Nancy Rocks!

I've never met Nancy of Nancie Anne Quilts except through her blog, which I came across when I started the Country Charmer quilt-along. Nonetheless, I love Nancy! Nancy Rocks! She sent me the sweetest email about a "whoopsie doodle" on my Block 16. I looked and there it was - see ... upper left hand corner ....

I would have been unhappy (to say the least) had this whoopsie doodle not been discovered and corrected.   Thanks to Nancy my block 16 has been transformed from the above to .....

Thank you, Nancy!

Country Charmer Block 18

Sun, Yeah!

We got temporary, I am told, SUN this morning so I took advantage and got somewhat better pictures of blocks 16 and 17 of my Country Charmer. The background fabric is really darker but I will work with what I can get.

I have the pieces cut for the remaining 3 blocks; although I have already changed pieces on the 18th block. I lay them on the layout sheet and walk by several times. Seems I always change a fabric. This is such fun.

Lazy Rainy Day

Ms Cha Cha Cat and I spent a lazy day listening to the rain pour outside. I cut some fabric. Ms Cat slept. I sewed a bit. Ms. Cat slept. I read a little. Ms Cat slept. All in all it was a nice day.

Country Charmer Block 16

Country Charmer Block 17

The pictures do NOT do justice to the colors which are much richer (darker). The background fabric is really a creamy brown.  A normally dark duplex and no outdoor sun in a couple of days does not make for great pictures.

And should anyone be wondering why I was home on a Monday - today I turned 60. I figured an old woman like me deserved a three day weekend.

15 and Ms Cha Cha Cat

A Wind Storm?

Ms Cha Cha Cat, is holding down fabric in case a wind storm comes. The weather has been lousy - buckets and buckets of rain, with some wind - for two days. We have, however, had no wind storm inside or outside. Sweet kitty is really making sure every scrape of fabric has at least one black cat hair.

Country Charmer Blocks 11, 12, 13 and 14

Minor Surgery

One has to wonder why someone will spend hours fussy cutting and laying out fabric pieces to get an "effect" will use the rotary cutter long after the blade belongs in the garbage. Yesterday morning the insanity of my "methods"  I destroyed a perfect center for a block.

Minor surgery was required. All rotary cutters now have fresh, new blades. The sewing machines have new needles and a bit of oil. The process took away some sewing time .... The process vastly improved my sewing time!

Country Charmer Block 9

Country Charmer Block 10

I love the way the center in Block 10 seems to "shoot" from the triangle. That was a complete surprise - no fussy cutting involved ..... simply the luck of the cut!

Favorites

Every Country Charmer block (except one) has been my "favorite!" I do believe, however, this one is my "Favorite!"

Country Charmer Block 7

Here are the other 6 blocks.

The crazy bottom right corner block is definitely my least favorite. I'm not sure if it is because I had to piece it twice to get the strips right or if I just don't care for the color combination. Regardless Block 7 is my "Favorite!"

A Purple & Pink Stripped Mouse

Block 5 was "bugging" me! Something just NOT right but I could NOT figure out what. I was considering putting it in the reject pile. I just did NOT like the block and knew it would be the one which always caught my eye. Unreconciled errors become focal points to me. - Crazy?

This morning Ms Cat's toy of choice was a fat purple and pink stripped mouse. As she was batting the poor mouse about the room my eye caught the movement of the strips and I KNEW what it was about block 5 I did NOT like. Much seam ripping later I got this ....

I now LIKE the block. Strips are running in the correct order. As naughty as Ms Cha Cha was yesterday, I am thrilled she decided to be so very helpful this morning.

Kim and Stitch

This morning when the lamp on my sewing table crashed into my ice tea glass, which went flying over the carpet causing me to JUMP (here comes the seam ripper), I remembered a blog post I read last week. Kim "nudges" her cat, Stitch, from the sewing room when he becomes "tiresomely attention-needy." You can read Kim's story here.

"Nudge" and "tiresomely attention-needy" were not my thoughts on the black ball of fur running down the hall as the lamp and glass connected. Ms Cha Cha Cat does recognize when she is in danger!

30 minutes later all is cleaned up and I head to my sewing area to correct the crazy seam, This is what I found .....

The Cat returned to the scene of the crime! Bad Cat!

 

Despite the devious plotting valiant assistance efforts of Ms Cha Cha I did get some sewing done today.

Country Charmer Block 4

Country Charmer Block 5

And just so those of you with lovely furry sewing assistants will know - Should your sewing machine totally stop mid stitch - I mean the light goes out and all moving parts freeze - check the wall plug before you panic.  

 

I need an extra room so I can "nudge" Ms Cat out!

 

I've put my sewing away for the day. Me and Ms Cat are tuckered out from all the work we did today....

 

Three

Three

 

 

Two

One

I am having Fun!

Bored - Very Bored

Bored - very, very bored!

Bored! Ms Cha Cha Cat is bored. She would like Lynn to explain why the Country Charmer pattern is missing a few of her favorite things. Where are all the long, skinny pieces of fabric that flap when she grabs one and runs? Why is the sewing machine set on that slow, annoying (to a cat) speed? And pray tell, why is her human not using lots and lots of pins for her to snatch? What is a cat to do?

Presenting my first Country Charmer block -
sewn with virtually no assistance from THE CAT!
Very little squaring up needed. 
8.5 x 8.5!  I am rather proud amazed-
the "points" look pretty good!

Thanks, Lynn. This pattern is wonderful and so much fun!!!

You cannot tell from the picture but the background is a tone on tone plaid.

My able assistant says who cares? The sewing is no fun for a cat and it is raining outside so NO birds or squirrels to watch out the window. She's going back to bed. Maybe her day will start over better the next time she wakes up.

2 1/2 X 3 1/2 Yeah!

To all my Country Charmer pals ..... I have Step 1 - Section A - All 4 Units of Block 1 complete. To my utter amazement 3 of the hour glass shapes are fairly close. The 4th is off BUT all 4 units are 2 1/2 x 3 1/2. Wow!

Ms Cha Cha Cat missed the point. I was trying to show her the 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 units. She turned her nose up and went in the other room. Naughty cat!

Beware of Walmart's Parking Lot

The 40 degree nights and 60+ degree days around here have had me a bit under the weather. I spent most of the weekend changing clothing - I was hot then cold the hot, etc. - or sleeping. Ms Cha Cha Cat was thrilled. She loves to snuggle on top of the electric blanket.

I did get A & E of my first Country Charmer pinned and ready to stitch. Hmm..... one might say I managed to place 4 pins in 8 pieces of fabric? I know from experience NOT to operate a sewing machine when feeling "poorly." The seam ripper has tricked me before!!

Knowing lots of folks would be glued to their TV for Super Bowl Sunday (I do need to check and see who won lol!) and needing a few items for the upcoming week, ventured to Walmart figuring not many people would be there. I was right. I was in and out quickly - felt rather proud of my brilliant thinking. That is until I exited the store.

My buggy and I were in the crosswalk when the only moving vehicle on the entire lot "jumps" straight toward me. I backtracked. The driver turns into a lane directly in front of the entrance. There are 7 empty parking spaces. I started moving behind his vehicle. He slams the small, older sports car into reverse. His car missed my buggy by a cat's hair.

My annoyance turned to ANGER! So, I pushed my buggy in front of his vehicle, look him in the face and said "Hit It!" The driver was not some hot shot teenager. The driver was an adult - shame on him.

He had the sense to stop and say nothing. . All I have to say is beware of the Walmart parking lot! or should you be an lousy driver perhaps you should BEWARE OF MAKING OLD LADIES ANGRY!