My quilt fabric is being guarded when I am not around.

I am still working on the quilt.  But my cat Spooky isn't too sure she likes me doing it.  Or maybe she is just protecting the fabric.

It really is coming together but there doesn't seem to be much to show yet.    I am hopeful I will have all the squares done by the weekend.  Then I will take a picture before I put them together. There are 35 squares.  Probably the best thing is I am getting more and more familiar with the new sewing machine.  I am feeling quite comfortable with straight sewing.  My next project will have to be something with a little bit of decorative stitching perhaps.

I worked on my quilt, sort of.

q While my cats were napping yesterday I was working on my new quilt project.

     I spent a couple of hours on it yesterday afternoon.    The first thing I had to do was a LOT of cutting with my rotary cutter and mat.  Then I did the next step which was to start sewing some parts together and cutting them again.  Sort of like a puzzle.  I had to go very slowly and measure a lot.  But have to admit it is fun and I sure am enjoying doing the stitching on my new machine.  The first picture here shows the pile of some of the parts I cut and the second shows some sort of put together.  Lots more to do.

During the day it snowed off and on, but since I didn't have to go anywhere it was a lovely way to spend the afternoon.   Oh yeah, my antique shop was open  but not so busy because of the weather, so I wasn't interrupted too much.

I hope to have more to show you tomorrow.  Maybe some things actually beginning to look like a quilt top.

With the cats, you never know (6 word Saturday)

The cats have been providing opportunity for me to pull out the camera again.  In our kitchen we have a stool that is a place to place jackets and hats when we come in from outside.  Over the years our cat Tuffy has enjoyed sitting on top of the jackets and pretty much claimed it as her own..  We recently decided we had enough of cat hair on jackets so.....  we put a piece of fabric on the stool, thinking she would like that and we would finally hang up our jackets when we get home.

WELL, she does like the new fabric on the stool  BUT so does her sister Spooky.  So now they share it.  Spooky NEVER got up on it before.  Now she loves it.   Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,

Hey what are you doing here spooky?

I think I like it here says Spooky.

 Well they finally figure out that they can both sleep on the stool.......................

Bentley and Nature

Bentley is so improved that we are letting him walk around the house a bit during the day.  Yesterday he wanted to sit up in the kitchen window so he could look out and see all the stuff he was missing.

   Here he is looking out the window, sad that he is trapped inside.... like kids they don't always appreciate when we do something for their own good.
        Here is a little gold finch eating on the bag of niger seed.  Doesn't it look nice next to the beautiful petunias.

 

The wind had blown over top part of birdbath but the Blue Jay was still hopeful.

      
But after a lot of looking Bentley decided a nap would be better.

While he was sitting in the window I stayed close by working on a new project.  It is an interesting type of journal.  I will show pictures in the next day or so, after I get a bit farther along.

Bentley the Cat was the star of a drama here in the family.

My husband was off doing an antique show and our cat was not that thrilled.  I know he kept looking for him when ever he went outside..
Well, Friday night at 6:20 he ran out of the house on his "hunt" I think.  At 6:30 I heard a horrible screaming sound on the back porch.  It was Bentley.... I didn't know what at happened at the moment but realized he couldn't walk, only crawl.  He had apparently gotten hit by a car.... crawled back to the back porch and started screaming for me.  I got him into the house and called the Vet.  He sent me to the Vet Emergency Service and so the "fun" weekend began for all of us.  He stayed at the hospital two nights, had x-rays, was given a lot of pain killers and antibiotics and today we got the call we could come and get him..... he was resting comfortably, eating and generally doing all he could considering he couldn't walk.

So now we get to spend the next several weeks playing nurse maid.  We are so thankful he is doing so much better.
We made him up a little "room" on the shelf of the bay window in our kitchen.  He can't get out.  There is a litter box, a bed and some food.  He just needs to "understand" he will get better if he rests a lot
In the first picture you can see him in one of the beds in his new "room"  And he has on the collar he was given to wear.

  In the picture above he is looking out the window rather forlornly.  He much prefers outside.

And in this final picture he is in the other bed.  He has two choices, isn't he lucky.

Tonight we had fun giving him his medicine.  He took it very well though
We finally took off that collar.  It was driving him crazy and it wasn't really serving any purpose anymore.

I imagine it will get to a routine eventually.  Meanwhile though it will certainly keep us busy.

 My husband had my camera with him at the show so I couldn't get any pictures but now I can again so I hope to get back to the blogging on a more regular basis..... that sounds familiar.... probably said it before.

Stitching along slowly!! While the kitties play

I Have been so busy with my shop, and getting ready for some travel I haven't done much on the "Stitch A Long" at all.  But I am promising my self I will be able to do it as we travel.  We shall see.  I am WAY behind.  I am enjoying doing the ribbon embroidery but I imagine I will change to something else soon. That might speed me up again.

