A Visit to the VET

Good morning kitty fans!   Well, I finally have to tell you that I learned what that VET thing was all about.  Mom got up early today and  put me in  that little red house with the screens all around.  Then she zipped up one end and locked me in!!   I was stuck in that thing......out the door and into that big, black, noisy car.  Gosh it was scarey.   I think it needs a new muffler as it was so noisy and every time we went over a bump my little red house would bounce up and down....how scarey is that for a tiny kitty??  Mom kept talking to me so I wouldn't be afraid, but it was still scarey.  Finally we got to the VET and mom took me out of the noisy car and into the VET....we sat and waited a few minutes until the VET's helper came and took me away into the back room.  Mom didn't come, but I pretended to be brave and went with him.  I could always scratch him with my teeny little needle claws if I had to. 
They said I weighed 1.3 pounds...what does that mean?   Gosh, that does not sound like much to me...mom said I like to eat way too much, so  I hope she keeps my kibble dish nice and full.  The VET gave me something called a shot.....it didn't hurt too much....they checked me out and thought I wasn't quite as old as mom thought.  The VET said I looked good, but, then, I knew that.  I am sooooo cute.   Mom was happy to hear that, and made another date for the VET next month....oh, nooooo......do I have to go back there again??
The Vet said I might not feel well after the shot.......I did pretty well for awhile when I got home, but pretty soon I got a fever and just wanted to cuddle up under mom's chin and rest.  Mom was so worried that I was sick....but by next morning I was my usual rowdy self.
 I have been keeping busy since then  running around the house, up and down dad's big chair by that computer, and  playing on the bed at night when they are trying to sleep.  Even though I am naughty sometimes, they love me and tell me how cute I am.  I gotta make the best of this now, cuz when I am older I don't think I will be so cute, and will not play and do all those cute tricks I can do now!
Today mom has to get busy on a quilt with a VW on it.  Later this week she has to work at the big quilt show in La Conner.  I won't get to see her much while she is working there.  I will have to think up some cute new tricks to show her while she is away working.
I hope you will check in on me later this week to see what I am doing.  I hope you have fun today climbing up the backs of chairs and jumping off the footstool, too.   I can jump about 3 feet....maybe I will  join the circus when I get older.  I could work on the trapeze!   Have a fun day....Sparkie

 See, aren't I cute???

 Mom is teaching me how to use the computer so I can blog!

WE tried a lava cake recipe...ooooohhhhh, soooo good....I love chocolate.

More notes from Sparkie

Hi kitty lovers.....Well today I met some of my aunts.   Janet came over to see how cute I was.  She is a great knitter, and I hope I looked cute enough to have her knit me some cute mittens for the winter.  She made my mom some socks, but I think mittens would work better for  kittens!  Then Aunt Opal came by too.   She is a great photographer.  She took some  pictures of me, which she put  on Flickr.....lots of people thought I was soooo cute.   Aunt Arlene, our neighbor came by, too, and she was impressed with my cute little face.  It is a good thing, since   she will be  feeding   me whenever mom and dad  go away.  
Mom got me a strange looking little red house, with screens on the sides and front.  She says it will be fun to ride in when I go to the VET....I am still not sure about this VET thing.  I am pretty little to go in the car for a ride in that strange little red house.  She even put kibble inside to  get me to try it out.   The kibble is good, but I am not sure I  am going to fall for her   tricks!
Mom finished some more quilts and went to the Post Office.  She leaves me in the house and I cuddle up under her big quilt  in the recliner  and take a nap till she comes in for lunch.  Today I hid on her, and when she came in she couldn't find me right away.  I finally jumped out and surprised her.  She didn't think it was very funny, because she was worried  that I was lost or maybe sick.  She needs to lighten up a bit!
Well tomorrow I will let you know how my ride to the VET went in that funny little red house.  Mom will be working on a T shirt quilt, so I will get a big, long nap.  She finished Freddy's modern looking quilt today, too.  Freddy's quilts are so colorful.  I like all those bright, happy colors. I think mom should make a quilt for me.....maybe with mice and birds on it. 
Well, it is getting close to my bedtime, and I have to get ready to jump around on the bed and annoy mom and dad.  Sometimes I crawl under the covers and tickle mom. 
I hope you all  have a great night's sleep tonite, too.    Sparkie

P.S.   I cannot get my picture to work tonite on the computer.   I will post some pictures tomorrow.

