Thinking About Sewing

Good morning, my friends. It was a run-around day, and while I was out, it started raining. It rained for a good part of the day. We accumulated around half an inch. It's the rain I've been waiting for so that I can get outside and pick some weeds. That might happen today unless it's too wet. Tomorrow might be more realistic, although I have some more running around to do tomorrow.

Sadie knows that a good rain signals quilt-snuggling season.

Smitty thinks any season is quilt snuggling season. When I returned home, he and I had the same idea...a nap. My cat is very wise.

So, I was out getting a pedicure, and then I headed to Joann to get the pink floss I've been needing.

Lack of pink embroidery floss was the only thing standing between me and finishing the last of the Kittens blocks. After my nap, I went straight to work and finished off the missing pink portions.

This was my project for September's

Now that it's finished, I can head over to the party and link up. Here are all 12 blocks together. They still need trimming, and then I'll be ready to sew them into a finished flimsy.

And that leaves an opening on my embroidery dance card. I have two lists of projects...long projects, meant to be done one block at a time; and short projects, meant to be stitched to completion in one go-round. For this decision-making process, I was looking only at the long projects. There's a numbered list on my iPad. (I realized Grandpa's Bridges was still on the list, even though I started it months ago. I deleted that one before making my selection.)

And with so many projects, I can't possibly choose on my own, and so I inquire of Mr. Random Number Generator to do the honors. Mr. Random says...

And that means "A Year in the Garden" will be my newest project. And, hm....I can't remember that project at all. I have projects stored in several different places. Some are in my Dropbox. Some are in my Downloads folder. Some are in a three-ring binder. Some are printed patterns. Some are contained in books. And I really had no idea what this project even looks like, let alone where I could find it. Smitty helped me search, and search, and search.

It's a meowystery wrapped up in a pawnigma.

Together, we found it in my downloads folder. As it turns out, it's a free (at the outset) BOM from Jenny of Elefantz. She did this one in 2018. Apparently, I wasn't in a position to stitch-along at the time, and so I saved the patterns as they came out each month. Here's how she finished her quilt.

When my blocks are finished (assuming I live that long), I'll probably do something different. 

The rest of my sewing day was spent choosing floss colors. I went by the names of the colors she listed on the pattern. She's listing hers in Cosmo colors, but I want to pick from my vast embroidery floss stash, which is mostly DMC. I'll be starting with January's block...at some point. Not right away.

And based on the color name, I picked these colors of floss to start with. I'm not sure if the same colors are used throughout, but this will get me started.

The embroidered blocks are small, and so I'll be using the cut-off edges of a different quilt for the embroidery backgrounds. I like it when I can use some of the odd pieces from my fabric stash.

And that was the only sewing I did yesterday. Today I can decide my own schedule...no running around required. Assuming the ground is not too wet, I want to get out and pull some weeds. There's one easy housekeeping chore on my to-do list, but otherwise, I can spend my day sewing. Probably, I'll get to work thread-painting the "Spices" quilt. There's a full month left before the reveal, but I need to move it along and get it over the finish line. 

I can't end today's post without a big thank you to my friend, Ann, who has offered to send me an authentic recipe for Kentucky Burgoo. I appreciate the offer, Ann, but you are no-reply, and so I'm hoping you'll see this message here. Please email me with the recipe. And thank you very much.

So that's all the news that's fit to print from the Three Cats Ranch. It should be a fairly easy-going day today. Tomorrow's post might be a little late. I need to get a fasting blood draw first thing, and I doubt I'll be able to think or write coherently until I've had my morning coffee. I'll treat myself with my beloved Egg McMuffin afterward, and then I'll need to make a quick stop at the grocery store before I head home again. So, look for me around lunch time tomorrow. Until then, have a good day everybody. 

To my friends in the path of the hurricane, please stay safe.