Jul 9, 2006

Four on the Road

Nope, still not my quilt but it is the quilt my mom made that I referred to in my previous post: Four on the Road . She said that the reason I couldn't find that picture in my files was she had not quite finished it. I knew I had seen the top but I had forgotten it was so big. I believe that she chose this for her small group pass around block where she would provide some of the fabric and ask others to make a couple blocks and add their own fabrics to the mix.

It is hard to see where the blocks actually are in the quilt so I drew one up in EQ to show it all by itself. I remember telling her that it was a neat block but had so many, many pieces in it. LOL, I guess it still does but when you think in terms of leaders and enders, it all adds up into something wonderful eventually.

Okay, almost on the dot DJ is giving me the usual "Are you going go to be ready by 8?" (10 minutes notice---I could set a clock by him---grrr) Time to walk and today that means walking in circles like a hamster in a cage. You would think I would learn not to start doing any posting or emailing at this time of morning. I'll be back on later but first where are my shoes??


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I'm back. The cloud cover stayed in place until we got home. It always helps not to have the sun blazing down while we walk. Judy L was saying in a her last post about how much she hates summer. Boy, can I indentify with that statement. I definitely did not move South for the summers---hot and humid I could get in IL! Still we had a couple of cooler days and nights earlier in the week. I could wait till 2 to have to turn on the a/c and could open the window at night. Now, with the puppy barking, I am not so sure that will be an option even if it was okay weatherwise.

A couple of comment replies---Pippi is probaby about 11 years old, Vera. A senior citizen in cat years, I am guessing. I have had her since February of 97 and they estimated her age to be about 2 at the Humane Society. She has tortoiseshell markings so it should probably be no surprise that she had two orange and white kitties. All three were found in a trailer court in McLean County, IL. Turns out one of the daughters of a co-worker got one her babies, I found out later.

Anyway, I had to have her predecessor Tyson Tubbs (brain tumor--couldn't walk) put to sleep a few days prior. I was devastated and could not stop crying. At the time I was working on a skilled long term care unit and one of my patient's daughters was quite active in the Humane Society so Joan suggested that they had mature cats that I could pick from. Too early in the year for kittens at that point. Well, Pippi more or less, picked me. She hissed away all the other cats approaching us, then pawed on my leg and I picked her up for some cuddles. DJ commented that "you will not get that cat away from her now" Her eye was weeping and her flanks were bare from overlicking (flea allergies) but she was mine! She is NOT an outdoor cat, nor does she want to go outside. Never have to worry about blocking the door to keep her from making a run for it though I would not deliberately hold it open to test out that theory, LOL.

Lately she has been doing something the past week that she had totally stopped doing for months--almost every night carrying me a little rubber shoe shaped thing that we stick in the edge of her scratchy box . This rubber thing came with a pair of Reeboks and I stuck a little chain ring through it. She treats it probably like a thing of prey--like a bird or mouse offering--so it is accompanied by a great deal of meowing. I find it laying in the hallway, in the sewing room and one time in the bed with me. Good thing it was just a rubber thing at that point! She has her manic, kittenish moments--tearing up the hall at breakneck speed for whatever reason but mostly she is pretty mellow befitting her years.

Judy asked about the round robin I have to start working on like, three days ago. This round is supposed to be 4 inch finished, squares and/or rectangles. I am going to keep it really simple and try to add a lighter color to all the black at the center but not "shock" it with more white etc. Here is the link to what I am working with this round http://catsnqlts2.blogspot.com/2006/05/two-two-two-posts-in-one.html

I thought about garden maze, picket fences but those should be white, lots of white. Since it is sooooo late, it is going to be four patches to form a checkboard all around it. I would try nine patches but the row would finish wider--not that a half inch more would really deter me. After all, some have not followed the rules and put acrylic paint on someone's---yep, I saw it the other day. Not a rumor, it is a fact.

Finn wondered just where in the state of Alabama I am located. Kinda northeast and central a little north of I-20. It is about 65 miles to Birmingham and about 90 to Atlanta. The highest elevation in AL Mount Cheeha is about 30 miles or so away. It has the beginnings of the Pinhoti Trail which eventually links with the famed AppalachianTrail that goes from GA to Maine. Oh, about 6 hours drive to the Gulf Coast--Orange Beach, Gulf Shores.

