Reading 1820 Blogs Daily!


November 22, 2023
Halloween and Indigo Way Fabric Picks! from The Modern Diary

Hazel wore my daughter's Little Red Riding Hood costume for some of her Halloween activities this year (she was Wonder Woman too).  So fun to see her in it.  Hannah wore this one when we lived in Maryland and she was almost three.  This year we stayed home and passed out leftover Halloween goodies from when I was teaching.  We had quite a few kids.  
I cleaned through a bunch of Kathy's sewing stuff and since she is not sewing much these days, I added the fabric to my sewing stuff and sewed up her partially done top ...

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September 19, 2023
Playing Detective from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

I love reading mystery novels. Which ones are better? The ones that follow a particular detective in a series? Or the random ones where the focus is on murder and mayhem? I guess I like both!

I had to do some detective work over the last couple of days! First off, I'm very sensitive to noise. OK - I'm not very sensitive. I can live with noises, but I need to know what they are, especially those little sounds that niggle in the back of your head! So the first few nights, I could hear this noise and thought ...

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September 18, 2023
Geocaching from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

Thanks, everyone, for your comments about the memories. Yes -- I agree; while there are MANY trip "blogs," I'm only going to take the one -- the school trip to Edmonton, as most of the others don't involve me and won't be of interest. And tons of literature can probably be tossed. I'll be repacking later today, and hopefully, I have enough room within the weight limits. It's not much, but the paper is heavy, and I can't be over 50 lbs, and my samples are a priority. So I keep the pages, toss the rest ...

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August 27, 2023
Two Wedding Quilts, Two BOM's, Two Grandbabies! TOO BLESSED! from The Modern Diary

Now that I have a table in my library/office I have really gotten into puzzles (and audiobooks).  Here is a quilty one I made last week.  
Here are my A Quilting Life BOM blocks.  Keeping up with them!
This is my Dakota Farmer Rainbow Scrap Challenge block and below, more of them.  I have many of these blocks in different colors and sizes and am looking forward to seeing them come together into quilts.  I think next year I am going to do Bonnie's new Morning Glories paper pieced pattern.  I enjoy paper piecing but like the idea ...

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June 28, 2023
Princess Crown and More! from The Modern Diary

Our daughter and son in law got us a long weekend together in Door County for Christmas and we picked up this little goat for our Christmas ornament this year to remember the trip.  We did many fun things with Hazel that we had not done when Hannah and I went five years ago, including the goat parade in Sister's Bay.  We did play a new game called Mantis which we really enjoyed.  We took the long way there because Mom and Dad (now in Marshfield) watched the dogs.  We played Nine Golf the night we spent with them ...

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June 1, 2023
Time marches on from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

Now that Mom and Dad have made THE decision about the farm, it's time for them to figure out the next steps. And Dad just dives right in, so hopefully, the next conversations can happen with potential buyers, and we will be rid of the entire problem soon enough. I don't want things to drag out --- just say we no longer have access to that house, and we can all move on!! 

That day will be sad, but time marches on, there will be many memories, and we are not the first to sell a property. Let's ...

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May 31, 2023
A blast from the past from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

My Fitbit is going to die from lack of use! In the last three days, I've walked less than I would in ONE day. I know -- it's not a big deal, and it might be good to take a break. But I can see that being inactive isn't good for me. And it's not even the walking -- I NEED something to do, and I can only visit for so long before I feel like I'm going crazy. And I feel tired from lack of doing anything! 

Oh well -- it too shall pass, and before I ...

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May 29, 2023
This is who I am! from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

So sorry to bore you with family stuff, but if you want to appreciate me better, I think you'll get a kick out of this. 

There is no denying that my curiosity or the desire to make things did NOT just happen. That was something in my genes. And it didn't happen from just one parent -- it came from both. My Mom has done many crafts over the years, and even at 87, she just finished crocheting an afghan, and I'm going to help her lay out the blocks to determine color, so she can put it ...

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May 25, 2023
A Whole Lot of News! from The Modern Diary

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 ...

