It's A Kitty Day

Did God who gave us flowers and trees,
Also provide the allergies?
~E.Y. Harburg

Something is blooming causing both my DH and I to suffer from allergies once again.  DH is used to being stuffed up as he seems to be allergic to something or another all year long.  But I'm not that way.  This year, with all of the rain and cooler temps, has been causing a lot of people to suffer from runny noses and watery eyes that have never had that problem before.  My sinuses are stuffed, my face feels puffy, and all of it's making my teeth hurt from the pressure.  Not a lot of fun :(  I guess we really do need the heat of summer to kill off the blooms and put us back into dryer air.  A hex on whatever is causing allergies now.

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

National Adopt-A-Cat Month

June is known as Adopt-A-Cat month.  Isn't the picture above just too cute?  Here are some interesting facts about cats:

* The nose pad of a cat is ridged in a pattern that is unique, just like the fingerprint of a human.

* There are more than 500 million domestic cats in the world, with 33 different breeds.

* Egyptians shaved their eyebrows as a sign of mourning when they lost a beloved cat.

* Calico cats are almost always female.

* The domestic cat is the only cat species able to hold its tail vertically while walking. All wild cats hold their tails horizontally or tucked between their legs while walking.
* The largest known litter (with all surviving) was that of a Persian in South Africa named Bluebell. Bluebell gave birth to 14 kittens in one litter!
* A cat has five more vertebrae in her spinal column than her human does.
* Sir Isaac Newton, discoverer of the principles of gravity, also invented the cat door.
* Cats need 1/6th the amount of light that humans do to see. Their night vision is amazing!
* Cats are the sleepiest of all mammals. They spend 16 hours of each day sleeping. With that in mind, a seven year old cat has only been awake for two years of its life!
* A group of grown cats is called a "clowder"


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BLOCK #5

Over the weekend I was able to put the finishing stitches in block #5 in the Baltimore Basics quilt I'm working on.....

This was a learning block as it involved my first attempt at needle turn (the gold medallion), making 1/8" stems, and making the rose buds.  Some of the stems ended up a bit curvier than others and some of the green parts on the rosebuds are not uniform but that's okay.  This is a learning process.  Just took a look at block 6 and I'm looking forward to getting started on it.

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ANOTHER PINCUSHION

Also over the weekend, while I was traveling around the world in my recliner, I made another pincushion.....

This one is totally different than the flower pincushions I made before.  I just love the little kitty with the fish swimming around him.  The pattern I used is called My Cat Claude Pincushion from Hatched and Patched.  It is all wool and filled with crushed walnut shells and dried lavender.  I finished the edges differently than what the pattern called for.  It said to sew a lining and sew right sides together, turn it right side out and stitch closed.  I like the look of the more primitive edge using a blanket stitch.  As I write this, this little pincushion is heading off to its new home.

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TODAY'S GOAL

I'm still working on the borders for the Mystery BOM quilt top.  Hopefully TODAY I will finish them!

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GIVEAWAYS

Amy's Creative Side is having a giveaway.  You could win a kit for the June quilt from 1 Choice 4 Quilting.  Amy will announce a winner on Monday, June 6.

Crafty Sewing and Quilting is having another May for Me giveaway.  You could be one of two winners of a $20 gift certificate off Marcia's Machine Quilting Services on a Lap Size Quilt or larger.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, June 15, at 6:00 pm.

Quilt Hollow is having a giveaway.  You could win one of two patterns from Perkins Dry Goods.  The winners will be selected on Friday.

Just One More Stitch is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win a $25 gift certificate from Fat Quarter Shop.  This giveaway ends Saturday, June 4, at midnight.

The Shabby is having their monthly giveaway.  Jennifer is giving away three $25 gift certificates to Shabby Fabrics.  This giveaway will last all month.

Tonya's Sewing Room is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of the book, HELP! I Married A Quilter by Mark Hyland.  A winner will be drawn on Friday, June 3.

One More Quilt is having mini giveaway #10.  You could win some beautiful fabric.  This giveaway ends Friday, June 3, at 10:00 am CST.

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FINAL THOUGHT

I sure have misjudged how long it would take to make the borders of the quilt top I'm working on.  I feel like it is taking forever.  It's sort of like when my DH says "Oh, it will only take three hours to do that" when he is working on something.  And, in my head I'm thinking "Okay, that means it really will take about 5 hours" - lol!  My hubby is the best at underestimating how long it will take to complete something, but then I think that could be a guy thing.  I honestly thought that I would have the borders done in a maximum of two days but it looks like it will be three.  But then I didn't calculate in there the stops I would make while washing and drying fabric for a future project.  Nor did I include the stops I made to felt some wool.  So, in all reality, it probably would have taken me only the two days to finish if I had just stayed on track.  Why, oh why, can't I keep my nose to the grindstone when I'm so close to finishing a project?!?  Do any of  you have this same problem?

Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment.
~Robert Benchley

Flowers, Bees & Baltimore

What may be done at any time will be done at no time.
~Scottish Proverb

I'm getting that feeling again.  The feeling of wanting to start something new.  This is a bad feeling.  I currently have 5 projects I'm working on.  To start another would most certainly send one of my current projects into that deep pit known as the UFO pile.  I just remembered - I have another project that needs to be sandwiched, quilted and bound.  Not a big project - it is a PIF project.  I keep putting it off knowing that I have until October to finish it.  So, I definitely should not start a new project.  I have to quit looking at other's projects but that is rather difficult when I'm reading blogs.  The temptation to start something new is sometimes hard to ignore.  Okay.  I will promise myself not to start a new project until I have completed at least one of the 5 I'm currently working on - swaps and bees not included.  There.  It has been said out in public.  Ahhhhhh!  I feel better.  Well, at least for today I do - lol!

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Here are some fun animal facts that you may, or may not, know:

* Hippo milk is pink.

* The oldest known animal in the world was 'Ming' the 405 year old clam, discovered in 2007.

* Sharks, like other fish, have their reproductive organs in their chests.

* Sheep can survive for up to two weeks buried in snow drifts

* Flies are deaf.

* Honeybees never sleep.

* Cockroaches can live for 9 days after their head has been cut off.

* The katydid bug hears through holes in its hind legs!

* The ant, when intoxicated, will always fall over to its right side.

* If NASA sent birds into space they would soon die; they need gravity to swallow.

* A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.

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ONE FLOWER WEDNESDAY

Yesterday when I made my goal for the day, I had forgotten it would be One Flower Wednesday today.  But have no fear, I did get a hexie flower made.....

This bright and cheery flower will be a great addition to my GFG.  To see more wonderful hexagon flowers, go to Karen's blog, Journey of a Quilter.  Karen is the one that keeps all of us flower makers in line and provides the linky site.  Thanks, Karen!

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BEE BLOCK

Even though I had to get my hexie flower done, I still me my goal of making a Bee block....

This block, much like the last block, was a challenge to make.  Our hostess for Let's Bee Together Group B, Jorie, sent out beautiful fabrics to work with, but all of the pieces were rather small.  Every pattern I looked at needed more fabric of certain a certain color than I had.  I must have spent an hour looking at block patterns.  I finally just ended up cutting 2.5" squares.  I think I arranged them in a rather pleasant pattern.  Now I just hope that Jorie will like the block, too.

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BALTIMORE CONTINUES

Over the last couple evenings I have been able to make a little progress on block 4 of the Baltimore Basics....

So far this block has given me two new things to try.  First the little stems were only 1/8" when finished.  Instead of creating a bias tube, you folded the fabric wrong sides together and stitched down the length just shy of center.  Then you centered the the stems on the placement marks and folded the finished edge over the unfinished edge and stitched it in place that way (did that make sense?).  The other new method to me was needle turn applique.  The gold center piece is all done with the needle turn technique.  You can almost tell where I first started working (top right corner) and where I finished (bottom right corner).  My technique improved as I went.  Now to make flower buds.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I need to cut and assemble the background pieces for my quilt class at Quilt University.

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GIVEAWAYS

Sew 4 Home is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of Crazy Quilting by Allie Aller.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, May 31, at midnight PT.

Sew I Quilt is having a giveaway.  You could win an I Top Tool and accessories.  This giveaway ends Thursday, May 19.

FabricWorm is having their weekly giveaway.  This week you could win  Laurie Wisbrun Pooches and Pickups in Fat Quarters.  This giveaway ends Monday, May 23, at 8:30 am PST.

Grosgrain is having a giveaway.  You could win a Silhouette SD Machine.  The winner will be announced Tuesday, May 24.

Ditzy and Dotty is having a giveaway.  Sally is giving away a pdf file of her lunch bag pattern PLUS a copy of the ‘Red Riding Hood Basket’ pattern plus, if that wasn’t enough, Lisanne at Sewcity has donated a bundle of 4 gorgeous Fat Quarters.  This giveaway ends Thursday, May 19.

Rsisland Crafts is having a giveaway.  Robin is giving away two Simplicity patterns - one is for bags and the other is for skirts.  This giveaway ends Friday, May 20.

The Intrepid Thread is having a giveaway.  You could win a darling little kit for a pillow that was only available at Market.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, May 24, at midnight.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Thank you all for your encouragement to attend the local quilt guild meeting.  I think I have convinced myself to give it a go (don't you like the decisiveness there - lol!).  If I don't go, I will never know and will always wonder what it is like and what the people are like.  I've been thinking about dragging my DH along for the first meeting but that might be considered cruel and unusual punishment.  He likes (or at least pretends) to learn about what I'm working on and enjoys going to quilt shows with me, but I don't think listening to 2 hours of quilt talk would be very interesting for him.  I just need to suck it up and be brave.  I need to push myself out of my secure little nest - to spread my wings, so to speak.  I think I could handle this for one evening a month.  I will do it!!

A year from now you may wish you had started today.

