A CAT TO ME AWARDS!!

In the CATegory "Purrfect Purrformance by a male kitteh" in the documentary "The Pampurred Pet," the winner is . . . BHU!!

"Me would laik to thank the A CAT TO ME and all mai furrends on the blogosphere and espeshully mai mom, without whom this award would not have been possible."
Oh, Bhu, you are so sweet to me. xxoo Patty

Purrfurmance Review: Part 1 (RAGE)

OK, so the day before her purrfurmance review, mai mom TAKES ME TO THE VET!!! At the vet, me is known as "Hannibhu Lechter". Effurybody laffs, but what would U do if U was bein' stuck with needles and poked and mauled??? ECKSACTLEE: bite an' CLAW! Me is VERY good at bitin' and clawin'! (Patty: Which is why they have to use either the noose or the muzzle on him. It's fairly humiliating for me. I've raised a monster.)
Okay, so here we go with the Annual Purrfurmance Review of Pattyskypants. Furst, me is changin' the categories of review cuz me has speshul needs.

STUFF ME GETS: 4 paws
Mai mom is very sensitive to mai needs. This year she has prepared speshul gourmay chicken and liver pate fur me and gives me treats of butter, mayonnaise and olives. She also gives me Appetizer efurry day. She makes sure Poppy cleans the litter box and fills it with The World's Best Cat Litter (which she says is made just fur me!). She made a "fort" fur me in the bedroom window so me can watches boids and sqwurrels without bein' distracted.

STUFF ME WANTS: 2 paws
There is just not enuff BUGS around here to keep me busy! There is NO bugs at ALL between Catober and March! It is really boring. More Bugs, pleeze!

PURROMETER: The affurage score here would be 3 paws, as follows.

SCRITCHES: 4 paws. Mai mom gives the BEST head and ear scritches effur!
GROOMING: 3 paws. Me don't laik the noose cuz it keeps me from bein' able to bite and scratch. Afturr all, if me wasn't sposed to bite an' scratch, why would me has claws and fangs?????? Huh??????
LITTERBOX: 2+ paws. It's not entirely her fault; sometimes Poppy furgets and she doesn't follow-up.
Okay, so ofurrall, me gives mai mom a 4 plus paws. Me luvs U mommy! xxoo

Mommy luvs U 2, HanniBhu! xxoo Patty

Punxatawny Who?

The blizzard came on Tuesday. Basically,it snowed all day and all night. The wind was gusting to 40 mph, so I put quilts over all the windows that face north and I thought I would need an extra quilt for sleeping, too. This is the one I chose, never before used. There's a myth about the first time you sleep under a new quilt: that the dreams will be amazing and portentious. I can attest to the fact that the dreams were amazing!
Yesterday morning was a bright, clear bitterly cold day with 19" of snow on the ground with five foot drifts! The snow wasn't too deep at the top of the drive, but there was at least 20" at the bottom. We have only one shovel (and I swear to you that I will move to Florida before I buy a second shovel!!!), so we took turns. After three hours, it was done!
Only problem, as you can see, is the snow in the street is 18" high. No way we can get out. No plows are on the way. Are we having cabin fever?

Stay warm honeybuns! xxxoo Patty & Bhu & Sabryin

Ruminatin'

Whatchu thinkin' about Bhu?
"Purrfurmance evaluashun comin' up in a few weeks." Well, whatever happens, I want a RAISE! I have been a very lovey mom and have worked hard to make sure you never want for Appetizer or Fancy Feast and I have even gone so far as to make gourmet meals for you with my own two hands. "Well, at least U has hands and that's why U got 'em. So U can makes me treats!" Hmmmmm.

Everybody who has snow on the ground, hang in there!! xxoo Patty

SNOWMAGEDDAN!