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January 30, 2023
So Much Sewing Going On! from The Modern Diary

I made a mini goal to get a row on the Sparkling New Year Mystery each week.  Here is last week (and an error I just noticed today) and below is this week's and another error!  So there will be some unsewing happening later on.  Oops!  Bug had to pose too.
Hazel did a little painting at my house on a cool mat that uses water only.  She really liked it.  She is potty trained now, time is flying!  My daughter is pregnant again and due in August...it is another girl.  We cannot wait!
My honorary daughter Rachel ...

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December 28, 2022
Chilhowie and More! from The Modern Diary

 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 ...

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December 6, 2022
Behind on the Blogging! from The Modern Diary

I am behind on the blogging!  I have been sewing so let's catch you up!  I made seven of these paper pieced books from Etsy for my Up to No Good Book Club group members.  This fabric reminds me of "The Luminaries" which was one of the first books I read with the group.  

                                        

I also sewed up the second to last Log Cabin Love block awhile back.  One to go.

Here are all the blocks so far.  Linking up with Angela!
I finished an Eye Spy quilt and got it tied and bound and off to Norway.  This ...

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October 5, 2022
Schoolgirl Sampler Minis and More! from The Modern Diary

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 ...

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July 14, 2022
Four Finishes, Progress on More, and a Trip to Ohio! from The Modern Diary


The rainbow scrap challenge color for July is purple.  I love making both these blocks.  Log Cabin Love above and Butterfly Bush below.  Both patterns from Quiltmaker's "Addicted to Scraps" column by Bonnie Hunter.
I sent three of my quilts to New River to be quilted by Melissa.  She does a great job and has a quick turnaround time.  Kathy made this top but I bound it.  Was hoping to surprise her for her birthday but she busted me binding it!  She is the Patriots fan in this house.

This is my modern medallion.  I designed this one myself ...

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July 1, 2022
Lots of Progress! from The Modern Diary

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 ...

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June 17, 2022
Fun in Vancouver!! from Crazy Quilter on a Bike!

I'm as cozy as a clam in my hotel this morning. I've got the AC off, so it's quiet and a beautiful temperature! I got a quilt on the bed, and I'm listening to my home radio station! How cool is that!!!!

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June 6, 2022
Soul Mates with my Sewing Buddies! from The Modern Diary

Soul Mates clue one is done!  Barb and I sewed with Becky on Saturday afternoon, and we managed to complete our clue one already.  Here are my fabrics again.

Here are my block A's.  I am pretty happy with them.

Becky also decided to go with blue and brown.  Looking forward to seeing how our different fabrics in the same colors turn out!
Here is Becky's block A.

Here are Barb's blocks in Quilt of Valor colors.  This will be gorgeous too!

These gorgeous blocks are Becky's Ruby Jubilee aka Amythyst Jubilee.  She and I and ...

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May 29, 2022
Big Book Summer Challenge from The Modern Diary

This summer I will be participating in the Big Book Summer Challenge over at Book by Book for the first time.  This is her tenth year at this and I am glad I found Sue!  We not only have reading in common but CFS/ME too.  Before I show you a few of the big books I have coming up this summer I wanted to show you the mail day that made me cry last week.

One of my high school ASL students, Kira, just finished up her first year at college.  She was involved as an officer in PAH ...

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September 17, 2021
A Whole Lot of Reading Going On from The Modern Diary


I recently discovered a whole world on youtube/booktube.  Been adding to my to be read list like crazy.  Read all of the above books (well, almost done with the top left one) as well as "Mexican Gothic," and "Billy Summers" which Jay gave me as a belated birthday present which did not make it in the picture.  I see "The Starless Sea" is not centered right either.  It is early, I have not started my coffee yet!  I have noticed most of the booktubers I have found are twentysomethings and I wish I could find some nearer my age ...

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September 2, 2021
Happy Fall! from The Modern Diary

It has been a month since I blogged and all I sewed since them was the aqua Rainbow Scrap Challenge block!  I am linking up behind schedule and better see what the next color is!  I did not see it posted yet but Angela has a sick kiddo and is a teacher, so no worries if she is behind schedule.  I may have missed it too so will check back.  Only four months left to go!





I read another book box and really enjoyed it.  I should really cancel this but I really LOVE them.  I resell almost all of ...

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