This yarn is also Burton’s.

In fact, I think it all belongs to him.

While Mom was snipping all those seams on the rag quilt, I was quilting away on the last of my blockhead blocks.

The result is a sweet little sampler quilt – about 47″ x 55″ so a nice lap size.

I only had enough of the yellow cats for a thin border, and nothing at all from my other prints, so I had to get creative. The stash yielded up just enough of the blue and black paw prints for a thin border of each. I was hoping to get some more paw print fabric for the binding, but Lens didn’t have anything, and I wasn’t about to wait for an online order when I was so close to the finish line. Mom had a nice black and white polkdot piece that did the trick.

I thought I might have to order a back for this one, I couldn’t think of anything in the stash that would work, but then I remember that the fabric line is called Day Dreamer… and I had the perfect piece of flannel.

Pretty blue clouds! From the clearance bin of course! (As an aside, I was in Lens on the weekend, and that clearance flannel bin was 100% EMPTY!!! This is the first time I’ve EVER seen that happen! I’m so glad I’ve snatched up pieces when I could).

Now this beauty is finished and available in the shop!

I’m not sure I’ll join another sampler quilt-a-long anytime soon, but this one was definitely a new experience!

So yesterday, you saw the pillow for Dad for Christmas… that’s just a “bonus” present. Today is the “real” one.

My Dad is notoriously hard to give presents to. He’s a very practical man (would prefer something he needs over something silly/gag gift), but he also needs very little. I always make him socks for Father’s Day and his birthday, so socks for Christmas would be a bit much.

Over the years, I’ve knit him a couple of sweaters, a few hats, gloves. He doesn’t wear scarves (at least that I’ve seen, but I hate making them anyway.) Normally, I get him a manly gift card (for a hardware or outdoor store). But as Dave and I hope to be house hunting this spring, I’m trying to squirrel away every extra penny.

My first thought was to make him a quilt – something similar to the one I made my brother (but NOT flannel). But, Mom’s already got a quilt in progress for him (it’s very lovely too!) So what’s a girl to do?

As I was cutting up the leftovers from my brother’s quilt, I realized I still had a fair bit of woodsy flannel leftover…. what about a flannel Rag Quilt? It’s different enough from the quilt Mom is making him.

I ran it by her, just to make sure it wouldn’t step on her toes. She thought it was a great idea, and even sent me home with a bag of flannel plaids she’d been collecting for just that purpose!

Sewing a rag quilt is much easier than piecing the bear paws I did for my brother. Though it did get bulky at times. Each of those squares is three layers of flannel.

With all those exposed seams, it’s not the most attractive quilt when you first get it together…. but then the magic happens….

You take the scissors, and carefully snip into all those seams (about a half inch apart – that’s A LOT of snipping!!!). Mom did it ALL for me (under the watchful eye of Mr. Tibbs), while I quilted another project. Then I came home and threw it into the washing machine** and then the dryer, and it transformed!

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All those raw seams become fluffy, chenille-like goodness!

How neat is that? And won’t it go just perfectly with his pillow? I couldn’t have planned that better if I’d tried!

And that’s the LAST Christmas present I have to SEW! I still have things to knit of course, but now my sewing time can focus on the shop.

** I washed it in my own personal washing machine, because we were getting a new one the next day. However, I, and most tutorials recommend doing the first washing at a laundromat. All the little bits that come off can clog up your machine pretty good. I almost had a flood as they clogged the utility sink where the washer drains – but I caught it in time!

I know, it’s not usual for me to have a Tiny Needle Tuesday post. But you may not know, that long before I was a knitter or quilter, I was a cross-stitcher. In fact, it was my very first needle craft. I picked it up when I was about seven years old, and did it on and off until my early 20s.

Now… I haven’t been cross stitching – at least not recently. But the other weekend when I was up at Mom’s, quilting, she was cleaning out the craft closet. And she came across and old project of mine…

While it may look finished… it’s actually not. It was a from a pattern in a cross stitch magazine, circa 1993. It’s supposed to have a border around it, and the word “DUCKS” stitched across the top. Then it’s supposed to be made into a pillow. I started it when I was about 14 years old, intending to give it to my father as a Christmas gift.

But at that age, I was notorious for starting projects and never finishing them. If I remember correctly, it took me several years just to finish those ducks. Then I gave up on the border. I think I planned to make it into a pillow, but it must have gotten stuffed in a cupboard, and forgotten about. Now, about 25 years later… Mom found it again. After a good laugh, we both decided it was time that I made that darn pillow.

So, I brought it home, and a few days later, I got to it. It didn’t take very long.

The green fabric was leftover from the Pick-a-Pocket purse. And what do you think about that oar fabric? Could it be more perfect? It was just hanging out in the stash. I bought it eons ago with no plans (another remnant bin find).