We are so sick of being snowed-in and they never plow our street, so we are stuck. Bhu only knows that he has both mommy and poppy to FEED HIM and here he is taking advantage of a finger full of Hellman's Real Mayonnaise from Sabryin's turkey sandwich! Bhu, you are just getting to be so agressive and shameless with your begging! "Me laiks mayonayz! U give me more!" As if Skipjack Tuna Appetizers are not enough! "No. Me iz goooormay kitteh." Oh, I see. ISH!
I have to admit, being stuck in the house has advantages, though; specifically, with regard to UFOs! Remember the basket of red and white and green blocks? I took them apart, squared up the units and sewed them back together as pinwheels. I have a feeling this little community will grow as I go through the rest of the baskets.
As you can see, there are lots of other little groups of units as well. Stay tuned and we shall see what becomes of these.

I got CRAZY hands, I tell ya!!!

"U decide: crazy or artistic. Vote by leaving a comment." Okay, Bhu, but I just want you to know that I do this because making quilts from matching fabrics and kits just does NOT appeal to me and never has! Remember, I started quilting because I had a little bag of scraps that I had been carrying around since as long as I can remember. The first quilt I made was a "Crazy" quilt and I guess I just can't stop!! Sometimes I watch myself and pretend I'm an observer and I have to say I feel respect for what I am doing: recycling, making do, creating pretty and practical things from scraps other people would probably throw away. It's a challenge; I love it. Don't try to stop me!!
As you recall, a few of these were featured in the last post; as you can see, I made quite a few more. There aren't anymore of these in the baskets I've searched through, but I have more baskets, so this one might GROW! These blocks are almost 4".
Of course, in the same baskets, larger half-square triangles so I decided to create a neighborhood of "Hole in the Barn Door" blocks -- I think these are 5". I finally emptied the entire basket of HSTs and wound up making more of these HITBD blocks:

Going through another basket, I found a few very small flying geese (2-1/2" actually) and decided to make sawtooth star blocks with these. One 3" square and two 4-1/4" square blocks so far. No doubt I will find more and add to this new stash of UFO blocks!
This will be the next basket of UFO units to tackle. They all seem to be xmas prints or red & white units, so this shouldn't be as difficult (or as much fun) as the others. But I'm not worried because I have at least a half dozen more baskets to plow through. A perfect project for winter! xxoo Patty

What's Up With 2011?

Whatcha doin' Bhu? "Me iz watchin' fur nooo yeer to comes." Do you see anything yet? "juss skwurrels an' boids." Well, at least there's no snow! "Yet." Hmmm, you are so right! "U gots any revolutions to make?" Uh, do you mean resolutions? "No, revolutions! U know -- changes that has to be made fur the noo yeer." Okay, I guess that makes sense. Yes, there will be a revolution in the way I do laundry, as I am going to purchase a dryer! I have always been too green to get one, but now arthritis is making it difficult to iron. Also, there will be a revolution in the way I cook in 2011 because I am going to get a new stove! The old one is over 30 years old and only two of the burners are working at this point! And then, finally, there will be a revolution in the way I work in 2011, I hope. Keep your paws crossed for this one, Bhu! There's also going to be a revolution in the UFO population of the house!
Baskets of little thread-saver units taking over my sewing table. Something will have to be done!
Some will be used to create little blocks, like these.
Admittedly, some are quicker to inspire than others, but I'm up to the task!

Finally, Bhu and I hope all our family and furrends will have a prosperous, happy, healthy 2011. "They deserves it!" xxoo Patty & Bhu

R-rated Santa Story

I can never remember a time when I "believed" in Santa Claus. I always knew that the presents came from people but figured they gave the credit to Santa because if you didn't like the present they could blame it on him or you ("You must have been a bad girl this year, Patty. That's why you didn't get that diamond tiara you asked for!") You know that little girl in "Miracle on 34th Street?" Yeah, well that's ME! I would sit on Santa's lap and he would ask me what I wanted and I would tell him, "But my mommy already knows what I want."

