Sunny Skies

It's a pretty sunrise this morning. The Three Cats Ranch is above the clouds this morning. It always makes us feel pretty smug when the sun is shining here, and the valley is still enveloped in fog.

When I went downstairs after writing yesterday's post, I found Smitty snoozed out on Mike's lap. The cat knows how to get comfortable.

It was time for me to take the first stitches on the cat and cactus. I'm calling this piece Tucson Tabby since I picked up the free pattern at a quilt shop in Tucson. I spent a little more time on it yesterday afternoon, and it's nearly half finished already.

A couple of days ago, I switched out my spring table runners for ones that celebrate the Fourth of July. Smitty thought it purrudent to test this one for comfort...on the table...which is prohibited. When it comes to Table Prohibition, Smitty is a scofflaw. And, if you think about it, being a scofflaw goes with the territory when you're a cat.

While I was out filling the bird feeders, I noticed one of the upper patio poppies had bloomed. I was kind of surprised to see this since it took so long to form any buds. We're expecting sunny weather for the next couple of days, and so I'll be watching the peonies for any signs of flowerage. (I thought I might have made up that word, but it is an actual word...made up by someone else.)

Smitty was all rested up and ready for a morning of hunting. He's caught three squirrels so far this spring, and he's just getting started. Patience and persistence pay off.

By afternoon, I'd worked up enough courage to start the thread painting on my challenge piece. After several hours, I had it to final quilting stage. The thread painting is done just through the quilt top and the batting. Today I'll add the back and lightly quilt the remainder. I'm hoping to have it to binding stage by day's end. 

The thread painting gave me some angst. It's similar to free motion quilting in that you can see everything you think you've done wrong as you're doing it. It's a good idea to walk away and come back with fresh eyes. When I was finished, I showed it to Mike. I worried I'd ruined it, but Mike said no. He tends to be my toughest critic, so I trust him to tell the truth. I've visited it a couple of times since finishing up yesterday afternoon, and I'm making peace with it. Here's your peek.

Here's a little peek at the thread painting. This is only the third time I've done this technique. I'm learning that longer lines are probably best. On the other hand, shorter lines make the fur look more furry. It's hard to know what to do in some places. As I look at this, I can see a few little places that need trimming.

Smitty has been helping me write this post. He was looking over our summer trip itinerary, and grew tired just looking at the sight-seeing we're going to do. While it seems a long way off still, the time to leave will be on us before we know it.

This morning I'll spend some more time with my Tucson Tabby, and then I'll head outside to pull some weeds. It's good weed-pulling weather. We'd cleared the place of weeds earlier in the spring, but with so much rain, they've come back with a vengeance. I should have no problem filling my bucket today.