Covid 19 Quilting in Place

We started hearing about Covid 19 around the time of my brother's wedding.  By the time my kids left Arizona (and Kathy's sister arrived for a visit the same day) I was convinced schools would close and we would be quarantining.  People thought I was being dramatic or overreacting.  I had that gut feeling it would be like nothing we had ever seen and so far that seems to be so.

We never went back after Spring Break but instead taught online.  I had cleaned my room out during Spring Break in anticipation of this.  When the announcement came they would not let us back in the school without appointments, so I am glad I did this ahead of time.  I did go back one last time to empty out papers and remove the last things from the wall, etc.

Working from home has been nuts.  Lots of work to teach a visual language online.  I am glad it is almost over.  I was still napping in the late afternoon half the days!  Of course, also did packing...usually in the morning a box or two.  It is coming together and there is not much left.  Truck comes in two days and we hired someone to drive our truck (Kathy has a torn rotator cuff) and tow one of the cars.  We will caravan with my mom and stepdad across the country. They have two dogs and we have three dogs and two cats...should be adventurous!  

So Bonnie hooked up with Gudrun for the Quarantine Quiltalong of Elvira so I made two of these quilts.  Why did I make two?  Well I was following along on the video and did not catch her saying that half the blocks had to be cut the opposite way.  You can actually put the fabric right side together and make that magic happen but she did not tell us this.  Several people made this mistake.  ACK!

 The second one goes all in one direction.  I would up throwing in some different fabrics in the first one since I had cut wrong.  I used up my Asian fabric which I really did not care for and had just never used because of that.  Think I donated these to Quilts for Kidz, I had a whole pile and now I am not sure what is packed and what was donated!

Bonnie decided to do her first mystery medallion style quiltalong.  I decided to change up the colors and used yellow for her neutral.  Not sure I would do that again as it changes the look of it so much, but many people like how it turned out.  I am not WOWED by mine though as I usually am with the Quiltville quilts.  I am wowed by others, just not mine.  Just finished it...actually kept up each week since I am working from home and could get in a little sewing or cutting or ironing during meetings online and such.  Mute sound and camera is an amazing thing!

I also decided to make one itty bitty house each day of the quarantine (started several weeks in) and now have over 70 of these houses (design wall is tossed at this point) and a good start.

A Half a Year Later...

So I really need to get back to blogging and reading my blogs.  I miss it.  I have a few more days until the school year is over (teaching from home due to Covid 19) and we move to Milwaukee!  My daughter Hannah is pregnant with my first grandbaby (Coleman's wife has six kids and one grandkid but we never see them and well it is a long story...) and due the end of September.  We found a house about 15 minutes from her and less than ten from my video relay job (I am transferring).  I am so fatigued these past two years that I do not think I can work full time any more.  Took a lot to get through this year.
So let me share a bunch of pictures of quilty stuff that I have been up to.

 Serpentine Spider Web.  Love how it turned out but it took about an hour per block and it will take me awhile to work up enthusiasm for another huge string pieced quilt!  I do have plenty of strings though so I am going to need to find that mojo.

 Made another Eye Spy (and cut lots of squares, etc for my bin).  Lombardi is here modeling with it.  He loves to sleep near me while I sew.  His favorite thing is guessing where I will need to walk so he can lay right there.

Barb and I bought matching quilt kids again this year and we made them.  This is the third snowman quilt kit/pattern I have bought and made with her I think.  They turn out so cute.
I did several New Year's Mysteries this year.  Becky and BJ came over to sew one and I did another one alone.

 BJ finished hers and it gorgeous too!

 Sunshine (our new rescue) is posing with this one.  I already cannot remember the pattern name (and it is packed) but I think this is the Merry Mayhem...yes it is Case #143: MM's Mystery Quilt - Just Around the Corner.  

This one was donated since I was super not happy with my contrast.  It was also a mystery quilt (I forget where from already) but I enjoyed making it...and using up some crazy fabric that has been in my stash for a long time!

I was lucky enough to take a day off work and go to Bonnie Hunter's workshop at 35th Ave. again this year.  Several of my friends also went and we sat together and had the best day.  I perfected my log cabin and it is now one of my favorite blocks!

She took a few of us to breakfast that weekend too!  So good to catch up with her in person.

My brother got married March 9th right before the Covid rocked our world.  Hannah and Jeremy and Jay were able to come for the wedding.  They were only here like five days but we made the most of it.  Besides the wedding, we went to the Snakes and Lattes and played games, the Botanical Gardens (on free day!) and played a TON of games at home.  Bang was such a favorite that they bought the card game and we bought the dice game (and the card game for Buck).

The Botanical Gardens had a recycled plastic installment. It was fun to see all the animals all over the place.

 I joined a Mystery Quilts Anonymous facebook group.  The lady who writes the mysteries on there is PROLIFIC!  There are several in progress at any one time.  I love mystery quilts so I have made a few.  I made two table toppers with her tulip pattern blocks.  Super fun and uses up scraps. I am sure I will be making more.  I have one quilted as of a few days ago and one ready to go.  Not sure it will happen before the move, but we shall see.

I really enjoyed Warm Hands, Warm Heart (Quiltville pattern) too.  Hand stitched the mittens and found lots of scraps to make the blocks.  I quilted it by machine (which was not wanting to cooperate) and finished the binding by hand.  Think this is part symbolizes moving back to Wisconsin like out Arizona Dreams did moving here!

Kathy and I finished our final 35th Ave BOM quilts.  Andi Williams quilted them for us and did a fantastic job!  One went to Ben and one to Christian (nephews) since Christian is Ashley's son he did not have a quilt from when he was born.  They share a room when at the house (they go back and forth between their respective parents) so thought matching quilts with different colored backgrounds (their favorite color) were in order.  Just gifted them for their birthdays this past weekend.