My Second Cross Stitch Kitty Pillow

 This is the second cross stitch kitty pillow I made. The first one I made for a gift. I really loved it and just had to make one for me! However, there are quite a few steps before you get this cute pillow.

After cross stitching the cat, I had to iron on a lightweight interfacing. After the interfacing was done, I had to make dots 1/2" around the cat as well as a parallel 1" around the cat. The outer line was the cutting line and the inner line was the sewing line. Makes sense!

At this point, I had to choose a backing. I knew I wanted to use a cat themed fabric so I had to look through my fabric bins to find one I liked. I ended up using this fat quarter.

I cut on the outer line and sewed on the inner line. I left a few inches to turn it inside out. I wish I'd left a little more than 2" but I got it to work.

Here's the kitty right side out and ironed. It just has to be stuffed at this point. The hard part is done!! This cute pillow is sitting on my couch watching TV with me!!

Whiskers N Catnip

I'm not sure why but I just haven't had the time to sew lately. It just seems like this past week has been so busy. I thought this would be a good time to share what I've been doing. I received this quilt kit from my son and his wife years before they got married. It's an adorable quilt with a ton of fabric included. It finishes at 96" square which is huge! I've had it in my sewing room for a while now so I thought it was a great time to work on it. 

I've made these blocks so far. They measure 12.5" square. The directions are clear and very easy to follow. It's been fun to make these blocks. I'm working at a slow pace since I have a few unfinished projects I'm trying to get to. 

You work on the border at the same time while making blocks. This is how far I've come on the flying geese border. As you work on a block, you make another color of flying geese. These flying geese measure 2" X 4" finished. 

I did manage to sew on the binding on Facets this morning. I love that polka dot fabric! I'm glad I found it when I visited my local quilt shop. Now, I just need some time to sew down the binding!!

Facets is Quilted!

I finished quilting Facets this past weekend. I was so excited to take it off the longarm! It came out great. I love the quilting and just love how flat it looks! It was easy to quilt. Nothing seemed to go wrong. My tension was good and everything just worked out very easily. The quilt measures about 90" X 90". 

I tried to get a closeup so you can see the quilting. It's scattered feathers on a small scale which matches this quilt quite nicely.

Here's the backing. Pantographs always ensure that the quilting design is even throughout the quilt. The back always looks nice. I'm getting the binding ready. I still can't believe this one is just about done. This quilt seemed to take forever. I think it took me about a year from start to finish. Oh, well, on to the next project!!

I Like Thursday #313

It's time for Thursday Likes! Please visit LeeAnna to link up with more participating blogs that post fun and uplifting content. Let's all wish Molly a Happy Birthday! She is 12 years old today. I can't believe it! We got her at 4 months old and has been with us ever since. She's always had a healthy appetite so I thought it was funny that she was sitting on my walking pad. She may want to use it! The walking pad is a gift to me from my daughter's boyfriend. He's the best!

I decided that this will be the binding for Facets. I wanted something with a little color since the quilt is so colorful. The quilt made by the author has a pale yellow binding but I opted for a more vibrant fabric.

I'm so looking forward to May 5. This book is coming out that day. This is the same author as The Help and I can't wait to read it! I've been on the hold list in Libby for awhile now so I should be one of the first to get it!

The conversation starter this week asks us if we spring clean. I wash all my windows as well as curtains once a year. I start in the spring but never finish until sometime in the summer. It takes too long! I also have to wash my hardwood floors because I put it off last fall. Ugh! I'll get to it eventually!

Have a great weekend!

Halfway Done Projects

 I feel good that two of my present projects are halfway done! My Easy Lace Sock is finished! Of course, I have to make another one but this one is complete! It has to be washed and blocked but I'll wait until the other sock is also done.

I've been steadily working on the getting Facets quilted. I'm proud to say that I'm more than halfway done! I'm really enjoying this one. It's the second time that I've used this pantograph so it's easy to stitch. I probably stitch about 14" per day. I like how the curves look on the straight lines of the Facets blocks. I'm hoping to be done by the end of the week. 

I Like Thursday #312

 It's time once again for Thursday Likes! Boy, the week just seem to fly by. Anyways, please visit LeeAnna over at Not Afraid of Color to link up with more blogs that are posting happy and positive content. I've been practicing my pantograph for the Facets quilt all week. I decided to take the plunge this morning! I did two passes and am quite happy with the outcome. I think 2 passes covers about 14" and it took me about 45 minutes. I think it's a great way to finish this very scrappy quilt. The blocks are only 6" finished and some of the pieces are teeny tiny. I figured a pantograph was the best option. 

I've been knitting lacy socks lately. The lacy pattern is only a 4 row repeat so it's been easy to knit. Turning the heel was a little different than what I'm used to but it worked out fine. I bought this yarn years ago at JoAnn's. I really miss JoAnn's. I went to Michael's a few times but I don't find it a good substitute at all.

Since it's spring, I decided to change one of the quilts in my family room. I worked on this double wedding ring back in 2018. I didn't make the quilt top. It was an antique top I bought from eBay. This quilt top was dated to be from the 1940's if I remember correctly. I thought it was a great way to practice my feathers. I really enjoyed working on this project. I feel I helped finish someone's quilt that maybe just never find the time to get it done. It's a nice addition to my quilts!

This week's conversation starter asks about our relationship with our phone. I have an iPhone 15 and I think I use it too much. I use it as though it was my little portable computer. I'm always looking something up or texting. My music is on it as well as photos, appointments, etc. Also, Duolingo is very demanding and I feel it takes up too much of my time. I'm hoping to slowly but surely separate myself from my phone but it's so difficult! 

That's been my week. Have a great weekend1 Hope you have great weather!

 I loaded Facets onto the longarm over the weekend. I took the process in steps since this quilt is rather larger, about 89" X 89". I always start with the backing and then move onto the quilt top. Everything seems nice and even but of course, the true test happens once you start quilting. 

I looked through my collection of pantographs to decide which design to quilt. I ended up with this overall feather design. Each row covers 7" and the feathers are on a small scale. I thought it was the right design since the blocks in Facets are only 6" square when finished. Anything too large, I'd be afraid the pantograph would overwhelm the quilt blocks. I usually take a few days to practice the design since I'm using a laser to follow the design. I usually feel comfortable after a few days of practice and will start the quilting. More pictures after the quilting starts!