Binding Done!

 The Pat Sloan Storytelling Library BOM was quilted by Barb and delivered to me yesterday.  I finished up the clue for Good Fortune and got it bound tonight.

Ros quilted Betty's Choice for me and also delivered it to the party.  This was a Rainbow Scrap Challenge that Amy and I did in 2015.  I made the Betty's Choice blocks (in Quiltmaker, they are a Bonnie block) and Amy made the nine patch/couthouse steps blocks.  Ros liked it so much she wants the pattern.  I put a scrappy binding on both these quilts..love how they look..love using up extra binding from my drawer..and did not have to make new binding!
I also got the eye spy squares baby quilt tied at my sister's on Thanksgiving.  The picture does not want to upload though.
So happy to have some quilting mojo back.
I was pretty active this past long weekend and am feeling alright!  Now to get through the work week!

 Mondqy night I got these quilted and bound for a pair of Kathy's coworkers.  She was still working on clue one.  The pattern is free online.  It is called Simple Gifts by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr.  It is my go to baby quilt pattern.  Quick and I can quilt it fairly decently myself.

The Sixth Annual Quiltville Mystery Kickoff Party: Good Fortune Edition!

We had 20 people at our 6th Annual Quiltville Mystery Kickoff party in Chandler, Arizona this year.  Barb had to work so only stopped in for a bit, but everyone else sewed all day!  If you want to attend next year and will be in the area, let me know.  We invite people until the seats are filled! 

Left to right starting at the top:  Marguerite, Laura, Marlene, Sueann, Ros, Becky, Kathy, Celeste.
bottom:  Phyliss, Cindy, Cynthia, Fran, BJ, Charlotte,Jill, Tina, Laurie and Kathy.  I am taking the selfie.

Only one gal that I know had gifted her On Ringo Lake before our picture so in total twelve of us got the quilt done this year.   My favorite part of this get together is seeing all  of Bonnie Hunter's magnificent designs in different colors up close.  Each one is its own masterpiece!  If  somehow you missed out on getting this pattern for free last year here is where you can buy it instantly.

Completed quilt tops are modeled by:   Marguerite, Laura, Becky, Celeste, Andee (me) and Ros and in the bottom row:  Cynthia, Fran, Tina, Kathy and Phyliss
Annual Duck Lips Photo!

 Marguerite and Laura are a mother and daughter who really enjoy sewing together.  Every year they come to the party and get their quilts done for the photo.  Love their quilts!

Here are Kathy and I with our quilts. Mine is of course Packer colors (third mystery quilt I have done in Packer colors--I even have a facebook page devoted to Packer quilts!).  I helped Kathy a lot this year on her quilt because this one will be gifted to my brother and his wife at their upcoming wedding.  She picked the colors for it and loves it--and the matching pillow made with the leftover block.
We gifted all who wanted one a quilt label and the last dozen or so people at the party got an embroidered sewing machine that Barb made for me.  Everyone always asks how to make these. Super simple, save Bonnie's picture to your computer.  Open up Word (or something similar) and insert the picture.  (I cropped it first to take off the duplicate information that was on the bottom of Bonnie's picture).  I then type in and center whatever I want on the label. When I see Bonnie I have her sign mine if she can.  I print them on my regular printer (buy fabric sheets to print on) and then cut them apart.

Marguerite gifted me the cutest mini hedgehog and cool clips.  So sweet of her!  BJ brought me a Packer coffee cup.  I am blessed!

Kathy and I are not quite half way through clue one, but plan to spend our afternoon sewing so we will be ready for the next one!

Fabric Pull from little pieces. Will start with strips and go to yardage if we need to.  Working only with stash!

These are the colors Kathy and I will do for our quilts this year.  They will be for both of my engaged children's wedding gift.  Both girls love purple so using the same colors in different places and using navy blue for the neutrals in one.  Should be an interesting pair when they are done.  Here is part of my clue one done!

Clue done with a few to spare!

Thank you Bonnie for this gift, I have made every mystery (some more than once) and look forward to it every year.  I even have a tab on my blog devoted to the mystery quilts and another one with a Quiltville Parade of quilts!  Linking up with Quiltville for clue one's Monday Link Up soon!  Looking forward to clue two of Good Fortune!

Some Almost Finishes!

Ros brought me this quilt from a few years back. It was a Rainbow Scrap Challenge that Amy and I did together. I did the Betty's Choice blocks for each of us and she did the nine patch/courthouse steps joiner block.  It turned out great and everyone was oohing and aahing over it and Ros' quilting at the kickoff party this year.  I need to put a scrappy binding on it and gift it as a baby quilt.

It is a bit wrinkled, but Kathy managed to get the last seam in her En Provence just in the nick of time.  She did it in Patriot's colors.  

We decided to get her draped in--though a year late!

Finally--I am Sewing Again!

