Grand Illusion Step One Completed

It has been exceptionally chilly here in the Pacific Northwest, and I have spent the days inside rather than outside (doing the rest of the fall garden clean up).  I was busy making candy (peanut brittle, billionaire clusters, crockpot crack, reese's peanut butter cups, fudge, pay day bars, and mixed nut toppers), and working on completing step one of the Grand Illusion Mystery quilt that I wrote about in my previous post.

While making 100 of the 4 1/2 inch units, I had a close inspector and helper, Junior.  Although in this picture, he was taking a little nap, only because he got very bored tired towards the end of the process.  

Here are the completed units.  I have put them in groups of twenty as I was completing them, so I would not have to keep counting to know when I had reached the 100 unit mark.  I had a few extra yellow and black 2 1/2" squares left over from the WOF strips, so I went ahead and made a few more units.  That way if I need to change units when we start to put the whole quilt layout together I will have a few to play around with.  If nothing else, I can make them into a side table runner or a pillow.

Warmest...

Rescue Me Giveaway

Lily Pad Quilting is having a giveaway of fabric and a link up party of rescued pets.  A common thread in the Quilt Blog Land is most of us have pets that somehow entangle themselves in our quilting lives.  This post is dedicated to my rescued pets and the story behind each one.

RESCUE ME

Here is my rescue pets, each of these came from my son's ex-girlfriends that needed to move on in their lives and couldn't continue to care for the animals.  It just happened to be a poor choices and lucky we were able to step up and take over.

First came our now dog Sierra:

Next came a black cat that ran off after we moved, but this is one of her kittens that is now a very sassy fat cat.  My husband is notorious for naming our animals goofy names, and her's is no exception, Chunky Tuna:

She doesn't like to have her picture taken!

And finally, another awesome cat.  He is a floppy moppsy kind of cat.  Loves to be in a lap, held, walked around with, ride in a car....  Nothing much bothers him, even when big dogs come and visit, he just walks around them and lets them smell him over and goes off to eat or get something to eat.  He is the kind of cat everyone wants, as he is not aloof at all!!  His name is Junior Jones the III.  Again my husband's doing of naming the animals.  He insists on being where ever you happen to be, and could care less if he is impeding on what you are trying to get done.

Our last pet was not rescued, but was given to us free because the owner did not have the pure breed paperwork to go with the puppies.  This is Rufus and he is a Sheltie.

Rufus and Sierra are inseparable so it is unusually to get a picture of them apart.  This picture is more like what you will find them throughout the day.

This has been fun, so if you have a rescue pet, click on the link above or below rescue me and it will take you to the linky party about rescuer pets and a chance to win some fabric!  

RESCUE ME

Sewing Buddy

I'm not sure what is is about cats, quilts, and sewing rooms, but they seem to be one of the most posted items out in blog land.  I am no exception!

Here is my helper today...

Warmest...

My Personal Assistant

Here is Junior again. He is my:

Helper
Aide
Critic
Right Hand
Companion
Dependable (updated at the suggestion of a fellow blogger)
And is best known for being indifferent!

But.......I can always depend on him to scope out and find the newest piece of fabric to give it a test run to see how comfortable it is to take a nap! (I was working on my July club blocks tonight when he mosied in and made himself comfortable)

Mad kitty

I was working on this baby quilt for my son's co-worker. The pattern is from the Moda Bakeshop, with a little twist. He had me add the first line "Baby 1.0", because his work has versions of programs coming out all the time, and he wanted something relating to their work, but be relative to the first born of his co-worker. It was a big hit!

But, while I was working on it, I had it laying on my ironing board, (I swear I only turned my back a couple of minutes), when out of no where my cat, Junior, jumps up and starts his circling to lay down. Well, I was not going to have it, so I clapped, and patted his backside and shooed him away. My punishment was a mad kitty. Below is what he did when I made him get off the baby quilt. He has his back to me! I thought it was too funny, just like what a spoiled child would do!

I've said it before, my cats have a built in honing system for work in progress quilts, leading them to make a bed for a nice nap!