Friday, April 29, 2022

The Scrapatch Cats Crochet ~ Cat # 3


Maestro, who really does not like her photo taken,
is saying, "It is my turn with this nice soft cuddle crochet nest.
Now please take the camera away so I may snooze. 
Thank you, Mommy." 

 

Thursday, April 28, 2022

I Like Thursday # 134 ~ Spring in the Scrapatch



Welcome to my post for

I Like Thursday @ Not Afraid of Color 

where my friends and I share our weekly smiles. 

I have been playing with my yarn and made this free style crochet flower and leaf.


These lovely pink forget me nots bloomed this morning in my yard.
I planted these in memory of my Butterfly Kitty ~ R.I.P. 2017 
Every year when they bloom the memories they bring make me smile.


I have more spring blooms to share today.
This bush is by my back steps and the tiny blooms have a spicy, sweet fragrance
that perfumes the air. 


The first of our tulips are set to open wide.
Not today. Today it is very cool and breezy.
The temperature feels below freezing although the sun is bright. 


The air is so chilly that the windows are closed tight
and the kitties must enjoy birdie-vision through the glass.
Maestro is sitting with me while I enjoy my morning latte.


My latte had a free form heart pop up in the foam
that made me smile.


I played with the yarn while I sipped and this was the result.

The leaf needs a better shape.  I saw how to make this on IG: 


The flower is my own improv creation.
I have been wanting to make crochet flowers
 after seeing so many pretty ones on IG here:


This is just for my 15 minutes of play time with my yarn. 



My main project is my Cat on the Lap Crochet Sampler.


I have pulled these fabrics to make a quilt for people I love 
who love the beach. 

The three blues on the left are for the star.
The print is the backing fabric.
The dark plaid on the right is the binding fabric. 

The gray linen is the background Choice A.


Here is another possible background fabric.
This gray-blue is background Choice B

 I am digging through my stash 
to see if I can find a gray I like better. 


Afternoon Edit: 

Fabric Found!

Background Fabric Choice C

After some serious stash spelunking
I uncovered the gem I was looking for ...
this gray Architextures grid print by Karen Lewis.
It is one of my favorite background fabrics
and was with another WIP.
I have ordered more to complete the other project.
I wanted this particular fabric because I know 
one of the people I am making Popstar for liked it 
when she saw it in another quilt that I made.

I have my winner! 

Time to start cutting and sewing! 

The pattern is this lovely quilt along ... 


All you need to know to quilt along may be found in the link below:


I love Sandra's QAL patterns.

This quilt will hopefully become my focus project 
as soon as I complete the crochet border.

I have not made a quilt this year! 
I need to make a quilt!


I hope you and yours are having a Happy Thursday! 


Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Stitch Sew & Show ~ 2022 ~ Week 17

 


Welcome to Stitch Sew & Show ~ 2022 ~ Week 17

The weather this past week has been more of the same ...

sunny days, breezy cold days, rainy days ...

and I have been inside and out working in my yard and inside on my many WIPs. 

It has been a good week.


I am on the last border for my 

Sampler Squares Crochet Afghan ~ Started Here

which I have been working on since the beginning of January.

It is nearing completion.

This border stitch is labor intensive and it tires my hands so I am managing about one round per day. Yesterday it rained and the kitties snoozed under the quilts so I was able to do a round and a half.  I plan to complete at least three more rounds so I have a nice wide ribbed border.  I love all the textures in the patchwork crochet project. 



In my sewing corner, I have been planning and new quilt as a special gift and am ready to start cutting.  More on that later. 

I did complete the first of these lovely and useful

Hexie Flower Thread Winders @surrur-sunday on Instagram

Krista who is from Finland, a is hosting a stitch-a-long and has posted a tutorial ... 

Mini Tutorial for Hexie Flower Thread Winders - Click Here

The photos and tutorial only appears on Instagram.

 #hexieflowerthreadwinder


I did not have the stiff felt needed for the back of these thread winders so I had to order this small package online and wait for it to arrive. 


I will be making many more of these from my smallest scraps for my small stash of

Weeks Dye Works variegated threads.  


What have you been working on this week, my friends?

Please share! 



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Tuesday, April 26, 2022

Cat on the Lap Crochet ~ Kitty Inspecting and Testing In Progress


Maestro Crochets

 Maestro, who is a very cuddly and affectionate cat

...  but not an actual lap cat ... 

says  "My Turn!

Maestro, who will sit on the cat tree or the sofa next to me while I crochet 

or patiently wait on the bed for me to bring the afghan to her,

must have been feeling a little left out.

As soon as I spread out my WIP on the bed, 

Maestro jumped in to help and check my work ...

and cut my yarn for me. 


Of course, Nutmeg had to also jump up to add her 

help and inspection.

The cats seem to be trying to tell me that either:

(1) this afghan in done as far as their needs are met

or

(2) I need to crochet faster.


My afghan now measures about 62" square with the borders in progress.

I intend to add a few more rounds of the outer border stitch ... 

as soon as the cats get off of it and let me.


 

Monday, April 25, 2022

Patchwork Crochet Purrfection ~ Cat 2

 


Katniss says,

 "My turn on the crochet in progress, Mommy! 

Purrrrease?" 


Sunday, April 24, 2022

Cat On The Lap Crochet

 


Progress is being made here at "Cat on The Lap Crochet." 

