Cats, Crafts, and Laughs

For the lighter side of life.

Machines

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How to keep a Cat off your Sewing Project

Snuggle Sack progress

I moved into this home several months ago. When I did, several UFO’s got moved with me. A UFO is an UnFinished Object. Since I now how a sewing room in my new home, I am making a concerted effort to eliminate my UFO’s. One such UFO is a Snuggle Sack. A Snuggle Sack is a proprietary pattern I’ve developed over several years that consists of fleece, flannel, and Thinsulate. I usually machine embroider the inside, with motifs representing hobbies and accomplishments of the recipient.

I am cutting out lining pieces today while watching the Notre Dame vs. Boston College football game. There is little in the universe I enjoy more than sewing while watching football. There is freshly pressed black flannel spread out on my project table. I am trying to cut it to make the lining. Mr. Problem Child cat keeps jumping into the middle of it.

Orange tabby cat Jase sitting on Sandy Eulitt's lap in her sewing room
Jase, the Wonder Kitty, wondering what he can get into next.

After several unsuccessful attempts at getting and keeping him off my fabric, I surmised an easier solution might be available. I grabbed the Football Field fleece throw just completed Friday night, and folded it on the ground. Then, I placed him upon it, waiting for a reaction. Two hours later, he hasn’t budged from this spot. I guess its all about learning to speak cat.

Jase, the male orange tabby cat, lounging out on a Football field fleece throw
Jase has me extraordinarily well trained to cater to his every need

Shockingly, I was able to get my fabric cut out, now that he was not jumping into the middle of the project table.

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Babylock Ovation Accessories

I moved several months ago. As if moving were not bad enough, most of my sewing stuff had been stored for the three years prior to the move. This is a LONG story, and if you’d like to buy me a few shots of tequila sometime, I will regale you with the unpleasant adventure. I need one of those memory erase things from, “Men in Black,” to excise that part of my life from the memory banks. Absent that, tequila usually works wonders. lol.

Like turning a cocaine addict loose in Colombia, I clicked on the Joann’s ad in my email over the weekend. Why do I do this? Why? Its that time of year when fleece is on mega sale. Please, let me point out here that I have enough fleece and blankets to keep someone warm outdoors in Antarctica, but I am always tempted by more.

Football Field Fleece

Now, if there is one thing I might be more addicted to than fleece, its football, namely college football. Hey, if you’re raised in the Midwest, your entertainment choices in the fall are watch them harvest corn or watch football. Which would you choose? Sure enough, Joann’s has this football fleece no-sew throw kit on sale. My hands start trembling. I break out in a sweat. I have to have this. Again, coke addict in Colombia analogy here. Of course, I find several other cute fleece designs, of which I want 3 yards each, but I’m being responsible. NO Fleece!! Is there a 12 step group for withdrawing from buying fleece? I admit that I am powerless over fleece …

I bought the no-sew football stadium fleece throw kit. It was the last one my local Joann’s had. I resisted the temptation to buy any other fleece, though. My linen closet is already overflowing.

Last night, I took a break from my laptop and decided to spend some time in my craft room. The no-sew kit wasn’t going to be no-sew with me. In the time in would take for me to cut all the slits along the edges of the two pieces of 48″ x 60″ fleece, and knot them together, I could serge the edges all around using Woolly Nylon on a wide three thread overlocked edge. And, I had some Thinsulate laying around, so I could line my throw with Thinsulate. Because I am, apparently, also convinced that I, at least, still live in the frozen tundra of the Midwest, if not Antarctica. Every blanket or throw I make must be made to withstand freezing temperatures (or at least you’d think). My Babylock Ovation serger was already set up, but I needed to do a quick needle change to create a 3 thread wide overlocked edge. I just needed the screwdriver …

And off I went on a two hour search through drawers and packed boxes, frantically seeking the needle changing screwdriver for my serger. No such luck. I dug and dug, to no avail. Frustrated, I went downstairs to watch some tv and pout. I really wanted to make this throw up. Ok, I did not want to make it vomit, I wanted to sew the edges of the football stadium throw, so I could cross this project off my UFO list. A UFO is an Unfinished Object in craft parlance. Besides, it was cold out, and I could use the throw to wrap myself in while watching football on Saturday. Sewing while watching football is, certifiably, the absolute best way to spend a Saturday in my book. Now this stupid screwdriver was going to ruin my plans. Where was it?

Very puzzling

After “Chicago Med,” was over, I spent some time working on my “Space Shuttle launch,” puzzle. I have about 150 pieces of mostly blue sky left to go. In other words, the slow, hard part of the puzzle. While I was puzzling, the missing screwdriver kept going through my head. I could swear it was in some compartment or something that was part of the serger. After two hours puzzling and rolling this around in my head, I went back upstairs, looked around my serger and, voila!!! There was the secret compartment. I found the missing screwdriver and could now serge to my heart’s content.

I went to bed, instead of staying up late, but now I can make the throw. So, I wasted two hours of my life looking for a screwdriver that was right in front of me. This is what I get for leaving my sewing stuff stored for three years. Ugh. No more moves. Ever. No more moves.

Here is the all-important screwdriver, in its little secret compartment.