lemon juice! None still. I used it in homemade Caesar salad dressing, and MacGyver likes it in his water. And I forgot dishwashing liquid but we're good for another week anyhow. I much prefer ordering online, safety-wise, but I do prefer choosing my own stuff in person. Sigh.

Anyhow I saw a mask Yvonne of Quilting Jet Girl had made using this pattern. It looked like it fit well, especially around the nose under the glasses. Well it certainly does fit very well. I did the continuous loop of elastic rather than the over the ears way, and it was comfortable. I used two layers of batik; my friend Danielle, who is a nurse, and who worked through the SARS epidemic, and who I've recently quoted often, said to use the tightest weave you have, and that would be cotton batik. So all six masks, one each for MacGyver and me, two each for Dayna and Tyler, are two layers of Island Batik fabrics. I do know that they do not prevent you from catching the virus; even the N95 is 3 UG and the virus is 1 UG (that's a form of measurement) according to Danielle, but she says so far they are finding the virus doesn't travel single file...


Okay, enough. Here is my list for this week.

1. Complete the flimsy asap for this Storm at Sea quilt. This was the March challenge, and due to chasing squirrels, many many pieces, and general inability to focus very well, it is still incomplete.


2. Write up the tutorial for 'Smooches' which is a guest blogging opportunity I set up with Sarah at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. I'm very honoured to do this, and it is fulfilling another requirement for Island Batik ambassadorship this year. I have to do two guest blogging stints, no clue on the second one as of yet. My post for Sarah is on Sunday.


3. Decide upon fabric for the second version of my fourth annual QAL, Centred, and finish up Friday's Fabric Requirements post. If you'd like to know more about this quilt along, click the image below.

That's it! Wish me luck. All actually HAS to be done this week, or I'll be in deep doo-doo, as they say.

Linking up
Home Sewn By Us

9 comments:

  1. It is most definitely unnerving to visit the grocery store or post office right now! I told Mike (who is not going in anyplace these days due to his recent surgery) it is just so strange to see all the masks and gloves everywhere these days - good that people are following the guidelines, but still strange. Looking forward to finding out the fabric requirements for Centred!

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  2. Good morning! I haven't been in a grocery store since March 13th. I definitely prefer selecting my own items and making a substitution if need be. No lemon juice??!! I can't imagine there'd be a run on that but people are odd. Your Storm at Sea piece looks fab. Lots of pieces but the end result is definitely worthy. Good luck with your list - see you on Friday and thanks for linking up this week. ~smile~ Roseanne

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  3. I do wish you not just luck but a bit of joy and enjoyment as you work on these projects this week. <3

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  4. I too haven’t been anywhere but the little store and post office on the island. Both have since the 13th erected plexiglass and it is all a bit unnerving. It is harder to order food on the island, but I will try harder next week, depending on what we need.

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  5. Grocery shopping, I really had NO idea how enjoyable it was to do it for yourself. Much the same here, a queue outside for at least 45 minutes unless you are really lucky, 4 people in at any one time, arrows to show how you zigzag the aisles, some items have limits, and a friend said the one time she went she was almost in tears ( they have 3 little girls ) so now her husband goes. Today I am going to wash the batiks for the QAL, even looking at them in the paper bag is exciting. The last time I was in a supermarket was the 16th March, I have forgotten what it looks like. Take care, and having batiks on hand for masks is wonderful, we cannot post parcels unless they come into the essential category. Mail is still delivered,all the postal shop retail outlets are closed. So the bank statement is all that arrives, and when I can get through on a phone, will get them by email. Life has changed, but blog friends, world wide, remain the same, we are so thankful for this way to keep in touch. Take you, you and Mr MacG too.

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  6. We have designated times/days to shop with limits on certain items. Ours is 6-8 am and only one person per household. We've only been twice since March 1. Everything just seems strange...

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  7. I hadn't been to our local supermarket since end of March and, like you was a bit taken aback by plexi-screens and mask wearing assistants. I've made a few masks similar to yours, but will try Natick (had used cotton and t- shirt type lining. Ah thank goodness for quilting, a balm to the soul.

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  8. I ventured into the grocery store yesterday also. It is quite an experience. I quickly discovered how paranoid I am, I went through lysol wipes like crazy. I now carry one in my vehicle, one needs to be prepared.

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  9. I made that mask but discovered that my face is "extra wide" - I need to make another and extend the sides out about an inch and a half. So for now I am still using the pleated one.
    Did you have a stash of elastic? It is impossible to find here.

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