Blue Hues

I love making quilts.  I'm pretty sure I've made that clear?  I love making quilts for customers, especially when said customers leave all the finer details to me.  Last Tuesday, one of the Mums at school asked me if I had time to make a quilt for her by the 27th of July?  "Sure" I said - "Colours?  Style?"  The only specifications I got were "Blue is the recipient's favourite colour and can you please embroider some names on it?"  Ok.

Now because I literally had the s*its with the world over the epic disaster that was my machine's tantrums, I went straight home and pulled out my entire stash of blue fabric, and went to town.  By lunchtime I had all the fabric cut out and placed on my design floor (read: my loungeroom floor).  I stopped for lunch and was then ecstatic to find my machine's tantrum had ceased and she was ready to participate in some sewing.  A couple of hours later, I had a quilt top.  And the following day, a finished quilt.......

 

All the pretty shades of blue come together to make the most amazing sea of yumminess!  I snuck a little grey in and a delightful little white spot, which both blend beautifully with Valori's butterflies, Tula's eye drops and Art Gallery's florals.  There's a little Violet Craft in there too.

 

I grabbed my handy bolt of Ikea backing, which I think worked well.  Bella the cat thinks so anyway!

The squares are 6.5" in size, which really just makes cutting so quick and easy!  And when it came to featuring the names on the quilt, I went with some little wonky stars, made from 2.5" squares and embroidered the names using Aurifil #2810 Turquoise.  I kept the quilting of the blocks nice and simple - straight lines using Aurifil #2605, my favourite silver/grey thread!

And the very pretty binding is a great Spotlight print I bought last year and love!

This is a super easy quilt to make, and really effective when the right combination of prints are used!  If you are ever in need of a speedy gift - here's your go-to pattern!  Finished size is perfect for a lap quilt - 48.5" x 66".

I think I managed to both surprise and delight the customer by having her order delivered three days after she placed it?!!?

Boho Cat Bag - Yes, I said Boho Cat Bag!

No other name really fits.....

I have had this divine Jolie Pomme fabric sitting on my shelf for over a year.  It came straight from Tokyo in The Great Fabric Haul of 2013.  And today, it was plucked off said shelf for project "make a gift for my 16 year old God-daughter".  I used THIS tutorial by Thimble - it was very straight forward and dare I say - simple!

The quirky detail in the fabric is just amazing.  Dancing cats and bunnies wearing scarves - Love!

I popped in to Spotlight this morning and grabbed some of their $1 Fat Quarters - this bag used almost two FQ's of the green chevron for the handles and top part and about 2/3 yard of outer fabric and lining fabric.  The lining is a gorgeous stripe that was also at Spotlight in the $4 clearance quilting fabric pile!  I think it may even be a little on the "organic" side.  Winning.

I added a little zipper pocket on the inside using my tutorial HERE, instead of the pocket included in the Thimble tutorial.  The thread is a divine Aurifil Green #5017  I picked up last time I was there.  It was one of those "jump out and grab you" kind of colours, that I really had no plans for - but it was PERFECT for today!  Here's hoping the teenager loves this bag as much as I do!

I'm linking up - You can too!

Another Freakin Cat Post.....

About five weeks ago, it was brought to my attention that our sweet kitten - Bella - had been visiting one of our neighbours and using their ridiculously huge sandpit as a litter box.  Said neighbour came a door knocking to ask if I had a little black cat with a blue tag (council tag)?  Ummm, yes, I said.  He proceeded to tell me that he had trapped her in his back yard and I should come and get her.

WTF?

I walked with this imbecile to his home, about five houses away, all the time asking him incredulously that when he said "trapped her" did he actually trap her?  Yep.  I was greeted at his home by his ever so delightful cranky and mouthy wife, telling me how disgusting it was that my cat was shitting in her kid's sandpit.  I agreed, with a pleasant but confused smile on my face.  As I rounded the corner in to their back yard I was horrified to see our little Bella in a metal trap, freakin out.  My Chelsea (Bella's human mummy) was equally if not more horrified and quickly ran to get her out.  It was a very warm day - we're talking 27 degrees - and Bella had been in this trap for who knows how long, without any water or food.  Cranky pants wifey was talking and I wasn't really listening, as I watched Chelsea take Bella home.  I kept asking cranky and her dickhead husband what exactly it was that they expected me to do?  She's a cat.......

