2020

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. You ladies are amazing. With the Monday pickup of masks we reached our 2000 donation challenge goal. I’ll wait until after Friday’s pickup to give you an exact number. Maybe we’ll hit another milestone! Remember we are working on getting 1000 masks to the Air Force Base (Did you see them featured on 60 minutes on Sunday evening?) Remember for the Air Force masks use predominantly drab colors, and no patriotics. If you have already made masks with patriotic fabrics, we can donate those to veterans. I’ll be posting our last construction step for the corona quilt in the next day or so. There is a slight hold up due to a puppy chewing up a friendship star block for which I do not have enough fabric to repair. So I’ll be making 3 new ones. Then I can decide on the  value placements in […]

Hello all, Mary Ellen here.I’m guessing you’ve all gotten calls this week asking about masks since the governor put out his requirement for all of us to wear them in places where social distancing is not easy to do. I’ve gotten a couple of calls from neighbors I haven’t spoken with all winter asking if I knew where they might be able to get a mask LOL! I’m sure they knew — and I gave them the masks of course. Our guild tally of donated masks (that we are aware of) is up to 1848. We’re going to hit 2000, I know it! If you can make even a few for us to give to the Air Force Base, that would be super. They have asked for 1,000. A few parameters for them–no patriotic fabrics please. It makes them easily identifiable as Americans when they are deployed. Drab colors for […]

Hello all, Mary Ellen here.In case you missed it… one of our guild’s long time members wrote an opinion piece published in yesterday’s Buffalo News. You mask makers should take particular note. (BTW We’re approaching our next milestone as a guild of 2000 masks made and donated!) Thanks, Linda, for letting the readers know what quilters are up to these days! Quilters are cottoning to face mask production

Hello all, Mary Ellen here.Here is a link for those of you wanting to purchase the Rosie style mask maker T shirt. Thank you to Paula F. and Diana B. for their help. Another link is in the replies to several commenters back at the original post. Click here. Please understand that the guild has no connection to either of these two companies in any way whatsover. Let the buyer beware!

Hello all, Mary Ellen here.I’ve attached a file with all of the corona quilt steps we’ve done so far and the next step as well. It is in pdf format so I’m hoping everyone will be able to print it out without difficulty. Please let me know if you have trouble with that; I’ll send it to you via e-mail if so. I’ve put all the steps together somewhat in checklist format, I like to check off where I am in a list of directions when I work on a quilt pattern. I hope it works for you too. corona quilt

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. If you haven’t seen this on Facebook yet, I hope you enjoy it! Thanks to Diana B. for sending it to me this morning. Next installment of the corona quilt will be up later today.  

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. Well, you’ve done it again. With the additional number of masks reported in the comments on the last post you topped my latest challenge to you. Those brought our total to 1595 masks. (Is 2000 within our reach?) I think the positive feelings from giving to others are a motivation in themselves to keep on giving. So let’s keep it going and make ourselves feel great. My next challenge to you is not a numerical one. I challenge you to keep a mask or two in your pocket or purse. When you are out walking, or at the pharmacy or grocery store, or wherever you might run across people not in your usual social circle, give a mask away to someone who needs one, with your best wishes.  Let us know how it goes…and keep on stitching!

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. Well you ladies certainly came through! We filled the request from the Air Force Base with masks to spare. The remainder of the masks are going to Roswell. We received a nice thank you from the doctor who is coordinating the mask drive for Roswell. When I figure out how to get it from my e-mail to the blog I will share it with all of you. She is very complimentary of our sewing skills (are you surprised?) and thankful for the time and effort we are spending. Remember that challenge to get to 1500 masks?  Well we are currently at 1,467 so I don’t think we’ll have any trouble getting to 1500! You guys are awesome, as the kids say! The world needs more generous people like all of you.

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. I came across Bonnie Hunter’s (remember her from a seminar at the museum?) mask making pattern while looking for something else. I like her ideas-am nearly out of elastic and hers uses t shirt yarn for ties. The use of the yarn and a slight design alteration will make this more comfortable I think. I’ll be using some of my own tweaks of other patterns incorporated with her ideas. I never feel guilty putting my ideas together with other folk’s good ideas for an even better amalgamation. Click here for a video of Bonnie’s mask making technique. The steps for the corona mystery quilt will resume on Monday. Those who want to intersperse some patchwork between masks, this will be for you. I will be including a pdf file of the directions for those who work better from a written pattern. We are close to […]

Hello all, Mary Ellen here. The word must be getting around about our mask making proficiency. We’ve had a request from the Air Force Base for 100 masks, and do not have that many on hand. We turn ours over to Roswell every Friday. I know this would be a very fast turn around, but if anyone could make even just a few and get them out to Jackie at the museum tomorrow between 12:00 and 1:00, perhaps we can quickly honor their request. I’m not long back from a trip to Tops to get supplies for a very different Easter dinner. Most folks there were wearing masks, but in many different ways. This just happened to be in today’s NY Times. I found the mask to be uncomfortable and stuffy, but that is the case if it’s doing its protective task. Click here for mask wearing tips. BTW I […]