Friday, October 30, 2009

Canton Village Quilt Works Giveaway

Jackie at Canton Village Quilt Works is having a wonderful giveaway, with FIVE different prizes. The moda layer cake and jelly roll is especially to-die-for.

Good luck!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Be Afraid

This is my friend Ginger, who was two-timed by Tuxedo. Go, Ginger, go!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih6W19KTlZo

Saturday, October 24, 2009

BLUEBERRY BUCKLE GIVEAWAY

Take a quick visit to Blueberry Buckle Quilt Studio. She's giving away a lovely Moda jelly roll. Time is running out since the contest closes tomorrow (Sunday). Good luck, fellow quilters and cats!

Friday, October 23, 2009

A Winner is Picked!

I Had a Tough Time...

picking a winner for my final birthday giveaway. Being 7 is a lot of fun!



First, Butch started crowding me.  Get outta here, Butch!!

Then I had to stick my nose way down in the bowl a bunch of times, circling around it each time I did so.



 
 




Momcat was getting a little fed up with me at this point. She's home sick (not with the flu, but some other yukky virus taking down the teachers and kids) and is cranky.

Finally, I flipped out a paper. Momcat opened it up, and the winner is.....


 

Jamie Mueller!

Congratulations, Jamie!  Email your snail mail address to me and I'll see that your prize is sent. (I think poor Shellie is still waiting for her snowman applique'....it'll get there in time, Shellie!)



Knitting

Trouble and Maggie attacked the yarn. I attacked the needles. Momcat's struggling with trying to figure out how to keep the yarn tension just right.  But I think her first couple of rows are pretty good. She has to knit a row and then purl a row. She says knitting is a lot easier than purling.

 

Here are the books she's using at home. Very nice diagrams in each of them.





 

 Thank you!


Thank you to all of you who have either left a comment or sent an email giving me encouragement about the new direction life is taking us. You've all been so kind. I hope to get in touch with you individually, but this will have to suffice for now. Your support and taking the time to share your own stories has been a blessing.

When our house gets put on the market, or sometime before, there's a lot of things that we'll want to sell. There will be patterns, books, fabric, cross-stitch kits and household items. We'll have an online moving sale accessible through both blogs (this one and Mustard Seed Living). I promise some great deals.



Now back to bed to cuddle with Momcat some more.


Piwacket



Wednesday, October 21, 2009

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Thank you all for celebrating my wonderful birthday!  Giveaway #7 is now closed. I'll need some time to get Momcat typing all the names into Excel, and then you'll get to see me draw out the lucky bean.  Good luck to everyone and stay tuned!

We're Moving!

Momcat says we're moving as soon as she and CatDaddy finalize their divorce. Apparently, that means bad things for us four-legged family members.

I'm hearing words such as:

  • Painting
  • Plumber
  • Carpet cleaning and repair
  • Lots of strange people
  • Cleaning each and every day
  • Decluttering
  • Landscaping
She says we're going somewhere called North Carolina. That sounds like a far, far away place to me.

Momcat met with a thing called a lawyer on Monday, came home very happy but kind of nervous, too. "I had no idea how much paperwork and planning was going to be involved in all of this,"  she said.

Even though she just had me start a Yahoo group, the truth is we won't have time to moderate it. If you had already joined The Crafty Angels, you've received an email from Momcat about it.  Maybe down the road (literally) when we get settled into our new digs and new life, the group could be resurrected.

Piwacket:  Is there catnip in North Carolina?

Momcat:   Of course, sweetie. Catnip can be found everywhere.

Piwacket:  Are Logan, Trouble, Butch and Sundance coming?

Momcat:  I wouldn't leave any of you behind.

Piwacket:  So Maggie is moving with us, too?

Momcat:  Naturally.

Piwacket:  Darn.

Momcat: We probably won't really move until the summer, or about then, anyway. We'll go from being buckeyes to tarheels.

Piwacket: I have no idea what you're talking about. You human beans sometimes say the dumbest things.