Shelina laughingly suggested that I stop showing any quilts till she could catch up. Oh, I don't know if I can do that especially when I can show stuff that my mom has made that might pertain to the topic (hey, why do you think she has my old digital camera? Now she can share her quilts and not have to wait for the roll to be developed and show me!) She is not ready to join the blogging fun yet. Then I have the ones that my quilt group is making too. I'll never run out at this rate, LOL. Guess we both have to keep on plugging, Shelina.

I have probably yakked on enough for one day especially about cats but hey, that is what my blog is--quilts AND cats or Pippi, specifically. Till next time-----lchj

12 comments:

  1. There can never be too much yakking--especially about cats!

    I love your mother's quilt. This is just the way I like them--scrappy!

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  3. Your mom's quilt looks great - that IS a good scrappy pattern!

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  4. Hi Linda, nice to find you here..*VBS* I've been doing a little machine quilting this morning..oh my!! Very simple, and just enough to finish off a quilt that is also tied and hand quilter..ya, I know, I am a little weird..LOL
    Love your Mom's quilt..and have printed off your nice EQ drawing, since that is really all I need to go by. I'm thinking it would be cool in maybe all spring and summer colors, or even in all autumn colors. WIth scrap..so many possibities!
    Loved hearing Pippi's story..such a sweetheart, I think she was destined to go to you...*VBS*
    You know I never knew that cats would play like she does. But my Mercy had a little red rubber ball(the kind that comes on those elastic string and paddles? She'd carry it all around the house, and the weird thing is, if you threw it for her, she'd go and get it and bring it back. She'd drop it at my feet and wait for me to toss it again..LOL. I got quite good at making it bounce and pop into a RedWing crock, and she'd bounce right in after it..LOL. I've never seen a cat play "fetch" before...they are quite amazing.
    thanks for the questions answered. I did wonder how far from the Gulf you were. Sending hugs, Finn

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  5. hmm, so now I'm learning that Finn spits red-wing? eewwww lol

    Cats are funny - Toby is like that with little mouse toys, he'll carry one around, fetch it if I throw it, and spend hours batting it around and attacking it.

    I like that block too - do you know how big her squares are?

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  6. I really like your mom's quilt too. I have to say that could make a couple like that with all my scraps.Then again those are so many triangels.I'm thinking of possible short cuts.I use to have a cat,Sonia,who would fetch paper balls and play hide and seek.She was always at my side when I would sew. She has been gone for 7 years and I still miss her a lot.

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  7. I'm so glad that you finished your mom's finished top. From the EQ model, I couln't imagine the finished quilt, but your mom's finished top puts the whole picture together - wonderfully.

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  8. What a great scrappy quilt! I'm glad you made up the block in EQ5...I would have sat for days trying to figure out how it went together! LOL

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  9. Hope you don't mind but I saved a copy of your block. It's very interesting and makes an unusualy quilt. Like you said it's hard to tell exactly where the block is, yet you get this fabulous pattern forming on the quilt top!! Another success for mom!

    I think all cats have this thing about tearing through the house at breakneck speed! My boys tear around after each other all the time. That's one reason that we will never get looped carpet. I can't deprive them of the fun they have with the chase! Pippi is one lucky girl with an equally lucky momma!

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  10. I used to have a cat who was ever so proud to put her latest catch on the dining room table - when she started meowing and meowing and rubbing around you legs - you just knew there was something dead on the table and that she wanted lots of praise. An indoor cat might not be such a bad thing - well, at least she never put anything dead on the bed. And one day when she dragged a jack rabbit home - it was bigger than her so she only could get it as far as the door. Boy, that cat could hunt! Your Pippi story reminded me of my Sylvie.

    Cheers!

    Evelyn

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  11. I have to make a confession....while I was reading about your cat, the "four on the road" read "FUR on the road". Hey..it happens at my house all the time, so maybe there is FUR on the road!
    Great block!

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  12. That is one lovely quilt that your Mum made ... a wonderful one to use up scraps. Do you mind if I save the picture into my 'to do one-day' file? You did a great job drawing it up in EQ.
    *hugs*
    Tazzie
    :-)

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