2020 has started with a bang!  So many things and forms to finish at school...testing and more testing!  Whew!  I feel for the students; we have been testing non-stop from August to now. 

We have been quarantined!  What?  The corona virus has hit the states and several hot spots have been sending the CDC folks into a frenzy.  We received news from our NM governor about closing schools for 3 three weeks!  This is unprecedented!  

This is now week two of no school..of course, we do have more documents and forms to finish according to our principal.  I'll find out more..I got bumped off the conference calling...yes, I have sad phone service where I live.  I live in a very quiet, beautiful, remote small ranch...I see wildlife most days; it is worth the tranquility and beauty I view everyday! 

Our country has been quarantined, more restrictions in some states, but we are patiently waiting for the pandemic to peak and slowly go away.  For now, it's caused a mental hardship on most...many do not understand that social distancing means staying away and remaining at home.  This is evident in states where remoteness abounds.  Less contact with humans means less chance of obtaining the virus!  I understand that we are social beings, but we can keep in touch by means of internet usage, phones, etc.  We've keeping in touch with our family through email and instant messaging.  We have kept our shopping forays to a minimum.  

Sunday, Gudrun of GE Designs, had a fun event going...a major quilt on-line retreat.  She provided a free quilt pattern, "Elvira".  I got my fabrics together and began cutting after viewing her 1st program.  I have watched 3 of the 4 screenings and have completed my 'uphill' blocks, block "A".  I need to cut out fabric for the 'downhill' version or block "B".  Many have posted with their finished blocks.  Some quilters have started quilting them!  Here's the link.  Also click on her blog to obtain the free pattern.
Gudrun's Quarantine Quilt Along

It's Saturday evening and I have not found my fabric for this year's mystery!  We moved over the summer and I have been looking through the various boxes in my garage to find the right fabric colors.  I found lots of fabric to make clothing, but not a sign of my quilting fabrics.
I'll keep looking!

I love the blocks and am looking forward to cutting and sewing the parts
. 
Here's link with many quilters showing their progress.  Worldwide quilters' progress
Bonnie is so gracious to share her pattern, but she will only have the instructions up for a short time, so if you are thinking about joining us, here's the link to her blog ...The "Frolic" reveal mystery quilt

I have been busy sewing other projects for Christmas and also for my mom's birthday.  I am so far behind with January birthdays!  I took pictures of the microwave bowls, hot pads, Mom's walker pockets, and the beginnings of the 2019 Treadleon TOBE bowtie blocks. 

I also sewed together a couple of the Diva wallets.  They are so pretty, but I did have some trouble threading the set screws for the wallet closure of one wallet.  I was so careful to start the set screw, but two screws would not go and now they look as if they are stripped!  Ahhh!  I feel like Charlie Brown.  I will probably have to go and order another set of parts to use on the second wallet. 

I also sewed a purse organizer for Mom, too.  I didn't get a picture, but I can so next week. 

I just love spending Thanksgiving with family!  We've moved to New Mexico and spent our first Thanksgiving here among family.  We had snow to welcome the special day, but it melted by mid-morning.  It was great to spend the afternoon talking with Mom, Dad, my sister and her husband.  What a great way to catch up and spend time thanking and thinking of family events over the past year.

Our children were nestled in their homes celebrating with friends and family, too.  With Friday as a working day, our kids could not make the trek here.  We miss them and love them dearly.

Another year and it's time to open the website to this year's quilt mystery hosted and written by Bonnie Hunter.  This year's theme is lots of blues and fuchsias all to commemorate the Texas wildflowers!  I have yet to gather my fabric (I am still unpacking my quilting stuff), but I have downloaded and saved Bonnie's instructions.  I will be going through my boxes this afternoon to look and locate the various suggested colors.  I love her mysteries; I have participated every year since a quilt friend suggested her website during one of our quilt meetings way back way...2011.  I am an avid fan quilter and have purchased her books.  I am so excited since she will be teaching several quilt classes in Arizona (this is so close to me)!  I need to coordinate my work to the days she will be in Arizona.  I hope I do not have any conflicts.

This year is a first for me...Bonnie would like us to upload our photos of our progress through Instagram.  I just signed up for my account and have started learning how to use this venue.  My account is https://www.instagram.com/badezbah630/  I do not have any photos yet for this mystery.

Follow me and Bonnie....https://quiltville.blogspot.com/  This is her website and blog...you can download your own copies of this year's quilt mystery.

Wow!  I have been busy this past year.  I haven't been sewing and quilting, rather I've been working at school. 
Things began to change....
In March, we set up a weekend to visit New Mexico to see about a possible land purchase.  We walked the property and looked over the house.  We asked about the price and we could not believe our good fortune.  We placed an offer and it happened so quick.  The whole lending process and selling of our current home was done in a flash.  We are the proud owners of a small ranch in New Mexico!

