We are in the quiet zone here.

Good morning. Wow, March 30, 2020! It seems as if we have been here at home for a very long time. I guess we started self isolating before it was deemed necessary in the country, but I had this lingering feeling, ever since Jan when I visited a good friend in Florida, that this was going to be a much bigger problem than what I was seeing in China. Our world is much smaller these days with travel so accessible. Well that is, it was before the pandemic. I have COPD and a couple of autoimmune disorders, so perhaps I am more suspicious than most. At any rate, I isolated for 14 days on my return home on Jan 29, and really have continued to isolate since then. At first my husband was still out and about, but he was more careful about his actions on returning home. Now of course we are both doing the social distancing dance.
We don't have television reception, so the news we see in on our laptops for the most part. I check it out twice a day. There are other great things happening in the quilting world though. A number of designers have offered free patterns, and some sew a longs so we can stay busy with activities we love. I am following Buttermilk Basins spring Sew a long. Blocks are posted on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Here are my first three:

 The first two blocks were baskets

The third is this small tulip block. This is a spring theme, but I have leftover pieces from my civil war fabrics from Windham Fabrics. Ill go with those, and all will be fine. I can always fill in gaps with some pieces from my Thimbleberries or Kansas Troubles scraps.

Also Moda has made The Villages quilt pattern free to all. This pattern struck a chord with me. We are all part of the global village, and we're all in the same soup pot right now. We all breathe the same air, we are all concerned about our family, friends and neighbours, and each one of us is concerned about our own health. I am challenging my quilting friends, and my groups to make a few of the houses from the pattern, and lets put them together in a quilt from the village of quilters. Yesterday I sat with a small hill of bright and happy print scraps, and picked out bits that would work for these houses. I will find bits for the roofs today. Here they are:

I think I have ten at present. They will perk up when I get the roofs.

The secret sewing continues, but at a slow pace. Today Angie Padilla from Angie's Bits and Pieces, will start up her weeklong quilt a long. It's a quilt of black cat blocks, 7 1/2 in. I have my backgrounds cut, all pastel solids from stash. As well today Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville Quips and Snips is starting a weekly sew along sort of mystery using three colours plus a neutral. It will be a medallion top, adding a round a week. Edyta Starr of Laundry Basket quilts is at block ten of what is going to be a fabulous quilt in her free offering. I know there are more out there, but these are a few. It is a tough time now for many people whose livelihoods have been seriously affected by the current state of the world. I want to thank everyone who offers these projects without gain. It is incredibly generous and loving.

You know what I find to be fun and safe, and low cost as well? It is putting a CD or a record on or in my machine, and dancing up a storm for at least 5 or 6 songs, waving my arms, legs, and torso with the music. It makes me smile, and gets all those sitting down creaks out of my body. It's like a treatment for everything. This morning I thought it might be fun to make a video so I could dance along with my grands, or other friends. If we all made one and shared them on line, what a riot of fun that could be..Also another form of exercise for the body and brain. I would need someone to help me get started with the technology.

I do hope if you read this, you are safe and warm and have your sewing stuff with you. Hugs everyone.

Lynn