Momcat: You may be right, Pi. You just may be right.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Yarn and Needles, Oh Boy!

This just in:  Momcat is taking a beginning knitting class tomorrow night and you know what that means for me?  I'll have balls of yarn to chase!!  Logan and I have already been conspiring about how to find Momcat's yarn stash. Just wait until Butch and Sundance start watching her with the knitting needles clack-clack-clacking. And Trouble?? She'll be in the middle of everything, I'm sure.

Soon to be Quilting AND Knitting Cat??
Piwacket 

New Giveaway at Pumpkin Patch Primitives

There is a fantastic Halloween giveaway going on now at Pumpkin Patch Primitives. If you visit, please tell her I sent you.

I Won! I Won!

First of all, I want to thank all of you for joining in my birthday celebration. Many of you have been faithful followers, and some of you have just joined the ride. I regret that I don't have time just yet to respond to each of you personally. Nevertheless, your visits and comments just make my day!

I can't believe I actually won somebody else's giveaway!  I'm very excited.  Niki from Pumpkin Country made this precious cross-stitched jack-o'lantern. I received it a couple of days ago and sent Momcat out last night to get a frame.  Niki, thanks so much for giving us all the chance to win this. We'll enjoy getting it out every autumn!




Maggie, the other kitties and I are certainly hoping that Momcat takes the hint and fetches us some treats.

Did you set your timer to create for 15 minutes today?

Purrs,
Piwacket

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Last Giveaway in Birthday Celebration!

Giveaway #7

Thanks to everyone for helping me celebrate my birthday. Are you ready to participate in my final drawing? Remember, you're still eligible to enter the drawing even if you won one of the previous six prizes.

I think I saved the best for last.  I'm giving away this jelly roll friendly quilt pattern, a Garden Inspirations jelly roll by Moda, and a packet of Christmas applique designs!









To be eligible for the drawing (which will be held on Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at noon EST):

  • Leave a comment on this post for 1 entry.
  • Be a follower for a second entry.
  • Post on your blog for a third entry.
  • Link back to me for a fourth entry.
I wish all of you good luck!



CONFETTI

Here's what we're working on.




This quilt is called Confetti and is from a terrific book called Four Patch Frolic.  The quilt calls for 98 four-patch blocks. You can see all of them in strips here on the sewing table. The next step is to even up the strips, then put long sashing strips between the rows.

I'm trying to get Momcat over here to iron. I've found that the ironing board provides me an excellent strategic supervisory advantage. Plus, it keeps me away from you-know-who (picture below mine, also in the sewing room.)







Staying in Shape

I may have mentioned before that Maggie is half-boxer (her other half is black lab, which makes her a full mutt).  We all know that boxers do all kinds of things to maintain their physique. Running (Maggie is great at that), jumping rope (she's an expert at jumping on people and her doghouse), and using the punching bag (named Philip). Here's how Maggie does her push-ups. She's developed her own clever way of getting that upper body strength just so.


 


(Note from Momcat: Piwacket is high on catnip again. This is just Maggie's funny way of getting off the couch. She drags her upper body down to the floor and looks almost boneless in the rear as her back legs follow her to the floor.)

Have you created for 15 minutes today? If not, get to it!

Hugs,
Piwacket and Linda

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

New Blog and New Yahoo Group

Momcat has started a new blog. Bear with us as we figure out how to keep my profile information on this one, while allowing her to be herself on her new blog.

The new blog is Mustard Seed Living. Momcat is going to share her thoughts and actions as she goes forward into a new chapter in her life's journey.  It's in its infancy, but then, this is just the beginning.

Also, a few bloggers have expressed interest in creating a Yahoo group for Christian crafters. Momcat/Linda volunteered. If you quilt, cross-stitch, knit, scrapbook, crochet, or do any other kind of craft...and if you believe that those talents come for God for His service, feel free to join us. Thank you especially to Linda of Linda's Lines and Loves for recommending the creation of the group.

