Make Do and Mend

Welcome to Treadlestitches!
I am not a fan of mending, but this is a sad state of affairs.  I cleaned out the linen closet, and found an old beloved quilt I made many years ago.  Some of the fabrics were good quality, and some weren't.  We also used it a lot, and washed it over and over.

In addition to the bigger rip, there was this one, probably caused by me using a too-small seam allowance.

I can't say I don't have the time to fix this!  Time is something I suddenly have.  So I appliqued larger strips over the rips.

Now it's a usable quilt again!  The mends are big and clunky, but they'll hold up better that way.  The blue "house" was meant to be a barn, in the middle of the "straight furrows".

So that's mending.  I also mended some of my unmentionables, which I guess are not really unmentionable if I just mentioned them.  They are definitely, however, unphotographable.

The last time we went to the grocery store, they were out of almost anything for cleaning or even washing dishes.  I like to have a small sponge-like thing to scrub stubborn pots and pans, just one step down from steel wool pads.  The ones we had were disgusting on the outside, and I had just been throwing them away and buying new.  (Oops!  Not eco-friendly.)  So I'm trying this.  I cut the cover off, soaked the inner foam rubber rectangle in boiling water, and then sewed an old dishcloth over it.

Not elegant, but it works.  The mesh side of the dishcloth helps with scrubbing.  I know I could order things, but I'd rather make do with what I've got if I can.  No one had to bring it to me, I didn't have to wait for my order, and this cost absolutely nothing.

Is using your stash really "making do" if your stash is almost as deep as Lake Michigan?  Here's what I was working on from my stash this week.

The little blocks are all lined up, ready to sew, and my tumbler leaders and enders coming along.

And here's the finished springtime baby quilt.

Do you see all the colorful little bugs in the white sashing fabric?  It's a Me and My Sister print.  I bought a yard of it on sale at a quilt show in February.  (Wonder when we'll have quilt shows again?)

The pattern came from this book, 3 times the charm, also coincidentally by Me and My Sister Designs.

The name of the pattern is Dora.  I changed a few things--cut the white parts wider, added sashings and cornerstones, and made more blocks, but this was the inspiration.

The border came from a big scrap I bought second hand.  I guess that's the making-do part.

The back wasn't wide enough, so I added a strip of the border fabric.  Hey, making do again.

I really loved this back, with these happy colorful caterpillars.  This should be a cheerful donation quilt for a baby girl.
Speaking of babies:

Here are my two youngest grandchildren.  I'm calling them Little Buddy and Baby Buddy.  Their mama has to go back to work in May, but only one day a week, so they're coming to hang out with us.  So is their wonderful big brother, Big Buddy.  I can hardly wait.

We're all being very careful about staying at home, wearing masks if we have to go to a store, and washing our hands relentlessly.  We need to keep the little ones, and all of us, safe.

Stay safe this week, everyone!  Thanks for reading.
Cheers,
Sylvia@Treadlestitches

Linking up with:
Alycia at Finished or Not Finished Friday
Angela at So Scrappy
Sarah at Can I Get A Whoop Whoop
Cynthia at Oh Scrap