Scrappy Cat Pillow Pattern

A few people were interested in getting a pattern for my scrappy cat pillow top.

If you search for tessellating cat quilt patterns, you'll see all sorts of versions.  Here's a graph and link to this page which is similar to mine.  I saw one a lady made and she said she got it from the Oct. 2009 McCalls magazine.

I'm getting motivated to try this again.

Here are some unfinished dimensions in inches for the cat sections for mine.  You can cut out and assemble intuitively, using a few instructions I included below.  

Ooops.  I already see a mistake-- the body piece should say 9 1/2 x 4 1/2".

Ear sections background   Ears 2" square (draw a diagonal line) 

5 x 2" background and apply the 2" squares to each corner, sew on the diagonal line and then trim off leaving 1/4" seam.

Head

5 x 3 1/2"

Body 4 1/2" x 9 1/2"

Flank (on the lounging cats)

3 1/2" HST (half square triangle  cut 3 7/8" squares (one main cat and one other cat colors) and sew into two HSTs (trim to 3 1/2")

Straight Tail

7 1/2 x 2"  plus two 1" squares marked with diagonal line and sewn to create the curved end.

Curved tail

See diagram and cut out each piece. 

a.  To the 2 1/2" squares apply a 1 1/2" square with drawn diagonal line to one corner and sew along the diagonal and trim leaving 1/4" seam.  Press back.

b.  To the 4 1/2 x 1 1/2" (yellow section on diagram).  Sew 1 1/2" squares with drawn diagonal lines to each end, sew along the diagonal line, trim, and press.  

Sew curved tail sections (including the haunch) together.

Probably needs some testing so good luck!

Linking up with Connie at Freemotion by the River

First Finished Quilt of 2015

This was a very fun BOM QAL in 2014 by Cindy at Quilt Doodle Doodle.  Cindy is going to have a blog hop on January 24- 26th to showcase the 2014 QAL.  I got motivated to finished mine up!

Cindy is hosting another QAL for 2015.  The block of the month is free during each month.

The snowman row was the January block for 2014 and i just loved it and had to join in.  (I just finished sewing on the button eyes to complete the quilt last night.)

I was so excited on the 1st of each month to rush to Cindy' blog to see what the new quilt block(s) would be.

Month by month, progress was made.

As each section was completed, it was exciting to lay them together to see how it was going to look.  All so cute, but isn't the bright colored lights row fabulous?   You can see I started getting a little scrappy due to making sure I didn't run out of that blue glitter fabric and also to break it up a bit.

I did a loose loop quilting design to keep it softer and the house got a little special FMQ with some roof shingles, siding, feathers in the heart on the roof, and some embroidered details with a Christmas tree in the window and some outlining on the door, the window, and the heart.

After reading Connie's (Freemotion by the River) post about her grandson being cold...

I decided to follow suit and used 100% polyester batting.  I can already tell it will be warmer.

Don't forget to stop by Cindy's for the Blog Hop on Jan. 24th-26th
It sure was a fun quilt along, but I'm not done since I started another one along the way!

I'll have to get back to this batik version soon.

Linking up at Crazy Mom Quilts.

More Pillows and some scrappy triangles

More pillows!

I saw a darling LOVE pillow made by MochaWildChild here and just had to make one too.

She found the free pattern by Kelbysews here.

Here it is before being sewn into the pillow cover.

I like sewing my own pillows and then I don't have to worry about what size I make the pillow cover.    This holly fabric came in handy to make a pillow form since I wasn't crazy about it.

Two buttons on the back match the "L" and the "V"

 Quite a while back, I was making some pink and white quilt blocks for my sister because she loves pink and she loves cats.  

The tessellating design got the better of me and I stalled on production and couldn't get back to it.  I decided to make pillows instead (I have one more block to make into another pillow cover)

Here it is flipped around.  (sorry for the blurred picture)

Here you can see the lovely model who posed for the embroidered little cat faces.  She has claimed the pillow top and production is again stalled.

She seems pretty attached to this project.

Here's the light pink pillow to go inside the tessellating cats pillow cover.

Here's the back of the pillow cover.

A little pile of HST's of varying sizes.  I spent a little time sewing, pressing, trimming and/or just stacking and packaging up by size.

