2/28/16

Meteoric Finish

Nobody is any more surprised than I am that I managed to finish the Stars & Stripes quilt top this weekend. I'll show it to you in a minute, but first...the process.

When I returned to the sewing room on Sunday, I wanted to finish up the blocks I'm going to use on the quilt back. Recall that one of my hive mates made her blocks in the reverse of the colors I'd requested. She remade her blocks the requested way, but also sent me these two. I'm planning to piece together a back and use them there.


While I was doing that, my Helper Cat was testing out the placement of the blocks I'd laid out yesterday.


I think these are all wrong, Mom. 


This one should be over here.


And, hm, let's see........these should be over there.


This one here seems to be stuck to the floor...you, Quilt Block...stop resisting!


Good grief...this one is strong!


Let's see...


Yeah. I think that about does it. You're welcome.


Okay. Thanks, Bud. I hardly know where to begin now. But I'll start with this one here in the corner and sew all the sashings and cornerstones just to see how it's going to look.


When I had the first row sewn together, I was really liking it.


Fast forward several hours, and the top was all finished.


I'll use that same little star fabric for the binding.


Miss Maggie, for her part, was living dangerously this afternoon. She not only came downstairs, but she parked herself on Smitty's fireside kitty pole without his permission.


While we were sewing, she thought she might help herself to some more catnip.


Turn off those lasers, Missy. I'm patrolling the area. You are not getting into the catnip again today.


Okay, well what if I go up into your He Man Woman Hater's Clubhouse? What then? Maybe I'll just go in there right now!


You go right ahead there, Missy. You are not getting past me for the catnip. Your partying days are over.


It's a constant battle with these two, I'm telling you. Smitty has been attending Nip-Anon...trying to get a handle on how a cat can happily coexist with a catnip abuser.

The only other thing today was some slow stitching. I finished getting up the stairs to the The Black Cauldron on the latest Hocuspocusville block.


That section was to the extreme bottom right of the whole design. The rest is more in line with itself, and so I've rehooped it and I'm ready to go again. Still much to do on this one.


Tomorrow I'll work on piecing together a back for the Stars & Stripes, but be sure to come back tomorrow. I'm going to hold a Lucky Leap Day Giveaway...it's a tiny little thing. I'm only holding it open for one day. That's 24 hours...and then...it'll be gone, and I'll chose a winner.

12 comments:

Ray and Jeanne said...

The Stars & Stripes quilt is wonderful! Is it going to be a Quilt of Valor? It would be perfect as one. Great job! ~Jeanne

Cathy Smith said...

I get the same expert help when I lay my blocks out. I still haven't figured out how they can hear fabric hit the floor at 20 paces, but they sure do! I'll snap a quick pic of my layout with my phone, if I can, before the "help" arrives.

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

Nice top!

WoolenSails said...

That is so funny, but not, lol. I have had catnip kitties do that and sometimes without, something about a quilt on the floor that says, jump on me, mess me up and give it a few claw holes;)

Debbie

Sheila said...

Love your Stars and Stripes!

Debi said...

Your stripes are a great border. I always worry with stripes because it is so easy to have them off kilter. The quilt looks like it should hang for all the patriotic holidays. And I had to laugh at Smitty because my cats do the same. Sometimes not so funny!

Quilting Babcia said...

About the one thing you can always count on a cat for, they're the most willing quilt helpers out there! Lightning-fast finish on that top! Looking great!

Dana Gaffney said...

The stars and stripes looks so good, I like the cornerstone you used on the border, it all comes together so nicely. Inquiring minds want to know, did she go into the Women Hater's Club House?

Lynn - JnL4God said...

Smitty helping That's funny - the other day I was trying to lay out a quilt top to measure and our dogs kept getting on it. I was saying "get off the blanket get off the blanket" I'd move them off and they would get right back on. Finally I realized we are always telling them to get ON their blanket and so to them they thought they were doing what we tell them to do. lol Really like the quilt it turned out nice.

gayle said...

Love the pictures of your 'helper' 'helping'! (I've never been able to figure out why they find that so irresistible...)
Between the two of you, you've got a gorgeous quilt!

Brown Family said...

Do you color your blocks before or after you stitch. It always amazes me how the kitties do not like the layout i want. That is why I always take a photo before letting them have t their version!

Michele said...

I like the way your top turned out. So sorry about the feline bickering. I had a ton of that here this morning with the human children too. Ugh!