Kitties Night In

Momcat is teaching a class tomorrow at the quilt shop. The pattern is Kids Night In by Christine Porter and features her dinosaur fabric line. Sarah from the shop made a really cute quilt from it.

Momcat hadn't made one though, and didn't feel comfortable teaching something that she herself hadn't made. And THAT's why you saw Trouble and me working hard to help her with cat blocks last week.

Our quilt features Where's the Cat? fabrics by Exclusively Quilters, plus some pieces added in from Metro Mirage.  Momcat played with the layout on her bed and then used blue painter's tape to mark her blocks.

Earlier today we finished sewing the sashing strips and corner stones. Trouble completes the inspection.

Momcat is using a red tone on tone for the skinny inside border. And you're going to love the wide outside border fabric......

We're keeping this quilt. Momcat promised. It will become our new living room sofa quilt. It's about time she made one to keep us happy!

Momcat's going to call this one Cattywampus.


JOB UPDATE

Momcat accepted a seasonal part-time position with a major retailer's call center. The job begins on August 30 and goes through mid-January. The hours are 6 p.m. until midnight. She'll still sub during the day and work weekends at the quilt shop. She might not have time to give me scritches, do much sewing or blogging for awhile, but at least I'll get my kibble.

There's a chance that the employer will choose to keep her on after the seasonal period is complete. In that case, she'd go full-time and be eligible for benefits. Thank you to all of you for wishing her luck on the hunt.

Purrs,
Piwacket

A Thousand Words Thursday

Stash Report Sunday - August 8, 2010

Very little crafting going on here as Momcat focuses on job-hunting. The spousal support she's due to receive covers only 1/3 of our monthly expenses. If she starts skimping on my kibble I'm going to be VERY hard to live with.

Although she works two jobs, as a substitute teacher and weekends at the quilt shop, those occupations don't pay as much as we need to live on, plus they don't have any benefits. I keep trying to convince her to put Maggie up on ebay, but she just scoffs at me.

Anyway, boring stash report. Nothing in, nothing out.

Used this Week:               0 yards 
Used year to Date:      119  yards
Added this Week:             0 yards
Added Year to Date:    47.75   yards
 

Net Used for 2010:     71.25 yards

Judy's putting us all to shame as usual. Take a look for yourself by clicking here.

Momcat belongs to the River City Quilt Guild which will be hosting Karen Montgomery, of The Quilt Company. Karen will be presenting a talk on how fabric gets from the imagination of the designer onto the shelf at your local quilt shop. Pictures to follow!

Happy creating!

Piwacket

Stash Report Sunday - August 1, 2010

It's a new month!  August is usually pretty busy around here. That's when Momcat realizes that it's back to the classroom soon and all those projects around the house that we were going to get done over a long summer are still on the "to do" list.

This summer was a bit unusual since we had to wait for the magistrate's decision regarding the property trial between Momcat and CatDaddy. Just about a week ago we found out that we get to keep the house. That means Momcat and Philip will do some cleaning up and get the family photographs out of boxes. I for one am glad that I don't have to get used to a new location. You know how we cats enjoy our ownership of a space.

Now for the stash report. I helped Momcat cut up some more novelty fabrics to make a twin-size version of "Go Fish," the I Spy quilt in the previous post. There's a group at church called Kate's Cupboard, a non-profit charity to help young mothers in need. A fund-raiser is coming up in October and we think a quilt is just the thing to donate to the auction!

Used this Week:               1.5 yards yards
Used year to Date:      119  yards
Added this Week:             0 yards
Added Year to Date:    47.75   yards
 

Net Used for 2010:     71.25 yards

Patchwork Times by Judy Laquidara is the place to keep up with all of us brave enough to track our stash and report on it. How are you doing with yours?

Hope you find at least 15 minutes to create today. Poet Henry Van Dyke wrote  "Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best."

Piwacket

Stash Report Sunday - July 25, 2010

What an easy-peasy stash report. Nothing in, nothing out.


Used this Week:                0  yards
Used year to Date:      117.5  yards
Added this Week:             0 yards
Added Year to Date:    47.75   yards
 

Net Used for 2010:     69.75 yards

 

This is the shop sample that Momcat just turned in. We had a lot of fun together fussy cutting the 5" squares. It's such an easy quilt to make that we've already started on another one.  The pattern is called "Go Fish" and is from the Dealer's Choice book by Atkinson Designs.

Speaking of the shop, the sign blew down a few months ago during a severe storm. It broke in the parking lot. Best Friends Quilt Shoppe's owner, Jan, took the opportunity to add a little pizazz. Take a look at the workmen installing the new awesome hot pink sign!

The front door arch is going to be painted in the same color. Very exciting!

Now take some time to visit Judy's blog to see how everyone else is doing.  Have a great week!

Purringly,

Piwacket

A Thousand Words Thursday

Momcat's Helpers

Momcat's still working on her Doggy Big Shirt. She's finished with the sleeves, discovering that only one was sewn on backward. Since she realized it after she'd already put the cuffs on she's leaving it this way and will just establish a new trend of wearing your cuff buttons on the front of your arm.

This is a pretty typical scene at our house.  You can see that the sewing room is fully staffed.  That's Trouble on the bed, Maggie on the floor, Sundance on the ironing board with me and...wait, where's Butch?  He's our only male and we sure have to put up with a lot from him, so where is he when there's work to be done?

Typical. Catching a few ZZZZZZs in the kitty condo away from his sisters.

Letting sleeping cats lie,
Piwacket

A Thousand Words Thursday

Doggy Big Shirt Update

Mwaaaahahahaha!!! I am rejoicing that Momcat has hit a snag in making her Doggy Big Shirt.  She's at the point of making the sleeves and doesn't understand the directions. I heard some bad words and then something about going to the shop to get some expert advice from Cheryl, who teaches the class.

Here's what she has so far:

The front.

The back.

The sleeves and buttons.

I'd help her out of her dilemma if she were making a feline version. That'll teach her to play favorites with the DAWG!!

Smugly,
Piwacket

Stash Report....Monday? Three Weeks & A Day Late

This is what happens when Momcat gets busy doing things other than quilting. She forgets about the Stash Report! 

Fortunately, we busted a little bit, but brought in some as well.  Momcat has stayed true to her New Year's Resolution of making no fabric purchases except what is needed for a specific project.  In October the shop is promoting the Eleanor Burns' book Quilt Block on American Barns as a Block of the Month.  That required a little yardage for barn texture, sky and animals.

Momcat has been working on her Big Shirt, little bags, 9 Patch A Day Blocks, and Rotating Snowball Quilt Along Blocks.

She spent the day at Cathy's on Saturday. Both of them busted some projects.

Momcat is on the left, Cathy is on the right. 

Cathy's baby quilt using yellow bubble Minkee for the center and borders.

Cathy's potato bag.

Momcat's 9 Patch A Day Blocks for July.

Cathy's beautiful Rotating Snowball Quilt Along flimsy.

And that finally brings us to the report:

Used this Week:                4  yards
Used year to Date:      117.5  yards
Added this Week:             2.5 yards
Added Year to Date:    47.75   yards

 

Net Used for 2010:     69.75 yards

Judy's blog has links to the other folks playing along. Click here to see for yourself and possibly join us!

Purringly,

Piwacket