They suggested I needed to keep Bella from entering their property.  Ahuh....right.  I repeated that she was a cat, and perhaps they could look at getting a cover for their sandpit - LIKE MOST PEOPLE WITH COMMON SENSE WOULD DO.  Nope.  Nope, not something they would consider.  So after a few more minutes of banter, and me telling them I would do my best, and perhaps they could think of some natural deterrents to keep cat/s away from their sandpit, I wandered off - bewildered.

I mean, is it me, or is going to the trouble of hiring a trap from the council to willingly trap a beautiful little kitten - who just happens to be registered with the council and is not some random stray - just bizarre?

For the following week, I kept Bella inside the house because I was basically too scared to let her out, for fear they would either trap her again, or do something worse.....

Fast forward to last week.  I was sitting upstairs and saw a council van pull in to the driveway.  Didn't take me long to figure out why they were here.......  Ever so lovely ranger tells me that he has my cat in his van.  It had been trapped by someone in the neighbourhood.  I asked him by who, and when he said he couldn't tell me - I told him.  With some very choice words.  I was not a lady.....

I asked HIM what the f*ck I was expected to do?  Well, his suggestions were nothing short of amusing.  Apparently "people" cut slits in pvc pipes, and put them over their fences so cats can't jump over them. Mmmmmmm, that's fabulous!  Cos I want my home to look like some kind of DYI disaster?  I'm thinking razor wire would be equally as effective?  Give it that "detention centre" shine?

Orrrr, we could build/buy a cat run?  Oh yeh, cos that's why you have a pet cat.  So it can be trapped in a f*cking wire enclosed building.  Sure.

Orrrrrr, we could just keep the cat inside - like - forever.

I very politely sarcastically, with a touch of f*ck you, told the ranger that the use of common sense was lacking in some people's brains, and that the council's  willingness to go along with those lacking common sense made me very cranky.  Collected Bella from the TRAP in his van and gave him a generous wave and smile and sent him on his way.

A few days later, he returned with the official letter of complaint and warning, that if Bella steps paw on their property again, we will incur a fine and Bella would be impounded.  Nice.

Now - the husband and I have had a few interesting conversations about the predicament we have found ourselves in.  He suggested we could go and shovel some of our dog shit on to their front yard, but hey, that wouldn't be very neighbourly would it?  I had a friend on Facebook offer us some chicken shit to share with them, but I thought that was too kind, because at least you can use chicken poop to fertilise your garden?  All I've managed to do is give the a*sehole a good case of staring as I drove past their home this afternoon.  Time will tell.......

In the meantime, I am trying not to lose my proverbial mind over the fact that I now have a kitty-cat trying not to lose HER mind at the fact that she can no longer go out and enjoy the great outdoors.  Long gone are her days of climbing the trees in our front yard, or wrestling with our two puppy dogs in the backyard.  Now her days are spent staring longingly out the windows, meowing incessantly and clawing any or all the furniture she can possibly manage without copping an earful from me.

Not to mention the fact that every time I hear the front or back door open everyone yells "DON'T LET BELLA OUT'!!!!!!!  Followed by the sound of running as the closest person to the door chases after her if she's managed to escape.

Soooooo, friends.  I ask you this - what would you do?  I understand, I really do, that there are cat haters out there.  In fact, I used to be one myself.  Before I was a cat owner, I had to go and buy sandpit covers begrudgingly to keep the neighbourhood cats from deficating in said sandpit.  It's common sense yes?  And even now, as a cat lover liker I have had to throw things at random cats who've come a knocking at our door to pester our own cats.  Once again, common sense?

I'm seriously at a loss.  Help.

***  Cat haters and non-constructive comments will not be appreciated.  Although if they're highly amusing comments I may laugh.

****  We are responsible cat owners who bring their cat inside at night and register her too.

She Rises Again.....

Approximately six weeks ago, our 11 year old cat disappeared....again. Usually, on the half a dozen or so occasions she has gone, she will reappear a week later, and all returns to normal. This time, we explained to the kids that Ruby had probably left for good, perhaps gone to find somewhere to die. And they were ok with that.

