Sew Chaotically! ~ Stay home for you! Stay home for them! And, if you like, Make a POUF!!!

Though young healthy folks are less likely to develop more significant illness, it has become abundantly clear that no human is immune to COVID-19.  As such, staying home and adopting social distancing when being out in public is required, provides the best way for us to protect our own health and the health of those most at risk among us.  Still, those who are providing essential services or without 'work from home' options must carry on.  These facts make this plea from healthcare workers who are putting their lives on the line to care for all of us even more important:

With all that is going on in our world and the inherent worry involved, I am fortunate to be able to stay home without much difficulty, but I've found it hard to sit down to my machines for garment making.  I'm sure I'll get back to it, but in these recent unsettling days I've spent a lot of time in my garden, running, reading, listening to way too much COVID-19 analysis on TV, and doing some pretty awesome workouts via MADFIT.  Who knows?  I may come out of this with rock hard abs!!!  Brent and I have dedicated some time to study "homemade mask making".  We've settled on fabric and a pattern that we think will make them most useful.  He even ordered some medical grade fabric that we will use as inserts - if it arrives.  I will be giving more updates on that as we get along.  I did enjoy hand stitching new binding on these oven mits whose edges had become much frayed.

I think they turned out pretty cute!  At the very least their useful life was certainly extended!

I used self made binding with my last bit of this fabric from Frou-Frou Paris originally made up in this Archer, pattern from Grainline Studio.

That success - both in creating something I deemed useful and in distracting while simultaneously focusing my attention - I then embarked on completing a POUF - a project I've been working toward for sometime.

B's recliner has a foot rest he can put up or down.  My chair does not.  Never fear - a pouf to the rescue!  I looked at purchasing one, but they weren't quite what I wanted.  Then I discovered the FREE POUF PATTERN and tutorial by Closet Case Patterns!!!  I could do that!!!  Gradually, I put together fabrics (scraps from various makes) that I thought looked nice together and in my living room.  After collecting random bits for some time, this is what I came up with -

For the longest, I have kept this basket beneath my machines.  I toss all little bits clipped off seams, strips left after serging, along with other fabric remnants too small for use as other garments, bindings, pockets, or quilt squares.

As the basket filled, I stored these bits and pieces.  Over time it really piled up!!

Putting the POUF together was easier than I feared!  The only tiresome part was interfacing all my pieces.  While not required, I did it so that, hopefully, my pouf will be around for a long time!  The pattern includes instructions for placing piping around the circle's edges, but not having any nor the items needed to make it, I just rolled without it.

I think she turned out pretty cute!

Because of the height of my chair and how I wanted to rest my legs, I did make my pouf about 3 inches taller than the Closet Case version.  Making things the way we want them is why we are makers, right????  I placed my scraps in two flexible tall kitchen garbage bags within the pouf and that worked well.  (There is a zip on the bottom.)  That way, I'll be able to remove the stuffing fairly easily and wash the covering should I ever need to.   Be warned!  This girl is heavy and holds a lot of stuffing!  But, I already love her!!!

SEW!  Stay home.  Be safe.  Do what makes life better for you!  Maybe even make a POUF!!! - love, les