Friday, November 30, 2012

Iggy

This is Iggy. He was added to our family in May. I would estimate his age at about ten months then. He was very thin and appeared to have been existing on a diet of grass snakes.

He is quite a character, chatty and very friendly except to Boysie. Boysie is the enemy.

Although Iggy is quite a bit larger than Blue and looks to have had a much tougher life he is quite content to be number two in the katten pecking order. Blue pesters him and bullies without mercy.

Iggy has been neutered and vaccinated, neither of which bothered him at all. 90% of his focus is on the next meal, the other 10% on getting outside, although he doesn't actually go anywhere when he succeeds. Favorite hangout is on the shelf where the cat food bowl lives, second favorite is in the basement, both he and Blue spent a great deal of time down there.

Iggy was very fortunate in that Janet, who adopted Blue agreed to take him too.


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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Pillowcases For My Upcoming Hibernation

Here in the frozen North (I capitalize with deep meaning,) certain species hibernate for the winter. I sympathize. I may join them.
I have always made pillowcases.

In the days when we were struggling to pay fees for two kids in private school, and later, college, I couldn't see paying as much as $9 per pillowcase when I could simply buy an extra twin flat sheet for the same price, or less and make four.

Grazing through Lori's stash the other day I discovered the most wonderful sheep fabric. Naturally it came home with me together with some pretty beige co-ordinating contrast fabric and I whipped up a plain pillowcase, shown at left.

Strangely (to me anyway) it looks fabulous with all my other pillowcases which are assorted estate auction bargains in pink. The 'box of assorted linens for a dollar or two' bargains which abound here in South Dakota.

Discussing this with Lori she offered to teach me a specific method for making fancier pillowcases than is my wont (def.#2). This will be pretty cool!

I plundered my own fairly puny stash and found the three fabrics at right. I have enough to make two matching pillowcases. Expect a post on the process in the not too far distant future.


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Monday, November 12, 2012

Design wall Monday

My design wall is like my brain these days, scattered. See many more design walls here on Patchwork Times.



At the very top of my wall are four blocks of a leader and ender project inspired by an antique baby quilt I saw at the Vermillion Quilt Show, shown below.

My tribute to this unknown quilter is made (mostly so far) from 2" finished off-cut triangles from the scrappy red and green Poinsettia Block quilt on the left of my design wall in the picture above. Inspired, not a copy, my triangles all march in the same direction. I will make more as the mood strikes.

To the right of the Poinsettia quilt are more leaders and enders in "stamps" and snowball blocks.

All the fabrics in this project except the Kaufman Kona Snow used in the snowballs are from several years of rootling through Lori's cutting room trash box. I cut most of my gleanings into 2-1/2" squares. I also cut 1-1/2" and 3-1/2" squares.

The triangles in the corners of the snowballs are 3-1/4" squares cut once diagonally and then trimmed. The plan is for a throw consisting of  10" blocks set 5 x 7 with a plain inner border and probably a pieced checkerboard outer border, if I have enough squares.

Finally the Poinsettia, I had an urge to make something in red and green and saw a picture on the Interwebs. I later discovered the original pattern is a freebie from Timeless Treasures which you can download and print here. Needless to say mine is not made from the pattern but that works for me.

I should confess there is yet another project hidden under the poinsettia, did I mention I am somewhat scattered these days?


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