Monday, September 18, 2006

How Am I Supposed to Quilt?

Lately whenever I sit down to quilt, I seem to end up with a little cat sleeping on my lap. Now how am I supposed to get any quilting done like this?

Under any circumstances, Pokey is my sweet baby, but just look how irresistably cute she looks all curled up like that ready for a belly rubbing. Can't boot this sweetie pie off my lap, especially right now when the cats need all the reassurance they can get. Their world has definitely turned upside down with this move.

Yes I generally quilt with my legs resting on the coffee table. Or knees bent and feet on the edge of it. I just prefer to do it that way, but don't have to. I can quilt like a civilized person when I'm at someone else's home.

It's certainly no surprise that I have cat hair all over my quilt. I really love the texture the stitches are adding to Cranky Witch:

There was a while there when I was just going around the border (where you can't see the stitches) and I thought - why did I choose to keep this central fabric so large? What was the point - it's so boring. But I'm back in love with it again.

I had pieced this really quickly so that I could do a tutorial on the freehand quilting (see the link to the tutorial over there on my sidebar). Maybe if I'd thought about it longer I might have put words in it like "Happy Halloween" or "cackle cackle cackle" rather like I did on my Merry Penguins. Or not.

Got more items on my to-do list checked off today. Found someone who would love to have bags and bags of bubble wrap and styrofoam peanuts. I can't bring myself to throw those away until it's absolutely necessary, so glad to find someone who will use them. Can't believe what a stockpile I have of cardboard boxes either. sigh. Some things I have a hard time throwing away, even here where garbage isn't necessarily garbage. That is, the zabaleen trash collectors will sort it out of the rubbish and reuse it, rather than all of it ending up in a landfill.

18 comments:

sewprimitive karen said...

What a precious Pokey. Love the fingerless gloves on the grouchy witches. Sounds like you are really down to the wire with your move. DC, here you come! Don't skip the restaurants!

Eileen said...

Well, they say one person's trash is another person's treasure. It's another type of recycling.
The kitty is so cute, and you're right-you're their world and they can sense the upheaval. Are they coming home with you?

Hedgehog said...

Your quilting is making a cool fabric even cooler!

Clare said...

Cats hairs? Tell me about it! Magic has taken up winter residence in one of my stash boxes and I haven't got the heart to turf her out.

Do any of the cats start a steeplechase in the bedroom at 3.00 a.m?

I do love those witches (vbs)

You should more chipper than you did last week.

A plus!
Clare

Clare said...

Sorry - that should read You "sound" more chipper ..... (doh!)

x

Joyce said...

Is it Pokey that needs comforting or you??? Lol. Nothing is more comforting than a warm cat and it probably goes both ways so everyone wins. Can't be bad. The witch fabric is really cute.

Tazzie said...

Your quilting looks amazing. I can see how you don't want to eject Pokey from your lap, kitty is just way too sweet to move.
*hugs*
Tazzie
:-)

quiltpixie said...

pokey is just encouraging you to be "pokey and slow" with your quilt so you don't run out of quilting before getting the rest of your supplies back -- at least if he needed an excuse that would be my defense :-)

Judy said...

For having two of the most whiney touchy feely cats mine still won't get anywhere ON our laps. They should but the breeder was ill when they were born and they didn't get as held and visited when they were little. However when I do sit down, Pixel comes up and sits between me and the sofa back. I sit sideways with my legs up on the other cushions and he turns around and backs up until he's wedged in and then plops over and sleeps.

I own several hair rollers because anything that touches the floor (heck anywhere) has cat hair on it!

I like the witches! I've got simiar fabric and you just can't use it small. I've had the worst time finding places for it in the quilt, but I'm forcing it in because it's just too cute not to use!

Quilts And Pieces said...

Try quilting with a 45 pound dog on your lap! :)

I can't quilt like a civilized person! I have to have my knees up! Just quirks you know!

Lois R. said...

Hee hee hee! I'm laughing about your boxes and bubble wrap because I have a ton of my own that I just can't throw away. In MD, the cardboard and paper could easily have been recycled, but here in PA, I am struggling to find a way to recycle the stuff. Tried giving the big, wonderful packing boxes and clean packing paper to somebody who might need them, but can't find anybody who is moving! And to get them into the recycling stream in this township requires jumping thru hoops. Most people would just dump them in the trash, but I just can't bear to put that much recyclable stuff in the landfills. So I'm off to jump thru the hoops!

By the way, loved what you said yesterday about using the good stuff instead of saving it for the perfect occasion. Too true!

Fiona said...

I do like those free hand fans - and also your very even and precise stitches!

Anonymous said...

Awww, what a cute kitty! I enjoy reading your blog and just now looked over your tutorials. I like that you don't use a hoop to quilt. I did that on a wallhanging and it was way easier than if it was on a hoop. I'm glad to know it's not "wrong" to not use a hoop and that I'm not the only one who prefers it that way! I like your fans tutorial, I might have to try that!

Beth
http://bethknits.blogspot.com/

Granny said...

Tonya, that's how I sit to sew too . . either with my feet resting on the table or knees bent and feet on the edge.

That kitty surely looks comfy!

Your quilting stitches look so perfect!

Judy L.

Lily Mulholland said...

Pokey is being very cute!!! I wouldn't move her either :)

Tonya love your fans - am off to view your tutorial as my hand-quilting is not as good as it could be - first time and all!!

One question - did you change colour thread over the light parts of the witch fabric, or is it just a play of light?

Kay said...

Oh, I had this witch fabric. I loved it, but like you I found it hard to use. I finally made orange and red four patch type border around a large piece of the red. Did you post a whole view? I'll go back and look.

Shelina said...

I have a hard time throwing things away too - containers being among my biggest culprits. Spaghetti sauce jars, boxes, coffee tins, boxes the software comes in. For some reason I saved them all. I did manage to get rid of a lot of spaghetti sauce jars and magazines last year, but my collection just started up again.

Anonymous said...

I had a kitty who used to climb on my quilting table while I was working on a quilt! She made it a little tough to turn those corners, but who could mover her??? My quilts always came with a little cat hair:)
Your kitty is lovely, and so is your work. You inspire me everytime I visit! Thanks!