Kitty Cats

One year ago, in June, there was a black cat in my side yard.  I called him and he came running as fast as he could run, meowing at the top of his lungs and then wrapped himself around my legs.  I thought he looked a bit thin, so I fed him.  :-)   He showed up for another three days and then on the fourth day, I looked out the window and there was a different kitty.  She looked really bad, very thin, her hair looked bad.  So I fed her.  About the fourth day, I looked out and there is the second kitty nursing baby kitties.  I named them, Mama Kitty, Baby Girl Kitty and Baby Boy Kitty. 

Where Black Kitty loved me, Mama Kitty would hiss at me and one year later she is still hissing at me.  To shorten a story, they are still here, they are outdoor kitties and they love my food.  I got Baby Boy fixed and my intentions were to get the girls fixed, but that is not easy with wild cats.  So this month, Mama brings me 5 babies and Baby Girl brings me 2 babies.  Help!!!!  They are going to break me buying kitty food. 

 

Moochers

 



The little kitties still run off when I go outside, but they are getting a little closer to me.  I think in a week or two, I will be able to pick them up and pet them.  Hopefully I can find nice homes for them.   The little black kitty,  came often to eat.  I really believe that he belonged to someone because he was not wild.  He was very friendly.   I think he got run over on Parish Road.  I was over there and there was a dead black kitty by the side of the road.  I never saw him again, so I am sure that it was him.  For those of you who don't know, I have two kitties and a dog in the house.  I have enough pet hair, I really cannot bring in more kitty cats.  They are as safe as I can make them. 

 

They are very entertaining.  The kitties are doing what kitties do, running, chasing and wrestling.   They keep Jack (the dog) entertained. 

 

Hope you have had a great day.  We have had rain, rain and more rain.  We are about to float away. 

 

 

Sweater and Kitties..........

Front

A while back, like probably June, I wrote in my blog about the yarn that I had bought in Alaska.  I also wrote about me not crocheting since in the early 80's.  After a few times that I tore this sweater apart, I think I probably have the stitch size down. 

The sweater has an interesting pattern.  The border I changed a little bit.  I didn't like the way they had done it so I did it Sharie's way. 

Back

Pattern

The sweater was very easy to make, but it is rather an odd way to make it.  You make a huge rectangle.  Then you measure off a certain amount of stitches across the foundation stitches.  That places the armholes, the lower back and the upper back.  There is no way you can lay this thing flat once it is put together.  You can also make many mistakes and no one is going to know it. 

Not a lot new here, no shop hops to go on.  Houston is coming up soon but I have not made up my mind about going.  It is roughly a three hour drive from here.  The Circle plans on going for 2 nights.  Sounds like fun but I am sure it would be a costly trip and you know what, there is absolutely nothing that I need.  You say go and don't buy anything.  You are out of your mind.  You haven't been to Houston.  There is no way you can go to Houston and not buy lots and lots of things that you don't need.  I have tried not to buy the things that I don't need.  It just is not going to happen.  But don't be surprised at the end of the month, I have decided to go to Houston.

One more picture of my kittie kats.  They are so cute.  They follow me around everywhere.  Smokey is laying on my project boxes.  I was getting ready to go sew.  Both of them (JAC and Smokey) just had to know what I was doing. 

JAC and Smokey

Next blog will have something on quilting.

Hope all is well with you.

The Bee's Knees...........

The Bee's Knees

I have been working on a couple of quilts since I last posted.  Both of them are quilts that I had started and were put on the back burner.   I will post one at a later date but this one I must have embroidered these blocks a couple of years ago.  I love the little bees.  I dug around in my stash and found most of the black and white and some of the yellow fabrics.  I needed a couple more to balance out the color so thus ordered those.  They arrived this week so I am busy making blocks.  I have decided to make it using the "Tossed Salad" idea.  The blocks are a few that I have made.  I still have a bunch to go. 

The Bee's Knees

If you look close all the bee's have knobby knees.  Most of the blocks I still need to trim the connecting threads and I need to cut the blocks to 6 1/2 inches (unfinished). 

I went to a church supper last night.  Those ladies really know how to cook.  They do a terrific job.  I wish they did it every night, although I would probably be as wide as a barn door if they did. 