  I can't seem to just throw away these little triangle scraps and it's a pain except when I get them somewhat sorted and organized and hopefully sometime in the future they will be part of something wonderful!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Linking up with Connie at Freemotion by the River,  Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation, and Crazy Mom Quilts.

Birthday Gifts

Birthday Gifts for work friends.

 

A Scrappy, Happy New Year

Upon tidying up the sewing room with ideas of pink cat blocks and an island girl quilt design dancing in my head, a large stack of scrappy 3 1/2" squares presented itself.

A flock of scrappy 9 patches with a white square in the center for continuity is what developed.

Christmas Corner December 2014

Merry Christmas!!!

A little last minute sewing.

Christmas pillow cases

Mini Nordic Completed

I love this great little design by The Crafty Quilter .  You can find all the instructions here.

2014 Handmade Christmas Challenge Gallery

I took the Handmade Christmas Challenge by SewCalGal.

My first project back in January was this apron tutorial.

I had planned to make more aprons throughout the year and didn't get to it until the last few days-- what a festive little group of aprons -- the most recent additions.

Festive Aprons

 Festive Christmas Aprons are quick to make and fun too!

Here's a link to my apron tutorial.

Christmas Sewing

Here is a purchased tea towel embellished to match a gingerbread man potholder (potholder tutorial here).

For the tea towel, I used the free pattern which can be found at the Fort Worth Quilting Studio.

This design could be incorporated into a cute mug rug.

A Mary Engelbreit storybook quilt.

To make this quilt, I used a panel which was intended to make a cloth book.

Instead I cut out the pages and added red polka dot borders and black polka dot corner stones, in typical Mary Engelbreit style.

For the quilting, I did some wavy lines in the red borders, X's in the black cornerstones, and meandering everywhere else.  And I knew immediately that the binding would be candy cane stripes.

Thank you for stopping by!

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts.

Nordic Mini and X Finish

Here are my first three rows of the Nordic Mini Quilt Along.

 You can find the directions for Row 3 here at The Crafty Quilter.   See the previous 2 blog posts for Rows 1 and 2.  There is just one more row to go.  For the zig zag blocks, I used the method where you make 4 flying geese at a time and my parent squares were 3 1/2" and 2".

I was able to finish up this X Marks the Spot baby quilt.

From the Back.

Thanks for stopping by!
Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts.

November Christmas Corner

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Welcome to Christmas Corner
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I'm working steadily. There's still much to complete.

Have you seen the cute Christmas pillows in the Crate and Barrel and Pottery Barn catalogs?  They inspired me to make this Reindeer Pillow.

I used a cross stitch pattern, substituting tiny colored blocks for the stitches.  Each of the 256 little squares finishes at 3/4".  With the borders added, it made a 15" square.  I embroidered some words from the beloved poem, "Twas the Night Before Christmas"

From the back.

I free motion stitched some red snowflakes onto the pillow back and added buttons and button holes.

I hope you might enjoy this interesting little article about the author and a copy of the 

Poem, Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Clement Clarke Moore Miniature Biography

Clement Clarke Moore (1799 - 1863) came from a prominent family and his father Benjamin Moore was the Bishop of New York who was famous for officiating at the inauguration of George Washington. The tradition of reading Twas the night before Christmas poem on Christmas Eve is now a Worldwide institution and tradition.

Clement Clarke Moore (1779 - 1863) wrote the poem Twas the night before Christmas also called “A Visit from St. Nicholas" in 1822. It is now the tradition in many American families to read the poem every Christmas Eve.

The poem 'Twas the night before Christmas' has redefined our image of Christmas and Santa Claus. Prior to the creation of the story of 'Twas the night before Christmas' St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, had never been associated with a sleigh or reindeers!

Clement Moore, the author of the poem Twas the night before Christmas, was a reticent man and it is believed that a family friend, Miss H. Butler, sent a copy of the poem to the New York Sentinel who published the poem. The condition of publication was that the author of Twas the night before Christmas was to remain anonymous. The first publication date was 23rd December 1823 and it was an immediate success. It was not until 1844 that Clement Clarke Moore claimed ownership when the work was included in a book of his poetry.

Twas the Night before Christmas Poem

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Thanks for stopping by Christmas Corner!

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts