Purrterbation

There was a lot of anxious decision-making involved in yesterday's sewing. The kitties were there to help make decisions, but none of us could decide whose ideas were best or right. Eventually, the kitties threw up their paws in exaspurration and retired to their catio.

Don't come around here with your purroblems. I've already told you the quilt needs more than one cat!

Yeah...and if we're going to have to assist with so many purrojects, we demand to renegotiate our contract. We want more kitty treats!

Sheesh. Looks like mewtiny to me.

Okay, well, back in the sewing room...

The problem was that the railroad border was 5-1/2 inches wide, and the cornerstone blocks were 6-1/2 inches (as are all the blocks in this quilt). So, I needed to make an adjustment somewhere. This was coupled with my worry that I'd run out of fabric if I tried to get too fancy. My quilter's math fell short when it came to figuring out how much fabric I'd need to finish up four sides of the railroad track border. (I'm much too old for math.) If I added a strip of light fabric in the form a stop border, I worried it would make the railroad track look funny. Also, the light fabric was the one I worried most about running out. On the other hand, I could make a stop border from a strip of dark fabric, but then I was afraid the railroad track would end up looking like a fence. The alternative was to cut a half inch from all four sides of the cornerstone blocks and ditch the stop border, which was ultimately what I decided to do.

Then, I sewed on the first border, and I worried the quilt was going to look too busy.

Still, I soldiered on. When I added the second border it looked like this. And still, I wasn't sure I liked it, but I'd already cut the cornerstone blocks, and so I was kind of committed.

Somehow, when I added the third border, it seemed fine to me. Maybe I was just used to looking at it, or maybe adding the cornerstone blocks made the difference. In any case, I'm happy with this.

And there...I stopped for the day. All that is left now is to finish off the fourth side and then make the quilt back. I've been holding this fabric for the quilt back for a long time.

I picked it up on a years-ago trip across the Montana Hi-line.  We were on our way to Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, and we took the Montana Hi-line on a lark. It was 2014.

The railroad was very important to the development of the region. You can read more about our visit right here. As is often the case, we were in Glendive, Montana, because we needed to have all four tires replaced on the RV. Have you ever noticed how many quilt shop stops coincide with RV problems? It's how we make lemonade from lemons. In any case, someone told me about The Enchanted Room, and we just happened to end up in the town where it was walking distance from the tire shop. Divine intervention, I presume. You can read my blog post about the shop right here.

I wasn't planning to make the Shop Hop quilt at the time, but I was collecting regional prints. This shop has a block in the Shop Hop quilt. And all of that to say I worried that I'd cut a 9 x 9 chunk of fabric from the yardage purchased to make a back for Mulligan Stew, but it doesn't matter. After figuring and measuring yesterday, I know I'll have more than enough for the quilt back.

Okay, so moving on to this morning's routine. I finished up Tree #8 for Twelve Trees for Christmas. I misread the pattern, and I thought it required some of these little transparent beads with silver centers. Aren't they pretty?

As it turns out, I was supposed to use white French knots in the red flower centers, but I like the beads better. Here is Tree #8, taking its place among the others that are finished.

The green leaves are worked in "fishbone stitch," and the red flowers are worked in "ribbed spider web stitch." I'm having so much fun with these. I'll be sad when they're finished.

Now Tree #9 is traced out. It's stitched in three colors of green using chain stitch and stem stitch. I'm hoping it won't take too long.

I have a design worked out for this little quilt when all the trees are finished, and all the fabrics I'll need are in my stash. I'm getting kind of excited to sew together a little quilt top. And this being Sunday, I'll be linking up to

Speaking of morning routines...this is how Sadie spends her mornings.

Clearly, she's 'zhausted from her duties as shop steward for their trade union of the International Felinehood of Quilting Cats. Renegotiating their contract is her highest purriority right now. But furrst...a morning nap.

As for me, I'll finish up Mulligan Stew today, and then I think I'll bake another mini bundt cake to celebrate. Next up, I'll be quilting It's Raining Cats and Dogs.

That should satisfy Smitty's demand for more cats on quilts.