Tax Season 2019 Projects

My 42^nd tax season (yikes!) is in the books.  It’s been a tougher than usual one this year; our partner retired so we took over most of his accounts and the additional workload, we had a major tax law to learn, explain to our clients, as well as the changes it made to our tax software.  We had to put down my beloved 16-year old cocker spaniel, Harley, on March 19.  It’s just been a rough tax season but we have made it through another one!

I haven’t had a day off since February 4, literally worked seven days a week, long hours. I’ve done just basic cooking, no baking, and I’m behind on keeping up with the weeds. The laundry, thankfully, is not behind! The tendency is to come home from work and just crawl into bed.  But, that’s so unproductive! In the past I tried to keep up with my cross stitching and did a lot of reading.

Four years ago I decided to learn how to quilt with an online weekly sew-along.  It started in January and I found it to be a great stress relief from the daily grind of dealing with numbers.  Sewing, even a few minutes a night, was a great way to unwind.  My first quilt was a success and I was hooked on the hobby!  The second and third year I did a sew-along with the same instructor but they were appliqued quilts.  By the end I was pretty much over applique. In 2018 I got ambitious and did a quilt of pieced birds. In retrospect, it was over my skill level but I persevered and finished, though not until June.

This tax season I picked a much easier quilt, just some squares and rectangles to sew together in a cross tile pattern.  My goal was to finish the 20 blocks by April 15.  I finished those mid-March. 

 

My buddy, he was always "helping" me. This was a few nights before he passed.

 

I also joined a mystery block of the month club whereby material and pattern for that month’s block(s) arrive about the first of the month.  I’m loving the colors and designs of the fabric but the blocks are quite detailed, lots of points and half-square triangles. It’s testing my novice piecing skills.  I’ve not started April’s blocks yet but the fabric is ready to be cut out.  I still have two weeks of April left!

This quilted flower and pitcher has me so intimidated but I will jump in!

A few weeks ago another blog started a project doing a two-color quilt using instructions from a book I already had.  Yes, I caved and am now doing that sew-along (I already have it ear-marked for a birthday gift later this year).  I am on schedule, finished the second block yesterday.  The third block will be released on Thursday.

 

 

Though I wasn't home much the past three months I feel very accomplished in all I was able to get done creatively.  I can't wait to get back in the kitchen, especially to bake some goodies.  My hands long to feel some dirt instead of a computer keyboard. It's good to have free time once more!