Eating Crumbs

We've been spending a few minutes each day working on crumb blocks a la Bonnie Hunter.

Since Bonnie explains it best, here's a link to her tutorial.

http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/06/crumbs-crumbs-crumbs.html

There's a drawer in the sewing room dedicated to scrap pieces that are either little, partially pieced or haven't been cut down yet. Orphan blocks also wind up there. Ever since Momcat attended a Bonnie Hunter workshop, she doesn't throw out much of anything. She saves anything that is 1" or larger.

Yesterday she pulled out the drawer of scraps and just started sewing pieces together at random, with no thought to color or pattern. I sat atop the ironing board in my usual spot to supervise. She worked on three blocks at once, using areas that were trimmed to add to the next block and so on.

Our blocks are trimmed down to a 4.5" size. The trimmed bits will be used in other crumb blocks.

Here are the five blocks completed over the course of about an hour of sewing time.  Now imagine another 25 similar blocks all joined with a fun tone-on-tone sashing such as orange, coral or lime green.

If you look closely at these little blocks you'll see batiks, orientals, Halloween novelties, flannels, Christmas, florals and 1930s reproductions. Anything goes! Feel free to add some ribbon, or bits of clothing or wide rick rack (just make sure your materials are washable and dryable...these are quilts that are meant to be used).

Sundance and Trouble cozied up on the sewing room daybed while Momcat and I worked. Typical!

Have you created for 15 minutes today?

Piwacket

Trouble Goes Fish and Then Naps

I put Trouble on the job of helping Momcat get the 80 Go Fish! blocks together into rows.  Unfortunately, she needed a rest after Row 3. Poor Trouble.  It's an exhausting life around here.

Momcat forged ahead without Trouble and got the main body completed!

Next weekend we'll add a skinny black border and a wider colorful solid border. We're right on target for completing it by our mid-October deadline for the Kate's Cupboard fundraiser. What a fun quilt to make for a good cause!

As a reminder, the Go Fish! pattern can be found in the Dealer's Choice book by Atkinson Designs.

Time to help Momcat pick out the border fabric.

Piwacket

Rotating Snowballs and Nine-Patches Quilt Along

SNOWBALLING

In January a group of us started a quilt along making 9-patches and snowballs. You can see the list of participants on the sidebar.  If you've been following along each month and making six blocks per month, by now you'll have 30 blocks with which to play!

I have 32, and will need to make four more by the end of this month.  Here's a picture of what I have so far (please keep in mind that I have not trimmed any of the blocks yet and this is not a final design).

I really like how this is turning out.


9 PATCH A DAY CHALLENGE

Nine-Patch Fever must be going around. Karen Montgomery of The Quilt Company is hosting a 9-Patch A Day Challenge that started on June 1. That means there's plenty of time for you to catch up.  Go to her blog at Karen Says Sew to learn more.  She also has created a group on Facebook for those of us participating.  It's a great project for using up scraps. I'm using 2.5" squares.

Here's the Facebook link:  

http://www.facebook.com/pages/9-Patch-Project/116885848345468?v=wall&ref=tshttp:

I decided to do a red, white, blue and tan version from my scraps.  I don't care about the motif or theme of the fabric, or whether there's a few other colors mixed in or even the value. My only goal is to use scraps and have them "read" Red, White, Blue or Tan from a distance.

These are just a few of the scraps that I'm starting with. There's even a piece of denim or two in the blue stack.  I actually cut about 200 squares total on Memorial Day.  Notice me in the corner of the table taking a much-needed break. Momcat will cut for hours, but I need a catnap every 5 minutes or so.

I sorted my cut pieces by color (putting the tans and the whites together), placing them in drawer organizers so that they'll be handy next to my sewing machine.  Any time I'm sewing anything, this can be my leader/ender project.  I picked up the tip about the drawer organizers from Judy Martin's Log Cabin Quilt Book. 

Karen's goal is for us to make just a block a day, understanding that we might really get going and make several at once. So far I've made three, one ugly on purpose to show you (really!)

