I got into a good embroidery groove last week during an online conference, I was able to get a bunch of the light green leaves started and work on the outline.

And then, I broke the needle.

I had a backup, but it was difficult to rethread the needle while it was attached to the work. I haven’t broken a hand needle in ages. It was surprising when I heard the snap. I didn’t think I could do that.

So I stopped embroidering during the conference. I think I was shocked and didn’t want it to happen again.

But in good news, the next day I made banana bread!

Sometimes all you can do is bake tasty things.

But that was last week, yesterday I got my mask sewing groove back. I made two masks.

First was a blue Vader pleated mask.

It barely fit my head and I made my husband try it. It was laughably small on him. Based on that, I increased the size of the mask and the ties and made him his own properly fitting mask.

Side note, for high school graduation my graduation cap was the second biggest in the school. A football player ordered the largest cap.

The ties had to be closer to 16 inches long and the width of the front is 10 inches instead of 8. I also increased the length of the nose wire. I have a page in my notebook covered in pattern scribbles now.

I am amazed at all the mask patterns out there. Many don’t seem to be made for people with big heads. If the “adult” size barely fits me how is it going to work for people who have larger heads?

But I titled this broken needles and mending people, and I am mending myself by crafting, by baking, by crying, by just being. Because in this time, just being me is an accomplishment enough.

• embroidery
• baking
• wip
• sewing
• done