Placemat Quilting

One placemat is done - five more to go.  Ooh, I'm excited.  I quilted all of them with a light pink thread, and dark green bobbin.  Each one is quilted with a different pattern.

This first one I did a loopy quilting pattern.  I thought it would be very similar to stipple quilting, but something about the pattern kept me from over quilting it.  I backed it in some mug fabric I bought when I first started quilting.  I had grandiose plans for a tea-themed table runner, but that never happened.  However, it looks great with the yellow border.  I'm using it for backing on the other light-bordered placemat, too.

Time Out

As Boadicea adjusts to life in our house, she's been upping her dominance over Cannoli.  She's a small pig, but she really throws her weight around.  She will oust Cannoli from cozy or hay for no other reason than Because She Can.  Rotten rodent.  It results in more screaming than I'd like to hear, but Cannoli doesn't seem to be too put out.  I suspect Noli makes it sounds worse than it is.

There was a lot of fussing Monday afternoon.  At some point Noli got cornered in the tunnel (only a guinea pig could manage to do that) and her cries sounded truly panicked.  I decided Boadicea needed to spend some time out quality time with me.  I normally plop her in my lap while I do my work, but I couldn't balance her and keep typing.  So she ended up in the desk - and was not happy about it.  Does that look like a repentant rodent?  She didn't budge.

Irish Soda Bread

Last year I saw a recipe for Irish soda bread in the local paper and baked a loaf.  It had been years since I had made soda bread.  Along with corned beef and cabbage, it's the St. Patrick's day thing to do.  When March rolled around this year, I googled a recipe and made another loaf.

Why don't I make this more often?  It's an easy recipe and goes great with a cup of tea.  (In fact, as I wrote this, I had the urge to toast up another slice.)  It doesn't have seasonal ingredients like peach cobbler or strawberry jam.  And it's not time intensive (like Easter candy... only a week away!).  Heck, this bread doesn't even have to rise.  And yet, once this loaf is gone, it will probably be next March before I make another.  Go figure.  I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Placemat Progress

I worked on my sister's placemats this weekend.  I wanted a fairly simple design to show off the fabric.  There are so many patterns on the web!  I liked several of them, but I always returned to Coming Home Placemat.  When I showed my sister the patterns I was considering, it was her first pick, too.

I laid out the fabric on the floor my design wall and was overwhelmed.  I couldn't find a balance I liked.  I almost bailed for another pattern, but decided since I was constantly drawn back to this one, I needed to stick with it.  After moving swatches around for an hour, I took the plunge and cut material for the first placemat.  Hey!  Once it was together, it looked pretty good.  I cut the rest of the fabric for the other five placemats and had them pieced together in no time.

Next step, backing and quilting.  Do I stick with one quilting design or try something different on each one?

Linking up with Freemotion by the River.

Fleece Forest Giveaway

I've been cleaning out my fleece supply.  I made some bedding for the upper levels of the cage, then put together some cozies and scrappy fleece forests with the rest.  I really like the last one I stitched up:  snowballs and white surrounded by spring green.  Reminds me of this winter and my hope that we'll see some real spring soon (after another inch of new snow on Saturday?!?).

I am giving away this winter-to-spring fleece forest for a C&C cage to some lucky guinea pig.  It's like the one seen in It's a Clean Cage!  (grids not include). 

To enter:  leave a comment here (if you're a no-reply blogger, please include your email address in the comment) or on the CavyMadness Facebook post.  I will pick a winner at random.  Commenting here and on Facebook will increases your chance to win.

Short Sacks

Boadicea has this strange knack of standing cozies on end and sleeping in the as if they were a cuddle cup.  I've seen her do this a few times.  I tried out a new cozy sack design.  Not bad.  Plus I burned through some of my extra fleece.

Some of my fabric was too small to make tunnels or cozies.  I decided to make a short cozy with a rectangular closed end.  I liked it - it tends to stay open when on it's side (unless, of course, Boadicea sleeps on top of it).  It can be tipped on end, and if I rolled down the sides, could be used as a small cuddle cup.  Cannoli's favorite way to sleep in it involves tipping it over herself, like a shell or a pigloo.  Just a foot sticks out.

Placemat Fabric

My vest on top, the new material underneath

Many years ago I made an eight foot table runner for my sister.  It covers a credenza that once was our grandmothers.  She loves it; it's out nearly year-round.  I liked the colors so much I made a vest with the left over material.

My sister and her husband just bought a new house and I offered to quilt something as a house warming gift.  She wanted placemats... and if possible, could they match the table runner?  The original material is long gone.  But I grabbed my vest and headed to the fabric shop.

Cannoli's Gotcha Day

Two years ago today, we packed Pinniped for a trip to Nevins Farm and came home with a small wuzzy Cannoli pig.  She was tiny, timid and young.  Today she's a tub, still tries to hide from her own shadow and is the oldest pig in the house.  Funny how some things change and others stay the same.

Noli tolerates people - they're good for bringing food and cleaning the cage.  She warmed up a little after we lost Pinniped, but it's clear she prefers guinea pig company.  She makes a terrible fuss when Boadicea picks on her, but whenever Boadicea is out of the cage a few minutes, I can hear Cannoli searching for her, asking where she is.