Cats & Quilts - a match made in heaven... (except maybe those stubborn little clouds of fur that latch on to the fabric!)

Kitty Quote of the Day

I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul. - Jean Cocteau

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Ric Rac Flowers For You!

I have to say I love Ric Rac & don't use it enough. Click on the Blog name below to link to a great tutorial on how to make a Ric Rac Dahlia to use as a brooch, curtain tie or embellishment. One or two or more would look great on the right bag. Looks nice & easy and there is no limit to what you could use as the centre of the flower. A nice fussy cut piece of fabric on a covered button with ric rac to match would come up a treat.



The tutorial is by Hannah on her blog Knick Knacks and Ric Rac. Check out her web site too for some cute original design screen printed clothing.

Happy stitching

Tracee xx

Tuesday Treasures

Yipppeee! It's share your pets day for Tuesday Treasures.

The Patriarch of the household, old Brutus (little Brun) is now very well known to so many of you as his geriatric days are played out through my blog. We leap & lurch towards his 20th birthday in our ungainly style but still with a purr in our hearts. Only 6 weeks to go now & my constant companion will be well & truly 'over the hill!'


However there is also another young furball in the Quilt Kitty household who often gets overlooked due to his little, older brother. Honey-bun was a Mothers Day 2007 present picked out by my mum Dorothy.


Poor little Hun-bun didn't have a conventional start to life with his granny who was in the mid stages of dementia. At about 18 months of age when mum went in to care, little Hun-bun came to live at the Quilt Kitty household to discover many a new trial - routine, a working muma, and a very grumpy & jealous older brother Brutus and his overprotective poppa too. A 15 year old cat used to being an 'only furbaby' who had started to slow down suddenly coupled with a large 18 month old bundle of kitteny energy with no boundries soon had us all pulling our hair out. It took about a year for things to settle down & while the boys will never be close, we now live in harmony.

(One of the rare pics where the boys are close enough to get in a photo together)

Beneath that big 7kg creamy exterior of Hun-bun lies a heart of marshmallow. He's a real little scaredycat but still a very self sufficient cat - the complete opposite of Brun which is why he misses out a bit. However when he does want a cuddle, nothing will stand in his way, not quilt or pins, knitting needles, laptop or his pesky older brother - when a cuddle is on his mind he just comes looking for it & it's a happening thing. (Which is why he is standing beside the laptop now bunting my hands as I type asking for some smooges) One of the things I love about him is how much he talks, he's a very vocal cat which can be very funny. He's a character, my little Hun-bun & very much loved.



So that's a bit more on the boys of the Quilt Kitty Household. Two bundles of joy in fur coats!

Linking up with Melody from The House on the Side of the Hill, so please go check out the other Treasures of today and show us yours.

Hope it's all purrs in your household too!

Tracee xx Brutus xx Honey xx

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Some Kind of Wonderful Progress

Doing a happy dance, finally up to date with my Some Kind of Wonderful quilt I am doing as part of Chookyblue's Stitch A Long blog group. This is the first time that I have been up to date since it started back in October.

It definately looks like progress seeing we are sewing the blocks together with the borders as we go along. The only problem is getting reasonable photos.






There are three more rows to go & the top borders. I have done the bottom borders but they are hanging at the back of the quilt hidden from sight.

In row 1 my favourite block is my travel block;


And it's not hard to figure out what my favourite block is in row 2 - kitty coffee cup!


I had some wonderful emails today from blogging friends;

First Lori from Canada. Lori must have been up late as it was like being on Messenger with emails flying instantly between Canada & Australia. Check out Lori's latest quilt on her blog, it's a masterpiece. Lori is doing the SKOW too.

Secondly my dear friend Leanne in Tassie & I have been planning some mischief of the quilty kind. Check out the swap she & Wendy in NZ did - so much pretty things, but that's the norm on Leanne's blog. I'll have what she's having is my motto when it comes to Leanne. Our tastes are so similar I think she could pick out my quilt fabrics & furnish my house & I would be very happy with the result.

Happy days in Quilt Kittyville!
Tracee xx

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Have You Tried A Dresden Plate?

I have been having bloggers & sewing block lately but wanted to share this Dresden Plate Pin Cushion Tutorial I found. I want to give a Desden Plate a try as I have seen them made into some awesome candle mats or small round table mats. The size of this tutorial projects seems to be a good place to start.


I have to admit the sheep design did attract the Kiwi in me but it would look great with a sewing motif like a sewing machine stitchery or applique too. Made larger it would make an impressive cushion too.

This appeared on the Cutting Corners by Riley Blake website where they have a weekly tutorial though I found it on Facebook first. The design is by Sally's Angelworks. Sally has it on her blog in another lot of fabric, all pinky & turquoise yumminess so check it out there too.

I am very close to showing you are few updates on projects, almost - but not quite! So back to the sewing machine for me.......

Happy stitching
Tracee xx

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Tuesday Treasures

This week I have had a reminder that I have treasures out there I wasn't fully aware of. Yesterday I received a lovely gift & card saying 'I saw this is the sales and thought of you straight away, so it's a 'just because' present'. How sweet is that & of course the panels all wrapped up in ribbon are just so me. So are the chocolate lady bugs!

Of course, this is a treasure I share with many of you as she has touched lots of our hearts in many different but loving ways. My treaure this week is our host of Tuesday Treasures, Melody. Thank you for the brilliant panels, for thinking of me & for your friendship & caring ways. To think that you can get a gift from someone you haven't met in person but who knows you so well & thinks of you in their everyday life is just so amazing & so special. Thank you precious Mel!

So this year the kitties get new Christmas Stockings & at last they are big enough that I can add a pressie or two for me as well. A nice jelly roll to fill out the toe maybe........ So what do you say kitties - purr purr Thank you Aunty Mel! purr purr!



 Our quilty blogging world is a huge treasure in it's own right. We make friendships with no boundries as to location, age, skills etc which enriches our lives for just a little input & who doesn't want to show off the pretty things we make to others who understand the obsession. So thank you to all my treasures out there. As I come to my first blogiversory I can't count on my hands the number of bloggers I see as friends & whose names makes me smile when I see them on a comment or new blog post. We are just so lucky!

To join us in Tuesday Treasures go to The House On The Side Of The Hill & link up.

Happy blogging Treasures!
Tracee xx