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Unfortunately, this pandemic seems to be drawing out even farther. I'd started to think that we might be getting over the hump, but the number of cases keep rising and there are new variants that seem to be causing concern all over again. I'm not predicting doom and gloom, but let's just say that I'm not surprised that some counties are starting to issue lockdown and mask rules again.

Ultimately, that means that the Mild Wife and I have to ensure our mask game is on point again. We still have a few from the initial bout of sewing but it's sure looking like we're going to need masks in the near future. Given that, I figured I might as well start making a few more. Of course, I've got a few more reps under my belt now, so I can start to think more about how we want the finished product to look rather than the mechanics of whether or not I threaded the machine properly.

The latest sewing blog post happened to be about masks, and it was from a few weeks ago, so I've built up our inventory just a bit more. However, as I was cutting through fabric after deciding the inner and outer layers, I noticed that I had quite a few scraps laying around. They weren't huge pieces of fabric, but they were also large enough that they still looked quite useful. And since I now feel comfortable with making basic stitches (read: straight lines), it occurred to me that I could stitch some of them together. I mean, I have a sewing machine at my disposal. Why not, um, sew things?

Besides, I'm the type of person where I don't mind trying something out if I feel like it's within reach. And if I can handle stitching some straight lines, combining rectangular pieces of fabric together into a bigger rectangle is just more of the same isn't it?

I resolved to find out.

Ultimately leading to this

As it turns out, it was within my powers to quilt together some strips of fabric. It's not going to win any awards at a runway, but I was proud of my efforts. I mean, I quilted together strips of fabric to make both an inner and outer layer. That's like, actual, honest-to-God sewing. Looking back on my initial fumbling with the sewing machine, this is definitely a step up. It felt like I'd achieved something.

I don't know what the future is going to bring or if I'm ever going to attempt sewing actual items of clothing, but it seems like it's within the realm of possibility now. Who would've thought?
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