Here's the two scrappy versions that I like.

And here's the ugly one. If you try to get too matchy (is that a word?) on these, they end up looking dumb. The scrappier the better. This one will be unsewn and the pieces all put back into the pile for picking.

TROUBLE'S HOME

A little over a month ago Trouble and Logan went to live with CatDaddy. Logan has adjusted really well, but Trouble never did. Momcat and CatDaddy decided it was best for her to come back to live with us. Usually when one of us has been gone, it takes everybody else awhile to reaccept them.

In this case, as soon as Trouble walked out of the cat carrier Butch and Sundance came to greet her. The three of them touched noses and apparently are going to live happily ever after together on the kitty condo. I'm going to let them stay in the crow's nest for now.  They all know that it's MY throne!

When Butch and Sundance came to live with us as babies, Trouble immediately adopted them even though she's never had kittens of her own. I think she was grieving for "her" babies and that's why she couldn't get used to her new environment. That's Trouble (with her head hanging down) and Butch up in the crow's nest, with Sunny on the shelf just beneath them.

I'm glad she's home. She's been my best student as far as quilt quality control. She's especially good about working her way into the midst of a quilt while Momcat does the binding.



PHILIP'S COSTUME.....

....won first prize at the costume party! His friends wanted to know where he purchased such a cool costume. Leanne, Philip's sweet girlfriend, came in 2nd place with her Jean Grey from the X-Men disguise.


About to reclaim my throne for awhile,
Piwacket

Stash Report Sunday - January 24, 2010

Used this Week:     0 yards
Used year to Date:  24 yards
Added this Week:    11.5 yards
Added Year to Date: 29.5 yards
Net Used for 2010:  + 5.5 yards

 It's all Momcat's fault. I mewed. I cajoled. I wrapped myself around her legs and gave her gentle headbutts. When playing nice didn't work I said "Ack!" and threatened to poop in her shoe.

But I just couldn't get Momcat to complete anything this week. She'd get home from work and either have to go back out or crash on the couch. Slacker, I tell you!


I'm hoping that the Pillowcase Team of myself, Butch and Trouble can convince her to turn this mountain of fabric on the kitchen table into completed UFOs.

Take a look at Judy's blog to see how she and everyone else did this week. I have a whip to crack.

Pi

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

Giveaway Winner Picked

Thank you to everyone for visiting and for those of you who entered our first giveaway to celebrate my 7th birthday and 7th anniversary with Momcat. Don't forget that there will be six more prizes and six more chances to win over the next six weeks. Winning one prize DOES NOT eliminate you from entering the other giveaway drawings.

The first giveaway was for the Bearcats bag and 1/2 yard of U.C. Bearcats fabric.

The entries were put into a bowl.




And I picked a name.





Congratulations to Carol C.! Carol, please send an e-mail to me at L.Stichtenoth@gmail.com with your snail mail address. Also, be sure to let us know if you have a dog, cat or other animal friend. We'll put in a little something extra for them if you do.



Trouble! Get your nose out of the bowl! We don't have a second place winner. If you want to be involved next time, maybe I'll let you pick for the second giveaway which will be announced later this week.

Purrs,
Piwacket

A Room of Her Own

This is the last in our series of the Sewing Room redo, although there will always be more to accomplish.

This is the view from the door, showing the left side of the room. The daybed bed faces the sewing table and the organizational bins. This room needs to remain a guest bedroom as well as a sewing room. Look closely on the bed. Do you see anyone you know?


Wait a minute. Let's zoom in for a closer look.

Yep, that's me, doing what I like to do best. All those years of looking through Where's Waldo books with the kids helps Momcat spot me every time.

Thank you all for your kind comments regarding my organizational skills. I have to fight an uphill battle with my bean (why do you think I'm so tired all the time?). To illustrate my point....


Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid


This door leads into the basement/laundry room/ kitty toilette. And look what's here.




The fabric stash. Totes upon totes, to the point where I'm hoping Momcat doesn't have to flip a circuit breaker or else she'll have to send Butch in for the rescue, and I don't think we'd stand a chance. His favorite show is Short Attention Span Theater.

