Over the weekend, we made progress here at Casa P. The beginnings of our rock/succulent garden are well underway. Eight hundred pounds of rock is only enough to build up the first section, so Mr. P will be making at least one more trip for more.
The cats helped out with the preparations and installation, offering quality control inspections and opinions about dirt. Stinka even spent time on pest control in the midst of all her other duties.
Pete was a bit more relaxed about the whole thing, preferring to give his input once everything was in place. He’s not that impressed. The flagstones in the shade of the pergola are still his favorite spot.
Now, if I can just keep from being distracted by those two felines, I cano get back to my To Do list. There are stacks of fabric sitting around here, just waiting for my attention. I hope your week is off to a great start!
The Weekend’s Work
Miscommunications
It appears that WordPress and MailChimp had a bit of miscommunication problem with the last post–the Bijoux Launch Party. Some RSS subscribers didn’t receive the feed until this morning after the close of the giveaway. So….in the interest of fairness, I’m leaving the comments open until midnight tonight. If you haven’t entered and you want a chance to win, go back to the last post and leave a comment before 12:00 midnight, May 11, 2013.
Sometimes technology seems to work against us. I find it best to take a tech break during these times. Petey and Stinka have been especially helpful lately, reminding me repeatedly that time spent outdoors in the fresh air is a great thing. And today, Mr. P has smoker going for pulled pork. Gonna be a good day here, no matter how it started.
Have a great weekend! Hope you get to spend some time outdoors too.
Spring Flowers
When the Pride of Madeira blooms, we know it’s Spring. The front yard fills with birds, bees and sphinx moths. 
I love having a view of this magnificent plant out the front windows. Which is a good thing, since so much of my time lately has been spent sewing near these windows. I just said “yes” to more sewing, so I’ll be spending even more time here in the next two to three weeks.
There will be a slight break in the sewing action this weekend. We’re heading to the plant nursery today for some new plants for the back yard. A segue from colorful fabric to colorful plants. I’m good with that.
In the meantime, online fabric stores are having sales and you might want to do a little Spring stash building. Check out these shops:
- Quilt Home – selections of Amy Butler, Valori Wells, Tanya Whelan, Denyse Schmidt, Erin Mc Morris, Jenean Morrison, Dena Designs, Anna Maria Horner and many more.
- Fabric.com – too many to name
- Missiouri Quilt Co. – nice selection of pre cuts in their sale section today
These are just a few on my radar. Now is a good time to find some deals as shops are making room for new inventory.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Progress Is Slow But Certain
Nothing is quite as satisfying as a cat approved quilt. Here, Petey gives us his stamp of approval for the picnic quilt in Jenean’s Beechwood Park.
You may recall the dress done in the purple colorway which I posted here. The red/white/blue colorway is just as amazing and perfect for a summer picnic quilt. It feels a bit patriotic but without any specificity. Americans, Aussie, Brits, Kiwis….the list is lengthy. (Check wikipedia for a list of all countries with red, white and blue in their flags.)
The free pattern will be available for download through Free Spirit at some point in the near future, but definitely after Spring Quilt Market next month. It’s easy to put this dramatic piece together. The drama comes from letting the fabric do the heavy lifting. A little fussy cutting gives it structure without having to put a lot of effort into piecing. For example, see the corner square in the dark blue to the right of Petey’s front paw in the above photo? The directionality of the fussy cut piece makes up for a pieced square.
It’s a full weekend of sewing assignments for me. Threads litter the floor and coffee is in constant supply.
What’s up for your weekend?
A New Visitor
Friday didn’t seem to come soon enough this week. I’ve been highly productive. Maybe that’s why the days just seem to blend together. I managed to see a reddish blur out of the corner of my eye yesterday. My first thought was, “Now what cat is over here?!” But it wasn’t a cat at all.
This is the first time I’ve seen a squirrel at the fountain. He did look around very carefully before jumping off the wall into the yard. I’m certain he was looking for a particular black cat. Stinka, the neighbor’s cat, is fascinated with squirrels and has spent days up trees trying to catch them. This guy, a Douglas squirrel, must know her proclivities.
This shot is through the front window under overcast skies. All things considered, I’m pleased to have captured this little troublemaker on film. I’m not sure Mr. P believed me when I told him about the new visitor.
I think I might get a chance to sew for myself this weekend. Cross your fingers! Have a very happy Friday and a wonderful weekend!
Weekend Preparations
Fabric is out on the cutting table. And draped over two chairs. And hung on the quilt rack. My weekend plans are now solidified as the official start of Quilt Market sewing assignments is here. Fortunately, my “studio” has a view of the front yard where I can see things like this:
The orioles are so vibrant. This one was a blur of movement as he bathed in the fountain. I barely got the camera turned on to snap a few photos before he was gone.
Out back, it’s a different scene all together. It is probably a good thing my view isn’t of the back yard because I’d be tempted to take more breaks to hang out back there.
I hope your weekend plans are filled with color. And play, plenty of creative play!
Friday?!
Ready for the weekend? Any plans for sewing and stitching? I have a few but you know what happens to those well laid plans. They often go awry.
Pete and Stinka have been making it clear we need to spend some time out in the yard with them. Heaven knows, the weeds are out of control and need attention. If only we could convince these two layabouts to work. But if their owners aren’t having any luck with that, how could we possibly convince them?
They really don’t take us seriously at all. We are strictly the treat giving, playground providing neighbors. And really, that’s good enough for me. I’ll take their furry company any day.
Happy Friday! I’d love to hear what you have planned for the weekend.
Quilting Options for Pillow Covers and Advice From a Black Cat
We’re still trying to get summer in full swing around here. Unusually cool days are mitigated by the mid-morning arrival of sunshine. The cats however, seem to think it’s too much effort to move in the day time hours. I’m not sure I blame them–not when they can come lounge over here any time they wish.
A new Sis Boom pillow cover adorns the blue chair. This time I mixed Crazy Love and Super Fly, fussy cutting them both. I really love the way the Jane print has rows of chunky stripes. Well, it does if you cut it that way. I used them to border this simple four patch with more fussy cut squares in the corners. For a simple but striking difference, I “quilted” it with buttons. The cover won’t see a lot of wear and tear so this is a perfectly suitable option.
Stinka says to tell you all to enjoy a lazy summer day. She highly recommends finding someone to pamper you. Someone who will surround you with pretty things of all kinds and who will indulge your every whim. Unfortunately, she can’t help you with that at the moment. She’s too busy planning her nap times for the day.
Feline Advice
Sometimes, you just have to take it easy. Hang out. Cat nap. Chillax. No one does it better than Stinka. 
Take a page from her book and carve out a little time to rest, relax and daydream. Afterwards, you can throw yourself into the action, make art or just do what needs to be done.
If you’re looking for a book to read and are interested in how creativity operates in the brain, check out Jonah Lehrer’s book, Imagine: How Creativity Happens. I’m about halfway through and am finding interesting bits that confirm what I already “knew”.
Have a Happy Friday and wonderful weekend!
Look Like Fun?
Wandering through Michael’s this morning, I found a few irresistible $1 items. A couple of these will be getting a fabric treatment using Mod Podge. However, one of them is destined for something completely different.
If you’ve been a long time reader of the blog, you may remember Pierre the Pirate Dog. He’s still just a disembodied head. I figure I might actually get around to his costume, not to mention his skeletal works, if I have the foundation in place.
Of course, that could just be a whole lot of wishful thinking on my part. He’s been cussing me for two and a half years and I still haven’t given him proper form.
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