A Note From Sparkie

Hi  kitten lovers!
My name is Sparkie, and I have  recently been adopted by my new mom and dad, Ken and Judy.  I was the perfect choice, even though they thought another black cat would be perfect.  When Judy came in to look at the kittens  in my house, she picked me right up....I guess it was the beautiful sparkly eyes that spoke to her!  They were blue last week, but I think they are changing a little more to green, just like the sparkly green eyes that were in her cat dream last month!
I had to stay with my other family till Tuesday night when "mom" got home from Whidbey Island.   They already had my new litter box and food dish, food and such necessary items.  I just looked so cute, they couldn't help but love me right off, and I felt right at home from when first got to their house.
I didn't hide under the couch or try to play hard to get at all. 
I  chased toys, ran around looking cute, and  ate out of my new bowl and used my litter box without any coaching at all.  Of course mom had to mash up my kibble a little bit.  Even for kitten food it was pretty big,  so I guess she figured it needed tinier pieces.  Meow Mix, my favorite.
The first night was pretty good...I guess mom was afraid she would roll over on me in bed, so she got up about 1 am and slept in her recliner with me right on her tummy and snuggled under her chin.  The next night I slept in the recliner all by myself, snuggled up in  a great big quilt.
Of course the next day I had to be as cute as possible so she would really love me and  give me lots of kisses and hold me whenever she could. I love to climb up her jeans leg and try to see what is cooking in the kitchen.  I even tried to climb up the drawer pulls, and made it up to the third one. 
I love to follow their big feet around the house and jump out to scare them!  Climbing onto their lap when they are busy is great fun, too.
I love my kibble, so mom will have to watch that I don't get too fat like my cousin Obie...he is 25 pounds...yikes.   I don't want to have to on the treadmill or give up my kibble allowance.
I love to play with my toys, and even use my scratching post.  Mom thinks I am pretty smart and brags about me all the time.  Right now I am climbing up her leg to take a quick nap on her lap while she is  helping me type this blog.  What is a blog, anyway??
I will have to learn how to be more technically literate in the 21st century.  Being a cat used to be so simple....just eat, play, look cute, and sleep.  Now I have to know how to do the keyboard and write blogs.
This morning I woke mom up  early trying to crawl under her chin and into her hands.....she gave up and sat in her recliner.  I guess I better stop for now, and let her give me some hugs.  I know she has to go back to work, and I will take a nap in her chair all snuggled up in my quilt.   She says I have to go to something called a VET.....I wonder what that is.  I hope they have   toys and treats.   with love, Sparkie

QUILTERS ON THE ROCK.....ROCK!

Hi all....well, another fabulous group of gals at the Quilters on the Rock guild  with a trunk show and class made for a fabulous two days on Whidbey Island.
I stayed with a great gal, Dorothy, who was just about the best handquilter I have ever seen.  It makes we wish I could hand quilt, but it just makes me so frustrated.  All I see is a big blank quilt in front of me, with miles of handquilting to go.  They have a great guild, and it was nice to see a few gals I already knew from here and there!
While at Dorothy's I met her cute and cuddly Corgi dog, Maggie.  She was smart as a whip, and minded so well....Maggie, go to your room!   And off she went.  Her husband, Bill, makes great airplanes out of pop cans, and they are so realistic.  Hobbies are so wonderful, and I often wonder how people live without at least one hobby!  
Tuesday we had class where we did three different projects:  fabric weaving, machine quilting, and the lone star.   We got so busy I even forgot to take pictures...but I am hoping they will send me pictures that I can post.  Near the end, one very funky Halloween quilt began to emerge into a great lone star.  There were some great samples of machine quilting  and  woven quilts that will be fabulous when finished.  I am so looking forward to seeing pictures of the finished projects.  It was just too much fun.  I love to teach and teaching 3 at a time is all the more fun.
The La Conner Quiltfest is drawing close in just a couple weeks, and I also have to get my quilts shipped to MQX for their show coming up in early October. Lots to do with quilting my customer quilts, too.  I have some really fun ones lately, but I think all the quilts I get are quite spectacular. and I enjoy quilting on every one of them. 
This Saturday we have our class for Gathering Fabric at the Woodinville Grange.  It will be fun as we have had a few gals gone for vacation and such, so it will be like a reunion again!
My last class at Pacific Fabrics, Northgate, was great too.  Nine gals including one junior high gal who did magnificent machine quilting.  I got a nice note from my young gal's mom...it seems like she was really taken by machine quilting.  We really have to get those young gals into the quilting world.
We had two smashing thunder storms recently, and they were LOUD and magnificent....a great sound and light show.  I miss thunder storms so much.
Well, kitty girl....Sparkie is so much fun.  I had forgotten how cute kittens can be.  I think I should have named her funny girl.
Well, my lunch break  has been long enough, I better close for now and get back to the machine....have a great day.  Judy

