Saturday, April 21, 2007

Paperwork Aggravation

We're going through all sorts of aggravation right now trying to properly fill out the beaurocratic overload of paperwork needed for our upcoming move. Most of that is for the kitties, but I'm also trying to remember all the places I need to do change of address forms for.

The trip to the vet's yesterday was the best one we've had yet. The sedative that the previous vet gave me helped with the big boys, altho Howler still managed to get loose and run around the office. At least his first instinct is to always run into the cage when it's on offer. I don't think the paperwork we have is done right - need to go back for the vet's signature - and then next week it's a drive to Miami for the U.S. Dept of Agriculture to sign off on. Stupidest system ever.

My husband is still sickly and pathetic, tho he held it together yesterday for kitty roundup and transport. I would love to get him out of the house so that he's not here while I'm cleaning, but no such luck. Yesterday we watched the first disc of Stargate Atlantis Season 2. I don't love it as much as the original SG-1, but it's entertaining. Loved the episode Duet in which Rodney gets a woman stuck inside him ala the Steve Martin/Lily Tomlin movie All of Me (which I also happen to love).

I finished quilting the fans all around the Crumby Lost Love border. I also did individual quilting in each of the L-O-V-E letters - I wanted them to stand out from the rest of the quilt. My plan was to then quilt around each of the letters, continuing to do the fan pattern. This is how it looked (notice the past tense):

I didn't like it, so I took out the fans in the middle of the quilt. I'm now going to do each little bit separately and do lots of quilt in the ditch. That's how the quilt wanted to be quilted. See, Atet, some of us have fabric and quilts talking to us too.

I can't believe that some of ya'all actually thought I'd appliqued Elvis on the quilt backing. I can only imagine how much work that would be and remember, I am LAZY. It's a piece of V.I.P. fabric I bought to make gift bags and maybe for interest in crumb quilts, but further reflection made me realize that it would have to be used in bigger pieces to took at all interesting. Since I had the fabric, it was fun, and I didn't pay a lot for it, it ended up on the back.

You may notice that I don't worry about where I start quilting. None of that starting in the center and work out to the edges. I quilt in whatever order suits me and the quilt. For instance I positively KNEW this quilt needed fans in the border so I did that first. I don't know if this method works in a hoop, but I've never had a problem since I'm hoopless.
Melinda asked me about the crumby log cabins. This little block was pieced in the same manner as a log cabin, starting in the center and going around and around. The difference from a true log cabin is that the strips are different widths and I didn't pay any attention to lights on one side of the block and darks on the other. Oh, and it started with a rectangle, not a square. The center rectangle is a piece of Bonnie's chicken fabric, although only the eggs showed up in this bit.
And when playing like this, you can sew the logs on to any side of the center bit you want to. This one went from that terra cotta log on the left across to the dotted greenish tan log. And then the next log sewn on had a triangle pieced onto the end of it. You don't just have to use a whole bit of fabric.
So that's the basic idea. There are some crumb blocks in Crumby Lost Love that get even wonkier than this one. Just play and have fun - you can't go wrong.
Have you made it over to the latest issue of the blogozine The Bent Needle? Go, go. It's all about April In Paris (and other european destinations). Thank you, Sassenach.
I'm not sure how much posting I'm going to get done for the next couple of weeks. Think smooth-sailing thoughts for me and cross those fingers.

21 comments:

Juliann in WA said...

you are very productive - guess the promise of April in Paris is a good motivator

Finn said...

Glad to hear the vet visit went better this time..relatively speaking. Now if the paperwork will just co-operate. Love the snaps of the quilting and the E... it really defines the block. Are you going to cross hatch or just the vertical lines? I think you are 'right on' by quilting each of the little squares individually. Hope DH feels better soon. Hugs, Finn

Quilts And Pieces said...

Wow, that is really hanging on for DH isn't it. Must be what we had running around here. Poor Emily was out sick from school for 2 weeks. Luckily none of us got it, but people at work have the same thing. I jsut can't beleive all the hard stuff you have to do for the cats to move. I think you should send Miss Lilly right over to my house! Wouldn't Chloe go nuts! It is exciting that you are going but I'm a bit bummed work has been so bad this winter that I didn't make it down to see you - I guess coming to play in Paris would be more fun!!! :)

Joyce said...

I'm thinking of you a lot and have to admit to a tiny wee bit of envy that you will end up in Paris. The getting ready won't be so much fun but with Paris at the end, how bad can it be?
The crumbly blocks are great and a wonderful way to use up bits and pieces of fabric.

Dianne said...

Oh, boy, Tonya, I feel your pain! What a P in the A to have to drive to Miami in addition to everything else. It's almost as if they're saying, "OK, if you really insist on taking your pets with you, we're really gonna make you suffer..."

Soon you'll all be together in Paris...wonderful! The best time of the year to be there, in my experience.

Love the Crumbly Lost Love quilt, too. Will you soon be reunited with your entire stash, too?

Tanya said...

Thanks for all your help! I'm to a flimsy stage. Borders next!
Before reading yours and Dianne's blog I didn't even know they would let you take animals overseas! But I think Dianne's cats had to stay in quarantine (how do you spell that?) for quite awhile. How about yours?

Tazzie said...

Love love love the love quilt Tonya. And how fun to have Elvis on the back. I hope Hubby gets well soon, sounds icky.
*hugs*
Tazzie
:-)

Unknown said...

Thank you muchly.....

Hugs,
Melinda

atet said...

I'll keep my fingers (and toes) crossed for you for the paperwork nightmare. I've heard my friend complain about how much of a pain it was to get her infant and toddler ready to visit their grandparents in Morocco (passports, immunizations, etc.)-- and frankly, the cat situation sounds more complicated!

I am glad to know I'm not the only one who listens to her fabrics -- my husband has just been shaking his head at me and laughing when he hears me talking back though. I figure I'm fine as long as I don't change subjects!

Lily Mulholland said...

Aaaah some more inspiration for my freehand fans. And I am hoopless as well as hopeless! Good luck with the rest of your very annoying admin before the big move. Sending get well vibes to your sweetie too. Bon voyage!

sophie said...

Your tales of the vet and paperwork reminded me of when I moved to France with my cat. The funny thing was that I jumped through all those hoops and got all the paperwork together, but when I tried to give it to someone in Nice, they shooed me away. I remember trying to explain, "but I have this cat," to which they responded "Allez, allez." I'm sure the customs folks in Paris will be a little less casual.

YankeeQuilter said...

The Dept. of Agr. in Massachusetts would not let me hand carry the paperwork in...it had to be sent priority mail with a return priority mail postage enclosed...how crazy was that? They were only 25 minutes away!

It will work out in the end...it is a real pain though. I only hope it is easier going back the other way!

Hanne said...

Quilting from the edge in works well with a hoop too. I can not get myself to start in the middle. A quirk I guess ;-)
Good luck with the paperwork!

Duyvken said...

Even with all the packing, cleaning, paperwork and address changing you get so much done! The quilting looks wonderful, Tonya. Those log cabins are great!

Anonymous said...

Went to the LaConner museum to see the quilts. G. Marsten had some there. The fabrics and colors used were good, but the construction/finishing was appalling. I am wondering if your quilts are exactly like hers? From your pictures, they don't look that way.

Cher said...

holding all good thoughts for the cat paperwork situtation to work out smoothly and for your sweetie to shake off the yuckies. the quilting is looking wonderful-I agree, quilts will talk to us if we listen.

Judy said...

Jiminy Christmas! They are just cats! Not little treasures of wild terrorism schemes. What a thing for countries to worry about so much...someone's pets! Sorry for all the paperwork and more paperwork!

Hubby always says that any self respecting cat has to put up at least a small fight. Otherwise they aren't allowed to remain cats! LOL! ALoof and contrary is their creedo! Hope it all goes smooth and quick!

Love the wonky wierdo log cabins blocks! and the quilting.

Tracey @ozcountryquiltingmum said...

No-one expects the Elvis inquisition! Loved that-and Monty Python. Pleased you are spending time with the sweetie and it sounds like the cats are being sorted. Recent "Love" and Bonnie quilts look great. I am not even going to show my 9 y.o the Elvis fabris-she has gone crazy on his music and movies and I would be sent on a worldwide search! Lol Tracey

Clare said...

I've been keeping nearly every single crumb since I started quilting and wondering what I could do with them. I had thought of stringing the end squares from the letter strips together into a square which will get bigger over time, but I like the idea of the wonky log cabins. Merci mille fois encore for the inspiration.

We had similar probs getting the paperwork for previous cat when we came out here. She was being "exported" so we didn't need so much stuff doing as if she was going back and forth (this was pre pet passport days). We got this side of the channel at 2.00 a.m and there was no one about to show the paperwork too. I paniced for days that we would get a visit from the douanes (custom officers) because we had illegally imported a cat. They are not the slighest bit fussed, but I can imagine that the US to France, by plane, is a different matter.

Holly said...

I briefly tried quilting without a hoop. Boy, I don't know how you do it. I was all thumbs. I'll give it another go, though, another time :)

sewprimitive karen said...

Oh no we will miss your posts if you have to skip for awhile during the transition. Do the cats have to go into quarantine? Or am I in the dark ages with that? Maybe they just torture you with endless paperwork these days. Love the pink quilted "E".