Team Storm Update

This is Hurricane, although I call her Harriet, for reasons I can't explain. She comes within about a foot of me to drink water. She's curious, but has to appear nonchalant. Her favorite toys are Tommy's mousie toys...made from rabbit fur with rattles inside.  I attached a long elasticized cord to a mouse tail so I could play with her at a distance. (At the same time, I entertain Cyclone with an elasticized cord on my lap.)

This is a standing view of Hurricane. She is about twice the size of Cyclone.

And yes, Typhoon is now coming out of the hidey hole box when I'm in the room, although he keeps his distance from me. (He's the seal point in the background.) While Hurricane studied advanced mouse dynamics, Typhoon studied string theory for the first time. In a fit of brilliance, he chewed the string into an infinite number of pieces. I refused to give him credit, however, because he failed to show his work. The destruction occurred behind the hidey hole box so I don't know how he arrived at his solution and whether he had help. I'm just glad that all three kittens are finally attending their classes at Kitten U.

Dear Jane C10 Patriot's Corner

I have not been keeping up with Dear Jane, because Dear Cyclone is taking up way too much of my time. She is endlessly fascinated with string theory, and when she gets tired of playing fast string, she settles in my lap for some slow string theory.

At first Dear Jane block C10 or Patriot's Corner looked daunting based on the diagram and Jane's piecing. However, if one reduces the seams to what's only necessary for the pattern, this block reduces down to strip piecing with flip triangle corners.

 For the scale of this Dear Jane block, the strips are cut 1 inch wide unfinished. I made two sets: a two strip set and a three strip set.

I also cut five 2 inch squares of background. One is used for the center, and I added a one inch flip triangle to one corner of each of the remaining four 2 inch squares. I cut the two strip set into two inch sections and the three strip set into one inch sections. Laid out, you can see the block coming together.

Once the strip sections are sewn together, the block is reduced to a nine patches.

Lime Lion

Blimey. I was gone all day today at a quilt guild meeting and this is what I come home to. I was hoping for lime fish or maybe even a lime owl. Instead I get a limey lion. If you want to see lime patchwork with less drama, I suggest you leap over to the Rainbow Scrappy Challenge.

Paper piecing diversion

These blocks are for my guild's raffle quilt for 2016. Making them reminded me that I'm still not a fan of paper piecing.

I may also be grumpy because I no longer have sensation in my back and legs. I have spent the last couple of hours "socializing" Cyclone. In truth, Cyclone is studying string theory and con artistry 101. This morning I felt great when she chased the string across my lap and even let me stroke her a couple of times. But this evening, she was quite content to study her string lounging on my legs. And when she then rolled over on her back to bat at the string I knew I had been scammed.

Feral Cats: Fabric and Fur

A lot of things are coming together here at Kitten U. First, in fabric, the musical lion top is finished. The lions were excited to learn that I have been busy fattening up some feral kittens. The lions mistakenly think the kittens will be lunch.

As you can see, Cyclone is busy fattening herself. She is the most trusting and is eating with her back to me. Her already fattened sister Hurricane is heading back into the hidey hole to check on her brother Typhoon. This photo answers the meteorological question of whether a Cyclone and a Hurricane can coexist in the same hemisphere.

Cyclone is the obvious star at Kitten U. Here she is figuring optimal kitten to staff ratios. She has already mastered the tiered roller ball wheel and passed intro to feather toy. Her brother Typhoon continues to skip classes in favor of playing videos in his man cave.

Meanwhile, back at the shelter, some of the new kittens are busy learning to pose. This is Phil. An obvious star pupil.

This is Tucker who may need an attitude adjustment before the big adoption event on Saturday.

Storm Update

Yes, the photo is fuzzy, but then, so is Cyclone. This is the smallest of Team Storm, but also the most willing to risk its life in pursuit of some elasticized string. And massive amounts of soft food. Happily, her sister (Hurricane) joined her both in pursuit of string and a hearty meal. The boy (Typhoon) is still unwilling to come out in my presence, but I did see him peering out at a feather toy. Kitten U is enforcing the socialization rule that soft food is only available when authorities are present, so the only soft food Typhoon will have is on the breath of his sisters. His dinner will be hard tack (crunchies) and water.

And by the way...the shelter named the kittens and I think I have just now finally figured out which catastrophe is associated with which kitten.

Kitten quilt progress

I'm half way through the machine quilting on the kitten quilt, and its time to add the backing. After making the reversible quilt, I have been layering and quilting in two steps. First, I just layer the top and batting and complete about half of the foundation quilting. Very, light and easy. Then I add the back. Yes, its two sessions of pinning, but for reasons I can't explain, this has made the whole process easier and flatter.

Meanwhile, I had just about given up hope on Team Storm. I had tried all sorts of food incentives, but this morning I tried dangling an elasticized gold cord. And yes, Hurricane, or maybe its Cyclone, came out of the hidey hole to investigate. It was one of the girls...a long haired splotchy one. She came within a foot of me, gently playing with the cord. Apparently, curiosity negates fear. She also ate in front of me...a socialization milestone.

Some new kittens have arrived at the shelter. Moxie is playing all the angles to get out on parole, but I think we can all see that's he's already planning his next heist.