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Our tree is still outside. We won't bring in in the house for a while yet. The tree doesn't look like a "traditional" Christmas Tree but it's what my wife chose last year. It's a live Blue Spruce and definitely not trimmed like trees on a tree lot. It's got a bit of leaf and tree detritus from a huge Tulip Tree but we'll clean it up nicely before bringing it inside to decorate. The tree (not counting the pot) is 3 feet tall - slightly larger than it was last year.

 

image.thumb.png.1ea108af8bc0912c4547997cb58caae3.png

Edited by Thrak
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10 hours ago, Wichenford Wolf said:

Nice to see everyone getting things done for what will surely be the strangest Christmas on record.

 

Most of our conversations seem to be about how we can see our children and the mother-in-law on Christmas Day without breaking the UK maximum three households rule. Let’s hope it’s back to normal soon.

 

To give ourselves something to look forward to, we’ve actually booked a cruise! 12 nights round Britain at the end of August on Sky Princess. And it hasn’t cost us anything yet to take the gamble that the voyage will happen - FCC from this year covered the £50 deposits.

 

Have a great Christmas and here’s to cruising again very soon.

 

Karen and Paul 


Totally appreciate your feelings as we’ve had similar rules but we’re allowed more now whilst being COVID safe.

 

In the early restrictions didn’t see my parents for months.

 

Also to give us something to look forward we have booked on the Black Friday Sale a round trip 11-day PNG cruise from Brisbane for late November 2021.

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On 11/29/2020 at 10:33 PM, MamaFej said:

I started sewing for the first time in about a quarter century when mask wearing became necessary. At first, I was doing the horizontal pleat ones, simply to get started. I made a few for my son, with his school logo ironed onto on them, and other teachers and staff liked them, so I suddenly was making 25 more. Once I got past those, I started looking for something with a closer fit. 

 

I came across "The Jesse Mask,"  designed by an engineer who was frustrated with poorly fitting masks. Hubby loves his, and so does my daughter. I'll be making more. My daughter fell between measurements for height, and I was too lazy to alter the pattern, but should have. I ended up just sewing folded pseudo  "darts" in, and it worked out just fine. I'll probably alter the pattern next time. It sounds like you are a much more experienced sewer than I am, but if you need a bit of help, there is a video on The Fabric Patch's Website and YouTube.

 

I got the nose wires on Amazon, because they came with the spools of elastic cord. I find the cord more comfortable for ear loops than regular elastic, just be sure to singe the ends, so they don't unravel in the wash. I also use the silicone loop stops for adjustability. The adhesive on the nose wires is very good, but I sew a channel in pleated masks or sew a rectangle scrap around them on the Jesse masks, just for a bit of extra security. The wire ends up sewn to the inside the inside  layer, and I just use a scrap from that fabric. 

 

Amazon now has pre-cut ear loops with pre-installed adjusting stops in a variety of colors. I may end up getting some of those eventually. Masks will be a part of our lives for a while. I will not be surprised if the masks I made with Halloween and fall fabric, as well as the LA Dodgers masks and Christmas and Hanukkah masks will be a part of our lives in 2021 as well. 

 

I've ordered some cute Girl Scout cookie fabric and other special fabrics to make very personalized masks for gifts.

 

I'm sure that's far more information than you wanted. I ramble when I'm extra tired. 

 

Let's be honest; I sometimes ramble when I'm not extra tired. 

I make both the pleated and the shaped ones. I use a pattern I found on Craftpassion.com. It works well for me, but the hubby would like them to be a bit longer nose-to-chin, so my next try for him will be a modified pattern. He does like the pleated ones and wears a lot of disposables when he works (he's mostly retired and works a day a week or so). 

 

I've used a couple of types of nose wires. I first started using wire, doubled with the ends coiled to prevent facial stabbing. Then I got my hands on a couple of thin metal ones from Amazon. I ordered more (in August--I'm still waiting on them) and just re-ordered from a different supplier. Another, more durable option I tried was thin bracelet blanks. They're pretty stiff, but once shaped, they stay that way and easily slide in and out of the sleeve on the mask. Glasses wearers might appreciate that more.

 

As for elastic, I've used a couple of types. Braided elastic is fine if you get a soft version 1/4" wide. I found a soft round(ish)  1/4" version on Amazon that is wonderful. I can wear it for a long time. I also found a thin rainbow stretch beading cord that works too. I use the rubber "clips" too. I also use a pattern forms a tunnel for elastic so that I can just loop it through and tie. Easier to adjust and, shorten, and eventually replace.