My sister Bobby was a Present-Whisperer. Around about October she would sneak through every room of the house searching for and peeking into boxes. By the week before Christmas, she knew what everyone was getting. I guess she didn't believe in Santa, either. But look at her in this picture (if you can get past my HUGE feet! LOL!). This photo must have been taken at my cousin's house (blond girl in the middle holding barely visible doll). Bobby is on the left and you can see how carefully her doll has been perched beside her; she has chosen to portray the doll as a friend. I am holding my doll and her arms are all awry ("Hey, Santa! Let me outta here! This kid has no idea how to treat a doll of my stature!") It is obvious I did not like dolls. Nor did I like the prissy lace collar and petticoat that, by now, my mother was forcing me to wear. Ish.

Anyhoo, we are having a snow incident today, so it is a white christmas, for sure. Hope you all have a good one! Bhu is gonna sleep through this one just like he slept through the last one. xxoo Patty

All the leaves are brown, and the sky is gray . . .

. . . but Bhu is on a rug in the kitchen hallway.
"Me likes this rug, mom! Thanks fur makin' it fur me!" My pleasure, Bhu! I have been busy making quilts these days and here is a photo of one I just finished. This is for a couple of Sabryin's friends who are going to have their first baby. Do you think they will like it? "Me likes all ur quilts, mom!" Oh, smoochy smooch smooch, Bhu!
In fact, I like this so much, I decided to make at least one for myself, too. I found another basket of these pinwheels and will set them on point, but I'm not sure about the spacer fabrics. Then, I found three more baskets of these little units and can't wait to start putting them together!

In the meantime, I want to add a couple of blogs to my favorites over on the other side of the page. First, "Advanced Style" has been a real spirit booster for the past year at least. Second is "Notes from the Voodoo Cafe," which inspires me to be ME every day! I hope you'll visit each one and also share with me your favorite blogs! xxoo Patty

Interesting kitteh gifts for hoomans, compiled by friend Jessie. Also, visit her Etsy store for fantastic collage, cards and other art items featuring kittehs.
I have been working to turn baskets of UFO's into baby quilts. I am having SUCCESS! One is for Sabryin's friends and the other is because I like the one I am making for Sabryin's friends so much, I want one of my own (without the baby, thank you very much!). Now I have my eye on another basket of xmas prints flying geese. What will become of them???

Bhu sleeps on the bed while the wind blows and the temperatures drop thirty degrees. It is winter, after all. I am thinking that, as a human, I am completely flawed. But I make a PERFECT alien! xxoo Patty

What's Up Pussycat?

"Who's dat hansom kitteh on da plate?" Why that's YOU Bhu! We sent a photo of you to Janie and she made this plate. Cool, huh? It's too purrity to use, though, so we hang it on the wall.

Life is evolving here at Bhu's house . . . mostly me trying to figure ME out! I realize I am a person who naturally feels comfort in patterns or systems. One only has to watch me hang laundry to know this the case. For every task that has to be performed, I create a process that considers the next step and the goal. Many people do this, consciously or not. In some cases, this creates a bit of artificiality because there is always a "flow chart" in my head as I plod through my day. On the other hand, this "habit" of mine has enabled me to (a) make a living, (b) make quilts, and (c) stay out of jail and maintain a good credit rating [er, at least I THINK it's good]. Knowing this, the transition of full-time wage slave to part-time retiree has provided more time for spontaneity, and this is where I am stuck. Just so you know.

So, Bhu, what's up with you? "Well, me has been following U all over the house when U iz here. Sleepin'. Pukin'. Eatin' and screamin' fer Appetizer. Sheddin' and lickin' mai furs 'til me gets hairballs the size of mackerel!" Yes, I have been noticing this. You have a lot of patterns, too. But you also have access to more pets and lovin' than before. "Uh huh. Me likes that part. prrrrrrrrrrrrr." xxooo Patty

