Cats & Quilts - a match made in heaven... (except maybe those stubborn little clouds of fur that latch on to the fabric!)

Kitty Quote of the Day

I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul. - Jean Cocteau

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Another Month Passed...

The months are flying by as they seem to do once you get over about 30...... As if there is enough sewing time without that happening???

Blogger has given me headaches this month but freed up my time for sewing when I couldn't get online or comment on my favourite blogs. I have missed not getting to (email & comment) talk to you all as much as usual but hopefully blogger is fixed so it will be all go for June. I need my inspiration & motivation by seeing all the amazing things you make & a laugh at your happy goings on.

I have been busy with sewing though & seem to have gone hexie flower crazy. My goal was 12 but it appears I have finished 40 this month. My dilema is that they do not go together & I haven't made a scrappy quilt so am feeling very unnerved at the thought of these 52 flowers being in 1 quilt.



I joined the WA Quilters Guild finally this year at the Quilt Show & last Friday went to the Guild Hexie &Crazy Quilt Club. Wow, some amazing talent there & crazy quilting is on the 'to do' list. They assured me that if I brought in a sheet, lots of pins & my flowers with me once all completed, we could put it on the wall & place them together and I would be very happy. Great idea.

This pic in the March Issue of Real Living Magazine helped too, the flowers are bigger & there are none of Leanne's beautiful stitchery hexies but the colours are bold & random and I still love it so there is hope for mine yet.

I finished my next two Tis The Season blocks for the online Stitch-a-long;

I have sewn my three reject TTS blocks in to a wall hanging but it is missing something so until I decide what, it isn't quite finished. Block 3 stitchery of the Retro Nine Patch is finished & I have almost finished another Life is Beautiful stitchery (will be completed later tonight).

I also made myself a sewing machine cover using quilt as you go. That was a new learning curve but if you don't look too hard at the back you can't tell it is slightly out of alignment. At least this project was my trial so I now know what to do & what not to do. I love the fabric & its been in my stash since the first quilt fair I went to about 6 years ago. It has the Brun cat seal of approval too.

I also made this little pillow for my little mate Megs whose family I spent Mothers Day with - such fun! It says 'The Value of a Mothers Love, Can Not Be Measured, Only Treasured'. Perfect for mummy Megs!


My two fur-boys are loving having the gas fire going at night & I am loving having them both closeby. Little old Brun's athritis is playing up in his back legs but we try to keep it at bay with doses of fish oil & his napping the day away on mums electric blanket.

Honey's favourite day bed is on his recliner with his blankie & his girlfriend. She's the strong, silent type but nice to cuddle up too.

Happy June to you all!
Tracee xx Brun xx & Honey xx

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Perth Quilt Fair

Time flys when your having fun & this weekend has been fun with the quilt show finally reaching Perth. Thursday & Friday were spent at the fair with lovely friends & the poor old credit card getting a great workout.

How could a kiwi girl go past this quilt from Monica Poole of Moonshine Quilts & these great fabrics to make in it from Patchwork with Gail B - yum or should I say BAAAAA! It was nice to say hi to Monica too.



Thread & Ginger had a stall with Natalie Bird on it so got to say hi & see the stitch a long quilt, Tis The Season in person - all lovely. This pattern also from Natalie Bird of the Birdhouse seemed to apply fully to me - My house is untidy, the gardens overgrown, my hair is a mess, but you should see what I've sewn;


I couldn't go past a spoilt cat stitchery with little pink buttons. Of course, I will need to make one with a grey cat & one with a creamy ginger one.


And on a practical & pretty note, this pattern for a holder for Threadworx threads that can't be stored on the usual cards;

So that's a selection of my purchases, can't show them all as others have shown such restraint & unfortunately I have none. Now to get some stitching done so I can start some of these new projects.

Happy stitching
Tracee xx

Friday, May 6, 2011

Free Online Quilt Magazine

I've joined up to the 'Lets Stitch' special event with Quilt Fabric Delights for a month of quilty delights.

On the forum, one kind soul gave the link to a free online quilt magazine so thought I would share it with you all. I haven't had more than a glimpse at it & naturally being free it needs to include advertising but looks to have some value especially at the price ;)

If you want to sign up follow this link http://www.onlinequiltmagazine.com/.

My cat of the day I am loving;



Happy stitching
Tracee xx

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Update Post Bloggers Block!

Hi all, about time I updated what I have accomplished in April. I have had a bad case of bloggers block for the last week. No posting, no reading, no replying to emails - sorry about that. Don't know what came over me but I did get lots of stitching done.

So here's what I've been up to;

Tis The Season SAL - two more blocks done & the quilt label. I love that I am up to date on this!


Life is Beautiful - three more stitcheries done



Retro Nine Patch - Blocks one & two finished, have two more to do by 15th May to catch up. Can't wait to see how these are used in the finished quilt. It's a mystery......



Vignette Hexie Quilt - 26 hexies done, my new addiction!


That's my ongoing projects covered. I will leave the UFOs & another new project completed for later in the week though there is a peek below.

Little Brun is feeling sad & fragile today. He woke me up this morning with choking noises, foaming mouth & lots of fur ball troubles. For any non cat people, that is fur built up in his tummy from licking in case you were worried that it's a genital problem! My modus operandi when it comes to my fur boys is simple - panic. After 10 minutes of throat & tummy massage & dribble wiping I thought we had a quick trip to the vet needed fast. But while I scrambled in to clothes & fretted about vets being open he wheezed and dealt with things himself by getting up a big, slimy furry bundle deposited for me in the bathroom. Thank goodness!!! Now he is sunning himself on the sewing table, not up to eating yet but has managed some water so doing AOK. A sit on the couch with mum making hexies while watching the latest Harry Potter should bring him back to his normal self. My poor baby...


And on a happy note - thanks very much to Di & Miss Gracie from Quilting is Blissful who sent me a mug rug in the mail as a surprise. It's gorgeous & as I am a fairly new blogger I have missed this addiction but now I have one of my own featuring beautiful bunnies. Precious!



Happy stitching & if life sends you fur balls, may they all be slippery ones!
Tracee xx