 

The first few I made had ties like I use at work. They don't work for me because the one on the top kept sliding down. I guess the surgical cap and ponytail at work prevent that. I was reluctant to go to the around-the-ears style until I got elastic bands that hook on the elastic to keep the pressure off the back of the ears.

 

I'm currently nursing a broken humerus, so I'm making pre-op calls to patients instead of working in the OR (and dammit, I miss it!). I find the Athleta masks to be more comfortable for 9-10 hours and wear my hand-made ones for running around.

 

I actually dropped nine in the mail today--some to my parents, daughter, and grandson--plus a couple last week to the same daughter and my other daughter's BFF. Only for the two of them would I willingly make something with UNC on it.

 

Hey, I can ramble too!

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13 hours ago, PurpleHays said:

I make both the pleated and the shaped ones. I use a pattern I found on Craftpassion.com. It works well for me, but the hubby would like them to be a bit longer nose-to-chin, so my next try for him will be a modified pattern. He does like the pleated ones and wears a lot of disposables when he works (he's mostly retired and works a day a week or so). 

 

You might want to check out the Jesse Mask I linked to in my earlier post. There are loads of sizes, in 1/4" increments. The shape, plus the flat nose wire, minimize glasses fogging too. 

 

I will check out the Craftpassion.com site. Thanks for that! I think I'm going to try some vertical pleat and box pleat masks I saw on YouTube next. 

 

My son called while I was typing this. The staff at his school love the masks I sent. 😊He set them on the table in the break room with a sign that said "Free masks for xxHS staff: courtesy of Mr. F's mom and her quarantine craftiness"

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17 hours ago, MamaFej said:

Fully charged yet?

Yes. Now comes the "joy" of getting all my stuff installed and moved over. I won't be able to get to much of it for a week so I will just have to muddle through with this old laptop for a while longer. First world problem. Not a biggie. (The new laptop is beautiful. 😍)

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21 hours ago, MamaFej said:

You might want to check out the Jesse Mask I linked to in my earlier post. There are loads of sizes, in 1/4" increments. The shape, plus the flat nose wire, minimize glasses fogging too. 

 

I will check out the Craftpassion.com site. Thanks for that! I think I'm going to try some vertical pleat and box pleat masks I saw on YouTube next. 

 

My son called while I was typing this. The staff at his school love the masks I sent. 😊He set them on the table in the break room with a sign that said "Free masks for xxHS staff: courtesy of Mr. F's mom and her quarantine craftiness"

My daughter tells me she'll give hers away if someone tells her they like it. I've sent her several recently with the caveat that she can't give them away. I told her I'd make her some to give away. 

 

And oooh, box pleats! You'll have to tell me how that goes.

 

I looked at the Jesse--it looked more confusing than just adding an inch or so to the Craftpassion pattern I already use. Plus, he seems to like the pleated one just as much, especially since I made him a tie-dye version. The man lives in tie-dye. I just want to play with and figure out how to make a slot in the upper top stitching for the nose wire. 

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4 hours ago, Lucky TGO said:

Hi to all my Cruise Critic friends,

Well it coming Saturday more rain and snow. I wish I could send it to all my friends in Australia they keep telling me how much they want to see it snow in Australia. 😳

 


Send rain, especially over the bush fires 🔥. Need decent rain over Fraser Island to help with the bush fires that have been burning now for 7 weeks. Our favourite spot to visit and camp. It’s devastating to see the footage of the island on fire. Disappointing that people break the rules around camp fires and this happens.

 

Still in a heatwave and only getting worse, apparently records are going to be broken.

Edited by Loki S
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5 hours ago, Lucky TGO said:

Hi to all my Cruise Critic friends,

Well it coming Saturday more rain and snow. I wish I could send it to all my friends in Australia they keep telling me how much they want to see it snow in Australia. 😳

 

 

C6ACD52C-7429-46BE-82F5-CBF31499820B.jpeg

It does snow in Australia, not all over, but parts of Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and Western Australia (Bluff Knoll). Nowhere near as common as the Northern Hemisphere of course.

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18 hours ago, Bradtez said:

It does snow in Australia, not all over, but parts of Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and Western Australia (Bluff Knoll). Nowhere near as common as the Northern Hemisphere of course.

