Saint Corona Miracle Jam

Jam label

Yes folks, there really is a Saint Corona, martyred by having all four limbs torn apart, and patron saint of plagues (though there is some dispute about that). Google her and read all about it.

Meanwhile, we are in lockdown here in the Bay Area, I had too many blueberries that were in danger of going bad, and a friend in London suggested I just make them into jam. If you too are finding yourself having difficulty juggling grocery supplies and find that fruit is in danger of turning, make jam! Who knew it was so easy? It takes just half an hour and this simple little Recipe for Blueberry Jam makes it super easy. Only three ingredients, and you can find easy substitutes for all three of them. No blueberries? Use any fruit. No lemon? Substitute apple cider vinegar. Avoiding sugar? Use artificial sweetener. 

Blueberry miracle jam on whole grain toast with cream cheese

It was while stirring the jam on the stovetop (a very Little House on the Prairie activity) that I began to think I should design a label for the jam. I had already learned about St. Corona and had downloaded the few images I found of her online. At the end of this post, I am including a link to a downloadable PDF that offers a sheet of six labels for you to print out and slap on your own creations.

Below is alternative number one:

And here is an alternative label:

And now it is time for you to make some miracle jam of your own. Follow this link: Saint Corona Miracle Jam Labels. You will be able to download a one-sheet, printable PDF that looks like this:

Click link above for downloadable PDF

Have fun, stay safe.

Corona Couture: Two New Gloves!

Bats and Snakes!

This is the second post in the Corona Couture line. To see the premier posting featuring four different gloves, go to Corona Couture: Gloves to Die For. These are the final two in the series (unless this goes on for months and months, in which case I may make more). As a person in a high risk category, I wear these whenever I leave my apartment. Upon returning to my apartment I throw them in a basin of soapy water and wash my hands thoroughly as well. I think their main advantage is that they prevent me from touching my face.

The first design, shown above, was based on early days when the virus was restricted to the Wuhan province and they were trying to figure out the source. They had narrowed it down to bats or snakes. Now we now it is bats, but I came across this great old graphic online and just had to use it.

Close-up: Bats and Snakes!

As I explained in the earlier post, I ordered a half-dozen pairs of white cotton gloves from Amazon for under $7 total. I found images I wanted to use, printed them out on a photo transfer sheet, ironed them onto cotton fabric, and stitched the images onto the gloves.

La Corona

I think the La Corona gloves are my favorite so far. They use the La Corona image from the Mexican lotteria game. As my eight-year-old niece was fascinated to learn, "corona" means crown, and the virus got its name because of its crown-like spikes. The top, black-and-white image on the gloves is a new international graphic icon for the coronavirus.

My favorite

Close-up

More Corona Couture will appear on these pages in coming weeks. I am currently considering creating a series of hats to be worn during Zoom meetings. Stay tuned, stay apart, and stay well.

Corona Couture: Gloves to Die For!

A cluster of coronavirus gloves

So it is early 2020 in the dawn of the millennium and the coronavirus hits. I am over 70 with a pre-existing respiratory problem and ride public transportation daily. What's a gal to do? As always, my answer is to immediately start making stuff — in this case, cotton gloves with coronavirus-related graphics and words. Perfect for touching all of those doorknobs, grab bars, railings, and other unsavory surfaces, and even more perfect as an ever-present reminder not to touch my face.

The basic gloves were purchased online at Amazon for just $6.95 for a six-pack. Embellishments include photo image transfer, patchwork, hand printing, beadwork and stitching. 

This first pair includes hand printing and microscopy images of the virus.

Add caption

This next pair features a microscopy image of a single virus cell and beadwork.

"germs"

"virus"

This pair includes a set of images that popped up on the internet right after the Wuhan outbreak, designed as international symbols relating to the virus.

From top right in the image below: a symbol for the virus itself, a symbol for coronavirus quarantine, and at lower right a symbol denoting "no coronavirus."

In this final (for now) pair, two ancient Chinese symbols have been employed. Seen more closely in the second photo below, the top symbol is a talisman to relieve the effects of all poisons, while the bottom symbol is a talisman to stop spirits from entering.

Worried about the virus? Go out and make some gloves of your own.