Our first thought was to pay on this new mortgage and plan to move once we retired.  That changed since my husband did not want to leave the ranch vacant for the years before we retire.  We prayed and talked with family and decided to change our plans and move out and enjoy this beautiful, quiet home.  So, we packed and made several trips throughout the summer storing our treasures.  We sold our Nevada home quickly.  So with the help of our grandboys, we slowly unloaded our personal stuff and slowly filled the new home.

It's now official, we've moved!  Whew!  I have a lot of fabric all related to quilting!  My room is packed and I've haven't opened all of my fabric boxes.  It's not a smaller place, just a bit different lay out and it'll take me time to get everything in order.

I haven't been piecing or quilting as of late.  I have been writing and teaching students in my new school.  Oh, things have changed since I was last here.  New and longer forms to fill out as a teacher, soon to be evaluated.  I have been spending a bit of time ironing out the teacher license process; it has taken me close to six months to finally obtain this credential piece!  Such fun sending and re-sending documents, not!  It is finished, I'm waiting on my hard copy as it travels through the mail system.

I sat down last weekend and spent a whole day cutting, piecing and pressing blocks.  I can now say that I have a quilt top.  Indy, my newest grandson, has been patiently waiting for his quilt.
I designed it using my "Electric Quilt" software.  I forget how fun and easy it is to select and color various block combinations.

The previous weekend, I finally pieced together last year's quilt mystery...Good Fortune.  I love the colors and how the blocks finally meshed together.  I love the border, too!  I don't think I'll quilt this one; I'll have to find someone to quilt it for me.

As the days move from fall and temperatures begin to drop, I've used my weekends crocheting afghan blocks and crocheting a vest.  I put aside the afghan to work on the vest.  I thought I was doing fine and realized that my counting was off.  I read the pattern over, but still didn't see how the vest progressed from the back to the front.  I completed the back as instructed and began working on the front.  What?!  After reading again, I figured out how the vest fabric was being constructed.  My numbers would not work, so I ripped and pulled and started over.  It now looks better and will fit as it was designed.  It is one of those times, I thought to alter before actually following as the designer intended.  Silly me!  Follow the pattern, it will work if you read it thoroughly!   

I put aside the mystery pieces and concentrated on completing this quilt top.  It is sewn on point.  I signed up for this monthly program last year and have been steadily sewing the various blocks together.  I had received another package back in November and when I opened it, I had  another 2 yards of the background fabric with written instructions to fix the problem of some parts not matching.  I cut the fabric down as directed and continued with completing the outer corners.  I pin matched the corners with the medallion and didn't have to use the extra strips.  What?  I should have waited on cutting the extra; I would have had full yardage for another project!  My piecing came out fine and I didn't have to add to accommodate the possible mismatching of the large corners blocks with the middle medallion.  Oh well, I have strips ready for another.

the medallion

the added corner blocks thus completing the quilt top!

I am finished with my bits and pieces...now tomorrow, I'll work on clue 7 to begin sewing them together.  I can hardly wait for the reveal!  I hope we don't work until the Chinese New Year; that would befit Bonnie's calendar.  Hahaha.

It is almost time...just reflecting upon this past year with the many changes and losses of close family.  Yep, getting a bit older and maybe wiser?  I miss talking with my brothers...we spent our holidays catching up on family news.  I miss them so much.  The good to come of this, is that they are no longer suffering from cancer.  Cancer is such a debilitating disease.

About my teaching, I've changed things up a bit in the classroom and hopefully have made an impact with my students.  One does not know until they locate you or you bump into them.  I enjoy being in the classroom, but the records and teacher accountability paperwork we need to use and keep seems to grow.  Oh well, the life of a teacher...

I didn't start working on clue 6 until this afternoon.  We spent time with our daughter and her family and made it back before the New Year highway traffic.  Living in Vegas does have its perks, but holidays can be testy.  We plan to watch the festivities from our TV; the lure of walking and experiencing the "strip" is great, but the crowds are enormous!  I can't say that it rivals Time Square in New York, but it is colorful and eventful.

I sewed strips of background and found an old phone book and used its pages.  This is so much easier than using recycled magazine pages.  I have more to finish with the smaller sizes, but it does sew fairly quickly.  You do not realize how big your stash is until you start cutting and sewing.  It is fun to shop in my studio store.  Now for the revealing party...that remains to be seen.  I can hardly contain my excitement!  I love Bonnie's quilt designs.

I need to remove the paper backing and I have crumbs....I guess I could make an animal bed pad.  Some of the ladies in the quilt group use their bits and pieces.  They save the trimmings, too!  I've got a small 13 gallon size about 1/4th full.

I've been reading and viewing the many colorways of what others are creating.  It is just amazing!
If you would like to get started on your own quilt, here's the link to Bonnie Hunter's 2018 Good Fortune mystery quilt...Good Fortune mystery, clue 6

Have a happy and prosperous New Year everyone!