PLEASE use lots of SOAP + Cover your nose and mouth

My view is that everyone should cover their nose and mouth when going into any contained space, ie grocery, pharmacy, feed store (animals need to eat too), etc where the people on the cash registers MUST WORK or risk loosing their employment.

Many of us that sew are making cotton, washable masks for hospitals, nursing homes, convenience stores, small markets and others in need of masks.  However, many people go without wearing anything.  Something is always better than nothing.

If you have a bandanna or a pillow case that can be cut into a piece big enough to act as a bandanna, please do so.

The Bandito 

The difference between the Bandito and a bandanna is only a simple dart in the nose area as well as making a knot in the free ends to get it closer to the body.  This makes it cling to the face better that just using a bandanna.  The tuck can be made my hand sewing, stapling, or other means of your invention.  Maybe duct tape might work? If you can not alter the bandanna, just use as the bandits did, tie it in back without a dart. 

The main idea is to get it as close to your face as possible + stop the flow of air and especially droplet leaving your mouth and nose.  The knotted part hanging could be stuffed in a shirt or coat to decrease the air flow even more.  Using a pillow case will increase the density of the material which will trap more particles.  NO, this will not stop the virus.  It will help.  It will also help you from touching your face which is very important.

The BEST thing you can do is stay in your home.  Only go out for absolutely necessary items such as medicine and food for you, family members, pets and others who can't get out.

Your eyes are also vulnerable to infection from this virus.  Wear glasses or sunglasses to protect your eyes.

https://www.ecowatch.com/coronavirus-face-masks-2645078070.html

"All masks and goggles are of little use if the most important hygienic principles are neglected. For example, if you come home after a long bus or train ride, where you touched handrails and handles, take off the mask and scratch your nose, You could have left out the protective mask just as well."

When you come home from being in a confined space, slip off your shoes and leave them at the entrance.  Take off your mask. 
Alternative #1.  Drop the mask on the hard floor or a container.  Leave it alone for 4 or more days.  The virus will die within the 4 days.  WASH your hands.  Wash the sink handles, the door handle and anything else you touched.

Alternative #2. In your stocking feet, walk to the bathroom sink without touching any handles, take your mask off, drop it in the sink.  WASH your hands.  Now wash is mask with LOTS of soap and water.  Hang it to dry, or put it in the dryer, or iron it dry. Wash the sink handles, the door handle and anything else you touched.

Proper Hand Hygiene:

SOAP up, make lots of lather, WASH vigorously for 30-60 seconds.

Please remember that I am not a scientist.  My information is gathered from the best sources I could find.  One other important thing is NOT to touch your face, especially your eyes.  

Birthday Quilt for Evelyn Noelle

I hope my cousin Stewart's family enjoy playing this game as much as I do.  I find it even more fun than the 'I Spy' quilts I made for the previous children in these families.

My machine is no longer sewing letters with any kind of accuracy, so I've used permanent fabric markers instead.  This has an air filling, flannel backing.  It is lightly quilted with a meandering line which has hearts sewn in as I saw fit.  All of the seams were totally sewn down before the backing and front were joined.  That is a lot of really boring work, but it will keep the squares flat when washed and dried. This quilt was folded for travel when I realized I had not yet taken a photo.  Now it is once again rolled tight, ready to travel to the Indianapolis area in 10 days to be delivered to the new First Cousin Twice Removed.  This means it is my dear First Cousin Tom's son's daughter.

Birthday Quilt for Evelyn Noelle

40" x 60"

This is my second "Matching Game" quilt. Last March, the first quilt was delivered to the family of this cousin's brother who lives in Pebble Beach.

A Quilt for a Child

This is the third quilt for a baby/child in the family that I have made.  I made an 'I Spy' quilt for each of my 2 cousins first children. This quilt is for the second child in one family.  I went out for the wedding on 1-1-2011.  The second child was born in late January this year.  Next week I am traveling from the east coast where I live, to the west coast where they live, to hand deliver this new quilt.  It should be fun to see them again as well as their 2 year old and the new baby.

The Matching Game

Although I do not expect this will be used as a game for a couple of years, it is still colorful enough to catch anyone's eye.  Lots of interesting things for a baby to look at.  I imagine Kai, the toddler, will be more interested than the baby Viola in the beginning.  I made both of their quilts rather large so they could also be used as beach blankets since they are a quick car ride from the beach at Carmel-by-the-Sea.  I also did not use any filling since it is so warm there and also the weight of cotton batting on a quilt 40" x 56" would be way too heavy for a child to lug around.  I backed it with flannel in a music print because both parents hold Doctorates in Musicology.  

I know this is not like anything anyone has every seen.  It is not a pretty pattern that we use for our adult quilts.  My view is that we like those patterned quilts, but I think a child will find this quilt more interesting.  Therefore, I dubbed it, "A Quilt for a Child."

It is an odd number of squares making a perfectly rectangular quilt.  One square, the large one with the children playing different musical instruments matches 3 small squares, one of each child.  Another square with a woman and a girl have 2 small squares containing each of the images shown on the large square as their matches.  That was the way I made the matches of an odd number work.  I needed the odd number because of the size as well as the fact that it would be too too hard to match if it were all small squares.  It is also difficult to find enough plain colors that can be seen as really different.  The solid colors help make it a little easier to find the "matches". 

Each block seam is pressed to one side then stitched down.  I do not want a lot of lumps when it is tossed into the washer and dryer.  When everything was neatly stitched down, I pinned the back on, then stitched with a meandering line, pausing now and then to add a heart.  I used a patterned fabric for the binding because I did not want it to show the dirt a child always adds.  

the Energy Coalition

The Energy Coalition speaks for itself.

This is for the 6th Thomas Edison National Historical Park Art Exhibit.  The theme is "Building on the Past to Meet the Future".  

Once I found out that the Solar Wind has enough energy to provide for all our planet's needs, I conceptualized how we might put it to good use.  This energy would only be available for Peaceful Nations.  Unfortunately, it does not look like our nation would qualify at this time.  I was born at the end of WWII.  It seems as if we have been involved in some war ever since.  Will we ever have PEACE?

The fabric medium is totally new to me.  It is called evolon, a trademarked name for a non-woven microfiber canvas.  I had wanted to use water colors, but of course that is one medium that does not work on this fabric.  Instead, I used fabric markers.  At 2' square, I burnt out my yellows.  If you are a print maker, you might want to try this.  I only had the one piece for this project, so no time to experiment.

Let us have EARTH RISE this year.

This new year, 

I want to join the astronauts in their VISION of 

Earth Rise.

The vision of Earth Rise

Our PLANET as ONE collaborative visionary interaction of independent people working toward PEACE with PROSPERITY for all people as well as our planet.

The principles of Earth Rise

1. Interdependence

2. Long Term Thinking

3. Profound Collaborations with both Empathy and Compassion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=609&v=Fdnm6aF9lVg