Category Archives: Work

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Postcards for my peeps

My job WAS working with seniors who are living at home with dementia. They come spend a day with me and their peers and their primary carer gets some time off. But since COVID, all I can offer them is a weekly care package that includes a letter, some puzzles, reading material, coloring pages, jokes, candy and a small gift. Last week I made quilted postcards that they can either keep or mail to a friend.

There is 1 for each person. The top card shows the place for the stamp and writing.
These two are my favorites.

I started a quilt for my grandson (who lives in Germany) that he can use when he is here visiting. They will be staying in our basement which is cold. I think he will be able to use it.

Not sure why the colors are so washed out. Must be the lighting. Basically the colors are more true primary colors.
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Tie cases are done wedding quilt progressing

I finished the neck tie cases with oodles of time to spare. I really like the race car one! I know just who will get that one!

They ain’t pretty-especially side by side-but individually they look and feel OK.

Speaking of ties. Remember the tie skirt?

It is cute on the floor and on a hanger but it looks terrible on me. If I carried my weight on my hips it would work but I carry it on my gut so a short skirt (especially with stripes) makes me look like a beach ball. So this one is destined to be deconstructed and the silk used in some sort of quilting project. I’m half playing with the idea of trying a MUCH LONGER ONE to see if that improves the look of it. That would mean buying more ties. I’d also consider taking the points off and making a straight hem and I’d line it. That silk was a bit too sheer. You didn’t need much of a light to see the shadow puppet show my thighs were putting on….

I’m making some good progress on the quilt I want to make for my son’s wedding. Pictures to follow.

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A recent Friday

A couple of weeks ago, I had a nice day. It was a quiet day at work that was topped off with taking a few of our residents out to the water fountain.

It was a nice day weather wise.

Then after work, I went to a fabric sale which was a fund raiser for the Canadian Costume Museum. I didn’t need more fabric so I was good and only bought one chunk.

I have no idea what I will do with it.

I wasn’t totally good though….

I bought…

scissor holder
Pin cushion
Thimble holder
Thread winder

All of these things will go together to make a seamstress chatelaine.

I bought a helper for my sewing table.

A sewing bird

I also bought a real antique. Any guesses what it is?

I’ll show you. You pull on the loop to pull out the insides.

The two dangly, blurry bits are crochet hooks.

Select the one you want and fold the other one back. Slide the chosen hook back into the handle and ta-da! A crochet hook.

These hooks are microscopic! Basically the thread would be sewing thread thickness. I don’t know if my old eyes will be able to manage this!

Good day, wasn’t it!

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More Masks

I send activity care packages, weekly, to my seniors in my club. (COVID has shut down the club I work in). This week, I decided to get them ready for the second wave. (Our first wave has been easy breezy…I think our luck will run out soon).

It is a nice place to sew! HUGE table. Lots of natural light. I wish it was my sewing room at home!

I hauled my machine to work and emptied out my stash a bit and got sewing.

Once they were all sewed up I got them ready for mailing.

I think they turned pretty well. There was some fun fabric that I hope will encourage them to use them when they are out on the town.

Stay safe folks.

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Sun catchers

I mail little gifts and puzzles and reading materials to the seniors I work with as they isolate at home. These were fun but a bit stinky (toxic?)

I preheated my oven to 350°. Then I lined muffin tins with parchment paper. I assembled plastic faceted beads in each cup and heated for 18 minutes. I settled on 18 minutes because at 20 minutes they were melted to the point I need to drill holes. At 18 minutes there are the odd holes for strings.

I took them out of the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. They popped out of the pan easily. Then I pealed the parchment paper off.

I gathered the info for this project over several easy to find sites and YouTube videos. Some did the same procedure with pony beads, some used cake pans, some used higher heat.

I’d recommend 350°, lots of ventilation and checking the project in the oven every 5-10 minutes as different ovens, project sizes, bead brands and desired effect will effect the results.

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Completed project:why?

Meet Humphrey the Humungus Hummingbird.

I found a pattern meant for seed beads and decided to use massive beads…the massive size made it easier to work with while I figured out the pattern.

I will hang it in the windows at work. Now that I see how it goes together, I will make it in the correct size. I also want to see if I can adapt it to different types of birds. The beads used for Humphrey would make an awesome Macaw for example.

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CHA: Craft hoarders annonimous

Hello. My name is Wanda and I am a craft hoarder. After 2 months of abstinence, I succumbed to the wiles of my favorite dealer (Michaels) and fell of the wagon. I went into that den of temptation with out my sponsor and best friend.

I was able to abstain because of COVID 19. But after 2 months of Netflix and playing every game we own, I was set free in an open store! oh the ephoria!

As an aside… I made these for my seniors. I can’t take credit for the idea. That was Pinterest.

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Life hack: ear saver

I’ve seen a few ideas for saving your ears from the masks we are wearing in health care and else where.

There are surgical caps with buttons next to the ears (the mask elastic is hooked over the buttons).

There was a mass of headbands at work and I thought it was folks trying to hide weaves and hair dye that had grown out. Nope they have buttons on them just like the surgical caps.

There are these plastic strips with hooks on them. They are worn at the back of the head and the bands are hooked on them. I can’t use those. My hair would get caught and I’d need to cut them out!

Some women are making two little buns near their ears with their hair and hooking the elastic bands over those. I feel too old for that look.

Here is my hack….I wear my hair in a pony tail at work and now I add two small barettes behind my ears. When not wearing mask they are not very noticeable. They stay in my hair so I’m not hunting for them like I think people might be with the plastic strips.

The bands hook nicely over them.

The easiest way to remove the mask, is to pull the elastic off of the mask. It will then slide off without getting hooked.

Hope this helps someone else!