I Spy Quilting with Pooh the Cat

I'm piecing an I Spy children's quilt as fast as I can for a Christmas gift. 

Pooh is uphappy if he is not the center of my world. 

 

This cat will be the death of me. I swear, he drives...me...CRAZZZZZYYY!!! But...I love him so much. This is what it's like to sew with him around. I lose count of how many times I (gently) toss him off the table.

See how he tortures me? He dares me!!! He triple-DOG-dares me. I'm such a nice person, he knows I'll never hurt him, which emboldens him even more.

 

I would move that tail if I were you!!!

So do you think he loves me and likes my company? Is it the heat of the light bulb in the sewing machine? Or is he intentionally trying to drive me crazy? Sometimes I really wonder if he actually plots against me.

 

GET OFF!!!

Against all odds, I'm making progress.

...Making progress because the beast has to nap every now and then...

...For the love of all that is good and holy...

I give up. I need a break. Time to quit for awhile. This is not a staged photo which cracks me up even more. My daughter felt it was appropriate to document my trials.   (Check out the Snuggie commercial in the background.  LOL).

Sewing Grocery Totes with Vintage Sheets

 

All I've been doing is sewing almost the whole day. Jonah sits beside me and works on his school. I'm getting burned out, but I keep pushing myself. I'm almost done. Whew!

 

I've completed 3 "I Spy" blankets so far. I wanted to finish at least one more, if I can. We've got a lot of delicious toddlers in our family I love to 'baby'.

Since we can't have any more, I have to spoil other people's children.

I've made a ton of these "Classic Tote/Grocery" bags out of vintage sheets for family.

I found a new favorite, quick and easy pattern at Sew Mama Sew. Check out the Classic Tote Tutorial and give it a try. They are addictive. I can't stop sewing them. I need to make myself some to keep after Christmas.

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Another pattern I mean to try:
 

Wallet Sized Fold Up Reusable Shopping Bag from Whip Up
I think my sister would really like this one because it's neat and tidy storage solution.
 She's got two toddlers and always has a lot going on.

Vintage Red Barkcloth Curtain

I found this little curtain strip at a thrift store for nothing. I always bring home vintage fabric "something or others",

thinking I'll harvest it's goodness for projects or quilts.

As usual, I couldn't stand cutting into this, so I gave it a much needed bath,

pressed it and hung it up in my kitchen window.

 

 It gave my kitchen a splash of holiday color. Red is so appetizing to me. Don't you want to bite into this fabric? LOL Yummy!!! Because it's so short, it lets in a lot of light, so I think I'll let it stay for awhile. Light is good in the winter months. :)

 

 

~ Blessings and Favor ~

 

Thanksgiving and Sannibel

Today...November 24th
Windowing...a lonely Sandhill Crane and around 75 Hooded Merganser ducks. You can click on the links and hear their sounds. This is one of my favorite links to learn about birds and their calls. Bookmark it.

Thanking...November 21st was the 3rd anniversary of my car wreck and I'm thankful I'm still alive. Even though it's ruined the last 3 years, and maybe my back forever....I'm not dead yet. And for that, I'm thankful. Truly.

Learning......Ancient Greece and the human body. During the week of Thanksgiving, we read William Bradford's History of Plymouth Plantation. Also, a fellow bibliophile has loaned me her coveted copy of The Lion's Paw, copyright 1947. We're reading it as a 'read aloud' and I'm so very grateful my older children still love to read aloud with me. I hope we never out grow this as a family. Here is an interesting article on The Lion's Paw. Get it and read it. :) It was out of print and has been republished.

Kitchening...Lot's of cooking with my kids. We have quiet Thanksgivings by ourselves. My son makes his signature banana chocolate pie and my daughter will make homemade rolls. Iced Pumpkin Cookies is one of my favorite holiday recipes. I'm not a big pumpkin pie fan, but I love, love, love these cookies. They have a wonderful texture and taste. You GOTTA make them.

Reading..."Redeeming Love", by Francine Rivers  Woah. Pretty intense read so far. I don't read a lot of romance, so I'm proud of myself for sticking this one out. It's certainly sobering and thought provoking. I thank God for His constant pursuit for my heart. I'm glad He never gives up on me.

Favorite things...sitting outside on a chilly November night with quilts and hot cocoa, watching the meteor showers. Watching meteor showers is one of my all time most favorite things to share with my family.

A few plans for the rest of the week...sewing, cleaning, reading, baking, planning, table dressing, game playing and puzzle constructing...I love the week of Thanksgiving because my family is at peace and enjoying each other's company.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

This is my nephew Hay-Hay learning shell identification at Sanibel Island. If you come to Florida, skip Disney and head to Sanibel. It was God's jewelry box for me. I felt like God said, "Here is my jewelry box, take whatever you want". We found 100's of shells and left billions for you to gather on your visit. :)