Back To Blogging!

I'm back. I know, I know. How do I explain an almost three year absence from blogging? Not going to make excuses. It seems that blogging has somewhat fallen out of favor with some crafters. I say some because when I look at my list of blogs I'm following, I see many that have been blogging for a long time and still are keeping this mode of communication alive. So I'm jumping back in with a tiny splash.

I've updated the look of my blog (that took a while because I haven't done any layout fixes in a long time and Blogger has changed some of their methods), and am now ready to get back into blogging regularly. Oh and I know that my Cat of the Month already says "July" but it will be July soon, and I couldn't find my June cat. I'll get better.

Since I last posted, a lot has changed in my life. I'm now retired. Hopefully this time it will stick. We've come out of the pandemic, thank goodness. That was getting really old. We lost our little cat, Moxie and then adopted two more cats because we didn't like being cat-less.

Rigby and Casper

Rigby is three years old, and Casper is a year and a half. They're both very good cats with personalities like no other cat we've ever had. We adopted both of them from the Feral Cat Program of Georgia. 

One thing that hasn't changed for me is stitching and crafting. As some of you may know, I have a Flosstube channel. Now I know that not everyone likes Flosstube and that's fine with me. I get it. I still enjoy reading stitching blogs as well as watching Flosstube videos. Here's the link to my Flosstube channel, CraftyCat Stitcher:  https://www.youtube.com/@craftycatstitcher6658/featured .

So as far as the stitching goes, it's still my favorite hobby and I devote lots of time to it. I still consider myself the slowest stitcher in the world. Ha ha. But that doesn't put a damper on my enjoyment of cross stitch! I also continue to collect new charts because there are soooo many beautiful ones out there. Do you agree?

Sewing and crafting are also favorites of mine. I consider finishing a cross stitch project in a non-framed way pretty crafty. And I enjoy it. My latest sewing project is this lovely flag.

 

It took only an afternoon to make this, and what took the most time was sewing the buttons on. I was very happy that I had all of the materials in my craft room for this. Would you like to make one? You can find the instructions for this on the Instagram page @teamegner. It's in her DIY section on her profile page. The one shown in the instructions is quilted and is lovely. However, I'm not a quilter and just wanted this to be an easy project for me so I opted to skip that part. 

So this is my comeback to blogging. I hope you enjoyed what you saw here. My goal is to share all of my stitching with you, along with anything else crafty that I do. If you're reading this, please leave a comment so I'll know I'm reaching fellow stitchers. Please consider subscribing as well. I do appreciate it.

I'll see you soon. Happy stitching.

Cathy

Some Of This, A Little Of That

Lots of craftiness going on around here lately.  In a post last year, I whined talked about how I couldn't get started putting together the scrapbook I wanted to make about our London trip.  Some scrapbooker friends advised me to organize my materials and decide exactly what I wanted to put into the book.  I did just that this week, and finally started scrapbooking.  It's looking good, but certainly not the professional look that my talented friends achieve in their scrapbooks.  But I like it and have given myself a finishing goal for this project -- December 15.  Plus, I'm really enjoying doing this!  Take a look at the creative "organization".

On the stitching front, progress was made on "Folk Eggs".  I stitched quite a bit on egg #7 while watching a particularly bad baseball game.  I must say that I love Prairie Schooler.

I think I'm in the framing mode.  During a little fit of organization I discovered that I have some cross stitch finishes that need framing or further finishing (like ornaments).  One of these is "Seasonal Sampler" and I already have the frame for it.  So just getting the supplies out to frame it might propel me to do just that!  Do you think?  I also need to get online to my favorite framing supplier and order some items to frame a couple of other things.

And finally, not crafty at all, is sweet Cosmo taking a morning nap on the big cat bed.  Not a care in the world.

All Kinds Of Craftiness, But No Stitching

This week stitching took a backseat to other crafty endeavors.  First of all, remember that lamp that Mark made for me?  A while back I was mildly complaining about how I couldn't find a cute lampshade for it.  I had bought one that was OK, but was definitely not in the cool category.  Then someone commented that I should decorate that boring shade.  Great idea.  So, some ribbon and double sided tape later, here it is!  Just a few lengths of different kinds of ribbon completely transformed it.  Well, pretty much.

I showed you Sheila's necklace in my last post, and finally got to see it in person yesterday.  How beautiful!  We bought the materials for our necklaces at the Intergalactic Bead Show, which we attended last month.  The instructions, however, had to be e-mailed to us by the designer, Tin Tin.  Kind of mysterious, right?  I took all of my beads and stuff over to Sheila's and we spent part of the day visiting and making lovely jewelry.  I actually completed mine in that time!  It's made of pearl beads in shades of green with some pink, clear seed beads and Swarovski crystals in clear and amethyst.  And it may look complicated to make, but it was so easy! 