Not much new here, fall is coming, I love that.  Our temps are cooling down.  This morning at 10:00 a.m. it is 69 degrees. 

Here is a picture of Smokey.  Smokey follows me everywhere.  He is very nosy.  I was putting the bee's blocks on the design wall, he just had to see what I was doing.

Hope all is well with you................

In Full Bloom ................

In Full Bloom - Faux Binding



In Full Bloom



I have finished a quilt, In Full Bloom.  I love this pattern.  It is one that you can change up many ways with different focus fabric, panels, and embroidery squares.  I used a faux piping on the binding and on the last border.  I am not sure that I would do the last border the way I did it.  Without getting into too many details, there is four pieces of fabric plus the batting.  I thought this would be great, that the quilting on that border would really standout.  It does give it a good effect but it also makes it wobble just a little bit.  Then you add the binding to all of that and that seam is thick.  I will say the binding is full, no doubt.  I think to get rid of the wobble you could quilt it out to the edge.  It might work.  This is going to be one of my utility quilts so it isn't that important that it is perfect.  So, for this one, I will live with a little wobble. 

We survived Isaac.  We were lucky we were on the west side of the state.  The primary storm was on the east side.  We had about 2 1/2 days of wind and a good day of light rain.  It could have been so much worse.  Hurricanes, as in this one, you never know what you are going to get.  This was a catagory one hurricane.  Normally you would not evacuate and it would come ashore with some wind, some rain, and it would scoot across the state.  This time, it had a love for the state, it did not want to leave.  It hung around, blowing and raining and raining and raining some more.  The people on the east side of the state and into Mississippi have a horrible and costly clean up to do. 

JAC

I have to add this picture of JAC (Just A Cat).  As I have said before anything that might resemble a box, she likes to get into.  This is my bag that I keep my embroidery in.  I had been working on my project, tossed it down beside the bag to go to the kitchen to find something yummy and when I came back JAC had taken up residence in my bag. 

Hope all is well with you...............

Awesome and not so Awesome

I have posted all the pictures from Alaska.  I just want to say Alaska is awesome but there are things that are not awesome.  I enjoyed my trip immensely.  Alaska has absolutely gorgeous scenery, I loved the food, and I loved seeing the wild animals.  What is not so awesome is a lot of trash lying around.  The towns were getting ready for "tourists."  They call all the fishing people that come there "tourists."  Kenai is known for the fishing - salmon.  They were cleaning the towns up spic and span.  They looked very nice, but if you get out of the towns, people just have a lot of trash.  Very unattractive.  I know you have to duck a wandering bear and grass munching moose now and then, but a big dog is a good alarm system.  I saw some yards that really looked super.  I would guess they have a system.  This ends my saga on Alaska.  I don't know if I will ever get back but I have been looking at a quilting cruise.  Sounds like so much fun for next year.  We will see.  To read about my trip and to see pictures check out the previous postings. 

March

I have been working on blocks for my bee.  I am finished.  This is the last of them.  We made one block for each month for 19 months. 

April

February

July










                                                                                                                                                                                                I have to show you my kitty-kats.  As most of you know I had back surgery, this is my brace with JAC.  JAC likes to get into any box and I guess the brace qualifies.......

Smokey, is very much like a dog.  He follows me around.  He likes to get up on the back of this chair when I am sitting in it (my office).  Then he plays with my hair. 

Hope all is well on your end.

JAC (Just a Cat)



Smokey



It is Raining, I am Sewing...........

We had a big thunderstorm go through this morning.  It really blew, and it is still raining.  I just heard thunder.  The weatherman says it is going to go on all afternoon, on and off.  It is a good day to sew.  I debated whether I wanted to eat (like go to the grocery store).  I will go tomorrow.  My cupboard is not totally bare as yet. 