IIf you are interested in quilting skip this long paragraph about my health!  My health has not been good since last April or May.  I had dental work done and got an infection under my new permanent bridge.  It was pure hell for awhile there and then I finally went in for a second opinion about MS because I had so many symptoms (and have three relatives with it).  Turns out I do not have MS (thank you for that) but I do have a B12 deficiency which actually mimics MS to the point of ridiculousness.  It was so bad that between checking for MS the first time and then seeking a second opinion a little over a year later I no longer had a knee reflex in my left knee.  That got me further testing anyway and we got to the bottom of my problem.  However, all of these issues retriggered Epstein Barr ( I had mono when I was 18) and the fatigue is like nothing I had ever experienced.  So after every test under the sun (MRI, bloodwork, lumbar puncture, etc.) it looks like that has been what has made me so weak.  Have lovely leg spasms, burning feet, jumping nerves, ugh!  It has been really hard to even work since school started and I have been to the ER a few times..pretty sure I had another gallstone (sans gallbladder) and passed it in the ER too.  At least that pain is gone.  I long for my former healthy life!  I have not been going to Pilates for the past two months or so as I am too weak.  I can barely climb a flight of stairs and it seems like  lifetime ago that I hiked the Grand Canyon.  I have gained some weight back though been losing again this past month and am committed to trying. Good news though my migraines are the best they have been in twenty years.  I finally figured out a lot of my triggers are food.  UGH!  I do not eat fake sugar, much MSG, hardly anything processed and viola no more migraines unless I accidentally eat something.  I would take the crazy daily migraine pain over the worst of the fatigue though--that was super frustrating to me.  In the past week or two I have finally noticed some improvement. I am not sleeping near as much though I do need to be in bed with feet up a lot still.  Just a week ago I went out socially for the first time after a work day. I can do some on non work days but on a work day I just have to lay down as soon as I get home.  

Anyway enough about that!  Some people never recover from EB and I plan to if at all possible. 

Several weeks ago on a non work day Barb and I went to a fabric sale at a gal's house (her store in Prescott had closed) and here is the craziness I came home with for 80 ish dolllars.  I have not spent money on fabric in forever mainly because I have not been sewing but this came at a time when I was finally getting back in there!

 

Liz joined us for shopping and we ran into Tina (who was my first quilt camp roomie) so we all went to breakfast together.  What a fun bunch!  So I put together both mine and Kathy's 35th Ave. BOM from last year.  Forgot to get a picture of the second one.  It is the same but orange outer border. 

 The main reason I got back in the quilting studio was to finish On Ringo Lake (On Green Bay).  I did finish it, Ros quilted it and has some close up photos here.  I love that she puts GO PACK GO on these!  She also quilted Love Shack for me.  I was so afraid I would not be happy with it if I did it so she did her magic.  I found a stripe to bind it with and it is such a happy quilt!

 Several years ago Barb gave me the embroidered squares below.  I finally got around to using some modern fabric to center them in the stars.  Still needs quilting but will make a nice gift for someone.

 Kathy had leftover bits and pieces from On Ringo Lake so I made a pillow for my brother Sam and his soon to be wife Ashley (she is pregnant so wedding postponed a year).  It is stuffed and done but I did not take a picture!

 Here is Kathy's matching quilt which Ros has right now.  I helped with a lot of this quilt and put all the blocks together since Kathy hates on point settings more than I do!

 I also got this March On Green Ba Packers quilt top together.  I need to order some Packer fabric for the final border and it will be ready to quilt or tie.

 I just love playing around with my shadow when I am taking pictures of quilts.

 

I also finally quilted (by myself!) this tiny Snow Buttons wall hanging.  I have quite a collection of little quilts these days!  I was overall happy with how it turned out. 

Kathy is back to working on her En Provence from two years ago.  She has a lot more blocks than this done and with any luck will get closer to done this weekend.  She is really trying to finish it up before Good Fortune starts.

 Also wanted to share my latest lunch find.  These stuffed peppers from Trader Joe's are really good and only four WW points.  I am eating them most every day at work.  Delicious.

Prepping for Good Fortune!

Good Fortune Quiltville Mystery has fabric requirements available online.  This mystery will be starting on Black Friday and usually goes until around New Years.  By February the free pattern (with step by step awesome instructions) is pulled and you will need to buy the pattern. If you aren't going to make it, I suggest saving the steps anyway in case you fall in love with it!
My daughter Hannah recently got re-engaged to her high school sweetheart (they split not long after we moved out here to Arizona) and she is happier than I have ever seen her.

We love Jeremy and are glad they both had time to see what else is out there and still come back together.  The wedding is set for June 14th in Pepin.  Kathy and I are seriously considering moving back to Wisconsin at the start of June.  We are about 80 percent there. Not sure where we will land there (and it could be Minnesota) as it depends alot on where these two want to relocate to.  They plan on start their family immediately and want us grandmas there to help raise the babies.  We will brave the dark and cold of Wisconsin for that honor. 
My son Jay, whose official name is Mackenzie, has been engaged to Liz for a few years now and they are closer to setting a date.  They do not plan a big shindig and may even get married at the Renn Faire. 

We love Liz as she is like Jay's perfect match!  So easygoing and funny.  These two currently live in Appleton but plan to move to Green Bay to finish college.  After that no telling but I hope they wind up near us, or us near them!
So since these girls both love and I mean LOVE purple, Kathy and I decided we will both work on purple mystery quilts this year.  We are planning to do one with neutrals and one with darks as neutrals.  We will change up which color goes where but the palate will otherwise be the same.

I also love the name of this quilt and hope both these couples have good fortune for years and years!