I just had to show you this picture of Moxie who seems to have appropriated my new necklace for herself.  She thinks it's divine!  Note the paw, like she's Vanna White or someone.

I also finished something new:  designing a cross stitch pattern.  My friend Patty had her first grandchild and said that she wanted to stitch a birth sampler.  The nursery decor is done in Scotty dogs.  A very cute idea, but also impossible to find a sampler with the little doggies.  My solution was to design one for her.  I've finished it and will soon be sending it to her for her approval and any changes that she wants to make.  I will be posting a photo of it in a future blog, and hopefully after Patty stitches it!
 
Are you ready for some good Cosmo news?  No more insulin shots!  He had a fructosamine test yesterday and was in the normal range, so all we have to do is keep giving the kitties the low carb food.  He goes back for testing in 3 months.  That sounds pretty good to me!

So, all in all, not a bad week for craftiness and for Cosmo!

My Latest Stitching Companions

As I keep stitching my latest project, I'm noticing something that I usually don't see on light-color fabric.  Lots of cat hair.  Our three cats come in many different colors and tend to shed quite a bit.  We do our best to keep this under control by brushing them and then using a very good vacuum on the house.  But we still see the fur flying.  Also not flying.  This is especially true when I wear black pants.  And when I stitch on black fabric, like I'm doing now.  So I have to keep these two little accessories close by when I'm working on Folk Eggs.  It's my Clover tweezers and a sticky roller!  The tweezers are amazingly accurate and have very sharp points, perfect for pulling that cat hair out of a stitch.  I use the sticky roller for going over the whole piece very lightly to get the worst of it off.  So now I have found the major drawback of stitching on a dark color.  I'm sure it's there when I stitch on white, off white or beige.  And I do realize that cat hair is often considered a "specialty fiber", but I don't need that much of it here.  So these little tools are helping immensely!

I've made some progress on "Folk Eggs", completing another egg!  I'm enjoying the basic colors that are used in this chart, and the actual stitching on the dark fabric is still a breeze for me.  My photo doesn't do this project justice.  The colors are actually much warmer in person.

I thought I'd share a photo of Sheila's latest crafty adventure.  We bought the beads for these necklace kits when we went to the bead show a couple of weeks ago.  Here's her almost-finished product.  It just needs the clasp.  I'd say she did a very good job on it, wouldn't you?

Cosmo is doing fine on his new diet, and he will visit the vet this week for another glucose test.  At that time we shall see if diet alone will be enough and if we'll be able to discontinue the insulin shots for good.  That's what we're hoping for!

This week I'll be embarking on two non-stitching projects!  I hope to have some progress to share soon.  I'm also continuing my craft room organization - slowly - but it is getting done.

A Stitching Challenge?

My progress on Folk Eggs

As I continue to work on Folk Eggs, I've heard some comments about my stitching it on black fabric.  Mostly surprise and amazement that I would stitch anything on black!  The common belief is that it is difficult, but I'm not finding that to be the case.  Honestly, I find it more of a challenge to stitch on anything smaller than 32 count!  Any color!  This is my third project on a very dark color and I'm enjoying it very much.  Maybe all eyes are different.  While I find stitching on 40 count nearly impossible, someone else might shy away from my 28 count black lugana.  To each his own.  But if the idea of stitching on black fabric is something you'd like to try, go ahead!  Do a small project and see what you think.

Prairie Schooler sure knows how to choose colors to make them "pop" on black!  "Color pop" is such an over-used phrase, I know, but so true in this case.  I already finished one egg - seven to go!

I hope everyone had a happy Valentine's Day.  Mark surprised me with carryout from our favorite Mexican restaurant, which was nice since we both got home from work at the same time.  And he also surprised me with a tulip terrarium.  This was a new one on me!  When I first got it, you couldn't see the flowers, but they're really blooming now! 

Last Saturday was our Stitch Day at The Stitch Store.  As always, it was a fun day that sped by too fast!  I'd  like to chronicle what goes on at our stitch days, and I just might do that next month.  Maybe get some photos of our stitchers and the beautiful work they do.  It would also be fun to include our crazy gift exchange!  I'll thank Sheila for that idea!

Peggy's Tea Cozy

One of our fellow stitchers is also a talented seamstress and she came up with a cute idea for tea cozies.  I just had to get one of these for when life demands a whole pot of hot tea!