Here is the quilt that I am working on.  I showed a picture in my last blog.  It is slow progress, but I think it is going to be a great quilt.  Judy Niemeyer's quilts (patterns) are always outstanding.  They are not always the easiest patterns to follow for the most part, I do not follow the directions.  The first one (of which I have not finished) was the Bali Wedding Star (pictures are in my blog somewhere).  I have another of her patterns (The Cactus Rose) and have had it for years (like before Hurricane Rita).  I bought it in Galveston, TX.  Quilts by the Bay was not far off the beach.  When I went into the shop they had the Cactus Rose hanging, it was gorgeous.  I bought the pattern, but as I have said before, I put it in the drawer, and have said many times I should make this quilt, well, may be soon.  Quilts by the Bay was one of the shops and many homes that did not make it through Hurricane Rita.  You can find them on line and many times they are at the Houston International Quilt Show.  Check them out on line to see if they are coming to a show near you. 

My kitty tower is in my office.  My kitties like to be near me.  They are pests.  Here Smokey (on top) is harrassing JAC (the cat).  Smokey is full of vim and vigor. 

I went to the "bag sale" at QB on Saturday.  For those of you who don't know what a "bag sale" is....starting Jan. 1 until Mar 1, QB (Quilts Bayou) sold tote bags for a fee and they are to be used on the 5th Saturday of the months that have 5 Saturdays in them.  March 31st was a 5th Saturday month.  Everything in the shop as long as you can get it into the bag is 25% off excluding thread and BOM.  I bought several batik fabrics, sewing machine needles and batting.  I wanted to make the space in my bag count.  The next "bag sale" is in June.  I will probably buy more of the same.  One thing I did buy was a ruler with big numbers.  It is wonderful. 

I need to go wash clothes and get to sewing or I will never get that quilt finished.

Do check into Perri's blog.  She is working on the Market Basket quilt again.  It is going to be super.  Her blog address and also Beth's quilt (she made it too) can be found in my right column.  I plan on finishing my Market Basket quilt soon.  All depends on the Judy Niemeyer above.   My plans are to enter it in the AQS show in Des Moines this year (it has to be accepted first).   That will depend on the date that the picture has to be into AQS.  The quilt has to be completely finished for the picture.  I am sure that I will be pushing this one. 

Hope all is well on your end.........

Surgery is done and I am ready to quilt.................

copyright Sharie Paulson

It will be 3 weeks tomorrow since I had back surgery.  I am ready to get on with life.  I have been quilting a bit.  It helps to make the time go by.  I have to wear a brace, cannot bend, twist, stoop and etc.  I have 3 weeks of this to go.  In the meantime, I can run a sewing machine.  I am not suppose to sit for more than 20 minutes at a time.  I have a kitchen timer that I set and when it goes off I get up and walk around a bit.  Since I cannot stretch, I cannot put blocks together from off of my design board, so I am in the process of making blocks.  That I can do.  I created another pattern and have thus been working on that.  The colors in this picture have much to be desired, but you get the idea. 




I am still working on another log cabin and have nearly all of the blocks made for this quilt.  I would like to get the rows together but I would really have to stretch to get to the blocks and that is a no-no. 



copyright Sharie Paulson

Smokey is my sewing buddy.  Most of the time when I am sewing, Smokey is near by.  So is Jack, the dog.  



We survived tropical storm Lee.  We did have a lot of rain and it did blow a bit.  The rain was not a problem in Lake Charles as far as I know.  We have had drought conditions, so a lot of the rain soaked in.  I am sure that there were probably areas and streets that accumulated water.  It is blowing today, but the sun is shining brightly.  And the temps are wonderful.  It is 84 degrees at the moment (2:45 p.m.).  You could not ask for much better.  The next few nights it is going to be cool (temps in the 50's).  Fall is coming and I can't wait.  One thing nice about cooler days and much cooler nights is that the gulf will cool off.  If the gulf cools off, if we do get a hurricane in the gulf, chances are it won't be as severe when it lands.  Lets hope so anyway. 

I hope to post more often now.  Do come back soon...............Hope all is well on your end.........

My Quilting Helpers.........Smokey & JAC

Smokey and JAC are my quilting helpers. They want to see what I am doing. I started this hand project this past year. I tell myself, if I don't work on it, it will not get done. It is a great take-it-with-you project. I would like to make this long enough to hang in my entry. I think I am nearly finished with the third row. I am going to be at this for a while. The last hexagon project I made (posted in this blog) I was silly enough to put them on the back as well as the front. I am not going to do that with this one. For some reason, although the pieces are bigger, the pieces that I am using now are harder to handle. The pieces have 1 inch sides.