Cat Round Up- 2

The Cat Round Up continues: Black Halloween Cats that I haven't put away yet. A small wooden cat.

Barbie's T-Shirt.

A cat I sewed in England in 1982. It has seen better days, but I remember bringing it back on the airplane, on my lap and people walking by kept doing double takes because they thought it was real! Its fur is all squished down now and the whiskers fell out. Not bad for an 8th grade project though.

Sparkly cat and pirate head.

Drawn by my daughter (10yrs.)

Hand sewn by my son (7yrs.)

Cat Round Up- 1

Since my whole family has been sick and we are all trying to get well again, I haven't had the time or energy to sew. While I was laying around, I started wondering just how many cats I have in the house. So here is the first of what I'll call a Cat Round Up with more to follow. I actually found cats in every room except the hall (I'll fix this soon). This trio of magnets are on my fridge. The purple cat is in a framed picture I have by Jennifer Yane (this is just a detail).

Kitty and Fish is by my daughter when she was 5.

A painted wooden cat from my husband.

Kitty in a basket was a souvenir given to me by a friend. Stay tuned, this is only the beginning!

Sites

Two sewing supply sites to pass along:
www.buttondrawer.com
www.goodybeads.com

Can't wait to sew again after my family and I finally get over this "flu-like virus" plaguing us. Then I'll have more to write about!

Sewing Tools in Antique Box

This is a really neat box I found in an antique store years ago. The unusual ends caught my eye.

When I opened it up- wow! Sewing machine feet that actually fit my Singer! I think the whole thing cost $10.00. It is lined in plum velveteen.

I don't know if the contents are original because the clips have numbers on them and only some of the attachments match up.

This collection of rolled hemmers all have corresponding numbers. Also in the box are a ruffler, zipper foot, seam guide, and quilting guide.
On the top of the box it is marked "patented 1889 February 19". Pretty neat!

Cute Pet Pictures

Here is our faithful rat, enjoying the pumpkins.

Stray alley kittens. Awfully cute, but too wild to catch.

Emma enjoying a balloon. No she did not turn 60.
She and her sister are alley kittens I did manage to catch.

Alice peeking at me.

The girls in a group hug.

Alice in a box.

Alice doing some screen time.

These are not pets. They visited our campsite in the Blue Ridge Mountains recently.

Oven Mitts-neat idea

This is an oven mitt given to me by my daughter's teacher at the end of the year to thank me for volunteering. Each child got to put a thumb print on the mitt (both sides are decorated). Then the teacher went back and wrote the names and made them look like bugs. What a neat way to thank someone for lending a helping hand!

How To: Miter Quilt Binding

This is a technique I've seen in books and workshops and only just decided to try it myself. It makes a really nice square corner on quilts, table runners, wall hanging etc.

Cut your bias strip (mine is 3" wide), fold in half wrong sides together and press. This is sometimes called a French binding. Sew to the wrong side of the quilt to within 1/2" of the corner.

Stop, cut the thread. Fold the binding to form a right angle away from the quilt.

Fold over the quilt, lining up with the edge again. This might look all wrong, but it actually works. Continue sewing until the next corner.

After sewing around whole piece, fold the binding to the front and at each corner, fold the fabric to create a miter.

Front.

Back.

I then either hand or machine stitch the binding. Makes such a nice corner!