I found a wonderful new blog this week:  Learn To Finish With The Twisted Stitcher.  Vonna (aka The Twisted Stitcher), is generously sharing her finishing techniques with anyone who would like them.  What a great resource!  I've often looked at her blog and wondered, "Now how did she do that finishing?".  Now I can find out!  Take a look for some great ideas, and please give Vonna credit where credit is due!

And now for a Cosmo update.  We kept him (and his fellow cats) on the low carb diet and got accustomed to giving the insulin shots to Cosmo.  Then on Monday it was back to the vet for a glucose test.  The vet called me in the afternoon and was a little concerned because his sugar level was too low throughout the day!  It seems that the insulin was doing too good a job.  So now he is off the insulin and we're trying to maintain a good sugar level through diet alone.  The vet says that it is possible to do this and she's seen it before.  He goes back in two weeks for another test to see if this new method is working.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

How do you like my blog's new look?  Keep the comments coming and share my blog with others.  More followers are always good!

Projects Of Three

Most stitchers love starting new projects and I can completely understand this phenomena.  It's a joy to gather all of your materials and eventually put in that first stitch.  In keeping with my new plan to always have three stitching projects going, I started a new one this week.  It's Prairie Schooler's "Folk Eggs".  I've also been thinking a lot about spring lately, so this fits right in.  I don't know why I'm thinking about spring when this winter has been so mild.  Anyway, it's being stitched on 28 count black Lugana over 2 threads all on one piece of fabric. I'm pretty sure it's going to be a wall hanging, but I could still change my mind and frame it. And don't wrinkle up your nose at stitching on black -- it's really not difficult and the result is very pretty, especially with the thread colors used in this project.

Sheila and I went to the Intergalactic Bead Show last weekend.  I hadn't been to one of these in a long time, so it was nice to see what was new.  Judging from the attendance, I could see that beading is still a very popular hobby.  I bought a kit to make a woven bead and pearl necklace, and some centerpiece pendants.  It was interesting talking to the vendors and even other jewelry makers, and I even learned a few new things.  This visit might just spark a new interest in jewelry making for me!

Here is another one of Mark's lathework creations.  I came home one day to find it on the table and it took me a while to realize what it was because my first thought was, "Now where did Mark get that?".  It's very well done, don't you think?  I think he's found his woodworking niche.   

All this fuss makes Cosmo plum tuckered out.

This past week has been pretty busy and a little stressful because we just learned that our oldest cat, Cosmo, has diabetes.  A simple change in his diet and two insulin injections a day should regulate this well, but it's still a little weird.  And it means a whole new routine for us because the shots have to be 12 hours apart.  After a few days of this, the shots have been getting a little easier and don't appear to hurt him at all.  Oh, he would let us know if it did!  And I only poked myself in the finger once!  Yay for me!  Cosmo goes in for a some kind of testing on Monday, so we'll know a little more about how well all of this is working.  Wish us luck. 

I'm looking forward to Saturday Stitch Day at The Stitch Store this week!  It's always fun to get together with these ladies and see what we're all stitching.  Amazing how quickly that day passes!  I plan to work on "Folk Eggs" and will post my progress!

A Crafty Gift For A Crafter

It doesn't matter what kinds of crafts we do, we crafters like to receive hand crafted gifts too.  Last Saturday at stitch day at The Stitch Store, one of our Chinese exchange gifts was a handmade tea cozy and bun warmer set.  It was beautifully made and the gift that got the most oohs and aahs.  I wish I had my camera with me.  Next time.  And I will add that ALL of the gifts were lovely and greatly appreciated!

Today Sheila and I went to J. Christopher's and enjoyed catching up over breakfast and yummy cappuccinos.  We hadn't gotten together in a while, and I knew that she was crocheting a scarf for me.  So today was the day I got my present!  It's beautiful and the colors are perfect!  I just love when someone crafts something for me.  Is it because I know the work that goes into it?  Maybe.  But it's especially nice to know that someone was making something with me in mind.  This pretty scarf kind of makes me want some cold weather so I can wear it!

We had a couple of hours to work on our fabric wreaths.  So far we love the result!  Just look!  We're both very happy with the fabric selection that we chose.  At the time, we weren't sure about what fabrics to select because we basically didn't know what we were doing, but I think we were successful.  The secret is to use a fatter screwdriver.  Looks pretty good so far, right?  I'm positive that it will look even better when it's finished and fluffed out.  Of course, I'll post a picture!  You know I will. 

