String Quilt Finished

Last fall I was at work sewing string blocks.  Pam, my co-worker, was cutting out pillowcase kits, and everytime she had scraps she gave them to me.  I sewed them into the string blocks.  It wasn't long before I had enough blocks for a good-sized quilt, so I put them together with sashing and cornerstones.  I used a gray sashing so the blocks would pop with all their beautiful colors, and the cornerstones were sitting there having been cut out of tiny scraps.  As I was putting the quilt top together, it occurred to me that we should raffle the quilt in order to buy more fabric for pillowcases.  My favorite longarm quilter, Vonda Cochran, offered to quilt it for free.  It is hanging at the Viking Sewing Gallery where I work.  We started selling tickets on it on Jan. 31 and as of yesterday we have brought in $257 for more pillowcase fabric.  We will continue selling chances until April 26.  I am hoping for at least $500.

 

I am a member of a group who sews pillowcases for children hospitalized at Cabell-Huntington Hospital and CAMC Women's and Children's Hospital.  We give each hospital 40 pillowcases a month.  We volunteer our time and sewing expertise to make the pillowcases.  We take donations to buy the fabrics, and we have all bought fabrics and raided our stashes for fabrics that would appeal to children.  Some quilt shops give us special discounts, and Kohl's has given us money for coming to their stores to make pillowcases.  We sometimes meet for a day and make as many pillowcases as possible.  This is a wonderful group of women that I am proud to be associated with.  I need to mention the loss of one of our members last week.  Patty Weitzel, of Hometown, West Virginia, battled breast cancer for five years.  She was a very talented sewer and embroiderer, and a wonderful friend.  She will be greatly missed. 

Almost Lost A Kitty!

Rosie gave me quite a scare the other day.  At 11pm Thursday night I told her goodnight and went to bed.  When I got up Friday morning at 7am she was gone.  Just vanished into thin air!  I looked everywhere but she just wasn't there.  I was going to Cedar Lakes in Ripley for a sewing retreat for the weekend so I searched for her frantically.  Debbie and Diane and I were to meet here at my house to make the trip, so when they got here they helped me search.  I finally decided to go on to Cedar Lakes and surely Richard would find her when he came in from work that afternoon.  But she wasn't there.  I need to explain.  My cats have never been outside.  They are afraid of outside and will not usually go out a door unless it is left open for hours and they get enough nerve to go.  All but Rosie.  She has never ventured out a door.  She is a timid cat, usually hiding when anyone comes to the house.  Strangers rarely see her at all.

I came home on Saturday afternoon because I just couldn't stay at Cedar Lakes any longer.  When I got here I emptied drawers and closets and anywhere a cat might hide in the house.  I poked around in the garage for a while but it is such a mess, with junk and Richard's big screen tv parts everywhere.  I really didn't think she would be there anyway.  The Christmas stuff is still sitting there because it has been so cold to go out there and put it all in the attic.  Richard had put some cat food and water in the garage just in case.  I also walked my whole neighborhood looking for her and asking neighbors if they had seen a strange kitty cat.  I finally stopped looking and had a hard time going to bed because Rosie sleeps with me.  On Sunday morning I got up and as usual fed the cats their breakfast first thing.  I put Ace's bowl in the hallway (he won't get his food if I put it in the kitchen where the other cats are).  Then I went to open the blinds in the living room when I heard a cat meow.  I asked Richard if that was Ace and he said it was not Ace.  I threw open the door going out into the garage and there she was!  She wanted her breakfast!  She was very skittish and wouldn't let me near her at first.  I guess the garage was like a jungle to a scared little kitty cat.  She finally let me bring her in.  I can't tell you how happy I was to see her!  Since then she has barely let me get out of her sight.  She has been staying right on my lap.  I took this picture a few minutes ago and you can see that she looks just fine.  We have no idea how she got out in the garage without any other cats going too.  I guess we never will know.  I told Richard that we have become complaicent about the doors since these cats don't run out like most cats would.  That is changing right now.

Rosie