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Thursday, December 31, 2015

End of Year Reflections


Well, I'm not feeling particularly poetic, so won't give you any inspiring quotes - - just the view from my sewing machine::

1.  I sure did sew a lot this year.  These are the empty spools I collected...  Hmmmm...  somehow this feels very good........I like seeing them in that cute little casserole dish............


2.  This just got assembled - hooray !  The center of my "Sarah's Revival" quilt, by Sue Garman, is now assembled.  This isn't quite the way Sue designed it, but I love, love it !!!  Now to figure out what to do about borders.......................... 




3.  Kitties Gloucester and Mystic tried to party in the New Year, but fell asleep.



HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Kate



Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Manger Crashers !!!!

If you have or love cats, you know they are notorious for finding a place safe, warm, and cozy............

the internet is full of photos of kitties who have found manger scenes to be to their liking...........even a colony of feral cats in Brooklyn who live in the manger scene every year...

Here are a few of my favorites:





and this one just leaves me completely puzzled...  but this kitty found it worthy of a nap, nonetheless.......



gotta love those kitties !!!!

Kate



Sunday, December 20, 2015

Oh, Quilty Night


Oh, Quilty Night !!!!

The next two weeks are mine, mine............. we are not traveling this year, since we have to travel in early January, so I have two weeks to sew and sew and sew and sew..............

Today I worked on this:

 oh, my, those are some Tiny Pieces................




This is "Ohmigosh" by Sue Garman... I love doing quilts with lots of tiny pieces..... and this is fun, fun !

'til tomorrow, here I am making tiny pieces..................

Kate


Monday, December 14, 2015

Photos and More Photos

I'm not sure why, but all I have wanted to do recently is work on charity quilts - my own projects are sitting patiently -   while I have a blast with these kid-size masterpieces... 







 Many of these were pieced by friends in an online quilt guild, and sent to me for quilting. A few are tops I made myself.  All will go to Quilts Beyond Borders, to go snuggle some child somewhere who needs a quilty hug........... they will be ready ! 

Kate

Friday, November 27, 2015

Staycation Day THREE !

It's a happy staycation here...  but not a completely happy one.

Both DH and I are still  bit under from the winter "crud" - but it's nice to just snuggle inside and do a bit of this and that, with frequent naps..........and a lot of hot tea.

I finished up this little beauty last night..........


Isn't it lovely???  It's a little charity kid quilt - and I don't know who made the top - several people send me tops to quilt - when I first saw it I thought it was boring and "ooh too peachy", but quilted up I completely love it, and it was fun to work with so much negative space...  and the color seems perfect now - go figure how that happens.

I'm also doing to de-cluttering - made up a big bag of clothes for Goodwill, and have been filling up trash cans with every piece of paper I can find to throw away.............. 

This morning I have been playing with some crumb blocks - I love crumb blocks - we will see what comes out the machine !!

oh, honey - are there any leftovers ???? 

Kate


Wednesday, November 25, 2015

It's a Staycation !!!!!

oh hello my friends...

I'm on holiday from work, starting today, for FIVE, COUNT'EM FIVE DAYS !!!

And our holidays are simple - no traveling, no guests - just us home folks.  So, some lovely meals, but no gigantic feast...

SO HERE I AM ON DAY ONE............

woke up - - SICK !!!!    oh ouch, grumpy grumpy....... sore throat, tired, achy...........

thnk goodness I rallied a bit and got a little something done - finished up this little charity quilt:

 
This will go in a box for the organization "Quilts Beyond Borders"...  and I think some child will love its eye-popping orange brightness !  That orange fabric is one of the first pieces of quilting stash I ever bought - when I started quilting again around 1995 or so.... I bought three yards of that tone-on-tone in orange, 3 in blue, and 3 in green.........  and have just chopped away at it.  I think (HOPE) this is the last piece of it - I'm ready to see it be gone !
 
What's next?   hmmm... maybe a nap............. 
 
and then perhaps I'll find something else to do in the sewing room...........
 
good luck with all your pies and cakes and things turning out well !
 
Kate
 
 


Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Third Time !!!! ??


Sometimes you just have to start OVER - and OVER !!


