Thimbleanna » The Calm Before the Storm

The Calm Before the Storm

November 16, 2010 on 9:19 pm | In Quilting | 50 Comments

Thanks for all your fun comments about my market reports. I’m still having problems with my comments not being forwarded to my e-mails, so if I haven’t answered you, it’s not ’cause I’m ignoring you. I have to go through a convoluted process of opening comments, comparing to my e-mail (’cause some do get forwarded), then playing cut and paste and on and on and I’mNot SureWhatToDoAboutItAnymore. That’ll teach me to complain about any other blogging platform! ;-)

In the meantime, am I the only one who feels like it’s sort of quiet and there’s a ton of stuff that will need to be done SOON? I had a fun weekend — spent one day visiting a new quilt shop (if you’re local, there’s a new sheriff shop in town) and the other day working on the Ghastlies.

I brought my machine and stuff out of the dungeon and put it all over the kitchen table, vowing not to clear it off until I finish these blocks. I’m making good progress, but you’d think I’d be done by now. Anyway, it was a sunny but chilly day and I made some of Jody’s deeeelicious Soft Molasses Cookies to snack on while I sewed. Ouch! Those things are addicting.

While I was taking a pictures of the cookies, PaulKitty decided to join me for my sewfest.

So, I moved over to his side of the table to take his picture and he got up and moved in on my cookies.

I told him he couldn’t have any, so he came back to the middle of the table and sat with his back to me for a minute — sulking.

Apparently, that wasn’t comfortable though, so he rustled around and made himself more comfortable.

It’s really hard to sew with someone watching every stitch though.

So, he had to be moved. So sad — when someone shows an interest in quilting it should be nurtured, don’t you think?

XOXO,
Anna

50 Comments

It definitely shouldn’t be ignored. What a pretty kitty. I got hooked on eating chocolate when I sew…but it’s a bad thing :)

Comment by Judy — November 16, 2010 #
Way too funny!! My Pavi does the exact same thing. He has to watch the needle go up and down. But I keep thinking that he is going to go after it with his paw, and I can’t risk a bloody little mess on my fabric now, can I? Not to say I wouldn’t feel sorry for him, but save the fabric, right? Love the pictures too cute!

Comment by Jackie — November 16, 2010 #
So cute, my sweet bulldog comes and sits in the doorway to my sewing room (its carpet not hardwood like my sewing room) and snores away! But if there was cookies available he’d be trying to figure out how to get up on the table too!

Comment by Mary ann — November 16, 2010 #
Well maybe because he is a black kitty he might think the ghastlies quilt is for him! He would suit it very well. I actually listened to a podcast yesterday and the guy said that he went to answer the phone and his cat had been drinking his tomato soup!

Comment by sue — November 16, 2010 #
Ahhh – some of my favorite things. A Kitty, Sewing and Cookies!!!

Comment by Janet — November 16, 2010 #
Miss Chloe likes to be where I am – watching and supervising closely, but I have to say, she’s never been quite THAT close! Isn’t it funny how each cat is so different from every other one you’ve had? Going now to check out the molasses cookie recipe……

Comment by Elaine/MuddlingThrough — November 17, 2010 #
Yes, our cat used to do that too. And the dog always had to sit on my quilts which I was basting on the floor. I wonder why they do that?

Comment by Vreni — November 17, 2010 #
Adorable Kitty!! Looks like you have a quilt inspector too. My little maltese dogs love to get on my quilts and make themselves right at home. Can’t wait to see those Ghastly blocks together.

Comment by Kim D. — November 17, 2010 #
At least you had a diet Pepsi to limit the calorie intake! My studio is at the top of the garden, so it’s too much effort to go back into the house for biscuits/cakes …… but Malcolm usually brings me out a big mug of hot chocolate mid-afternoon!!

Comment by frayedattheedge — November 17, 2010 #
Love that last pic with him studying your stitching! So funny!

Comment by Gina — November 17, 2010 #
Kitties and cookies, what could be better?

I have a feeling that a huge mountain of stuff is about to land on my head too. But that could just be the laundry I haven’t yet put away.

Comment by dottycookie — November 17, 2010 #
YUMMY cookies…I’m going to have to make those!

Comment by Carol — November 17, 2010 #
ok, told my mom id be out this weekend and drag her to the new shop! yes, walker and all! cute kitty!

