My Quilting Mojo is Going Strong!

Clue one of Indigo Way is complete.  Clue two in progress here.

                                                 

                                        I finished up clue two yesterday...just in time for clue three tomorrow.

                                     

                                    

Kathleen Tracey Winter Mystery clue one.

And clue two!

Kim Diehl Double-Dipped Mystery Stitchalong clues one, two and three are done.

A Quilting Life BOM--last block is done.  I picked out the sashing and border fabric too.

I need to make two more stars for tiny cornerstones.  They are in progress.

 

A Whole Lot of News!

For some reason I do not think this Kathleen Tracy sampler ever made it to the blog after I quilted it with a baptist fan and bound it.  Love how it turned out.

Managed to do the next block in A Quilting life's BOM before the move.

                                    

Made some of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks before and some after the move in orange.

We bid on SIX houses before finally getting our forever home!  After we closed we spent a few weeks making treks over and putting things away and each weekend we painted.  The library/office room is painted "swiss coffee" which looks pretty white, but I like it.  The bedroom is painted a very light sea blue and I love it.  

Hazel and I planted seeds and our radishes are already coming up!

We hung my metal quilts on our garage after it was painted professionally.  We hired people to replace the floor in the living room and in the hall/library office.  We also hired someone to put in a fence.  That happened a few days after we moved in and the dogs, us and Hazel are loving it!

Yesterday I finished up the quilt on the left below.  I put in sashings and cornerstones because I thought the original one I made with my Lori Holt blocks was a bit too busy.  Hannah picked the sashings and cornerstones one and today I added a red with some color for the border and need to get a picture of that.  Baby girl number two should love it.  I need to decide on another quilt or two to make for her as well.  Considering Eye Spy a Four Patch and Princess Crown both from Quiltville.  

 

I had parathyroid surgery about six weeks ago and I think it actually helped me some.  I am feeling slightly less fatigued which is amazing.  It could not have come at a better time with moving.  I am hoping it lasts and continues to improve!  Any fatigue relief is welcome!

Some Sad News and some Good News

My Uncle Dan passed away this past month.  He flew to Arizona for a Spring Break trip and collapsed in the airport.  It took a bit for his body to come back to Wisconsin, so last week we had the funeral.  Combine that with my Mom's health declining (she went in for chemo and changed her mind since the prep caused another heart attack) I decided to go be with the family for the week.  I tried hard to pace myself so I would not get worse again this summer as I did last summer.  Here is my uncle's obituary:  

Obituary

Dan, age 59, of Eau Claire passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday morning, March 21st, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ. Dan was born February 7th, 1964 at Luther Hospital in Eau Claire, WI to DeLos and Charlene Walker. Dan was a loving husband, Dad, Papa and brother.

Dan married Babette King on June 21st, 1986 in Eau Claire, WI. Together that had two beautiful daughters, Taylor Ann Walker and Ashley Marie Walker, one Grandson Brayden Walker. All were a very important part of his life. 

Dan graduated from Memorial High School in 1982 and attend UWEC and graduated in 1986 with a BS in Accounting. Dan received his CPA License in 1987 and was a Partner at Wipfli LLC where he worked for 37 yrs and had planned to retire on May 31st, 2023. 

Dan loved spending time at his Cabin (his happy place) on Lower Long Lake, in New Auburn, WI and enjoyed fishing for hours with his grandson Brayden. Dan also loved hosting family and friends at the Cabin during the summer months. Dan enjoyed playing golf and taking Brayden golfing as well. Dan was an avid sports fan and enjoyed going to Packer games at Lambeau Field, as well as attending many other sporting events with family and friends. Dan was a walking encyclopedia when it came to sports. Dan coached both his daughters in basketball, and loved attending all their sporting events, and other milestones in their lives and was very proud of both his daughters' accomplishments and loved them dearly. Most recently Dan enjoyed being involved his grandson Brayden’s sports activities which included hockey, baseball and football, etc. Brayden was Dan’s “mini me”, buddy and partner in crime. Dan loved and cherished his family dearly.

Dan was a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts (AICPA), Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accounts (WICPA), Wisconsin Government Finance Officers Association (WGFOA), Wisconsin Counties Association (WCA), and Eau Claire Jaycee’s.

Dan was preceded in death by his mother Charlene (Rushman) Walker and father Delos Walker. Along with his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other family members.

Dan is survived by his loving wife Babette (King) Walker, daughter Taylor Ann Walker, daughter Ashley Marie Walker, and grandson Brayden Walker who gave his Papa absolute Joy! Dan is also survived by his Brother Steven Walker of Eau Claire, WI, sisters Toni (Gary) Hirn of Marshfield, WI, and Nancy (Greg) Pederson of Tilden, WI along with many other close relatives and friends. 

I quilted my Kathleen Tracey Mini Sampler with baptist fans a few weeks ago.  Pretty happy with how it turned out.

I got the binding on my Hawaii Sunset quilt after it came back from Melissa who quilted it.  

I finally made this cute Red Button "Little Blooms" pattern that Barb made awhile back.  I admired hers so much I had to make one.  I plan to quilt it with a meander.  I ordered a new template/pattern to use and am looking forward to getting to it.