 Freddy's newest project...a table runner....so cheery.  We love Freddy's happy quilts.

 Sparkie sitting on the arm of my chair.  She gets her kitten shots this Wednesday.

 Opal took this great picture with her fancy camera.   Sparkie is playing with my toes right now!

Another lone star I am working on.  My ode to the more modern quilt look!

Quilt Camp at Barb's...my sis-in-law's.  We sewed in her dining room....what fun!

Back From Arkansas

Dear Bloggers!
We are back from Arkansas and visiting the family.  We had a great time, and my sweet sister-in-law even set up a sewing room in her dining room for us...2 machines, ironing board, and cutting table.  We had a blast sewing, and  planning some new quilts. Of course the main reason  for going was to see Ken's 91 year old mom, who just moved to AR from Grand Rapids.   What a pioneer spirit she has.  She is doing just great, and we had to celebrate with daily visits to the best ice cream store ever.  They even have their own cows!
Check out Braums if you are ever in the area where they have ice cream parlors.   It is  sooooo yummy.
Barb set up a great 2 days of sewing classes at her local shop,   Village Quilting.  One of the best parts of that was that I got to meet Sherry, one of my quilting clients.  Gosh, the wonders of the quilting world.  To think she drove all the way from Lincoln, Nebraska to take my class.  She has a childhood friend in the area, so we had a great time in class and dinner afterword.
Everyone in class made spectacular lone stars.  In the second class we even had a guy!  Raymond sent  a picture of his finished lone star, which I will post as soon as I get all my pictures figured out.  What a brave guy to put up with all us gals!  Not to mention what a great sport he was.  Thanks for taking the class, Ray, we all had a blast.
Bentonville also has the most amazing new art museum,  about the only one built anywhere in the US in many years.  It was spectacular and had a permanent exhibit of quite amazing pieces.  Thanks to WalMart for building it, and the permanent collection is free to the public. 
I was sad that we did not have one thunderstorm the whole week we were there.  But we did make up for that with 2 of the biggest thunder and lightning displays  ever.....Washington does not have these storms, at least in our area.  They were terrific.   Thunder storms are my favorite weather unless it is  sunny and 70!
The only thing about vacations, is that they end way too soon.
We got home in time to see a sign,  "Kittens" down the  road   from our house.   It was meant to be....check out our first picture of Sparkie...she is so cute, and funny.  I will post pictures as she goes along. 
Hope you are all looking forward to a fabulous fall.  I will miss those spectacular colors in CT, but hope to have a great spring show when I  go in May.
Happy quilting to all,   judy

 One night when we had  a full moon rising...

 This year's piccasso petunias...they were unbelievable.  The plants grew to be about 3 feet or more across.  Try them...they are Fabulous!

 A view of the Crystal Bridges Art Museum in Bentonville, AR

 Ice dyeing is way too fun!

My new Sparkie!   I LOVE her.  I hope her eyes will stay blue.

Missing Catfish Re-surfaces after Four Years!

Hi all,
Well, after 4 years I am happy to report that my missing  catfish has re-appeared. 
When we moved the koi and 2 bitty 3 inch long catfish into our new pond, everything went swimmingly!
After a bit one of the catfish came up to eat with the koi.....but only one ever showed up for lunch. He slowly has grown to about 16 inches long.  (Hard to be sure, he swims pretty fast!)

