Saturday, February 8, 2025

Of Cats and Quilts and Puzzles and Books

Welcome to Treadlestitches!

If you visited Treadlestitches last year, you might remember all the cat blocks I was making for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.  I got carried away (so not unusual for me)!  It was so much fun to see these made up in all sorts of prints.  This is my third little quilt made from those blocks.

This time the cats alternate with a pieced block, with a multicolored cat print in the center.  The block is called Puss in the Corner, which is completely appropriate.  
Lots of the fabrics in the quilt are multicolored.  Some even feature things cats might like, such as sushi.  (Isn't it amazing how many different prints there are in the world?)

Snicky the cat decided to pose next to the quilt when I was taking pictures.


The blue inner border and the binding are both from my scraps, so they're in keeping with the RSC color of the month.  (Sorry for the dark photos.  It's a dismal day here, and the flash didn't help much.)


The back is this blue plaid.  Can you see the hint of sparkle in it?  It was recycled from a little-used tablecloth from a girl scout camp.

More blue scraps!  All of these hearts were made from pieces cut from my Big Scraps basket.  I seem to have more dark than light blues.

Ice cream cones, dinosaurs, butterflies, Thomas the Tank Engine, Curious George, etc.  The hearts will go into quilts to be donated to kids.  I hope they like these fun fabrics!

A quilter's cat needs to be ready at all times to inspect quilt blocks laid out on the floor.  Lizzy, our little quilter's cat in training, just came across these blocks by accident while chasing Purple Mousie, her favorite toy.  I'm sure she'll refine her technique in time.  
She and Snicky are working out their relationship with lots of running and chasing.  He objects (rightly!) to having his tail attacked.  They still spend some time each day apart.
The quilt blocks are Rail Fence blocks from last year's RSC.  So many blocks, so little time!


Last Friday, hubby and I spent the morning book shopping.  I bought this puzzle at Barnes and Noble, and we worked it right away.  It has two of my favorite things, cats and books.  There are STILL some leftover cat blocks in the RSC bin.  Maybe I could make a quilt like this?  Only simpler?  

Our next stop was Half Price Books, where I found all of these!  Lots of great ideas for future projects.

It's been a busy week, and it's about to get busier.  Today is the Winter Quilt Show in West Bend!  I will spend the morning enjoying the show and the vendors, and the afternoon working at the guild booth.  I hope I can remember to take pictures of the action for next week's blog.

Have a lovely quilty week, everyone!

Cheers for reading,

Sylvia@Treadlestitches

Linking up with these wonderful quilters:


Angela at So Scrappy, Home of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Cynthia at Oh Scrap



 

15 comments:

  1. You have done such a great job of incorporating your favourite pet into your quilting, Sylvia...what pretty fabrics and motifs. Love the clever piecing for the hearts too. I love thrifting- you'll enjoy browsing those books like I do and dreaming. Happy Stitching!

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  2. Great quilt finish, fun blocks sets, and some really nice book finds, Sylvia!

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  3. Your rainbow quilts are coming along beautifully! I love the heart blocks and the rail fences. Most of my quilting books came from the Half Price Books stores around Milwaukee when I lived there. Have fun at the quilt show!

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  4. That anonymous comment was from me. I got a new computer and need to update for comments.

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  5. Sylvia, your great kids fabrics and scraps never cease to amaze me, and you always come up with the cutest quilts with them! And now we have to make a trip to B&N to get that puzzle!!

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  6. Love the cat quilt. The best picture is the one with Snickel, of course! Lots of beautiful heart blocks done. Are you doing more than one quilt with these or are they small and need a lot to make a kiddo quilt? Her Highness is so beautiful on her rainbow paradise. That quilt is now calling my name. Oh boy! I can hear a squirrel. The puzzle is awesome! Enjoy the newest books! ;^)

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  7. Loys of squirrel ideas to keep me distracted. The cat blocks are just fabulous. And I missed that you have a new kitten. What fun. I have the Layer Cake and Jelly Roll book on my shelf. Oh to have a Barnes and Noble or a Half Price Book store. I’d be in heaven.

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  8. I love your newest little cat quilt, and the cats, and the hearts!

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  9. Yes to the book & cat quilt from the puzzle idea! Sounds super fun. Love those blue hearts.

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  10. Oh my, that puzzle would make a wonderful quilt! (I thought it was a quilt at first look!). So many beautiful quilts and blocks. Glad the cats are slowly adapting to each other.

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  11. What a nice haul at Half Price Books. I've never heard of that store but just learned we have one in St. Louis & one in St. Charles! I just put my sister onto one near her -- McKinney TX! I'm sure it's probably a hit-or-miss type of shopping but well worth looking through. Lizzy & Snicky will be friends before long or at least have a healthy respect for each other. All of your kitty quilts have turned out adorably. Keep on sewing!

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  12. Book shelf blocks are easy to make, Sylvia! I definitely think you could come up with a design that combined your cat blocks and books. Those hearts are going to make lovely quilts, too. Perfect for your fun kid prints!

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  13. Love the layout in your cat quilt, and the hearts look like something I need to think about doing. Most of all, I wanted to thank you (and your guild members) for the wonderful quilt show in West Bend this past weekend. I enjoyed browsing through the quilts and vendors... well, I did more than browse the vendors. LOL! What a nice variety! Sheila in Sheboygan.

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  14. You have a lot of rainbowy goodness!!! that cat quilt tho - I love it!!!
    The hearts are so great!

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