You can see my cats have been "busy" too. They like to help when I do the laundry.  In the first two pics you can see Spooky in the front and Tuffy in the back sitting on laundry that is on top of washer waiting to be done.   And in the final picture Spooky is resting on the warm, freshly dried clothes.  Now where is that cat hair remover brush. 

A change of pace for January

I have been busy with so many things that my blog has definitely taken a back seat.

The cats have been posing too..... or "caught in the act" anyway.

Spooky loves enclosed places. No wonder our clothes are covered with cat hair....

Spooky likes to lord it over Bentley as well.



The sisters (Spooky (L) and Tuffy (R) really do like each other and can ofter be seen side by side.

Normally by this time of the month of January I am well into a project. Lately it has been miniatures and this year was supposed to be no exception.

Well I will just have to be a little late at it.

I recently bought two room box kits to use for a couple of projects I have worked on but never liked what I had done with them. so....................... I got these two room box kits and will work on them one at a time to finish off these projects.

Not much to show you yet...... but here is a picture of the boxes. Then I will show as I go along.
Later today I will put the first box together and figure out what I have to do to make it like I want it.
The first project is called "Milady's Dress Shoppe" I had made up a shop in a very small room box and it was so crowded and I kept finding things to add to it..... SO..... I hope this will allow me to put everything together.

Tune in Tomorrow.... Saturday, to see how I have progressed, or if I have. I have time to work today as my shop will not be open due to all the snow.

Meet Blondie

This pretty kitty has sort of joined our household. She has been hanging around the house since
this past summer and has been getting friendlier. She still wanders the neighborhood but spends more and more time here. We have been feeding her and now my husband has figured out a way to let her sneak into his workshop, which is heated so she can have warmth and a bit of protection from the elements. We went out and bought her a little bed and she has now claimed it as her own.

There are two other kitties we also feed outside but they are pretty much wild and run at the sight of us. But Blondie comes right on up and says loudly hello.... meow, meow, meow

My helper cat

I have been putting a lot of items on eBay lately and have set up a little site to use for taking pics. Tuffy decided she would like her portrait taken too. I don't think I will be putting her up for bid however.

Cats Like Salad Too!!

My cats are indoor cats so don't get to try out grass.... but I heard it might help, especially my long haired cat........... I looked up "Cat Greens" on line, followed the instructions and here is the result. My longhaired cat.... Spooky.... loves them so that is good. The shorthaired cat has no interest.

You need to get bulk grain...... Barley, flax seed and wheat berries, plant them and when they get to be about an inch tall you can put them out for the cat.
I found all the grains at the health food store.....

Here is a link to the actual way to do this....
http://www.10news.com/lorensfieldnotes/11013890/detail.html

The first batch I made got moldy.... so I redid.... this time I made sure there was drainage in the bottom of the pots. I put little pebbles in the pot before adding potting soil. This has prevented the mold so far.....

Tuffy's Great Adventure

Two weeks ago today one of our cats, Tuffy, snuck out the back door and took off for points unknown. We advertised, called radio stations, the local SPCA etc. etc. etc. We called all our neighbors. We got calls of sightings from all over the place. We had about given up on finding her when we got a call from our next door neighbor. She had spotted Tuffy on her front porch. Tuffy disappeared before we could get over there, but...... it was a great relief to know that she was alive and not that for away. So everyone was on alert. That was Saturday.
Then on Sunday, we call a call to come to our neighbors house because Tuffy had just run under the porch. !!!!!
Yes!!!. She was there. I called out to her and she poked her head out just enough to let me know it was her. Then finally Bill got her out by giving Tuffy her favorite treats. And home she came. At first she was a bit tentative but it didn't take her long to check out her favorite haunts. She drank a lot of water too. Probably a bit dehydrated but basically she was the same but a bit thinner and didn't seem to worse for her adventure. It is just amazing to us that this indoor cat could survive so well outside. We had several snow storms and heavy rains during this time, not to mention cold and ice. But as she is named she is ONE TUFF CAT.

The reason she is named Tuffy has certainly been proved to be a correct one after this current escapade. She was born under another neighbors porch three years ago and was the first of the little kittys to wander away from her mother.... a local stray cat. She was already proving her adventurous nature. She joined our family along with a sister cat named Spooky.


Spooky still lives up to her name cause she is a real nervous cat. With Tuffy returning to the fold Spooky's nose seems a bit out of joint. I think she was enjoying being queen bee. She is also a bit afraid of Tuffy.... Hope she will come around soon.

We are so happy to have Tuffy back home again. Sure hope the two cats can become friends again like they were in this picture taken a month or so ago.