Comment by Jenny — November 17, 2010 #
That’s why I don’t have cats. Oh, wait- let me amend that! That’s why the cats-who-came-to-live-under-my-back-porch have not been invited in. I agree with you about the calm before the storm. Nothing I planned to have finished for Christmas this year has been completed and the shop is busting through into the last space (that was a little church until last week when they up and left!) in the strip tomorrow. Tomorrow! That means us scrambling to get it ready before Christmas. Hmmm, I wonder how everyone feels about a Hickory Farms summer sausage gift basket?

Comment by Karin — November 17, 2010 #
PaulKitty is Adorable! And that last picture totally made me LOL. Kitties are such good little “helpers”, or at least they THINK they are. But they are fun and entertaining to have around. :)

Comment by Doni — November 17, 2010 #
Oh Anna, that cat is a star! You’ve really made me smile :o)

xxx

Comment by Lesley — November 17, 2010 #
Wow… that last photo is awesome. I wished my kitties liked machine quilting… they’re just really fond of batting bobbins off of the table.

Comment by Maura — November 17, 2010 #
fantastic photos, as always!
you almost done with my halloween quilt?
i mean, it’s the middle of flippin’ NOVEMBER!

Comment by brigette — November 17, 2010 #
Anna – that is too cute! What is it about cats that think they always need to be right where you’re working…which is usually on our fabric!!!

Comment by Amy — November 17, 2010 #
That’s too cute! Aren’t you afraid there will be a little paw under the pressure foot of the machine?

I’m glad Midas only shows interest in (almost) finished quilts… LOL!

Comment by nicolette — November 17, 2010 #
That last picture is worth a thousand words!! Cute. cute.

Comment by beth — November 17, 2010 #
So funny, my Kitties also love to get up on my sewing table and “Help” me. Sophie and Sabrina turned two on Monday, they didn’t want us to make a big deal about it though. Kept the party real low key. LOL

Comment by Jewels — November 17, 2010 #
What a handsome boy! He’s “production control”. Just keeping an eye on things. LOL.

Comment by Jen — November 17, 2010 #
Mmmmm Molasses cookies….that would be perfect here, it has been raining for 2 days, high winds…..icky to be sure. Time has evaporated. I vow every year I am going to be organized and decorated and have a real Martha-esque Holiday and then I wake up one day and reality hits me, along with the messy house, the lack of baking or shopping….the lack of real time to sew…..arrrrgh!
Your supervisor is a cutie – mine has taken to sitting on whatever I am doing, she feels my fingers get in the way of a good laptop perch….

Comment by Nicole — November 17, 2010 #
The only thing keeping PaulKitty from quilting is opposable thumbs! You are simply saving him from his own frustration!

Comment by Sew Create It - Jane — November 17, 2010 #
Oh, can I come and sit on your table and watch you sew? I wouldn’t even steal your cookies. (Well, maybe the odd one…)

Comment by Isabelle — November 17, 2010 #
He better not get too close — I’ve sewed through my thumb and I imagine it would hurt more through the nose!

Comment by Beth — November 17, 2010 #
Cats truly are connoisseurs of the finer things in life, among them quilts! Our Casper likes to supervise the making, which usually means getting in the way and hampering the making! Whatever. Can’t fault him for his appreciation of true art!

I hope you left some of those cookies for me since I’m saving my baking efforts for the near future!

Comment by molly — November 17, 2010 #
LOVE that last picture!!

Comment by Karen — November 17, 2010 #
yummmmmmmy = the ghastlies sneak peek…LOVE it!!!!!!! (!!!!)
paul kitty is a fantastic model ~ the last picture is great…although i am glad that my niece-dog doesn’t sit on the sewing table while i’m playing with my machine but snores next to me on my chair :)
xoxo,
julia

Comment by Julia — November 18, 2010 #
kitties, kitties…i used to have them and your pictures remind me of how persistent they are. but now i have a yorkie – she’s such a hoot and my hubby loves her so (ex-paperboy and serviceman – he never was a dog person). She keeps us hoppin…much more than a cat ever would. quilt is looking good, always, robin

Comment by Robin Brown — November 18, 2010 #
ah, you have a sewing partner! how cute is he? :)

Comment by randi — November 18, 2010 #
So, how was the shop? What do they carry? It would be a 2.5 hour trip for me. I miss Clementines.

