Life Back to Normal

My sweet George is 98% back to normal and I am feeling good about life again!  AND, I got a new sewing machine!  I had it delivered to my Parent's house and won't be able to pick it up until this coming weekend (BOO!)

Traumatic experience!

I am a HUGE animal lover, especially my sweet boy George.  I adopted him from a shelter 5 years ago after a really messy break up and he has been my ever loyal, loving, constant companion since.  He is a strictly indoor cat but has a cat tent http://www.amazon.com/ABO-Gear-Happy-Habitat-Indoor/dp/B002KWHE1E, it is awesome.  He LOVES being outside and he is safe in the tent, love this product.  I had him outside yesterday while I was weeding the garden.  He meowed to let me know that he was ready to go in for his supper, I unzipped the door (as I have a million times before) and he darted!  I totally panicked and grabbed for him, got him, he screamed and got loose again so I grabbed him again and he screamed again and hissed at me...NEVER has that ever happened before. I brought him in and he hid out from me.  Ate dinner normally, hid out after and then I saw him try to jump into his perch and he cried..I freaked out and brought him to the Emergency Vet, I love him so much and needed to make sure that I hadn't injured him.  He does not do well in the car, barfed on his blanket in his kennel and then we had to wait 1.5 hours for the vet.  The vet did a thorough check, did not think he needed pain meds or xrays and $116.00 later we headed for home.  The only discharge instruction was to keep him from jumping for a few days.  I slept on the floor with him and he cuddled next to me as usual, ate as usual and now he's been hiding from me since.  Two vets have assured me that this is a normal stress reaction and that he will come around in a few days.  They said that it's a reaction to being faced by a "predator" (that being me chasing and grabbing him) and that he's stressed from the car ride, puking, vet, etc, me grabbing him. I feel terrible, awful, distressed.  I have been crying, etc.  I can't explain to him, because he's a cat, that I had to do it so he wouldn't run away or get hit by a car.  All that he knows is that this person that he loves and trusts hurt and scared him.  I am feeling a little heartbroken....my poor sweet George.

H O T!

It is oppressively hot and humid in Minneapolis (and all over the country).  I walk 3 miles around a local lake every morning, but this morning, I stepped out and was knocked over by the humidity....the dew point is 76..YUCK!

As for quilting, my first attempt at making a quilt last fall was disastrous! I saw a tutorial for a "Garden Windows" block made with "Echo"..fell in love with it.  So I went to http://www.craftyplanet.com/ and bought a TON of fabric and attempted to make a quilt.  I did not properly square up the blocks and when I sewed the two groups of 8 blocks together and then attempted to join them, it was a hot mess!  One section was 8 inches longer and a few inches wider..YIKES!  So, after making that cute mini hexi table runner last week, I decided to rip the quilt top apart, un-pieced all of the blocks and now I'm making a hexi something-or-other..we'll see!

WIP Wednesday

I finished a few projects this week, two Art Gallery mini table runners and an "Echo" hexagon mini...I made the hexi after seeing this post: http://miss-print.blogspot.com/2012/07/tutorial-quilt-as-you-go-hexie-coasters.html, yesterday.  While I was sewing it together, I liked the look and decided to keep the shape and not cut...very cute (sorry for the poor lighting, colors appear distorted).

DS Quilts!

JAF is having a sale and they had 10 50% off coupons in their Sunday circular this past week.  I LOVE the DS Quilts fabrics...they're so whimsical and fun.  I bought a blue/green mix of 8 fabrics from the Meadowlark, Sugar Creek and Aunt Edna and  Daisy Mae lines...I love how well they all mix together.  I'm not sure which quilt pattern I'm going to use yet, though I did just pick up "The Farmer's Wife" quilt sampler book from the library, maybe a twin sized quilt.  Then again, after seeing this post: http://mollyflanders.blogspot.com/2012/07/i-must-confess.html, I'm tempted to try the courthouse steps..possibly a mini, we'll see!

Vintage Quilts

I went to an awesome estate sale and picked up two awesome vintage feedsack dresden pillows....SO cool!

WIP Wednesday

Here's the start of a chevron mini with Art Gallery Fabrics

The joys of home ownership!

It's been weeks since I had my sewing machine out..sad, I know, but I bought a house two weeks ago and I have been consumed with unpacking, making trips to Target, Home Depot, etc.  Currently, I am waiting for a Plumber, bummer, I know!  I haven't had any hot water in my shower since I moved in...I have been showering at friend's, parent's, etc or filling a bucket with warm water and sponge bathing and washing my hair in the sink...TMI?  sorry.  My father, who is extremely handy and lives 40 miles south of me, made three trips to my home last week to try to fix it, but was unable.  So, I'm waiting for the Plumber to come and find the blockage in the hot water line and fix it (I have hot water everywhere but the shower)..argh!  In the meantime, here are a few pictures of my front porch...