Tag Archives: cats

One Flower Wednesdays

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I made half a dozen of these little flowers using half-inch hexagons.  To give an idea of the size of them, there’s a nickel in the middle of one.  I think I may alternate between these tiny ones and some made with the 1″ hexagons as I do have an idea for a small quilt using those as well.

Just to show the difference in size, this are some 1″ hexagons with the same nickel:

I really like working with .75″ hexagons as well so think I’ll print some fabrics to make a few of those.  If I’m doing One Flower Wednesdays, I may as well have a variety of sizes.

This week has turned out to be different than I anticipated.  I wasn’t expecting to be as busy as I have been.  As a result, I’m not getting around to blogs as much as usual nor have I responded to comments for a day or two.  Once today is over, then I’ll get caught up!

We had another absolutely glorious day on Wednesday.  Lots of sunshine.  Now I know it’s truly getting warm out there.  Some of the sun worshippers in the building were out on the roof garden Wednesday afternoon in their bathing suits.  That is a first — I don’t ever remember anyone being able to do that here this early.

Lester was busy on the windowsill watching as the gardener was out there adding soil to the flower beds.

Smudge looks rather pensive in this shot, I think.

Planning the Alabama Beauty Blocks

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These three little stacks of pieces represent the next three blocks for the quilt.  I’m still searching for the right name for it, so until then it’s simply “the quilt”.

I can see that working with the quilt is going to become more difficult the larger it gets unless I start putting it together in quadrants.  I’ve pretty well decided on a setting of 12 by 12 blocks, so I think what I’ll do is make four segments of 6 by 6 blocks.  That should make it somewhat less cumbersome to deal with until the end when I will join the four segments.  It’s rather amazing to realize that I’m over halfway done the first of four segments.  This is going together faster than I had anticipated.

On Linda’s blog yesterday, she showed some great layouts using controlled colour placement in the Alabama Beauty blocks that give totally different effects.  One of them gave me an idea for a quilt with the Improved 9-Patch block, which is another block that I do want to play with, although not a king-sized quilt.

I’ve joined in on the One Flower Wednesdays with Karen and Valentina.  At some point today I will be making at least one or two hexagon flowers, which I will show tomorrow.  I have an idea for a small lap quilt that will incorporate a few hexagon flowers made of 1″ hexagons and I think I’m going to use a small border of flowers made with half-inch hexagons to surround this piece when I get it to whatever size I finally decide on as large enough.

We had another gloriously sunny day on Tuesday.  The leaf buds on the trees on the roof garden are really starting to swell and show a little green.  With any luck we’ll have leaves in front of the living room window hiding the other high-rise towers before the end of the month.

This shot of Lester makes me laugh.  This was taken only moments after he had been brushed.  I don’t know why he does it, but as soon as he has been combed or brushed, he immediately starts licking and chewing on his ruff and looks so unkempt!  In this shot, I’m not sure if he’s meowing at something out on the roof garden or if we caught him in the midst of yawning.

According to Mr. Q.O., Smudge was thinking about “where’s dinner?” in this shot.

Alabama Beauty Circle Blocks

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Another row added and now six circles have appeared.  The more of these blocks that I do, the quicker I’m finding it is to stitch them.  What takes more time now is choosing the fabrics for the next row.   I’m trying to not have circles of the same colour next to each other.

It is now 27″ by 36″.  Once the next row is added, it will be 36″ square.  I’m thinking that I may work on this in 5-row sets so that it doesn’t become too difficult to handle.  That will make it a bit more complicated choosing the fabrics for the first row of each set but a little careful planning should be all that’s required.  I hope.  I’m thinking that it will end up composed of 12 rows of 11 blocks but that decision is one I’ll make once I get closer to finished.  I don’t think this will have a border.

I’m still trying to decide on a name for the quilt.  One candidate that keeps coming to mind is Spring Circles.

We got pictures of the cats awake.  Smudge, once again taking over my desk chair.

While Lester was relaxing on the pink chair.

Monday Miscellaneous

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When picking up the frame on Saturday from Sew Sisters, I couldn’t resist these fabrics for the Alabama Beauty blocks.  It will be mostly made from stash but I will need to add a few fabrics along the way as I want to have each circle in the quilt unique.

The roof garden has been opened for the season.  We were out there for a while on the weekend.  So far, there are only a couple of little daffodils blooming but lots and lots of green shoots starting to show in the flowerbeds.

