The Lives And Times Of A Quilter's Cats

Random thoughts of three or four cats and I about the importance of wearing slippers if you happen to share your home with a quiltmaker who drops pins, and other similar and related nonsense, from fabric to gardening and of course, about the cats who inspire all this madness. En inglés y en español.

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Location: Idaho, United States

Friday, July 28, 2006

The Pictures From Yesterday


Ok, here is the progress: Mariners' Compass with two corners and the first row of triangles (not sewn to the body of the quilt yet).
And here is Phoebe also in deep thought, enjoying herself on the new ironing board with the old cover. By the way, after hanging it outside to dry in the bright mid-day sun, most of the stains faded to almost white. Some old tricks work extremely well, and that one does work wonders!

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Deep In Thought

Tito was deep in thought yesterday morning. It seems to be the prevailing mood in this crowder as of lately. I think it has to do with the heat and all the hours that I have been spending hand piecing. When a pattern works out well, and once one figures out the piecing sequence, one can let the brain start doing its own thing while the fingers stitch. As it often happens with a brain like mine that tends to jump from one thing to another in a very disconnected way, thoughts of summers of years ago came to the forefront. The one thing I can remember most fondly was summer letter writting.

Different holiday destinations meant that my friends and I had to spend at least a month away from each other. So we wrote each other long summer letters. The contents were pretty much inconsequential, the message that one could read between the lines was simple: we missed each other and we looked forward to being together again. I remember writting during afternoon nap hours, when it was hot and the radio was keeping me company in my otherwise lonely beach vacations. Two or three sheets of paper and a few cents for a stamp gave me a thrill every day there was one waiting for me when we got back from the beach. I wish I would have kept them. They made me laugh, made me long for their company, made summer a little more bearable in the angst of teenagehood. I remember one particular letter from Antonio. It was hilarious angst at its best. I read it to my mother and both of us were in tears by the time the elevator had reached our floor. Antonio Moñete, El Legionario, if you are out there, your letter will never be forgotten :)

A lost art, long letter writting. I couldn't help but ponder what it would be like today if we had to live it all over again with mobile phones, internet and laptops. I don't consider myself much of a sentimental fool, but I had to go dig out old notes just to see my friends' hand writting and remember what it was like being back in 1981, even if for just a little while.

Now, back to the present and the Mariners' Compass. It's nearly a top now. Since the picture was taken yesterday morning (Blogger was being stubborn and I gave up on it), it actually has to of the corner blocks done. I'm moving a little more slowly than I had wanted to, but I think a couple days of hard work will put me right back on target.

PS. Phoebe loves the new ironing board. Here she is, enjoying the new board with the old cover!

PS2. Blogger is being stubborn again and I can't upload the last two photos. I'll try again later.

Tito estaba pensativo ayer por la mañana. Estamos todos más bien pensativos ultimamente. Creo que tiene que ver con el calor y con el hecho de estar cosiendo muchas horas a mano. Una vez que te haces el esquema mental de cómo se cose un bloque, el cerebro se puede poner a pensar por su cuenta mientras los dedos cosen. Un cerebro como el mío tiene la mala costumbre de empezar a saltar de tema en tema sin mucha conexión, y recordé los veranos del pasado y recordé con mucho cariño las cartas largas del verano.

Ir de vacaciones a sitios diferentes significaba pasar por lo menos un mes separada de mis amigos. Y nos escribíamos cartas largas. El contenido no tenía mucha importancia, lo que se podía leer entre lineas era que nos echabamos de menos y que estabamos deseando estar juntos otra vez. Recuerdo estar escribiendo a la hora de la siesta cuando hacía tanto calor con la radio haciendome compañía en mis vacaciones solitarias de hija única. Dos o tres folios y un sello me alegraban el día cuando llegaba de la playa y tenía una carta esperando. Me hacian reir, me hacian recordar lo que les echaba de menos y sobre todo me hacían llegar a finales de Agosto sin volverme loca del todo en medio de mi ansiedad de adolescente :) Recuerdo en particular una carta de Antonio. Era pura ansidedad cómica! La estaba leyendo en voz alta a mi madre en el ascensor y para cuando llegamos al piso, nos estabamos las dos partiendo de risa. Antonio Moñete, el Legionario, si estás por ahí, tu carta no se me olvidará jamás.

Un arte perdido, el saber escribir cartas largas. No puedo evitar pensar como sería ahora con los teléfonos móviles, el laptop y las conexiones a internet. No me considero muy sentimental, pero me encontré rebuscando viejos papeles para ver simplemente la letra de mis viejos amigos y recordar lo que se sentía siendo una adolescente en 1891 por unos minutos en 2006.

Ahora, vuelta a la realidad. El Mariners' ya va siendo un top. Desde que hice la foto ayer tiene ya dos de las esquinas terminadas (Blogger estaba cabezón y no pude cargar nada ayer). Voy un poco más lento de lo que quisiera, pero si éstos dos dias me pongo a ello, tendré el centro todo cosido.

PS. Phoebe se ha enamorado de la nueva tabla de planchar. Aquí está disfrutando de su nueva tabla.

