Project preparation

My friend, Lindsay, and I are going to help the high school kids in our church make some crazy 9-patch quilts to use as a fundraiser. So we gathered our Christmas fabric, ironed and cut 12 inch pieces to begin the project. The kids will do the rest of the cutting and the sewing with our supervision.

Here are 72 pieces of fabric ready to get started on two quilts.

It didn't take us very long, so we had time for lunch and enjoying part of a movie with Lindsay's daughter and rescued greyhound.

Quilting friends are the best!!!

More cat stuff......

My visiting cat got a treat today - some fresh air. When I got home this afternoon, the sun was shining and there was definitely the smell of Spring in the air. I have a tiny one-season back porch that is fully screened and safe for the indoor-cat. She was very curious and a little tenative. Her pink nose was so busy sniffing all the smells and her eyes darted all around. A gust of wind made her jump back from the screen. I was hoping a bird would be walking in the yard, or a squirrel, but all was quiet. Maybe it would have been too much excitement! No quilting, stitching, or knitting going on here. Life has been busy with other things. Too busy I'm afraid, and right now I am longing for time to myself.

I am very grateful though for the volunteer work I do and the people I work with and that I have the energy to contribute in a meaningful way.

American Idol and Dancing with the Stars are both on tonight, so maybe I will get some knitting done - that is if the cat will let me. Do you know how hard it is to knit with a cat occupying your lap?

Finished quilt

Here is my finished quilt top that I started on the first Quiltathon day. The colors look dull here, but they are very bright. The backing is made from the leftover greens with a few other greens added to make it large enough. As you can see, the cat inspector is deciding whether to approve or not.

The green batik fabric is so vibrant and beautiful, but it just does not photograph well. Trust me, it looks much better in person.

While attempting to pay my bills, dear visiting cat decided to give me some assistance. She is hoping my lap will soon be available.

Good Friday

Two days before Easter and we are having a snow storm! Yesterday the sun was shining and it felt like Spring. Today it is snowing. I went to the grocery store, which was filled with Easter Lilies, cute bunnies, colorful flowers, and displays of pastel candy. Then I walked outside where the wind was whipping freezing sleet against my face. You have to have character to live in the northern Illinois. I wonder if any of the children are making snow bunnies?

Happy Easter to all...........

Cat Who......... and Six Words

Lillian Jackson Braun has written a series of books entitled, "The Cat Who........" in which two cats help solve the mysteries. One of the cats always manages to get into the book shelf and knock off a book the title of which helps solve the crime. When I saw these books on the floor and another book lying precariously on its spine, I thought, Now who is getting into my books? I think this "crime" is easy to solve. It's the Cat Who Gets Into Everything! (aka my visiting cat) Jeanne had a "Six Word Memoir" meme on her blog that intrigued me. I'm usually not interested in doing any of these memes, however, I decided to give this one a try.

Soaring on the wings of eagles.

I am very blessed in my life and most often feel like I am soaring on wings. The above Bible verse is my favorite and was stitched for me by my sister.

I won't tag any one, but here are the rules.........

1. Write your own six word memoir
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible, so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere
4. Tag five more blogs with links
5. Remember to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

Finished quilt

Here is my flannel crazy 9-patch all finished - quilted, bound, and washed. It will get mailed out on Monday.

The quilt back is an off-center four patch with leftover flannel.

Waiting on my bed is the current mystery I am reading. Now how did that bookmark end up outside of the book?

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"I have no idea" said the cat.

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"I wasn't anywhere near it."

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"Really, how could you accuse me of such a thing. I'm just a poor innocent little kitty-cat."

Cat update

The visiting cat and I are getting along just fine. While I was sewing this block together (my Quilt Studio is in the basement), she decided to take a look out the window over my sewing machine. Oops - down came the curtain. I might as well leave it that way until she leaves. It is important to her to monitor the squirrels and birds outside.

If you look very closely at the picture below, you will see that she is smiling. She would probably rather be with her regular human (or maybe her first human - that's you Marcia), but for now she is tolerating her temporary home and I'm rewarded with purrs and an occasional smile.

Cat Sitting

Last year I had this cat with me for a month while her human went to Florida - and she came again on Sunday for a return visit. She is wondering why she is at this house again and where is her human. Last night she cried all night long preventing me from getting a decent night's sleep. Her devious little mind is thinking up how to torture me again tonight. I think I will take Tylenol PM before going to bed tonight.

Don't worry, you cat lovers out there, I will not mis-treat her. Her crying will stop and soon she will be sleeping on my legs. We are just going through the adjustment period. She is adjusting to a new human and I am adjusting to having company that needs attention!

...but I could have made it.

The shower curtain in my guest bathroom is very "quilty" and everyone asks me if I made it. No, but I could have. Taking this photo is the only quilty thing I have done in the last few days. This March counted cross-stitch snowman - part of a series of twelve months - was done a few years ago. I especially like Mr. March because of the wonderful Shamrock fabric framing the stitching. Sometimes it is great having a huge fabric stash!

back to my knitting................

Bonnie

Knitting.......slowly

After getting just 20 rows done on my sweater front, I was beginning to dream about my next project. Oh dear - not a good thing. Proceeding to the computer, I looked up sock yarn and found some wonderful yarns at $23.00 a skein. Oh dear - not a good thing. How easy it would have been to press that Add to Cart button. But I didn't. I went back to my chair and thought about all my unfinished projects. Sitting over in the corner, neatly packed in a basket, is an afghan that I started knitting about 7 years ago. I only have about 10 rows to go in order to finish. Then there is the white scarf, the blue poncho, and the blue shawl, knitting projects all patiently waiting in bags and containers to be finished.

Focus, Bonnie, focus. Go back to that sweater front......knit a row, purl a row......keep going.

Quiltathon progress.....

Today was my day to participate in the Quiltathon. The bears were a little miffed at me for getting such a late start.I ironed my fabric..........

And cut my fabric.......

Working steadily, I managed to get all 100 components sewn together.
And here they are on the design wall.

It is only 6:30pm here, but I'm quiting for the day. I hope to get it all put together this next week, including two borders.

I really enjoyed my sewing day knowing that there were others out there spending time in their sewing rooms too. Thanks Judy for arranging this Quiltathon.