12/23/12

More Christmascellaneous

There are just a few things I want to catch up with before I shut things down for the Christmas holiday.

First off, if you remember the "cat" slippers my friend Sue gave me, then you remember that she's in for at least three years of ribbing for them.  It gives me goosebumps just thinking about how mercilessly she'll be teased...and I had a big brother, so I learned from the champ how to tease mercilessly.


But now Sue has been begging me to let her off the hook by giving the "cats" an ear job.  I told her flat out no, but she persists.  Just last night she wrote me this pitiful email:

Hi, B, I was thinking .  .  .  since you put the bunny/kitty issue on your blog, maybe you should put the "ear-job, no ear job" to a vote! 
Hm.  So after sleeping on it, I've decided to post a poll on my upper left side bar and give all of you a vote.  What do you think?  Do I keep the catbbits?  Or do they go in for catsmetic surgery?  I'll leave the poll open for a week, and then abide by the results.  Let the residents of Blogland speak!

In other news...Now, don't laugh, but I've decided to challenge myself with this new challenge I learned about today.


Never Too Hot to Stitch is a blogger from Australia who has started up this challenge for 2013.  She has posted her rules right here, but promises that no one will be checking in on you.  After whining about how I was having trouble sticking to my work-on-every-project-every-month goal, it seemed like a good one to join.  This doesn't mean I'm committing to finishing anything, you understand, but it does mean I'm going to give it the old college try.  ("Old" college. You know, for old people.)

To that end, I spent some time rewriting my white board of projects today.


Yes, I know.  This is edge-of-the-seat stuff, but it's how I spent my Sunday, so buck up.

Now I have a list of the items I need to do each month, along with my list of planned NewFO projects (subject to change according to my impulsive flights of fancy).  In the middle is the list of projects I'm working on, and I've written goals for each project the next time I work on it.  Finally, I have a list of non-quilting projects I'd like to work on.  At the top of that list is the cute little fabric doll that Sharon over at Vrooman's Quilts shared with us.  Also, I'd like to work through a book that Debbie over at Stitchin' Therapy recommended to me:


I've had the book for months, but I've barely opened it.  I'd like to add it to my list of projects and work through it an exercise at a time.  It's exciting to me to break my own silly rules and to make time for other things on my wish list.

Also, I wanted to share with you the beautiful wooden box I won in the Christmas Quilt Show.  It came in yesterday's mail.  I have been drooling over these for years, and so I'm absolutely thrilled to win one.


These are hand made boxes from David Grunenwald over at Quiltboxes.  His website is definitely worth a look.


The inside is as pretty as the box itself, and the bottom is lined in velvet.


Inside he left his card along with a card naming the quilt block featured on the top of the box and the woods used.


And here is David's information.


Lucky, lucky me!

Also yesterday, I received the fabric I want to use for the back of my Folk Art Cats quilt.  Isn't this just perfect?


But I also wanted to take this opportunity to tell you about my favorite cat fabric website:  Feline Drive.  


In addition to being the best cat-related quilt shop on the web, Feline Drive is a cat rescue organization.  100% of the profits from their store are used to support the cats at Feline Drive, and as a cat lover, I'd say it's pretty hard to beat that.  Even though I've only shopped their store online, I'm still giving them my highest quilt shop rating of five rotary cutters out of five.


I note as I'm writing this that their site is down for maintenance, and so you'll have to come back in the next couple of days to check it out.  For discriminating cat quilters, it's the place to go for all things cat.

Finally, do you remember when I wrote this post about tearing the sheet rock off the walls and ripping the carpeting off the floor in a futile attempt to find my misplaced embroidery hoop?  Well.......I found it.  Right where I left it.  It was in the bin with the fabrics for the Hello Sun quilt.


Duh.  Tonight I will rest easy knowing that this little hoop has returned to the fold.

15 comments:

quiltzyx said...

I'm so jealous! I've also been drooling over those quilt boxes. Your's is lovely.

I voted for no catmetic surgery. Heeheehee!

Good luck with that white board list - I may try to be a bit more organized ... maybe.

Teresa in Music City said...

Hahahahah - yes, I'm laughing :*D But only because I just got through making up my own UFO list that I need to work through this coming year. I'm torn about the catbbits.... wow, such a weighty decision... hmmmm....

Love your box!!! That is absolutely gorgeous!!! I don't blame you for being thrilled :*)

Denise :) said...

Bahahaa!!! Glad the hoop is out of the folded fabric and back in the fold! I've made a private list of must finishes for 2013. Private in that I'm not sharing it lest I not live up to my expectations. I may or *may not* look at it again. Oh -- and I just say NO to an ear-ectomy. I like bunny-cats or kitty-rabbits, whichever the case may be! :)

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Love the gift box, lucky you! I hate to say I only have 2 UFOs and one I have ready to quilt myself and the other is going to my long armer after the holidays - a year of minis and Jelly Roll quilts, made for finishing.Oh, I did some of those BOMs - but the blocks, I pass on to Sarah's group to play with - I just like making the blocks. And I like the ears!

pizzaeater said...

As a person who has had plastic surgery and won't tell exactly what was done, I say let the ears be done. It's like a new lease on life.

I am also trying to figure out how am going to handle next year's sewing. I had made a list of 20 projects to do but I don't think I want to be limited to that list. I like your idea of starting one NewFO a month.

Ranch Wife said...

What a pretty box - you must have been on someone's 'nice' list! :)
I haven't heard of the Year of Finished Projects, but I made my list to do just that a few weeks ago so it sounds like I ought to jump in.

Debbie said...

LOL....you are in for a very full year, and I think it will be fun.
The box is so fabulous....such a special treat.

Quilting Babcia said...

Little cabbits with such sweet smiles, I love you just the way you are! Such a lot of eye-candy in this post, fabulous quilt box (lucky you!) and I absolutely love the quilt-back fabric. Will have to check out your kitty fabric link soon.

Michelle said...

Are you sure they aren't mice? That's what I see.

Judy1522 said...

I would leave the slippers the way they are. The quilt box you won is beautiful. Merry Christmas to you and you family.

Lynne said...

I am so excited and so humbled to have my little blog and linky party mentioned on your post!

Glad to have you join in!

Lynda Halliger Otvos (Lynda M O) said...

You won the QuiltBox !~! Wow Barbara, what a lovely item. I too have looked at them longingly for years and am so happy that you have one !~! Happy happy Christmas there, eh ?~!

I have a few quilts stacking up as they hit the "Quilt-Me" stage. Without finances to pay a longarm quilter, they are to be done by hand and as such... well, you know. I love looking at them in their little stack under my sewing corner. Smiling at me, patiently waiting their turn. I finished one this week so it just needs binding.

Happy New Year, Barbara, may each step we take lead the way to Peace.

Betty said...

That wooden box is beautiful!
Cabbits are cute just like they are. If you had a baby with big ears, would you let her operate on it? I think not! ;-)

Mhairi said...

The slippers will always be rabbits - hasn't your dear friend heard of lops. I had a beautiful bunny and his ears were the cutest part - one stood up in the air and the other flopped over his eye.
So whether it has an ear job or not it will always be a kitbit or a rabten. Plus, as one of four with an older brother, nothing will stop the teasing until the teaser is done!!
Have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

Rachel said...

I will cry if the rabbits get an ear job, just sating (and...I have a rabbit with short ears, so they will really still be rabbits)! Beautiful box. I drool over them too! LOVE the white board. I think (know) I need one!