PS2. Blogger sigue estando tonto y no me deja cargar ni la foto del Mariners' ni la de Phoebe. Luego lo intento otra vez.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Ode To A Dead Ironing Board

"Recuerde el alma dormida ,
avive el seso y despierte,
contemplando
cómo se pasa la vida,
cómo se viene la muerte
tan callando"
Jorge Manrique, Coplas Por La Muerte De Su Padre

My ironing board finally broke beyond repair. I have had it for the last eight years; it had seen a lot of wear and tear not only from ironing clothes and blocks, but also because of three cats -who we all know by now- and their using it as a surfing board, a stepping block in their mad chases, a warm place to nap on in the winter... you get the idea. I had even used it to prop my foot up years ago when I had a sprain and couldn't walk for a few days.
It had rusted, it was covered with aluminium foil, layers of batting, the one leg was bendy. But the last straw was literally the fact bendy leg couldn't even take Tito's straw weight. Last week he jumped on it, and it slowly but surely it bent all the way almost to the floor. Ironing at a slant wasn't really productive, so it was time for a new one.

Saturday was the day. I went and got a new board. I think it will be a good one. It has a mesh underneath instead of the solid metal surface with holes AND it has four legs instead of only two for a little added stability. To break it in, I did this week's ironing yesterday morning. Works great so far. Today, I've been ironing triangle strips. Shrills has already given it his paw of approval. The old one sits in the hallway waiting for garbage day. I saved the cover, God knows why... it's scorched, stained and it might even have a rip or two :) Sentimental reasons? My old ironing board, the workhorse that I had never really thought of much at all, except when I realized it was time to say goodbye.

Mi tabla de planchar se acabó de romper del todo. La tenía desde hace ocho años. Había sido usada para todo, desde planchar ropa y bloques hasta ser tabla de surf para tres gatos -cuyos nombres conocemos más que de sobra-, ser "casa" en sus carreras locas por toda la casa, o un sitio para tumbarse y dormir calentitos en el invierno. Hasta la había usado para levantar el pie cuando tuve un esguince y tuve que pasarme unos dias en casa sin poder andar.
Estaba oxidada, cubierta con capas de papel de plata, más capas de guata, una de las patas se doblaba ella sóla. Al final fue la pata que se doblaba la que no fue capaz ni de aguantar el peso de Tito la semana pasada. Se subió y poco a poco empezó a doblarse hasta que llegó casi al suelo. Planchar en ángulo no es muy productivo, así que llegó la hora de comprar uno nuevo.

Sábado: salí a por el nuevo. Encontré uno que tiene una rejilla en vez de la superficie de metal con agujeros y además tiene cuatro patas en vez de dos. Para estrenarlo, me planché una semana de ropa ayer por la mañana y funciona bien. Esta mañana he estado planchando tiras de triángulos. Shrills ya le ha dado su voto de confianza. La vieja espera el dia de basura en el pasillo. He guardado la cubierta, Dios sabe porqué. Está quemada, tiene manchas y hasta algún agujero. Razones sentimentales, supongo :) Mi vieja tabla de planchar, el caballo de batalla en el que no pensamos nunca hasta que ha llegado el momento de decirle adiós.

Friday, July 14, 2006

Encompassing Doubts, Fears And Trepidation: Mariners' Compass In Progress

Here is the progress on the Mariners' Compass quilt, a month into it. It's shaping up nicely. I wonder if I am the only one who gets into a panic state in the in-between stages of a quilt? The little triangles in the sashing were the reason for my first panicky moment (I'm sure they won't be the only one). I had planned on eight per side at first. That would leave no space for the appliqué that goes between the blocks. Seven then, I thought. An odd number? Didn't look good. Six was my third choice. Of course by then I already had several of the units sewn. Rip, rip, six. I look at it and it looks "bare". And I have to remind myself that the bare space will be covered. It's really not much space, but it will work out somehow. I'm already pondering on how the triangles will work against the blocks for the border. Should I maybe add a strip to have a buffer? Uff, I hate decissions! We'll cross that bridge when we get there.

I'm finding the muslin a little too yellow too and wondering whether I should have gone with something closer to white instead. And if I had picked something more white, I am sure I'd be wishing I would have used the muslin :)

Aquí está lo que he hecho del Mariners' Compass durante un mes. De momento va bien, creo. Y me pregunto: Soy yo la única a la que le dan momentos de pánico según voy cosiendo un top? Los triángulos de las tiras de separación han sido los que me han causado el primer momento de nervios. Tenía pensado poner ocho por tira. Demasiados, no quedaba espacio para los aplicados que van entre los bloques. Siete entonces, no, un número impar no quedaba bien. Seis y a la tercera va la vencida. Por supuesto ya tenía varias tiras cosidas con ocho y con siete que tuve que deshacer. Lo miro y me parece que le falta algo y me tengo que recordar a mi misma que le falta algo de momento y que el espacio vacío estará cubierto. Aunque no queda tanto espacio vacio lo haré funcionar de alguna manera. Y luego los triángulos para el borde. Pondré una tira de separación entre el centro y el borde? Uff, odio las decisiones. Ya me lo pensaré cuando llegue a ese punto.

Y encuentro la tela de muslin un poco demasiado amarilla. Quizá debería haber escogido una tela más blanca. Aunque claro, si hubiese escogido una tela más blanca estaría ahora escribiendo que debería haber escogido una más amarilla como la muslin :)

Sunday, July 09, 2006

What Flower Are You?


I am a
Violet


What Flower
Are You?



"You have a shy personality. You tend to hesitate before trying new things or meeting new people. But once people get to know you, you open up and show the world what you are really all about."