We are living in strange times! We are almost completely in lockdown with all of our little family working and studying from home, only allowed out to do the grocery shopping and for an odd short walk within our 2 km limits. But we are safe, and doing our very best to stay healthy, and sane...
And we're lucky: We have a garden and it is in a better state than most years with all the time we can spend on it. The weather is helping, too!
With table space at a premium (five desk spaces required) my work "desk" is quite improvised.
And in my free time I don't get to take the sewing machine out at all any more. So to relax I try to make time to do some hand sewing or hand quilting. My knitting comes out regularly, too, as well as a sketchbook or a colouring page... I even found a book I haven't read yet!
The whole situation has spurred me on to do something I have been thinking about for a long while: I am putting some of my patterns up on the blog! So today I am starting with some Baltimore style appliqué patterns I created many years ago. Some are based on traditional Baltimore blocks, others are my own variations. The pattern set is quite basic in the sense that it only consists of a couple of pages of instructions and full size drawings of the twelve blocks.
The method our quilt group used originally was to prepare the appliqué shapes by tacking the fabric onto paper templates, but you can use the patterns for any method of appliqué you are happy with. And while they were created as traditional hand appliqué patterns with the edges turned under as in needle turn, you can also use them for raw edge (bonded) appliqué, by hand or machine (any free motion stitchers out there?).
For now I have decided to make these patterns freely available to anyone. At the moment I just don't have the patience to work out how or how much to charge for them...
I would love to see how you use the patterns, whether you're making a block or a couple, or all 12. So if you are using Instagram please add the hashtag #sewofcoursepatterns to any pictures!
The patterns are now available as a digital download, here:
- Baltimore style block patterns -
Stay home and sew...!
Sandra
We all make sacrifices, or alterations to our normal, I have lent my huge cutting table to our friend, she is working form home with two computers and screens, son-in-law is at home, he is in Josh's room, ( Josh home from University but still further south in their flat with 3 others), Grand-daughter has her bedroom or the lounge, daughter has their office room, and I read of a family in our South Island, in the middle of building their home, all work has stopped, deemed non essential, family are 15, 12 and 7, they all sleep in a lined plywood hut, set of bunks, one double and a smaller single bed, they cook in a small caravan, and as the Mum and Dad both work form home, have set up the study and work in a van. This is in Central Otago, where there will be snow soon, nights will go down to freezing level, and they are so positive about the whole situation. I, too, have pulled out some knitting, and am reading books that I read years ago . Total lockdown has a whole new meaning, and I hope you can stay safe and well up there, study time will be interesting as my grandson said before this all happened., Fond greetings to you and yours, the view is ample to make your day a happy one.
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