Fast forward to tonight, Easter Monday. We got home from a day at the football (where a whole team of cats destroyed my beloved hawks), ate some dinner and then were beyond astounded when chelsea opened the front door and proclaimed that Ruby had returned! This was greeted with calls of "what the?"

We have now re-named her. From this day forward, she shall now answer to "Jesus".

And yes, I did have to ask my husband which day it was Jesus rose again, because I get my religious information mixed up! Lucky I'm married to a catholic school boy. Well, you know what I mean! 

Happy Easter everyone! 

Do you have cats? Do they disappear, only to rise again?

Cat. Again.

I sent Bella the cat off to the vet last Monday to have her tubes tied, or whatever the hell it is they do to cats to ensure they cannot reproduce.  My main reason for doing this?  So she can get out of my f*cking house!!!  I've tried.  Believe You Me - I've tried!  But she is literally doing my head in.  First of all, there's all the furniture she is slowly but surely annihilating.  Secondly, the solitary indoor plant we own is apparently her favourite "toy".  If said plant did not have a great deal of meaning to me (I gave it to Andrew's Nanna a few months before she passed away) I quite possibly would not give a rat's and it would have landed in the rubbish - but it does have meaning, and every time that little s*it goes near it - I yell!  And thirdly - well, the same reason our older cat became an outdoor cat many many years ago - the litter tray.  That dirty, stinkin, blue box of crap.  I. Cannot. Stand. It.

Anyway - back to the operation.  I popped Bella in the cardboard travel box we owned, and then popped it on the front seat.  The vet is only a ten minute drive away, and in those fleeting minutes, Bella managed to claw and bite her way out of the box.  So I spent half the trip worried she would land under the accelerator pedal.  Got there, got her admitted, and skipped to the car.  Andrew picked her up that evening, and my expectation of a drowsy, quiet cat was dashed immediately.  No, no, not our Bella.  She jumped straight out of that (new) box and was flying around the house like nobody's business.  You would never know she had had major surgery.......

Crappy photo - but it is incredibly difficult to take a decent one of a pitch black cat!

Last night, on the eve of her having her stitches removed, and the excitement of being able to let her roam free, Bella mysteriously disappeared.  No bell to be heard.  No meow to be meowed.  I ended up going to bed thinking she had whipped out the back door when nobody was looking.  Upon waking this morning, I broke the news to the kids, and Cadyn took it upon himself to search the house.  The same house I searched high and low 12 hours beforehand.  He heard a meow.  We followed it.  And found her.  

Here.

She had spent the whole night in a storage cupboard.  And took her cardboard fetish to a new level.  Thankfully, she quick-footed it straight to that stinkin litter box and did her business.....

Cat anyone??

Whose Bright Idea??

Was it to get another farking cat???!!!!  And who was the farking idiot that agreed to it????  Urghhhhh.......

SOMEBODY began campaigning for a kitten back in April.  This somebody had been suckered in by his then soon to be nine year old daughter and her promises of caring and loving a kitten like no other human being in history had before her.  The same somebody then convinced me that it would be a great idea to get above mentioned daughter a kitten for her birthday.  A series of events occurred that ultimately ended in us getting a kitten for free, which we then surprised said daughter with as an early birthday present.....

I will admit that the cuteness of this little black puff-ball was so huge that it didn't take long for me to fall in love with her.  In fact, I wrote quite positively about our Ms Bella's arrival HERE.  Oh, how times change.....

 Fast forward to today, when I entered good old Pets Paradise for the umpteenth time since Bella's arrival, looking to spend yet another small fortune on crappola.  Today's purchase (thankfully at half price, not so thankfully because poor Pets Paradise is in receivership - whoops) was ANOTHER scratching post (because the same birthday girl decided it would be a good idea to sit on the first $50 scratching post, causing it to snap in half - sigh) in an attempt to divert Bella's attention from the gorgeous new lounges we bought only one month ago.

I also asked the question - "Do you have anything to spray on furniture or fittings to stop cats wrecking shit?"  The young girl said "no".   Oh.  Thanks.  For.  Nothing.  

But wait!  As I was about to walk off, she said they had something called "sticky paws".....ummmmm.  I followed her to the wall display where there was ONE packet of sticky paws left.  I was also followed by another woman who had overheard my request and was interested in finding a solution for her own damaged home.  What I discovered was that cats apparently do not like sticky surfaces!  So this solution is a trumped up version of double sided tape, which you can stick to any surface you do not wish your cat or kitten to demolish!  I snapped up the last packet (and did not look the other woman in the eyes for fear of being glared at) and went and paid for my bargain scratching post and sticky paws.  Sounds so wrong....