Keep that net on the pond, or the fish disappear with the herons.

 See, no catfish here!

 I call this one the KOI CHOIR!

 This beautiful quilt was made by Julie Stockler from one of Kaffe's patterns.  I have only just begun mine!  I love this particular quilt made with the luscious strips from Kaffe Fassett.

One of my class-members, Marilyn,  made this beautiful hand dyed piece in class a few weeks ago
I kept scanning the water to see if number 2 catfish would ever show up.  He continued to be missing and we just assumed he had  gone to his great reward, altho he never floated to the top, as usually happens in such cases!   We never found him in the filters....he was so tiny I thought he may have gotten sucked through the system.
Well, imagine my surprise when he appeared Wednesday morning for breakfast!  He is about a foot long, not as big as his brother...but, then, he has not been eating fish food like a pig for the last 4 years.
It so exciting to see him there eating with all  gang.  I am glad there is a happy ending to that fish tale!

Fall is in the air...the evenings and mornings are cooler, and though we have had little rain, it does seem like we are  changing seasons.  Even some of my lobelia flowers are starting to die out.  I did find  the orange and yellow crocosmias I had wanted and plan to put them in the ground soon.  I can grow them really well!
Our millions of blackberries are ripening.  (I don't even like them, but guess one batch of jam won't hurt!)  Our weeds are ever present, and  the grass still needs mowing on  a regular basis. 
Coming up next weekend is the big APQW show in Tacoma.  It is a huge quilt show, and I have a little piece in the fabric  challenge.  It is always a great place for inspiration and shopping, of course.

The La Conner Quilt show comes the first weekend of October, so busy getting ready for that one, too.  I am in charge of the vendors.  It will have some spectacular quilts, too. 
In the meantime, I am busy with customer quilts, and  working on a few of my own.....hope you are all enjoying the season and finding time to see the beauty all around you.  Till later, Judy

Arkansas Here I Come!!

 Freddy's giant star quilt that I quilted for her some time back!

 This is my first lone star that I learned in Freddy's class several years ago.

 a smaller one with Laurel Burch fabric.

 One of my student's pieces in process!

 In process my scrappy Kaffe....Below is the back of the quilt!

 One of my Christmas lone stars!

 I just had a small piece of the tiger lily fabric and had to make the star to fit the background.

 One of my quilts in progress.  I started the star with bright prints, but it was too much for my fabulous French girly fabric...so I scrapped that and did the star with all blacks and whites.

 Another couple views of one of Freddy's quilts.

 My chicken lone star....so fun to make.  I made it rectangular by adding extra borders.
The orange one I think is one of my favorites....I call it Orange-a-licious....thanks to Stephie for the name.

Some exciting news for me...I have a wonderful sister-in-law....also a fabulous quilter, who has me all set to teach when I visit her in Bentonville, AR in September.  What fun that will be.
I will be teaching at the Village Quilting in Bentonville where we will be creating beautiful lone star quilts my fast and easy method.
I have taught lone stars many times, and even total beginners make beautiful lone stars!  One of the gals in my guild just brought the one she made in my class a few months ago.  It was a beauty.  Sadly, I did not have my camera for a picture.  I will post some lonestars of mine, and a few of Freddy Moran's  that I quilted for her.  I am totally addicted to lone star quilts, but mine are usually not very traditional in fabric selection and colors.  I hope many of you will join me and Barb Hamernik for the Lone Star class.  The shop has the details and supply list.  Just bring some great fabric, and don't forget the chocolate!  We will have a great time making lone star quilts.  They really are easy to make.  Most classes several gals will get the star done and often the entire background.
Don't let this quilt scare you off.
I am also working on  a couple lone stars in the modern quilt style.  Will post the parts as I progress.  I think I will save them for class as sample to show you how they go together.
See you in early September.   Judy Irish

By the way, I started with one, got going on some  more, and thought 6 is a good number, then a dozen, and why not a baker's dozen...now I am nearing 20....maybe I should go for 50....that is a good number!