Chilhowie and More!

 I hope you have all had Happy Holidays!  Despite coming down with Covid for the first time (pretty sure my granddaughter brought it to her dad, then me, then her mom) we went to my folks--barely making they cut off for quarantine.  The kids have had it before.  Kathy somehow did not get it--despite being exposed to her and to me all week.  I took Paxlovid since I am immuno-compromised.  I actually felt better than normal from the time I was exposed until the time the Paxlovid ended.  This seems to happen to me...my fatigue lifts decently when my body is fighting something else.  I had lots of headaches, body aches, and metal taste in my mouth, but overall I had it easy.

The night before Christmas Eve we went to Hannah and Jeremy's and did our Christmas.  We got some amazing presents--a long weekend in Door Country with them in June and a wrapped up pregnancy test!  The next day, my mom and Dad were super thrilled we worked it all out and went to Marshfield Christmas Eve day.  Hazel had lots of gifts and wore a shirt that said "Big Sister." We waited for my parents to notice and they were as overjoyed as we are!  She is due in August after my birthday and before my Mom's so the countdown begins!  

Hazel also picked me out some fabric with these charm packs!  I happen to have the green pin print in yardage so that is fun too.

Hazel is enamored with The Nightmare Before Christmas.  She was Sally for Halloween and can listen to the music and tell you what she "sees" happening in the movie.  She is 27 months old.  I am astounded at her memory as I cannot tell you what is happening in a movie based on the music as accurately as she can!  I used up my scraps to make her a big bag and two small bag to hold the doorables that I (and her mom at home) got her.

I had to throw a scrap of purple in there as I seriously was out of fabric.  This is front and back of the same bag.

I also made her another apron to keep at my house.  She loves to bake with me and we are trying to bake something every Friday together.  I sent a lot of it home with her (brought some to Christmas at my parents too).  I made a larger one for Lily in Ohio (my oldest's daughter) too.

I made Jay a pillow with mushroom fabric too since he loves them.  I saw he had several mushroom pillows on his Amazon wish list and realized I had everything to make him one!  He is stopping by after work to do Christmas since he could not make early Christmas and went to Eau Claire (with no stop in Marshfield) and we have not seen him yet.

                                                    I

 treated myself to 12 Days of Book-Club-Mas again this year.  There were so many fun gifts in it but my favorite might be this TBR jar.  I cut up a list of all my books on the shelf as of November and put them in the jar in the hopes that I might pull from it and read off my shelf.  Goal for the first half of this year is to buy less books because we hope to move this Spring.  I have plenty of books here to read and access the library so I should not bring more in to move!

I finally learned how to make microwave cozy bowls.  Barb and I worked on these together.  I gave my mom the sock monkey ones and she loved them.  Jay will get the mushroom one, Hannah (for bday) will get the cows.  I think I may make more of these for gifts next year.  

I made one last yellow block (and deleted the picture) and put my Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilt (Log Cabin Love) together.  Super happy with how it came out.  Linking up with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!

I have been working on Chilhowie--the current Quiltville mystery.  Here are clues two, three, four and five!

                                        

Pre-Valentine's and Valentine's Day!

Thursday Kathy surprised me with a trip to "As You Wish" to pick something to paint!  I have always wanted to go do this, so it was really fun.  I picked the gnome and she picked the dog.  I had to redo her eyes about four times and in the process I wiped off her cheeks and forgot to readd them, but I cannot wait to see how she comes out!

 Today I finally got around to making Kathy a little mini quilt from Kathleen Tracy's book which I made into a pillow.  This has been on my list for the past three years!

 Kathy also got me roses and made some jello heart shot things for me.  I made her Mongolian Beef and Broccoli from my Skinny Taste cookbook, it was pretty good!

I also made the Tula Pink City Sampler blocks for this week.  Number 51 and 52.  You may recognize these little Celtic Solstice leftovers to make these.  Made it go quicker!

Linking up with Live a Colorful Life for the Choose Your Own Blockalong!

Fastest Weekend on Record!

 Last Thursday after work Kathy and I went hiking at South Mountain again.  It was a great night and we went farther up to see the ruins this time.  Really pretty.  We sat up there and looked through the window in the rock, very fun!

 We got to see the sun set.

 And the moon rise!