We're The Crafty Angels.  Crafty has a couple of fun meanings, not the least of which means creative. Angels are God's messengers. Through our crafts we can bring God's message of love, comfort and reassurance.

Right now the Yahoo group is open. We'll see how it goes and make adjustments along the way.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crafty_angels/

A Winner and A Sample

#6 GIVEAWAY WINNER IS......

Shellie!!!!  Email me your snail mail address, Shellie and I'll get your snowman applique envelope to you.  Congratulations.

The 7th and Final Giveaway for my birthday celebration will be announced later this week. And it's going to be a big one, so stay tuned.



SHOP SAMPLES

Portugeese has flown away for awhile so that we can work on shop samples. Momcat volunteered for five (what was she thinking!)  Actually, I know what she was thinking. Being paid to sew on very pretty fabric is a good deal.

Here's a list of what we're working on for the store:

  • Confetti (from the book Four Patch Frolic)
  • Crib quilt *
  • Crib organizer *
  • Large pillow *
  • Alhambra
* These are all from a new line called Sugar Biscuit by Wilmington Prints. We're using the manufacturer's patterns. Click here to see the whole precious line.  KT from the shop is doing the set in blue and Momcat is doing the pink set.



ALHAMBRA II


Art Gallery Fabrics has released this new line and Momcat immediately fell in love with it. This is a sample that we're going to keep!  Just take a look at these beautiful fabrics!  Here's a link to the whole line. You can also download the free pattern. Art Gallery Fabrics - Alhambra II







FOOTBALL SEASON

We live in the land of the Bengals, which is generally something of which to be ashamed. If nothing else this season, however, Philip and other fans are seeing excitement as the minutes count down and then the team pulls out a last-second victory.  Momcat and I hate football, so I sleep on Sundays (just like every other day) and Momcat works at the shop. Trouble cuddles up with Philip and keeps him company while the game is on. But she's about as interested in the game as I am.



Go forth and create!

Purrs,
Piwacket

Thursday, October 8, 2009

SewCalGal is a Winner!

Congratulations to SewCalGal!! She won the drawing for Giveaway #5, the turkey applique'.  Just email me your snail mail address and I'll get that right out to you.

This is so much fun for me.  And since you all seemed to like the turkey applique', here's the prize for Giveaway #6.



The Wooden Bear makes really cute little applique' patterns, as you can see. Their series of Patternlets are designed to fit into a #10 envelope, so that you can easily mail them to friends.

To enter this Giveaway, leave a comment on this post by Monday, Tuesday, October 13 at noon EST.

Momcat, Maggie and I are going upstairs now to listen to Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz and work on Portugeese some more.

Purrs,
Piwacket

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Giveaway #5

I'm sharing my 7th birthday with you by having seven giveaways. We're up to #5.




There's plenty of time for you to make this cute applique'd turkey. I'll provide you with the pattern. In order to win, all you have to do is leave a comment for me on this post. The deadline is 12 p.m. EST, Tuesday, October 6.  Good luck!


What We've Been Working On

Maggie, Momcat and I have been spending a lot of time with geese lately. In fact, instead of Portugal by Moda, I'm calling this quilt Portugeese. There's 188 flying geese blocks and they're all done. You can see the borders on the ironing board, along with the square in a square blocks.  

I love the colors of this quilt and hope I can nudge Momcat to make all of her points line up correctly. 


    
Notice Maggie's giraffe on the floor?


We're listening to a really good book while we're sewing. It's by Dean Koontz and is called Brother Odd. It's a little macabre, a lot funny, and very respectful of Christianity. The narrator is terrific, too. Koontz has written a series of books featuring Odd, the main character. I'm looking forward to hearing them all.




The baby pumpkins have arrived. Yesterday Momcat spent some time at an Amish Farmers' Market. She came home with these cute baby pumpkins, delicious pumpkin bars, and oatmeal cookies. She seemed to forget all about us four-legged friends. Harumph!

You know the drill. Go be creative for 15 minutes!

Purrs,
Piwacket