Get out the woolies

I declare Summer to be officially over – our furnace came on earlier this week, although this morning was nice and warm once more. And just as I was writing this, I saw two Great Blue herons flying south. Actually, they do a lot of travelling during the course of the seasons just to check out the best fishing holes, so their southward flight doesn’t really meaning anything. They are beautiful birds to watch.

Anyway, I put my woolie socks on, but Rusty instantly threw himself onto the closest heat register as soon as the furnace came on. It used to be that both Rusty and Ginger could fit on that heat register. Now, the boy completely covers it with parts to spare, and there is much paw waving and vocal exchanges occur if Ginger comes near it. But she has a favourite spot next to another register, which is next to my sewing machine - and she has a box she can sit on, covered with a quilted (in name only) "cat blanket", in the sunshine with usually a nice view of the deck.

We haven’t had a frost yet. The basil is still growing, the fruit from the apple and pear trees are piling up on the ground where it fell, waiting for me to pick it up. The end of the season yard work is waiting for me. Luckily I have another two weeks of holiday starting on Monday, so unless the temperatures turn nasty, I’ll be dividing my time for the next two weeks between yard work and sewing.

The top picture is Ginger sitting on my wonky house block. I think she’s after the flying geese! Over 12,000 square feet of floor space, and she sits right on top of this little block. Above, Rusty is cat-proofing a large piece of flannelette backing. I’m sure the quilt recipient’s cats will be very impressed when they receive it. He and Ginger pulled it off the chair where it was sitting and both had great fun burrowing into it and making themselves nests.

I believe I’ve finally decided how to finish my Mexican Star quilt, so I'm back on track again. (Whoops, I skipped my second attempt at the zippered bag… Next week.) I just hate cutting my fabric because I’m always afraid I'm going to make a mistake and waste it all. And sometimes I do – cut it wrong. I remember just after I'd begun quilting I took a pile of thrift store fabric to a guild meeting and proceeded to cut it all into strips that I was going to use. I sat down to sew the next day and realized that I'd cut it all just a fraction too small. But I'd cut it all, every last bit of it. Now I cut a little, sew it together, adjust size, cut some more, sew it together. And just as well, too, because my latest size estimates on the Mexican Star first were too big, and then were just a fraction too small. Now they’re just right. Call me Goldilocks!

Until next time,