"Don't declaw....get sticky paws" - WTF??  Who declaws a cat?  

So this afternoon's quest was to cover my brand new, but already slightly tattered lounge in double sided tape.  During said quest I discovered that not only had the little shit of a cat (hear the love in my words?) attacked the corners of the lounge, she has given the whole side of it a good crack.  Little focker.....

I also sticky paw'd the side of the step that had been nibbled and clawed at.  I'm wondering if I could just cover the whole freaking house in double sided tape so the little turd can't wreck anything else??  Maybe the poor singular pot plant I own?  Yep, she's managed to almost kill that too!

Don't get me wrong.  I am not opposed to pets.  I  AM an animal lover.  But each and every time we get a new pet, I end up doing a lot of sighing, yelling, cursing and quite simply - regretting.

Our menagerie now consists of Bella - the now sticky paw'd kitten.  Ruby - the ten year old cat who it seems has decided will hiss at anything and anyone she pleases.  Tanza - the 11 year old corgi x bichon AND Hamish - the teeny tiny three year old toy poodle, who refused to toilet train and to this day will still cock his leg on anything he can possibly reach if let inside.  So he is now an outdoor dog and what you would call a Rasta Poodle.....just needs some reggae and a joint....

I digress.....  Tonight as I was picking up the cat food that Bella had so delightfully dragged on to the carpet to eat, I yelled out "I hate this fucking cat".......to which Andrew retorted "You hate all cats"....  Ummmm....... Look, I'm trying ok.

How on earth do people have patience to get past the kitten trials and tribulations?  Are all kittens bat-shit crazy, or just Bella?

Sexy Sewing

Just a quick post this afternoon between eating chocolate freckles (everyone loves them yeh?), swigging Pepsi Max (they did not sponsor this post unfortunately, I'm just addicted), squishing orders into postal satchels and getting quotes for renovations!!  Here's some useful information for you......

Sexy huh?

The lovely Renee over at The Sewing Library is celebrating their First Birthday!  She has an amazing prize on offer - and it makes sewing look pretty damn sexy!  Great opportunity for everyone (well except me, because I am one of the sponsors of said sexy prize, now I know how Karl and Lisa feel when they can't enter Today Show comps!) who loves sewing, would love to sew, or knows someone who sews to win a beautiful machine!  Pop over there and let Renee know I sent you!


Who knew carpet was so freakin expensive??  I mean really.....it's just big rugs on floors yeh?  Seems I am taking a master class in "how not to get ripped off by big companies" during the infant stages of our renovating.  Today was the 3rd hour spent sitting around whilst a strange man wandered around with his measuring tape.  Let's hope the quotes get cheaper - please.....


I keep looking at the rather large amount of "stuff" we have, everywhere, and wonder how I am possibly going to get it all packed and moved?  Remedied some of the problem by emptying out our garage of all the useless shit we have been holding on to "just in case" on the weekend.  Hard rubbish collection has perfect timing this time round.  Seems our crap must be really, really crappy this time round.  Apart from a few random items, it's all still on the nature strip.  Unheard of in this suburb!  Some people must roam from area to area, trailer hooked on, picking through others crap in the hope of finding good crap to transfer to their own crappy garage?  Noice.


I've sort of, kind of, maybe decided that the kids will be changing schools next year.  Our moving date will be some time in July, so I will have at least half a year of travelling to their current school.  Yes, it may only be ten minutes each way, but given we have only had to walk 300 metres to school for the past five years, I'm guessing I will be over it by year's end?  I have a school in mind, and they just happen to be holding their open night later this month.  I'm already bribing Chelsea with the news that they have piano lessons during school hours!  Bribery 101 will be my best friend in the coming months.....


Bella the kitten has made herself well and truly at home.  She now flies from one piece of furniture to another, and scares the absolute bejeezus out of everyone at some stage during each day.  Found her on top of the printer this morning after hearing it turn on.  Printer lives on top of three filing cabinets.  Still trying to work out the logistics of how she ended there....


That's it.  Must go and look productive.  Husband just pulled in the driveway!