Annifurrsery #10

"Hey, mom! Could U wash mai face? Me gotz dust on it!" Sure, Bhu. I think it only adds to your handsomeness, though. "Me wantsta say Happy Annifurrsery to U and poppy!" Well, thanks, Bhu. We have been married for ten years, but we've been together for 27. "Wow! Twentee Seven is a LONG TIME!" Can't get too much of a good thing, you know!
This summer I tried to sign up for a weaving class, mostly because I wanted to make rugs from fabric scraps. In order to take the class, I had to sign up and wait for the instructor to contact me because spaces were limited and because they wanted to make sure I was really going to put the effort into learning and showing up for each class. So I waited and waited and the day of the class came and no one ever called me. Two weeks later, someone called and asked if I thought I was going to be able to come to the next class, since I'd missed the first two! HUH? So, I took matters into my own hands and decided to teach myself how to weave and make fabric scrap rugs and here is the result of test #1. Whaddya think??
All I did was take 1-1/2" to 2" strips of fabric and fold them around 1" strips of scrap batting. Then I zigzagged down the middle. I wanted to make a 2 ft x 3 ft rug to start, so I cut a foundation and tacked it to the bassement sewing room door. I then pinned the strips across the foundation until it was wide enough. Then I took more 1-1/2 to 2" strips of fabric, folded and zigzagged (no batting fill) and wove them as you can see. It was really difficult to keep the weaving from "shrinking" in the middle because I was fairly intent on having a tight weave. At one point I had to go back and unweave half of what I had done. However, at no point during this process did I ever feel it was tedious. I enjoyed every minute of it. After I had the length, I had to bind it top, bottom and sides. What a fun project!
Another project that is in the final stages of completion is #3 in the series of Amy Butler quilts. For the backing I sewed together 12 fat quarters of Amy fabrics. I'm not really fond of this technique, but I'm tired of buying fabric when I already have enough to clothe an entire village!

Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week?!? YIKES! xxoo Patty

Happy Bhurfday to ME!

"It's mai bhurfday again!" How old are you, Bhu? "Me is THURTEEN!" Congratulations! Sabryin made something special for you! "But it's PINK! Me is MANcat!" Oh, you are so traditional, Bhu. Live it up a little! It's strawberry! YUM! Look how hard he worked to make that cake for you -- he did it all by himself! And look at those cute little candles, which he picked out himself. Blow out the candles and make a wish!



Me wish for Tuna!

xxoo Patty

TenTenTen

"U missed it! Me is mortified!" What did I miss, Bhu? "LiveStrong Day!" Okay, well, I apologize because I know so many people who are dealing with cancer right now. Just because I didn't blog about it doesn't mean I don't care. I care A LOT! Every day I think about how wonderful it would be to find a cure or a treatment that doesn't kill the good parts of our bodies! Every day I send much love and healing strength to the warriors in the trenches and their families and friends. xxoo "Okay. Well, me furgives U."
Last weekend Sabryin and I went to one of the city parks that centers around a wonderful lake. I'm not successful at walking very much these days but I love crossing the lake over the boardwalk and watching the water glisten under the sun. I like being lazy and have been particularly neglectful of everything these past few weeks. I find myself sleeping very late, even though I go to bed very early. I AM trying to work more on my various fiber projects and am finding that I would prefer to continue working on those projects rather than going in to work. But going to work provides me with an opportunity to be around other people and to MAKE MONEY, which is VERY important to me right now. The other day I ventured deep into the recesses of one of my closets and found several "career" outfits I need to take to the vintage shop. And then there are the books and lps and all! Seriously, any of you who have a need for a specific vintage fabric from the 70's, 80's or 90's, please send me a photo of what you need. We can work out a DEAL! xxoo

More Skypants Secrets!

I used to think I was an artist, but now I realize I'm just a misfit. "Hmmm, well me coulda told U that!" Okay, Bhu, YOU should talk! So what's this newest little habit of yours? "Huh?" A couple of weeks ago I started eating Eggos for breakfast and I let you lick a little of the butter off the plate. Now every time I toast an Eggo, you come over to me begging, licking your lips, drooling all over the place waiting for your butter. Actually, "Waiting" isn't the word. More like SCREAMING at me for your butter. You're not even interested in Appetizer anymore! Just BUTTER! "Pleeze be quietz! U makes too much noize!"