I made this top almost ten years ago when we lived in Greensboro, NC.  I had just begun to quilt again, and I saw it on the front cover of a book called , appropriately, "Log Cabin Quilts" by Rita Weiss and Linda Causee...  it took my breath away.

I loved the book, cause the instructions were so very clear, and it gave finished measurements of all the different size blocks that made up the quilt. 


I made this almost exactly like the original, colors and all - except I put a plain border on, just 'cause' it felt right to me.

And then I tried to quilt it...........................  one of my first attempts at machine quilting - and I really didn't know how to sandwich and baste properly.......... and there were GIANT PUCKERS on the back.............

So I unstitched, and it became a flimsy again............

Three or four years later.....................  tick, tock............ I decided to hand quilt it.............

I did about 10% of it................. and it sat, and it sat AND IT SAT.........

so yesterday, I UNSTITCHED the hand quilting.................

At least now I am an accomplished machine quilter, and I will be able to do a proper job........

WILL I DO IT SOON ???

oh, I hope so, cause I do love this little beauty.................

Stay tuned...................

Kate





Sunday, November 8, 2015

Hi everyone - it finally feels a bit like fall here in Northern California - socks, and a sweatshirt - snuggled down......

I'm tickled to have just finished this flimsy... it's got quite a story... 

The star points began life more than two years ago, as part of a Bonnie Hunter mystery - but after making the blocks, I didn't like the colors, and put these points aside, and used another set of colors...  so they sat, in their little plastic bag..........  finally I fussy-cut some centers, in this cse with these little adorable cats on them, and made blocks.  Then it was a matter of finding an alternating block, and we were off !

As you can see, the minute I put it down for the photograph, Mystic came to see..........  About ten seconds later he decided there must be something UNDER the quilt...........and the kitty game was ON !!


Five seconds later they ran off, leaving a crumpled quilt.................  oh well.

This is a good lapsize quilt, and i'm hoping to get it quilted in time for a Christmas gift - we will see........

oh me oh my, tomorrow is Monday - oh well, it's off to work we go !

Kate


Thursday, November 5, 2015

Fabric Wrangler

Fabric Wrangler????  you ask???? what is that????

Well - that's my DH...

for about a year, he's been "wrangling" my fabric.

He washes and folds new fabric.

He cuts scraps (oh my how fabulous !!!!  )

He ironed chain pieced stuff, like four-patches..........

WOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEe

so today the first quilt made entirely from his work came to completion.  And he attached his feet on the bottom of it, ad you see below. 


 
All those 2.5 inch squares came from bins of scraps, strips from quilt backs, etc.  He cut and cut, and I now have bins and bins of squares, 2.5, 5, and 8.5 inch...  this is just the tip of the iceberg !
 
He played "I Spy" with it - oh, I remember that one, and that one, and oh, lots of that one....
 
 
AND THEN HE TOLD ME HE WAS TIRED OF FABRIC WRANGLING !!!
 
 
boooooooooooooohoooooooooooooooooooo
 
I already miss my wrangler !!!
 
 
Kate
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Off on a Tangent

Well - you know how they say a quilt can talk to you?   Well, this one has taken me on a wild ride..........

Here's how it looked in May........... its a Sue Garman pattern, called "Sarah's Revival".   I had one more row to put on the bottom.  But then I got occupied with other things, and it sat on the shelf.  

And then I started to hear it talk..............  the middle blocks just weren't quite right - not quite centered, not quite well done..............  So I decided to take them out............

And then I decided to take out the red sashing.............
So I took it all apart.
Then it told me it wanted to have the blocks set on point !!!!

So - here it is now......  I'm gradually rebuilding it on point, and as a rectangle instead of a square.

And with cream sashings..............

 
It looks really different, doesn't it ????  I like how the applique has room to breathe. 
 
Well, stay tuned, and we'll see what happens next............ 
 
this sure is fun.........
 
Kate
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 

Thursday, October 29, 2015

From Bit and Mystic

Happy National CAT DAY !!!!



 We are busy napping........................ on this:::
or in this:
 or guarding the scraps:
 
Go enjoy CAT DAY by petting someone - quick !!!
 
love, Bit and Mystic
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Is it Fall ????

Hello everyone - oh I hope you are enjoying this lovely Sunday - it's cool and crisp here in the Bay area, and I love weekends so very much.  