I mentioned our stitch day on Saturday.  As usual, it was a good group -- lots of different personalities who seem to get along extremely well.  I'm quickly getting into the Christmas spirit and decided to start a second Christmasy project.  I started "Joy" by Little House Needleworks at our stitch day and got a lot done!  It's turning out a lot larger than your average ornament, so I'll probably finish it as a door hanger.  Maybe.  The other Christmas stitching project I'm working on is "Holiest of Nights" by Homespun Elegance.  Will I get them done by Christmas?  Possibly next Christmas, and that's fine with me.  It's just nice to work on something like these during the Christmas season.

It's always good to have a helper when you're doing a project, whether it be a craft project or just writing your blog.  Here's my latest "helper".  It's Ozzy, and he's being very productive sitting in our printer stand between Purdue Pete and Georgia Tech's Buzz.  Nice to know I have an assistant.

Hey, I'm up to 45 followers!!  It makes me happy to know that people are actually reading my blog.  I hope that you're all at least a little bit informed and entertained.  I also appreciate and enjoy the comments I'm getting too.  So thank you!

My goals for the upcoming week are:  Finishing the Christmas bellpull and starting a project which is going to be a gift so it's all hush-hush right now!

For The Cat Fashionista

I have a great appreciation for all kinds of things that people make by hand, whether it be cross-stitch, quilting, sewing, beading and jewelry making, woodworking or scrapbooking. The handmade items in this website, www.petoffice.co.jp/catprin/english/ , are no exception. I want that to be clear. But "The Tailor of a Cat Catprin" is saved in my bookmarked favorites mainly for one reason: my entertainment. The cats, or models, are adorable and look like they're patiently putting up with their owners' silliness because they are such good animal companions. But you know they're thinking, "OK, you got the picture. Now TAKE THIS OFF OF ME!"

I try to imagine what would happen if I were to try to put, say, the Anne of Green Gables headpiece on Moxie, or the Hat of Leopard on Cosmo. If I was even successful at putting these on their squirming and twisting heads, they'd spend the rest of the day trying to slap, bite or chew them off. So no, I won't be sending any yen to Japan.

But you have to appreciate the workmanship and the entrepreneurship here! I hope that they're successful in their venture and that there are felines all over Japan sporting Young Lady Blouses and Hats of Rabbits. And what's more, there is apparently some luck to be gained if you dress your cat up in one of these and then take his picture. Just something you might want to think about.

This is the only time I've ever put any kind of clothing on any of my cats. I think.

Cats On The Move

While we're all a bit stressed out about this move, I can't help but worry about our three feline companions. Everything I've read tells me that moving is highly stressful for cats especially. Dogs do a much better job at getting used to their new surroundings. But we have cats and we better start looking forward to that extra challenge.

There are so many websites and articles devoted to moving with your cat and getting him acclimated to his new environment. One website tells me not to pack in front of the cats. A former neighbor of ours used to travel a lot. Whenever she brought out her suitcase, one of her cats barfed on it. Now that's a statement. Another article says that seeing the rooms in their familiar house empty can make cats feel unstable. We've emptied out rooms before to clean carpets and the cats seemed to think it was great fun! What an adventure!

I already know that our three - Cosmo, Ozzy and Moxie - are going to hate the travel part. Luckily we'll only have to drive for an hour or so to get to the new house, but none of them have ever ridden this long in a car. Well, that I know of. And they all HATE riding in cars, although to varying degrees.

Cosmo: REALLY, REALLY hates cars.
Ozzy: REALLY hates cars.
Moxie: Kind of doesn't like riding in cars.

We've decided that we are going to divide the cats up and take one each. I'll take Moxie!! Oh yeah, one website tells us not to put your cat in the back of the moving van. What? Someone would do that? Another says to play classical music when you're transporting the kitties. Hmmmm. Yet another advises us cat movers to ignore their howling while in the car. Uh huh.

One of my favorite pieces of advice is to communicate with your cat on a regular basis and include him in your plans. Also you're supposed to "send your cat thought pictures of your new home". This was a gem. But I might do it.

My biggest concern is getting our three kitty friends used to our new home. From what I've read, this can be extremely tricky. Many of the articles I've read offer very good advice about confining the cats to one room in the new house where they can just chill out. This will be their room for a while so it needs to have everything in it to make them comfy, like their litter box, food, blankets and toys. OK, we can do that. Then after a few days you can start to keep the door open. There are also products that can help to calm your cat. One is an actual plug-in thing that you put in their room. Who knew?

The thing that scares me the most is that this acclimation period can take up to six weeks!

I'll keep you posted.