Hi Bradtez,

That’s great to know if I come to Australia I will be bringing my snow skis.  😳😁

Tony

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On 12/1/2020 at 2:41 PM, Thrak said:

Our tree is still outside. We won't bring in in the house for a while yet. The tree doesn't look like a "traditional" Christmas Tree but it's what my wife chose last year. It's a live Blue Spruce and definitely not trimmed like trees on a tree lot. It's got a bit of leaf and tree detritus from a huge Tulip Tree but we'll clean it up nicely before bringing it inside to decorate. The tree (not counting the pot) is 3 feet tall - slightly larger than it was last year.

 

image.thumb.png.1ea108af8bc0912c4547997cb58caae3.png

Your tree looks beautiful

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Hello, fellow mask makers! This couple has just shy of a gazillion mask tutorials on their YouTube channel: DIYCraftJP. Several of the designs are billed as no fog and/or easily breathable. So far, I've only made this one. It was a bit loose on the chin, so I added a couple of darts. It is very low-fog for me, but not completely fog-less. I did add a nose wire. The couple's beautiful siamese cats make cameo appearances in the videos. I'm crazy allergic to cats, but I can enjoy them on videos. 

 

I'll probably try the 5 or 7 dart mask soon. I'm trying a vertical pleat mask next. 

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7 hours ago, Lucky TGO said:

Hi to all my Cruise Critic friends,

all I have to say it’s freezing outside. Just lucky there’s no snow 😁

 

F93D18A2-2C4E-4D8C-BC31-34A393B080A6.jpeg


Been HOT HOT HOT 🥵, heatwave seems to have eased for now. Apparently a rain event is on its way, maybe end of the week or on the weekend. Hopefully it falls where it’s really needed, everything is so dry.

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For a week now we have been in an inversion, basically meaning that our air is "stuck".  This puts us in a not so nice category of air quality, and we are asked to refrain from running gasoline powered vehicles and/or equipment as well as no indoor or outdoor burning.

I am okay with the furnace for heat since the wood stove makes a mess to clean up anyway.

No snow, no rain, no wind here.  It is like we are in a vacuum.  Every day they say in the next day or two it will clear, but it never does.

This must be a meteorological time warp.

🙄😶
 

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On 12/7/2020 at 2:02 PM, MamaFej said:

Hello, fellow mask makers! This couple has just shy of a gazillion mask tutorials on their YouTube channel: DIYCraftJP. Several of the designs are billed as no fog and/or easily breathable. So far, I've only made this one. It was a bit loose on the chin, so I added a couple of darts. It is very low-fog for me, but not completely fog-less. I did add a nose wire. The couple's beautiful siamese cats make cameo appearances in the videos. I'm crazy allergic to cats, but I can enjoy them on videos. 

 

I'll probably try the 5 or 7 dart mask soon. I'm trying a vertical pleat mask next. 

That's a lot of mask styles. I didn't watch any of the videos, but do they include pattern downloads?

 

I'm trying a couple of the Jesse masks mentioned on a different thread under the cruise fashions board. It's custom to your measurements, but I had to modify because I was two different sizes (story of my life).

Edited by PurpleHays
typo
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3 hours ago, PurpleHays said:

That's a lot of mask styles. I didn't watch any of the videos, but do they include pattern downloads?

 

I'm trying a couple of the Jesse masks mentioned on a different thread under the cruise fashions board. It's custom to your measurements, but I had to modify because I was two different sizes (story of my life).

Some of the mask videos have links to PDFs of patterns in the description below the video. 

 

Are those the same Jesse masks I mentioned above, or different ones? I'm confident that more than one Jesse has been designing or making masks. 

 

I tried the 3D circular type today. Hubby loves it. It's one of the easiest I've tried. I found a gorgeous Hanukkah fabric online and I'm trying to get several made from it for friends during the appropriate time. I'll be dropping them off on porches. Then I'll get started on Christmas fabric masks, and Christmas gifts. I'm excited about the special fabrics I've selected for my nieces, SIL, brother, mom, and kids.

 

I'm going a bit crazy with my Cricut machine and creating lots of other homemade gifts. This year's gifts are homemade, donations to charities the recipient would love,  and items from companies that donate with each purchase. We are extremely fortunate not to have been affected financially by Covid, and we feel that making our gifts meaningful and impactful is more important than ever this year. 

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