Today I finished up a little charity quilt, except for bindings, which have yet to be put on...

I do love this little cutie, made from some string blocks..


I love these big, wide borders to calm down the activity of the strings...

And here's the back...

I had some leftover crumb blocks, and the back wasn't wide enough - so - poof - like putting vegetables in meatloaf - back is widened, and crumbs are used !!!!

On another long-term project - do you remember this?


I'm quilting along on this still - I think I need to shut myself up with this one weekend and not come out until it is done.............  hold your breath on that one !!!

Happy fall to everyone....

Kate





Sunday, October 4, 2015

Progress !!!!




Hi there - how about mostly pictures today, and not much talk?  That's the mood I am in.

But I am really starting to like this linen piece... still more work to do, though...




Á

 if you notice some 'poofy' places - in the corners - those aren't done yet !!!!  once upon a time the whole thing was poofy - - I'm getting there !!!!
enjoy the rest of the weekend !!

Kate

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Sewing Up a Storm !!!

Hi all...  cool temps have returned, schools have reopened, and I have had the opportunity to spend several weekends sewing to my heart's content !!!

Miss Bit has decided that the ironing board makes a great kitty bed - - interferes with my productivity, but aww isn't she cute there...  (ooh my ironing board is grungy)
 I have been working on two quilts for Christmas presents....  first is this little 'kitty' quilt.  The center blocks were leftover from another quilts, so I just made the ladder blocks to go with it - I'll show you more when it is finished...
 Second is a little kit from Connecting Threads... This was on a 40% sale, so who could pass that up?  Just the fabric was a deal - but I decided to actually make the quilt, and it's really cute...  many triangles, but that's ok sometime....  I should be able to get this done by the holidays.....
 
I've also been quilting up some charity quilts, including this one made from crumb blocks.  I was gifted a giant stack of crumb blocks, which I worried about ever using.  So I put a triangle on each side, making a square in a square, and took them to a retreat - and said a little prayer that people would sew them up - AND THEY DID !!!!  I think I will try that technique again in the future when I get a big pile of crumb blocks !!!
 
Well, that's my quilty action...  I am sitting here today looking at my "big" projects - a linen piece, a couple of detailed quilts - and somehow I am just not in the mood................ oh well, another day I WILL be in the mood...  won't I ????

Happy Sunday everyone - hope you are ready for another busy week !!!

Kate

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

My Little Calendar Centerfold

Hello  readers -

My kitty Mystic is going to be a CENTERFOLD !!!!

We entered his photo in a kitty photo contest sponsored by the Maine Cool Adoption agency in Oakland, CA.  And he got named KITTY SEPTEMBER !!!

This is the photo that will be in the calendar.  He loves to climb - and a ladder is just his most favorite favorite thing !


I must admit that he DOES take a fetching photo:

Mystic on a BAD HAIR DAY



MYSTIC GETTING AN EDUCATION:

 Mr. Bedroom EYES
 SPHINX ON SCRAPS


YEP - that's my little furry boy - 

can't wait for the calendar to be published...

and yes, we have ordered one for all the uncles and aunts and sisters and brothers...  this calendar, after all, is a FUND-RAISER for Maine Coon adoptions !

and, yes, this very gorgeous kitty was once a little homeless kitten - he came from a family who was evicted from their home, so all the pets had to be adopted out. 

What fun these two kitties bring us every day !!!! (yes Miss Bit is a little jealous - - we will have to do something special for her very soon)

Kate

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Fun Adventures in Quilting

Hi there - well, my summer travels finally ended (but were fabulous)...  and I've found some time to get back to the sewing room.

Remember this little quilt??? finished earlier this summer?




Well, I'm trying something like that with black batting instead of white.  First I copied a pattern and enlarged it, then sewed that onto organza and black batting.  Next, I removed all the paper, and cut away the excess batting, leaving this:
 Well, it really wasn't all that quick... actually, cutting away all the excess batting took forever and and a day...  but it makes a great travel project - just snip, snip...a bit at the time.
 See all that yucky white thread????  Well, that's wash-away thread... so it will disappear. 
Now to quilt around all the designs, and free-motion in the spaces.  Fun?  yes............ Quick?  not so much...........

I'll be back to show you progress as I make some....

Happy last days of summer to everyone,

Kate
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