 However, by the end of the hike my feet were killing me.  My toes hurt really bad and I knew my shoes were too big and my feet were moving around in them too much.  So we headed over to Roadrunner and they did their little walking test and made me inserts and talked me into these shoes.  They are super comfortable and I cannot wait to hike in them!

 After our hike I had lots of steps, yay!  However, I woke up on Friday and had horrible pain on the front of my ankle/shin.  It hurts to even touch my skin.  I am hoping it is not shin splints--Kathy thinks it may be a bruise from hiking in the old shoes.  I have no idea!

 I have been icing it and we skipped hiking today because I am having trouble even walking (don't even have 2000 steps today..ugh!) and I am praying it will heal soon.  I wore my new shoes all day on Friday (which seemed to help my right knee) and did not wear them at all yesterday.  Today I only wore them for my ten minute half time walk and the pain was worse after that so not sure if the shoe adjustment is part of it or the walking.  Time will tell.

 Friday or so my Cotton and Steel Hatbox fat eighths arrived from Sew Mummy Sew!  I love them and will most likely hoard them a bit!  After work Friday we went to New River and spent the night at my mom and dad's...helped them with the thrift sale all day Saturday.  Then we met Ros for sushi Saturday night!  She gave me the Packer quilts to bind, but I haven't made it that far yet.

 Today I made my Tula Pink City Sampler block 23 and 24.  Somehow managing to keep up with my two a week!

 And all the blocks so far.  They are amassing quickly!

The next thing I sewed took a few hours but is a secret for my Santa Swap Partner Jennifer.  So I cannot show pictures yet, but I was happy with how it came out.  Now to wrap all the stuff and get it winging its way to her--she already mailed mine!
I also stitched up the weekly Wild and Goosey block.  Thank goodness I have the goal of one a week or I would just put these off too often!  I love them but each block takes a good hour!

I am SO happy I had time to finally trim up hst's and get Piney Flats made!  Thanks again to Jo and Kelly over at Jo's Country Junction for encouraging us to finish up a Quiltville project or two before the mystery starts on Black Friday!  

 I also finally hand stitched up the opening on my pillow today--also a Bonnie Hunter adaptation of Lori Holts' house block from the Parade of Homes in Quiltmaker Magazine.  Really cute!

Feels like this was the fastest weekend on record!  Watched the Packers kick butt and got a pedicure today too...I wish I could start all over again at Saturday tomorrow, lol!

Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler Update!

I have stayed caught up with the RSC all year long but with quilt camp and all the crazy busy times lately I got behind!  Behind to me is more than about two blocks, hahah.  So I spent some time today before and after work catching up!  Here are all the blocks up to light blue which is the last color for November.  

 Clay's Choice

Sarah's Choice

 Kentucky Crossroads

 Road to Tennessee

 Wonky Courthouse Steps

 Contrary Wife

 Diagonal Strings

All caught up to light blue!  I will be linking up with Angela at SoScrappy tomorrow!  Click HERE to see what other rainbow scrap folks are up to!

 Mac's barn bats pillow is done, backed in hello kitty Halloween fabric (from my JoAnn's gift card won at quilt camp!).  Hope he loves it!

Relaxing Day Off--Sewing, Dinner Out and a Fab Mail Day!

 I did a little sewing today--I decided to make my Home Sweet Home block into a pillow.  It is all sewn up (front above, back below) and is waiting for me to stuff it and sew it closed.

 Kathy and I went out for our annual birthday dinner at Benihana's.  We get a coupon for free food but they changed the rules and you must order a paid entree with the coupon (for the past two years we have had a free dinner since we have a birthday in the same week) so we had to order extra food (which could not be to go) and then box it up to take home to Coleman!  I did not overeat, I tasted it all and ate til I was full!  I did eat the ice cream for dessert though--we did not do cakes for our birthdays this year and we couldn't very well take ice cream home here in Arizona!  It was good and worth it!  I did come home and worked out for an hour and then went for a walk with the dogs (and Kathy) so I am fine with all that!  We weigh tomorrow but it will be a new week after that!

I also had a great mail day today!  I was a winner over at Taffy Talk's blog!  I won a charm pack of Elementary by Moda.  It is really a cute line and I cannot wait to figure out what to make with it!

 If you are not a regular shopper of Quilt Taffy's Etsy Shop you should check it out or at least stop over at the blog every Thursday for the generous giveaways Corrie has!  Thanks Corrie, you made my day!