Now do you understand why I've forced Momcat to be on No Buy? I've developed a strategy for her. Things in the sewing room have to be WIPS, UFOs or PIGS. As a project is completed and we can count it as stash out the door, Trouble and I will tell Momcat about the next project in the queue. At that point, fabric specifically selected for the new project is allowed to escape the chains of the dungeon and enter into the light of the sewing room. There will be such fun in going through these containers searching for just the right color, the perfect material, and the coordinating fabrics to work on that special project.

This makes me think about one's purpose in life. Some human beans put themselves into self-imposed basements. In bins where their talents are hidden, they're crumpled and smashed, not discernible from the other inhabitants of the dark container. And then to be released! To find a purpose, a mission, a sense of being needed and loved. For us to be just the right piece for that special project. What a blessing to move into the light!


Still snoozing,
Piwacket

And Away We Go!

Today is the day that we join some of our quilting friends at the St. Jude Retreat in Palestine, Ohio. We're staying at the Golden Eagle Retreat Center. I can hardly wait to meet some of the buddies that we know only through online groups. It's our very first retreat ever, and it supports St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. How cool is that!

http://www.christianlifeoutreach.org/golden/index.htm

Momcat is busy getting the sewing machine and snacks together. So Butch, Trouble and I are packing the suitcase.


Trouble, don't forget our toy alligator! It's in the hallway behind you.

What's that Momcat? Did you say something?

"Yes, I did, Piwacket. You and the other kitties can't go. The retreat is only for human beings. CatDaddy is going to come over and take care of you while I'm gone for the weekend. So you be nice puddytats and don't get into too much mischief."

I'M NOT GOING???????

Why do only beans get to go? I can be a big help. I can understand leaving Butch at home, but ME??????

"I'm sorry, Pi, that's just the way it is. Now I have to go. Love you lots and lots!"

And out the door she went. Just like that. Didn't even look back.

Well, don't worry about me. I'll just sit alone in the dark in my laundry basket until Sunday night. See if I care!




Miffed,
Pi

Trouble

This is Trouble. Trouble is 17 months old, but even this picture, taken when she was much younger, shows that she was going to be a whiz at quilting quality control. This is a baptism quilt that Linda made. Wonderful warm flannel and cheerful kitten design. Trouble gave her approval and off it went to church.
Trouble came to live with us when she was eight weeks old. She and her mother had been dumped at a shelter when Trouble was still nursing. No idea what may have happened to the other kitties in her litter. Naturally, she was too young to remember. Anyway, Linda just brought her home one day much to the surprise of the entire four-legged and two-legged family members. Amazingly, she fit right in. I liked her right away, as did Logan. The picture below proves it. We all like to share the kitty condo.

That's me on me throne, Trouble on the shelf below me and Logan on the next shelf. The three of us get along great and always have.

Trouble is a huge help to Linda in so many ways. Not only is she a terrific quilting apprentice, but she is also Linda's companion when it's time to cross-stitch. Linda doesn't like it when I try to critique her needlework. I am insistent that I can thread the needle, separate the floss, or stitch better than she can. Trouble, on the other hand, likes to just snuggle and watch. She always approves of what Linda is doing. These humans and their need for validation. Sheesh!

Trouble also likes the new babies in our house. Butch and Sundance were rescued the day after Thanksgiving when they were only six weeks old. They were really hard to catch and came out of a hole in the wall. Butch is the orange tabby and Sundance is another dark beauty like me.

Logan and I are not too crazy about sharing our home with kittens, although we're starting to get used to them. Butch has an especially winning personality and one does have to feel a bit sorry for him since he's the only boy. But look how Trouble treats them! Not only does she care for them as if she were their mother, but she's shown them to the pinnacle of the crow's nest and sleeps with them there. That is just not right! That's my throne and I really don't like sharing it with these young whipper-snappers.

So excuse me. I need to give Trouble a talking-to immediately.