My brother Sam and his wife Ashley and youngest son, Bear flew in for the funeral and to spend some time with Mom and Dad.  Bear and Hazel hit it off immediately.  It was really fun to watch them play together.

Barb and I sewed the April block for A Quilting Life's BOM.  Mine below.

 Barb's.

In better news, we put bids on six houses and finally got the last house.  It is still in the process of closing so keep your fingers crossed.  If all goes well, we will be moving in May.  We will be about 13 minutes from Hazel and granddaughter two!  I have parathyroid surgery tomorrow and am hoping for a fast recovery and we scheduled movers for mid May.  April is kind of a whirlwind and May is looking the same.  

Schoolgirl Sampler Minis and More!

I gave this fun table runner to my goddaughter Kelsey for her birthday.  She said she had just the table to put it on.

Barb and I worked on our Kathleen Tracy Mini Schoolgirl Sampler.  We picked out nine blocks each and I think only one was the same.

The above is mine.  Below is Barb's.  Love how they both turned out.

                                        

Hazel turned two and she had a party in Wisconsin Dells with her Dad's half the family (they live far away) and last weekend at home with her Mom's side.  She loved her gifts and had a blast.  

 

Lots of Progress!

Hazel is really into her baby doll these days.  She puts her down to nap and covers her up and feeds her her bottle and even sings rock a bye Hazel (instead of baby, lol) to her.  Does not get any cuter!

Here is my Ruby Jubilee for the next Quiltmaker clue and in purple is Becky's.  

Barb has not started hers in green yet.

Barb and I really enjoyed working on the Scavenger Hunt Kim Diehl Mystery Sewalong.  Here is is coming along.

Here is Barb's in lighter fabrics. 

And the last clue came out today so during Hazel's nap I got it done!  

This little cute one was Kathleen Tracy's fun 4th of July mini for us.  

And Becky, Barb and I sewed yesterday (online) on clue three of Soul Mates.  This block was more fun to make than I expected.  We are all cut for the next clue too which was nice!

Here are the stacked up blocks so far.  They did not get them done yet but will soon I am sure.

 

Simple Whatnots are not so Simple for Me!

I used the Eleanor Burns Quilt in a Day ruler to make my flying geese (in the wrong size but we won't talk about that) and in looking over the directions I saw that I am supposed to be cutting a notch out (as above in the picture) to help them lay better.  All this time I have used this ruler and I do not remember ever doing this (though I might have then just randomly forgot and stopped doing it!).

I also managed to make the pinwheels in the wrong size.  This sewalong (Simple Whatnots III) has a page of directions for each clue and those directions refer you to a page in the book.  Of course the technique is in the book but we are to disregard the size (at least most of the time) and with my brain fog I cannot seem to get this right.  

So here are the parts with the correct size pinwheels.  I redid them in the right size.

                                        

And here is Barb's progress.

So here is my Simple Whatnots mystery so far.

Barb's progress.

Kathleen Tracy decided to do a tiny Fourth of July mystery on her facebook group so I cut that out (Barb too).

I forgot to put my May reads on the blog so better late than never.  

 

Valentine's Mini Mystery and Ruby Jubilee in Other Colors!

I finished up the flimsy for Kathleen Tracy's Mini Valentine Mystery today.  Nice and simple.  Barb's is below though she added a roses border on hers and it is cute!

                                                        

I sewed with Becky a few days ago and convinced her to start Ruby Jubilee! She wasted no time in picking out fabrics and whipping these up.  She was my blogging friend before I moved to Arizona and we lived close enough together out there to be in the same guild!  You may remember we did the Quiltville cruise together and lots of hiking too.  Now we sew together online now and then.  SEW much fun!  Barb finished hers up in greens.  It is going to be so cool to see these three come together in three different colorways.  The next issue of Quiltmaker is out digitally and so I know we have plenty of blocks to make in the next few months. I get it on Scribd which I have a free trial of.  I just cannot figure out how to print from it (unless I screenshot and do it that way and it usually does not enlarge well when I try that) and though I have the patterns from Quiltmaker and could go that route, I am tempted to just wait for my actual issue to arrive.  I have plenty to keep me busy!

Recently finished these two books.  I liked them both.

I have been working on R Trail and so it is trimmed, stay stitched, aqua borders cut and added and final borders assembled.  I am hoping to get at least two of them on tonight, more if I have the energy. 

In family and health news:  my daughter, son in law and granddaughter are over covid.  My oldest has it again (I think this is the third time) and it looks like my mom and dad have it too.  My sister thinks she had it a week or two ago.  It is crazy contagious and amazing Kathy and I have not caught it, but with all my medical appointments I feel like it won't be long.  Hazel starts daycare next week so we may pick it up from her (and Hannah starts a new job too) so our exposure will be greater.  I have enough issues without that on top of it.  Not sure if I told you guys but my RRMS was changed to PPMS.  They originally thought I had PPMS, then decided I did not and now the new neuros think that was what I originally had.  Of course, that is the worse type and I have been on meds that do not help the other type which explains my downward spiral somewhat.  I have now started PT and OT and they are putting in for a scooter (I got a walker already) so I can get around if I need to.  May your health be good!