11/24/21

Short on Time, Long on Stitching

We had to make a run into town yesterday. Someone of the male gender inadvertently used a check from a closed checking account to pay our property taxes. In a panic, we drove to the county courthouse to set things right. As long as we were out, we stopped off at the post office to pick up some flat-rate boxes for mailing, and then went to pick up a few items at the grocery store. Yes, you read that right...the grocery store. Two days before Thanksgiving, we set foot inside an actual grocery store. 😱 It was every bit as horrifying as you might think. We flew through the store as quickly as possible, and we were in and out in about 15 minutes. I think we spent about 2/3 of that time standing in line waiting for a cashier who seemed not to realize it was time to panic.

Back home, there were a few housekeeping chores to do, and then I made my way into the sewing room by late afternoon. It was time to start top-stitching the dozen cats from yesterday. And let me just tell you, this is going to be a tedious job. Fortunately, Smitty was there to help. He takes his job as a sewing assistant very seriously.


It might have helped if I'd started on one of the cats with an easier mouth. I was switching back and forth between a straight stitch, triple stitch, and buttonhole stitch, and I think I made every mistake possible on this first one. Fortunately, there are only two more with mouths like this one.


This one with a straight mouth was much easier.


And then, there was this one with a happy smiling mouth. 


Smitty was most interested in that one. He stood by helping me stitch it until it was his purrfect likeness.


When it was finished, he added his purrfumey fragrance to it. Scratch and sniff, you know.


I was working on these while also doing laundry, and so there were lots of interruptions. Only three were finished in yesterday's sewing episode.


I'm hoping to have some time to work on them today, but you know...it's a cooking day. 

While we watched the news last night, I finished stitching this section of Calendula Patterdrip's Cottage.


Now there's just a little bit left to stitch in the upper left corner.


Now I've moved my hoop, and there's just a little bit at the upper left that won't fit. I hate it when that happens. I'll start at the bottom this morning, and then I'll be able to move the hoop up to capture the rest of it.

As I mentioned, today will be a cooking day. I'm making the cranberries and sweet potatoes and one dessert today. I'll be making another dessert tomorrow. Erik and Mae are hosting this year, and I'm looking forward to seeing them. It's been a while. If I can get all my cooking and baking done early enough, I'll get back to the cats. Highest priority will be to trace out the next embroidery block. After all, I don't want to have a stitching emergency on Thanksgiving Day.

What are your Thanksgiving plans? Are you cooking? Are you visiting? Whatever they are, I hope it's a safe and happy one. 

11 comments:

Barbara said...

What I love about Thanksgiving is that it’s purely about getting together with friends or family and enjoying food. It’s really for everybody, and it doesn’t matter where you’re from. ~ Daniel Humm

Mary C said...

Recently I returned to my pre-retirement job to help out while they fill the vacant position left by my former co-worker. Nothing like paid work to interfere with sewing! It will just be my husband and I for Thanksgiving. We got a smoked turkey from the local gourmet market. We had one last year and it was wonderful. We bought a turkey drumstick to make gray. We will both cook - I will make my favorite cranberry sauce and a small apple pie and my husband will make stuffing, gravy and simple steamed green beans. Tomorrow we will cook, take a walk outside and then I hope to catch up on sewing. I have 4 blocks left to do of an 80-block quilt and I'm eager to get them finished so I can start on the layout and maybe finish by the end of the year.
Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family, and the kitties!

Quilting Babcia said...

Well, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! We're headed to the Rochester area tomorrow to celebrate with several of the kids and grands. Can you believe our oldest grandson is getting married on New Years Day! Does that ever make us feel old!

Sara said...

Those cats are so cute and brought a big smile to my face.

Ruth L. said...

Have a happy turkey day. I finished my paper pieced turkey wall hanging last week to help us celebrate. We've invited friends to join us for dinner tomorrow afternoon, so today was advanced cooking. Assuming I've got a big enough roasting bag, I'm going to cook our bird in it tomorrow. Goodness knows what we'll eat for dinner tonight. Hey, today's smiling kitty doesn't seem to have his whole nose sewn down. Also, I'm looking forward to seeing your challenge quilt, all the more so since you're so happy with it.

Magpie's Mumblings said...

The expressions on those cat faces are priceless even tho' you don't see their eyes.
And a brave woman indeed to be in a grocery store that close to a holiday!

Dorothy said...

Have a fabulous Thanksgiving with Eric and Mae. Glad you get to spend time with them.

Nancy said...

Oops I hope you didn’t have to pay a fine.

For Thanksgiving we will be going to my youngest daughter’s house . Her husband is the one who it actually cooking and it will not be a traditional dinner. I may have to still do some Turkey at some point but tomorrow we have salad rolls.

piecefulwendy said...

Happy Thanksgiving, Barbara! The cats are looking great. Enjoy your day with the family. We four are planning to do a Korean BBQ rather than the traditional Thanksgiving food.

Kate said...

Happy Thanksgiving! Love the cats! Even if the stitching isn't perfect, it still looks really good. I don't have to cook this year, My Guy and the SIT have taken over the kitchen. I just have to be sure the SIT has real clothes to wear (she came home with lots of laundry, no clean clothes). Enjoy the time with your family.

Susan said...

Happy Thanksgiving. We were going to go to my sister's house, but her son contracted Covid and is very sick. He was in the emergency room last night having trouble breathing and given an antibody infusion. They sent him home when his breathing was better, but it will be a long haul for him as he also has Cystic Fibrosis.
I think all of the cats gook good so far.