~Karen Lamb

Make your Wednesday wonderful!!

Guess My Block

See everything; overlook a great deal; correct a little.
~Pope John XXIII

How was your weekend?  Mine was meh.  Not much going on.  Ran errands and did wash.  Nothing even exciting to watch on tv.  We were lucky enough to receive a little rain in the early hours of Sunday morning and were blessed with much cooler temps.  That was the highlight of my weekend.  Some weekends are just like that - not worth reporting on.  Hopefully that means my week will be productive and maybe a little creative.  I guess life is what I make of it  -  so no one else to blame but me for the blahs and humbugs. 

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Bridal Bouquet

We are quickly approaching June, the most popular month for weddings.  Do you know why brides carry floral bouquets?  About the time of the Middle Ages, people took their one bath of the year about April, when the weather was starting to warm up. Marriages traditionally took place in June and, by that time, people were starting to smell a bit ripe. Therefore the bride would carry flowers to help cover the offensive odor.  The annual baths themselves consisted of a big tub of hot water. The man of the house got the nice, hot, clean water, then all the other male members of the household from sons to servants, followed by the lowly women and, last of all, the baby. By that time, the water was so filthy, you couldn't see into it and tiny tots could actually get lost in it, hence the expression, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water." We've come a long way baby.  Flowers symbolize a number of emotions, values and wishes. In the past, brides carried flowers or herbs because they were believed to ward off evil spirits. Today, brides carry flowers to follow tradition, and to add beauty and elegance to their wedding.

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CAN YOU SOLVE THE MYSTERY

Friday I finished the 12th and final block in the Designer Mystery BOM from Fat Quarter Shop.  Would you like to help me figure out what it is?  Let's get started......

Here is the fabric I had to work with.  Just love this Kate Spain fabric, 12 Days of Christmas.  So let's get cutting.....

Here are all the pieces, cut and ready to go.  Didn't take much time at all.

These were the first two pieces.  Could it be Santa's wife with the skinny little waist?  No, probably not.  Maybe one of the sexy little store elves that  you see in the department stores?  Oh, don't go there......

Simple strips were next.  I have absolutely no guesses - how about you?

Four HSTs and two more little strips.  Elf slippers and ?

This looks like a slice of candy cane to me.  But what about those letters?

Could this be a popcicle?  Or maybe a road sign indicating snow ahead?  Come on - you must have a guess as to what the block might be......

Did you guess right?  This block is called The Final Touch and was designed by Sherri Falls of This and That Patterns.  I have already cut out the sashings and corner stones for this quilt and hope to start assembling it next week. 

And not to worry, this isn't our last mystery together.  I have already signed up for the 2011 Designer Mystery BOM.  This time it will be a spectacular flower garden filled with blooms and blossoms featuring the Strawberry Fields collection by Fig Tree Quilts for Moda Fabrics.  I'm already looking forward to June!

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BALTIMORE BASICS CONTINUES

Friday I also started a new block for the Baltimore Basics quilt.....

These are future stems and will be only 1/8" thick.  I'm learning a new method so I will see how it works.  I'm a little nervous about the center of the block so keep your fingers crossed for me.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will make two 6 1/2" blocks for my swap partner Sallie. 

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GIVEAWAYS

The Raspberry Rabbits is having a giveaway.  You could win a DVD called Quilting Art's, it's workshop on making fabric journals.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, May 18.

Hawthorne Threads is having their weekly giveaway.  You could win a Rosalie Quinlan Sweet Broderie fat quarter bundle in Morning.  A winner will be selected on Wednesday, May 18.

Eclectic Quilter is having a giveaway. Marj is trying to name her new long arm machine. You could win a copy of Machine Freehand Patterns by Nan Moore. This giveaway ends Tuesday, May 18.

The Quilting Booklady is having a giveaway.  To celebrate Spring Market, Becky is giving away the pattern by Pat Wys and fabric to make your very own version of Tic Tac.  But hurry, this giveaway ends tonight, Wednesday, May 18, at 6:00 pm, EST.

Little Miss Shabby is having a final birthday giveaway.  She is giving away a custom pillow designed just for the lucky winner!  This giveaway end Friday, May 20.

1 Choice 4 Quilting is having a "Super Duper Duper Super" fabric giveaway.  There is just too much to list here but there will be 10 lucky winners!!!  The lucky winners will be drawn on Sunday, May 29, at 10:00 pm EST.

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FINAL THOUGHT

My week looks fairly normal.  Luckily there's no grocery shopping this week :D  I have been contemplating going to a local guild meeting Thursday evening.  I would really like to be able to attend when they have speakers or to be able to attend when they have classes.  I'm just not sure.  I'm not sure if I will like being in a large group - I never have been fond of groups.  I'm not sure if my quilting is up their standards.  I'm not sure how welcoming they would be.  I guess the only way to find out is to attend the meeting.  I still have a few days to decide - I'll let you know.

A peacefulness follows any decision, even the wrong one.
~Rita Mae Brown


Make your Monday marvelous!!