All of a sudden the grass on the roof garden seems green as can be.

We have been taking care of Winnie since Friday morning.  Last time we took a picture of her was shortly after she had been given the kitty lion cut last fall.  Now her fur has grown in as seen here.  When we go in, we’re greeted most times by the loudest meow imaginable.

The weekend saw some very lazy kitties in this household.  Lester curled up in one bed.

And Smudge curled up in another.

Klosjes — It Must be Saturday

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Not much to show this week in the way of Klosjes, but I did get this one little block done.  It seems the quilt is going to be larger than the 81 blocks previously made.  Mr. Q.O. loves these little blocks so I’ll keep going, I suppose, until I have enough to make at least a lap quilt.

The back:

While I may have only stitched one, I did take a few minutes this morning to print the templates on some more charms and muslin:

We picked up the floor frame from Sew Sisters this afternoon.  Oh, my — it is fantastic!  Wonderfully made and has velcro strips and ribbon to hold up the sides so they’re not draped all over the floor.  Easy as can be to use — no knobs to tighten or loosen.  Perfect for someone with limited hand strength like me.  And it actually looks nice!

We’re taking care of Winnie, our neighbours’ cat, this weekend.  Winnie who makes all those funny sounds when she eats.  She did it again tonight.

Our boys have been resting up, hoping we get warmer weather again soon and that there are lots of things to watch out the window.  Lester was guarding the toy basket.

While Smudge was doing one of his impossibly cute poses.

Piecing an Alabama Beauty Block

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Thursday night I printed some more shapes for the nameless quilt.  I refuse to call it “The Thing” any longer.  It needs a name!  I got the fabrics picked out for the next set of 3 blocks and this block stitched.  I’m finding it easier and easier to plan these blocks.  I lay out the pieces for each block, make sure that the pieces that create the circles are in the right spot and then it’s really a quick block to stitch.

This is the back:

And this is a close-up of the centre of the back.  I had promised someone (sorry, I forget who!) that I’d show a close-up of how I press this block, so here it is:

The batiks I had ordered from Sew Sisters last weekend arrived.  I think a piece of one, if not two, of these is going to be used in the Alabama Beauty quilt.  These were definitely my lucky fabrics!  Tomorrow we’re off to Sew Sisters to pick up the frame.  I can’t wait!

Along with the batiks was this cute FQ of Easter fabric.  Wouldn’t this make a great back for a little doll’s quilt?

Thursday was another rainy, grey day.  Lester spent some time on the windowsill, but there wasn’t much for him to see.

Smudge, on the other hand, decided it was a good day to curl up with a teddy bear.

More Alabama Beauty Circles

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Now there are four complete circles showing.  This is really a fun top to put together as each row reveals another set of completed circles.  It’s like watching a bit of a mystery unfold.  Winning the quilt frame has absolutely decided it.  This will be a king-size quilt.  I was hesitating as the thought of basting it for quilting was rather daunting.  But with the quilt frame meaning no basting, once I finish adding rows and rows of blocks it will be ready to quilt immediately.   It will be solely a matter of getting the batt and a backing ready.

Mr. Q.O. keeps asking me if I’m making drapes with this one.  He’s kidding, of course, but it makes me think of a picture in the book, The Patchworks of Lucy Boston, in which a hexagon patchwork is used as a window treatment.  I’d love to find a fabric that looked something like this that could be used for drapes.

Finding a name for this quilt is already something I’m thinking about.  At the moment, it’s known in this household as “The Thing”.  Not very flattering.  It really does deserve a nice name, I think.

It poured and poured and poured rain some more on Wednesday.  But suddenly, the roof garden is looking greener and greener and the first daffodil has bloomed.  I think we’re to have nothing but rain and perhaps even a thunderstorm or two today.  Hopefully we see the sun again on Friday.

The cats know what to do on a rainy day.  Curl up and snooze.  Smudge, in one of his classic poses that always manage to make us laugh:

And Lester sound asleep.

I Got Framed!!

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See this picture?  This wonderful quilt frame?  It’s a fabulous solid oak quilt frame that does away with the necessity of basting, folds up easily for storage and is a great asset for any hand quilter!

