I know, I know – last time I said I was going to blog more often. Ha! Then I vanished for ages – again. However, here I am again and hopefully will get back into a blogging routine.

Remember this clamshell block with sashing?

I finished another of the blocks.

There’s one more of those to make and then I’ll add more of the sashing – assuming I can find that black and white fabric which I had used and know is somewhere – and that will be it for that clamshell project.

BUT — there will be loads more very colourful clamshells to come! Clamshells that are printed on these fabrics:

And more clamshells printed on these:

And even more printed on these:

All these pieces are from masks I made. I stopped counting at some point but I had three large containers full of masks that friends, maintenance guys, security personnel, neighbours, etc., were given and wearing. When the mask mandate came out I started making the most colourful masks I could which meant using the most colourful fabric I had – obviously it was Kaffe Fassett fabric. I had a fair collection of it but had never really been sure what to do with it, so the masks seemed like a good idea especially if they meant people who might be a bit hesitant about wearing masks would do so more willingly. There are many of my friends who have a whole wardrobe of these colourful masks now.

However, I had one large container of masks left when the recommendation came out to make masks with a polypropylene filter. At that point I wasn’t going to give anyone a mask that didn’t have one of those filters in it, so I started making masks anew. And the ones without filters sat in that container until the last few months when I finally started to take them apart. I didn’t want to throw them out as they had never been used and I knew there would be something that they’d be perfect for. And they are – perfect for clamshells!! It took a long time to take the masks apart as I had topstitched them so there was a great deal of stitching to be removed. After that, I had to press them so they’d be ready to use. I think it took almost as long to take each mask apart as it took to make it.

What kind of quilt will it be? I’m not sure. It’s going to be VERY colourful and may incorporate a black and white print as a neutral or may just be a riot of colour. Time will tell. But having just finished that second-last block for the clamshell with sashing project, I remembered just how much fun and easy clamshells are to piece. Easy because, of course, I’ll print the clamshell template on the repurposed fabrics with Inklingo. I’m almost positive I’m going to use the 3″ Inklingo clamshell collection to print all these clamshells.

How big will it be? Who knows? It may end up being more than one quilt. It’s going to be some time before I even start sewing them because I’m focused on another project right now which I’ll blog about next but this will be next. Maybe I’ll start printing the clamshells and get them cut out, in a container ready to sew so that I’ll be ready to just pick this up next.

Baxter had just woken up from a nap when I captured this shot of him.

“Magic Clamshells”