Yeah, another mystery with Bonnie K. Hunter!  She has the colorway up for this year's mystery quilt...Starowka (Old Town).

Old Town Mystery Quilt Sew along

I love the color selection!  Now, I need to head upstairs to find my colors.  I know I have plenty of neutrals, but melon and turquoise?  That's fine, another trip to Gallup Sewing Mart for more fabric.  

Bonnie will start posting the first of many clues on November 22.  If you're interested, join us by using the link and begin downloading your own copy.

What fun and I am so excited to begin!  Happy sewing!

Indigo Way quilt mystery

It's the last day of 2023.  This was a rough year for my family.  We lost four close family members starting in January, May, July, and November.  

This has been my solace this year unlike the year when I lost my two younger brothers a few years ago.  I could not sit and sew that year.  I finally picked up piecing and sewing when Bonnie announced her quilt mystery that year, 2018.  I felt peace as I sewed and reflected upon my precious memories.

Here I am again, but with a different perspective.  My mil, my mom, and my dad lived a full and fruitful life.  They left with peace and faith in God and Jesus.  On the other hand, my brother left too soon.  

We miss all of them, but we continue to pray and live as we were taught.  

I am ever so grateful for people like Bonnie.  I need the comfort of working along with others doing what I love.  Sewing is my time for memories and looking back and also forward as I pick up and live.  

Looking forward to another brand new year is exciting, yet remembering the love and strength of all who formed and made us who we are is so comforting.  Praises and love to my beautiful family members, Sonny, Owen, Mom and Dad Barber, Darren. and my mother in law, Carolyn.  We love you and we miss you very much!  

The piecing begins with another mystery...sewing with Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville.  Here is the link to help you get started.  

Quiltville Quips @ Snips

I have gathered my fabrics and printed up my clue.  I love her mysteries.  I know that I have become a better piecer using her techniques.  I have fallen in love with scrap quilts, just like my Grandmother.  Grandma used what ever fabrics she had.  I remember many of her fabric pieces used after she finished her dresses, skirts, and tops.   She also used Grandpa's torn and worn denim jeans; she made herself a denim apron worthy to keep up with her as cleaned and carded sheep's wool for her weaving.  

Grandma Bekisbah was also a Navajo weaver.  She started with shearing her sheep all the way to dyeing her wool, then creating the intricate patterned rugs.  Grandpa tried to make it easier for her and purchased store yarn at the local discount stores or at Navajo Shopping center in Gamerco, NM.  She still preferred making her own yarn.  This is a lost art as I did not trek alongside her as she picked the various plants for dyeing.  I watched and practiced all the other steps, but have not taken up weaving.  My cousins and my daughter have taken weaving classes at our local university and are weaving simple designs.  My cousins of Table Mesa are artists and have sold rugs. 

Let's get started with this year's mystery!  Bonnie shares her instructions for a limited time, so it's best to save and/or print the instructions.  I have my own specific drive files with her past mysteries.  

 I have finished this year's Quiltville's Mystery quilt!  It is at the flimsy stage; I'll need to locate a backing fabric and finishing quilting it!  I enjoyed making this quilt.  I used all of my turquoise and purple fabrics so I had to make a stop at my local quilt shop.  It was fun to visit and see all the folks and to select new fabrics.  I have not been shopping for quilt fabrics much this year.  I have spent most of my time preparing and getting lessons set up for my culinary students.  

Thank you Bonnie for another beautiful quilt.  The quilt is no longer available via her blog but one can purchase the PDF pattern.  Here is the link for Bonnie's shop....Quiltville shop  

Bonnie is a very creative person and has so many patterns...I have purchased many and I love her books, too.  I have about 3 quilt makings at various stages...I have them in fabric bags and when I need to sew, I pull one out and sew.  This is so relaxing for me.

Mystery quilt with Bonnie Hunter 2022---Chilhowie quilt mystery

 Another great start with Bonnie, once again, offering and designing a new quilt mystery for this year 2022.  I have collected my fabric in her colorways and finished with part 1 and 2.  The colors are beautiful!

I didn't have quite enough purple and orange, or so I thought.  I found a stack of orange, of course, after purchasing more from my local quilt shop.  Ehh, it's okay.  I will have more variety!  Actually, I haven't made any quilt purchases for about 6 months, so this is my time to handle and caress the new fabric selections.

I'll post my progress once I run down stairs to get my I-pad.  I am in the middle of cutting the pieces for last week's clue.  Me behind?  Nah...I'm taking my time this year.  I have not been as vigilant with completing my Christmas gifts for this year.  

I have been taking up needlework, both crocheting and knitting, and loving it.  Progress is a little slow, but I enjoy sitting and doing the needlework for the day.  I usually don't finish large items such as afghans, but this year, I found Mikey.  I have been participating in his crochet-along and have finished 3 afghans this year!  That is an accomplishment for me!  I've been so wrapped up with my needlework!  I feel so accomplished!  I purchased a circular knitting machine, a 48 needle Sentro.  I've made a couple of beanies.  Learning curve, well?  I am finding out that not all yarns love the Sentro.  I have put this down for the time being as I need to concentrate more on getting my Christmas finished....that is, cut out and sewn!  

What has been happening since last year?

Major changes for me and my husband.  I've accepted a teaching job at G Central High School teaching culinary.  Our district has stated a new thing (most schools across have a similar form) of pathways.  I and another pathway teacher have started teaching what we know best and boy, it has been a rough ride.  I am waiting for the dream kitchens....I was promised we would have our commercial kitchens by November.  Well, November has come and gone...we have one stove/oven, which we share amongst 12 students in one class period.  I can't complain about the students, they want to learn about the culinary field.  They are doing such a great job even with the lack of pots and pans, cook tops and ovens.  We take turns sharing the oven and we use the stove with gas cylinders (Prostart requirement).  I've had to improvise may times to create the cooking experiences needed for competition.  I am still learning the ropes when it comes to requesting for equipment and food items....our purchase order system is rather slow.

I love teaching and it makes it worth all the effort and trials when my students are shining during special events.  We have made and served pancakes to our veterans back in November; we served during our Open House extravaganza this month.  Parents were beaming as they watched their child serve and perform as a culinary team. 

My colleague has had to do the same...he has brought in his personal tools to teach students the world of wood construction and they had been pretty successful.  They have built and constructed 3 very well built dog houses with a shingled roof!  At the of the semester, his crew was working outside constructing the storage shed needed to store their lumber.  

My husband switched from teaching math to taking over as a school dean.  He loves it!  I knew he would; he does great with decision making and also working with the students.  He makes his rounds to observe teachers working at their craft.  He has to evaluate and provide suggestions when needed.  He has more duties and has had to stay a bit longer on several evenings, but he loves it. Besides working as a dean, he is working on his administration license and master's degree.  I am so proud of him!  

 

 

Finishing up Christmas gifts.

 I am busy crocheting gifts for family.   I also have been machine embroidering gifts, too.  Here are the cute Mandala purses.  I purchased the embroidery file from Kreative Kiwi.   She has so many cute designs.   Check out her website, Kreative Kiwi. I need work on sewing straps for these cute purses.   

Here is a warm sweater for my mom.