On Easter weekend, my favourite quilt shop, Sew Sisters, had a contest.  Every purchaser of fabric got an entry.  Sew Sisters had a very similar contest last year at Easter.  That was the first time I saw one of these frames and I’ve been wanting one ever since as basting is a nightmare and holding a hoop is completely beyond my hands’ capabilities.  When Judy announced the contest on the Sew Sisters blog last week, I knew I had to buy something and get an entry in the contest.  A few half metres of red batiks were purchased and a lot of finger crossing began.

I don’t usually have good luck in contests like this but this time —  I won!  When I got the e-mail from Judy Tuesday afternoon, I was thrilled — once I got over the surprise I had actually won it, that is.  I think the cats jumped at the noise I made when I read that e-mail!!  There are 3 big quilts waiting for quilting, a number of smaller ones and now — well, now I can’t wait!  I’ve done so little hand quilting in the past couple of years that the first thing I’m going to do is make up a sandwich of muslin and batting and get back into the rhythm of hand quilting before I start on any of the quilts.

The frame is made by Heartland Quiltworks, a Canadian company.  We’re picking it up from the shop on the weekend.  I can’t wait to get it home and try out quilting with a frame.  I have visions of the cats curled up under the frame and probably being little mischief makers trying to catch  the needle and thread.

There’s a table runner pattern I’m working on that will feature, among other things, this star.  I made it with the 6″ Storm at Sea collection.  The background fabric I used is one that I’ve had for ages and absolutely love working with.  It’s almost of the same thread count as a good batik but needles so easily.  I’ve been looking for the right pattern in which to use it for years.

The back:

It was a rainy, drizzly, somewhat cooler day on Tuesday and the cats didn’t spend any time on the windowsill.  Smudge did spend a lot of time in my desk chair, though.  It seems to be one of his favourite spots.  I’m not too sure what that look is all about — perhaps a bit of a Morris look.

Lester also has a funny look on his face.  He was actually awake but closed his eyes as he really dislikes the flash of the camera.

Alabama Beauty – Second Circle

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It seems that getting that first group of blocks done so that the first circle appeared was the hardest part of making this quilt.  Now it’s almost putting itself together.  There’s a little planning to make sure each block is going to have the right fabrics on the outer edges to match up with their adjoining blocks, but once that’s done they’re amazingly fast to put together.   As I’m pressing as I go, the top truly will be done when I finish the last block.  I’m already wondering about how to quilt it.  It’s a done deal now — this is going to be king-size quilt.

Monday evening I picked out some more shabby chic prints to add to the mix, cut them to the size needed to print my templates and now I’ve got enough prepped to keep going for a few weeks.  While I was prepping them, I was thinking about favourite types of fabrics.  I always seem to fall back to shabby chic for large scrappy quilts.  Do you have a favourite type of fabric that you always seem to go back to?

Monday was another absolutely gorgeous day.  Warm as an early summer day, clear blue skies, an absolutely marvelous treat for early April.  There are more and more green shoots showing up in the roof garden flowerbeds and the vines on the trellis are starting to show green leaves as well.

Both cats spent time on the windowsill Monday.   We have finches flitting about in the trees which I think they’re finding as fascinating as I am.   In the evening, Smudge relaxed.

Lester was back in his favourite spot in the pink chair.

First Alabama Beauty Circle

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Watching the circle appear as I joined the fourth block to the first three made me smile.  Now there’s no stopping me on this.  I love the look I’m getting with all these shabby chic fabrics.  Sort of like an old chintz print in an English cottage somewhere, I think.  Mr. Q.O. keeps looking at it and saying it looks old.  Just the look I’m after!

Putting this together is actually less of  a planning nightmare than I had anticipated.  The bonus of it is that, as I’m joining the blocks as I go, when I’m finished making the blocks the quilt top itself will be finished.  As I want a fair number of circles to appear, I think this will end up as a bed-sized quilt.  Maybe even king size.  That I’m not sure about yet.  But it will be large.

We had the most glorious weather on the weekend with highs in the mid to high 20s Friday and Saturday.  Sunday was mild as well.  Although we had fairly strong winds for a while on Saturday night, it wasn’t the heavy wind storm they initially predicted.  And no rain.  An absolutely perfect first long weekend of the spring/summer season.  The leaves on the crab apple trees on the roof garden are starting to make an appearance.

Smudge has been busy watching out the window with Lester.  We didn’t get a shot of him but Sunday he was very intent watching something.  Here he’s in an almost headless cat pose.

Lester relaxing Saturday night after a lot of watching out the window during the day.