Comment by Cindy — November 18, 2010 #
I love kitties. I wonder if you could teach a cat to quilt??? I just machine quilted a pillow top. Lots of straight lines. Lots of straight lines. Did I already say that? Translation…BORING. I don’t know how anyone quilts a large quilt with lots of straight lines. My attention span is too short. Show me something shiny and I am off task!! Anyway, I would love it if Tink the cat could quilt for me because the cutting and piecing was just what I was hoping for.

On a different note, Natalie @ Cinderberry Stitches has a non-wilson-esque picture of you on her blog. I gasped. I smiled. I clapped. You, my friend, are lovely as can be.

~Cassie

Jody’s cookies look divine. I printed the recipe. It’s a start, right?

Comment by Cassie — November 18, 2010 #
A quilting cat! Brilliant. Ooh I do fancy one of those cookies x

Comment by Emma — November 18, 2010 #
Hi Anna looks like your Ghastlies are coming along great, that’s one way to motivate yourself (leaving it out on the kitchen table). I love molasses cookies too,they are so yummy. Hey I saw you without your “Wilson” you’re adorable xo

Comment by Shawn — November 18, 2010 #
Hey, hey Miss Thimble! I’m glad to see you made and ate the delicious cookies! They are really The Bomb, aren’t they? Love those kitty-wanting-to-quilt-along pictures. Happy Sewing.

Jody

Comment by Jody — November 18, 2010 #
Aren’t Jody’s cookies, yummy xoxo Clarice

Comment by clarice — November 19, 2010 #
I love bringing my sewing machine into the kitchen. Sooooooooo cozy!!

Love the kitty photos!
Joni

Comment by jonipossin — November 19, 2010 #
Anna, the tale of Paulkitty made my morning! Morty is too arrogant for that, but he does love to poke his little pink nose into things!
Good progress with your sewing.

Comment by meggie — November 19, 2010 #
Bahahahaha! What a helpful assistant.

Comment by Cathy ~ Tadpoles and Teacups — November 20, 2010 #
I have a helper as well – my littlest boy (he is two). He sits and watches in absolute fascination as I sew and would LOVE to help press buttons and touch things, if I let him! For now he has to be content with just the fabric scraps! Your kitty cat is adorable as are the Ghastlies! As for the clam before the storm – oh yes. I am feeling it too :-)

Comment by jo — November 22, 2010 #
What a cute kitty. I’m glad Madeline doesn’t crawl up on the table and do that while I’m sewing. lolol
The cookies look delish. No wonder kitty wouldn’t stay off the table.
Happy Thanksgiving Miss Anna.

Comment by sharon — November 22, 2010 #
We have a new Kitty (about 3 months) and she has just discovered sewing. It scares me though because she tries to catch the needle! So I make her get down or sit on my lap.

Comment by girlsmama — November 22, 2010 #
Your kitty is beautiful! My Mia sits right behind the sewing machine watching me work (and I’m always afraid of claws making holes in my blocks) and Chloe stretches out on the ironing board and gets nasty when I try to move her. I do wish that they would take less interest in my projects!

Comment by Greg — November 22, 2010 #
The pictures really made me laugh. IT is funny how our pets keep us company when we sew. Sometimes dangerously so! Love the black kitty with the deep staring eyes. It does seem sorta quiet. I think everyone is frantically making holiday preparations.

Comment by nanette — November 22, 2010 #
so so beautiful fabrics! and cat ! ^^

Comment by tara — November 22, 2010 #
i got the biggest kick out of this! i had BIG dogs.. so no table pets.. but the one would sit on my foot while i was sewing! zoom zoom!

Comment by pat sloan — November 22, 2010 #
such a cute kittie quilt story – loved it.

Comment by barb — November 26, 2010 #
LOL! That’s funny, but you’re right…gotta nurture any interest in quilting!! I would love to try it some day.

My Mom makes so many quilts, does embroidery, and all kinds of sewing. I, unfortunately, didn’t inherit her talent. I would really like to try a quilt one day though.

I’ll bet it’s a lot of fun! :)

Comment by sheila @ Elements — January 8, 2011 #