Piglets 1.0

Am I becoming the blog that constantly complains about other blogs? But is it merely a coincidence that Gayle at Mangofeet blog writes a post called Oink that features a pig, and then I find three little piglets rooting around my sewing room?

The first little piggie looks okay in the photo, but needs more contrast between the light pink and the dark pink. It has a border to show what the finished pig looks like.

The second little piggie has a little eye...hopefully so he can find his way home. If piggies stay in my sewing room much longer, they will eat all my scraps!

The third little piggie thinks I should mention that they follow a .75 grid, meaning its made from 1.25 and 2 inch strips. The finished size of the piggie is 4.5 by 6.0 inches.

Storm Update

Cyclone now comes toward me and purrs when I come in the room. She also enjoys climbing my back to enjoy the view from my shoulder. I have also been leaving the door ajar so Cyclone can slip out and explore the hallway. Except last night she didn't come back. She had gotten into the bedroom and wedged herself under the hope chest. When I finally found her, I enticed her out with a long discussion of string theory. Happily, she lets me hold her so there was no problem getting her back to Team Storm headquarters.

Hurricane will settle in my lap to play. She touches my hand with her paw and even gave it a test nip to see if she agreed with Roy's taste ratings. But if I stroke her, she is seriously affronted. That said, after her first massage, I think she will devote her life to becoming a lap potato.

Typhoon's kryptonite is baby food. I had not had any success until last night when Cyclone FINALLY gave baby food a taste. She loved it and as she began to devour it, Hurricane and Typhoon moved in to see what they were missing. And now I think I know what its like to be in water churning with piranha.  Typhoon ate from a spoon six inches from me, and later during play he even ventured up to check out my foot.

Darting fish and cats

I think this will be the final layout for the darting fish quilt. Of course, this just shows all the green blocks, and I also have to figure out how to lay out the colors as well. I won't be able to do that until I make more fish...a lot more fish. It turns out I only have about half of what I need. Unless I make the quilt for a small fish.

And let this be a warning to those of you who wander the web looking for quilting fellowship and inspiration. There may be some out among us who may lead us down the path of financial ruin...and yes...in this case I'm pointing my paw at Cat Patches who had the nerve to share a presentation by Violet Craft, who designed the fabric shown above. 

Meanwhile, Team Storm is still recovering from their trip to the shelter. Typhoon only recently joined us in play again. And both Hurricane and Typhoon are on edge. Yet, to extend Cyclone's confidence, I have begun to leave the bathroom door ajar so Cyclone can sneak out and explore the hallway where I have more cat toys. Yesterday, a horrendous crunching noise scared Hurricane and Typhoon into their hidey hole. Cyclone had discovered the crinkly tunnel in the hallway. Apparently it scared her too, because she came running back and straight into the hidey hole. Eventually, playtime was restored. But then, crunch, crunch, crunch. The tunnel had been so scary, Cyclone just had to go back.

Lime fish

Some people prefer their fish with a touch of lemon, but today we are having fish with lots of lime. And there is more lime loveliness to be enjoyed over at the Rainbow Scrappy Challenge.

Here is a lime catfish. To eat this, one has to remember to pick out both the bones and claws.

And here is a pukeko fish, a specialty of New Zealand.

Team Storm Two Week Check Up

Team Storm was due for a check-up, vaccinations and other indignities today, and I have been working on a strategy to get two and a half reluctant kittens into a carrier. First, on Wednesday I removed their hidey-hole box and put the carrier in the room. I securely latched the handle to the top with a pipe cleaner, and covered the top with a huge hunk of chenille and padded the interior with fake fur. 

Thursday morning, the carrier was exposed out in the open with the chenille lying next to it.  And Cyclone was busy playing with the pipe cleaner, chasing it all around the floor.

Thursday night, I planned a toy strategy, a food strategy and a "call the shelter and tell them I failed" strategy. Friday morning, I went into the kitten room, and found Typhoon and Hurricane nestled side-by-side inside the carrier. I shut the door and announced mission accomplished. I then scurried around getting ready for the drive to the shelter.

I returned to the kitten room to find I had not latched the carrier door properly, and Hurricane was loose and only Typhoon remained in the carrier. I chased Hurricane a bit and got her into a separate small carrier. I picked up Sweetie Pea Cyclone in a towel and put her in the carrier with Typhoon.

However, when I was in the shelter parking lot, I noticed that Cyclone and Typhoon's carrier door was open and swinging away. I closed it quickly and looked in to see if I had lost a kitten, and Cyclone looked at me as if to say "That's a very dangerous way to transport kittens. I think I will be adding a new section to Tommy's Policies and Procedures because he seemed to underestimate your incompetence."

Home again at last, everything seems forgiven with Typhoon coming out for a meal and Hurricane coming out to eat and play. Cyclone has been giving me extra purr therapy because she feels so sorry for me.

Team Storm

Yes, its only my strong sense of public service that helps me face the daily challenge of Team Storm. Get that tail wrapped around the toes! Scruffy!

And yes, I think the unremitting exposure to cuteness is making my teeth rot.

And if you didn't already know...this is Typhoon. He has been under the weather and has been slower to socialize. He sits and purrs while he watches his sisters fight over the mousie toys in my lap.

Every session the kittens get some kind of challenge. Hurricane is now very comfortable playing in my lap, on my legs and around my foot. Today, while we were playing with a mouse, my hand "accidentally" brushed against her cheek. She will probably report me to the authorities. I also left the room door open and she very briefly ventured into the hallway. That was very scary for her today but she will probably want to venture out again tomorrow.

Kittens: fabric and otherwise

This is Dear Jane block A9 or Cabin Fever. This is another one of the blocks where the diagrams in the Dear Jane book has more detail than Jane Stickle's rendition. As far as blocks go, I prefer Fabadashery's interpretation. However, since I am using Kaffe fabric with a larger scale print, I went with the Jane Stickle version.

And yes, I did use paper piecing for the very inner section. But by the time I got to the first border using the background fabric, I was back to my sew and flip methods.

Not counting the triangles, I only have 25 blocks completed while Fabadashery is celebrating three years of blogging and displaying her 43 completed blocks.

Meanwhile, the kitten quilt is bound and the foundation machine quilting is completed. In a fit of nostalgia, I am planning on hand quilting the border and the cat stretching silhouette in each kitten. You will probably hear about revised plans sometime next week.

And for the last part, I have a Team Storm Update that you will consider good news or bad news depending on whether you are the older sister or a younger sister. Cyclone (the younger sister) has mastered string theory and mouse dynamics and now wants to study string and mouse combinatorials. Her older sister, Hurricane, likes to play with mousie on a string.

Cyclone has been taking Hurricane's mousie on a string and carrying it onto my lap for serious study. Cyclone flaunted her bravery in light of Hurricane's trepidation. However, tonight the tables turned when Hurricane took over my lap to play with her mousie toy on a string. Poor Cyclone lost both her study hall and study materials. As you can see, she is quite dismayed that Kitten U has devolved into just another party school.