I did another envelope back, though you can’t really tell because that oar fabric camouflages it pretty well. This is going to get wrapped up this Christmas for Dad, along with his other present (which I will show you tomorrow). I hope he gets as big a laugh out of it as Mom and I did.

It’s another week of FOs here at Chez Wandering Cat…. so buckle up!

As predicted, the rest of Dave’s pair of Christmas socks fell off the needle pretty quick.

Here’s a funny fact – Dave wears mostly black (and occasionally very dark grey), except when it comes to his socks. For some reason, he loves colourful socks. I’m definitely not complaining – I wouldn’t knit him nearly as many pairs if they had to be all black and grey.

These were a fun pair, but they are nothing fancy. I just let the yarn do the work. I didn’t even use a different yarn for heels and toes as I normally do with stripers. Last post, many of you asked about the yarn – it is Kroy. And you’re all correct – it wears wonderfully. Dave has many pairs of Kroy socks (mostly made by Mom on her sock machine) for just that reason!

And now, I’ve got to get back to Paisley’s cardigan, though I have to cast on another pair of socks. I hate not having a pair ready for travel knitting.

Thank you for all the birthday wished. I had a wonderful day and are far too much cake!

Just before Black Friday, Missouri Star Quilts had some really good sales. One was several bundles of “mystery” fabrics. With the exchange, the price worked out around to what I pay per yard in the clearance bin at Lens, so I decided to go for it.

Earlier this week, they arrived.

The first bundle was the “Floral Mystery” bundle, and I was surprised to find that they coordinated so well.

The “Geometric Mystery” bundle didn’t coordinate quite so well, but had some fun prints that I’ll be sure to find a good use for.

The “Fall Favourites” mystery was a little bit disappointing, since three of the five were the same print, just in different shades (and the fourth was very close too!), but still – I’ll put them to good use, I’m sure!

A few days later, they had their true Black Friday sale, and it was a doozy! The best deal in my eyes were 3 yard cuts of 108″ wide backing fabric – enough for a queen-size quilt. Deals on backing fabric have really dried up since COVID, so I was all over it! Sadly, they were flying out of my cart as quick as I could put them in (it was a REALLY good deal)

Still – I managed to get four. Mom has already claimed the grey one on the end for a quilt she’s working on (another sampler with a pile of fancy quilting). The other three will be tucked away for now. But the perfect project will come up eventually!

It’s my birthday today, and as you may recall, I always splurge a little on myself and get something extra special.

This year is was a real pair of Manitobah Mukluks. I have loved mukluks and moccasins since I was a kid – one of my parents friend’s wife had a pair – crazy ones covered in fringe (it was the 80s). I thought they were the coolest thing ever. Then a couple of years ago, a coworker showed up to work in a pair of Snowy Owl mukluks and it rekindled my love. And even though they were well worth the price, they were definitely beyond my budget. I’ve coveted them ever since.

But then this year, I was noodling around on the internets, when a Black Friday ad popped up in my feed. Manitobah Mukluks at a price I could afford! I pounced on it!

I only got the ankle boot (Keewatin), partly because of budget, but also because the Snowy Owl is too narrow for my curvaceous calves. Still, I adore them! They are so soft and warm. And they look great with both my leggings and my dresses!

Now I want a pair of those moccasin slippers.… Maybe next year!

Another wee present showed up in the mail yesterday from my brother and family. He, Paisley, my father and I all have December birthdays so we usually just exchange Christmas gifts when we get together over the holidays. But thanks to COVID, not this year. Since my brother lives 3 hours away, I mailed his and Paisley’s presents, and they did the same with mine

Aren’t they fabulous – all my beautiful babies! Even dear departed Peno!

Evolution of a cat nap

And for extra credit:

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Sometimes that cat is just too much!

Paisley’s Bogatell is still in a holding pattern until the new needle arrives. So instead, when I’ve been knitting (if I wasn’t knitting gnome hats), I’ve been knitting on Dave’s Christmas socks

This is the second sock for the pair – and as you can see, I’m on the gusset. In fact, I’m almost through the gusset.

Tracking on the needle order shows it most likely won’t make it here before the weekend, so I expect to have a finished pair of socks for you next week.

Although these are Christmas socks, I wasn’t really worried about having them done in time – Dave never complains about that, so he’s almost always the last present I work on.

But, fate obviously had other ideas!

Since baby quilts are so quick to do up on the long arm, after whipping off Rosey Posey, I tackled Imaginary Friends as well.

I really love that Friendship Star, and it looks so nice with the chain blocks around it. I’ll definitely use it again!

The star fabric was hanging out in my stash, and it was obviously just waiting to become the border on this one!

And check out the backing flannel I got!

I found it in the clearance bin ages ago, and the colours couldn’t be more perfect for this one. I still have a chunk of it left – enough for another baby quilt.

And now the shop has two quilts… it’s not a fully stocked – but at least it’s not empty. And there’s definitely more to come!