This is the first round in border one on my 


Here is the Cat On The Lap, Nutmeg.

Every time I sit in my favorite living room chair to make some progress

the cat hops onto my lap.

I put the WIP away when I am not working on it or the cat(s)

 will be making biscuits on it.


The Cat on the Lap is an immoveable object.
I crochet as far as I can around her.
My hook has reached a standstill here on the bottom of the photo.


Here is a snapshot of the Cat on the Lap from Mr. Scrapatches'
 angle from the sofa.
I asked him not to put my "cat-axperated" face in the photo. 


This is the cat settled in on the chair for the night in my WIP.
I very carefully gather the cat in afghan as I stand up. 
Then lay gently lay her down in the warm and comfy nest on the chair. 


How could I resist this "I Love You, Mommy" happy cat face?




With the cat's help I have finished border one in the dark pink yarn
 and am working on border 2 in the light gray.



Linking up today with


and





More Cat on the Lap Crochet photos soon!


Saturday, April 23, 2022

Patchwork Crochet Purrrfection

 

"Hello!  Nutmeg here.

Mommy and I have been crocheting.

 The center of our Sampler Squares Patchwork Crochet Afghan is together.  

Now we are adding the borders.  

I have been curling up on Mommy's lap to help.

It is late and time for sleep and I am nestled in for the night

 on our favorite chair in this lovely soft yarn bed.  

Mommy says I have to give it back in the morning so she can finish it.

I think it is purrrfect just as it is." 


Thursday, April 21, 2022

I Like Thursday # 133 ~ A House Full of Fabric and Love

 


Good Morning to all my friends who enjoy

I Like Thursday @ Not Afraid of Color 

Nutmeg wished to say hello.

She has been very helpful while I have been sewing my 



Nutmeg seems to have already claimed this softy as her favorite napping place.

My furry purry helper and I am making slow progress on completing our afghan.

It has been a very varied week of weather. When it is sunny and warm enough Mr. Scrapatch and I have have been outside working in the yard. Our tulips are slow to bud this year, but our trees and bushes have sprouted leaves and the maples have budded. What an unusual spring.


The high point of this week was gathering with our sons on Easter.


Jess and Matt brought a delicious Asparagus Soup from the ...


The Farmer's Dinner Cookbook

for our first course and I made bread to serve with it.


It was not quite a traditional menu to our bring and share a dish feast.


Jonathan brought a new version of his delicious Cornburger Pie.

This one had a southwestern flavor to it.

Served up with ham and fruit it was very tasty.

Jon also brought homemade cookies for dessert.

 After dinner we all Zoomed with our daughter in Indiana.


Marissa sent me photos of her home this week and several of the quilts that I have given her are being put to beautiful use. The quilt on her chair is my ...


Fat Quarter Cubes Quilt which I made in 2018.


The quilts on her dining room table ...


... and kitchen nook table

are the ones I made for her wedding in 2013


You may see all the Wedding Table Quilts Here.

It makes my heart happy to know she is still enjoying her quilts. 


I am an old lady with a house full of fabric and quilts

 so when I saw this sign which may be purchased Here on Amazon

it made me smile. 


I hope you have had a week full of smiles, my friends.

Happy Thursday! 



Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Stitch Sew & Show ~ 2022 ~ Week 16

 


Welcome to Stitch Sew & Show ~ 2022 ~ Week 16



I have been slowly stitching the blocks for my 

Sampler Squares Crochet Afghan ~ Started Here

together into rows.

I have the rows completed and now it is time to stitch the rows together.

I have done no other stitching or sewing.

~

My moods have been "under the weather" this spring

and our weather has been all over map 

from warm sun to sleet to heavy rain to blustery winds

 to chilling cold and back again.

~

It is a stormy spring everywhere in the world

and somehow all of the storms seem man-made.

I have had some difficulty this spring finding joy.

~

Each week I enjoy seeing everyone's accomplishments

 and marvel at your abilities to multi-task and to get things done. 

Your work is all so beautiful!

I have recently feel like my efforts pale in comparison,

although I do not generally compare myself to others 

or see what we make in our happy places as any kind of competition.

My feelings are a symptom of my present inability to rise above the storms

and see the light above and find truth.

~

In truth, I find joy in our collective effort to create. 

Joy is what I need sometimes 

and I thank you for sharing yours with me. 

~

Edit:

After posting this I decided to create a little joy in my own scrapatch today.

Sew ... I made something new ... 


This Hexie Flower is made from 1 inch hexagons.

I have never sewed such tiny EPP pieces before.

My plan is to make one of these adorable 

Hexie Flower Thread Winders @surrur-sunday on Instagram

Krista who is from Finland, a is hosting a stitch-a-long and has posted a tutorial ... 

Mini Tutorial for Hexie Flower Thread Winders - Click Here

The photos and tutorial only appears on Instagram.


I printed my 1 inch hexagon templates from this 

Inch Hexagon Template ~ Free Download


I pulled out a bag of my smallest scraps. 


I cut.

I sewed. 


Although my stitching is far from perfect, I am very happy with my first tiny hexagon flower.

I have to gather the materials needed to finish this into a useful thread winder.

Even if I only make one of these,

this has created joy in my sewing corner today.


 I hope your sewing place is joyful today and everyday. 



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