Sewing at Last

Yesterday I wanted to get into the sewing room to make at least one block, and I did.  But first, I wanted to show you the fabrics I won in a recent giveaway.  Anna at Pink Padme had her very first giveaway and I won her fat quarter bundle of these pretty Parisville fabrics.  Aren't these colors beautiful?

Anna says I have to show her what I end up making with them, and the mind simply reels with possibilities.  I haven't made any decisions yet, but I'm betting they will end up in a quilt of some kind.  Thank you, Anna.  I'm honored to have won your very first giveaway.

And this must be my week to win, except for losing my cat(!), because I received notification from Sue at Alderwood Quilts that I'd won her giveaway in May.  Sue sent me this little mini cutting mat from Olfa along with a cute little ruler to use with it.  

This will be handy to have next to my sewing machine!  Thank you, Sue.

And now I just have to say something about the Squirrel Civil War we are currently waging.  We keep plastic garbage cans in our breezeway for storing the birdseed we use to feed our many feathered friends.  The lids fasten down if one follows the directions and presses to close.  One must then check said lid to be sure it is completely fastened down or else the squirrels will bite and chew their way in.

Only sometimes the squirrels are particularly tenacious as they were here.  They actually chewed off the handle of the lid trying to get into the can that contains the peanuts!  You can see all the plastic debris on the ground.

Pesky varmints.  I have just one thing to say to them:  "I know where you live, and I'm coming for you."

Okay, so here's what I did in the sewing room yesterday:  This is the block I made for Trina in the We Bee Learning Block Bee.  Trina asked for a Fireflies block from a tutorial she found at SewHappyGeek.  Trina asked for her block in purple, black, and white, and this is what I came up with.

That was all I finished yesterday, but today, I was able to get a little more done.  I put the borders on the June block for the Vintage Miniature Sewing Machines quilt.

And I put the borders on the June block for the Promises & Borders quilt.

And since the first six blocks are complete, I decided to sew them together.  My fabrics are a little different from the quilt  Jenny of Elefantz is making, but I like the way they are looking together.

I got started on the next block for my Plain and Simple Amish sampler quilt, but it isn't finished yet.  I'll save that for tomorrow.

When I came upstairs, I found Gracie seated on her throne, the big leather recliner in the living room.  She likes it here on warm days because the leather upholstery happens to be the coolest seat in the house.  She does appear cool and calm, doesn't she?  Sorry to have disturbed your slumber, Madam.

She is a little confused about George's whereabouts, I think.  Gracie prefers to be an indoors cat, but she always liked going outside when George was there to protect her.  She runs outdoors now, and I think she's looking for him.  Then she comes back inside within about five minutes, and then she wants back out about five minutes later.  This is unusual behavior for her, and so I get the feeling she's searching for him.  

I don't recall her doing this when George spent the week at the vet a couple of months ago, but then, I knew he was coming home and I probably didn't pay as much attention as I have recently.  The two of them were litter mates.  They were thick as thieves when they were younger . . . not so much as they have grown older. It does seem she's missing him, however, and she seems a little distressed about his absence.  Nothing lots of snuggles and loves can't cure . . . and plenty of catnip.  We can all do with extra snuggles and loves right now.

Tomorrow I'm going to make another batch of relish, and then I'm hoping to get some more sewing done.  And now, it's late and I'm going to bed.  I hope you had a good day.