Stashbusting Pillowcases and Cute Kittens

I have got to use up some of my fabric.  I swear it mates at night and multiplies.  Having sewn for 45 years doesn't help, either.  My friend, Darlene, joined an online group where members keep track of the yards of fabric that come into the house, the yards used, and year-to-date totals of each. Also projects they want to complete in the year.  Everyone reports their weekly figures on Sunday nights. Great!  This is the incentive for me.  Except you can only join on Jan 1 of each year.  Not wanting to wait seven more months to get with the program, I decided I didn't need anybody's website or chart.  I made my own and started three weeks ago.  So far, I've used 21 yards of fabric, 3.5 yds more than I bought.  (On my way to KC this month, my car just took the exit in Columbia that went to Satin Stitches, and I had a 17.5 yard relapse.)   Eli's baby quilt is counted, a very cool tote bag that I'll write about when I get it unloaded and take some pictures, and 11 pillowcases at a yard each.  Several of these have a mate.

Pretty cool, huh?  I've made many pillowcases for gifts, and made us some, too, but I needed to replace all the 15 and 20 year old ones that weren't smelling too good anymore.  Unfortunately, I got in too big of a hurry and didn't wash the fabric first.  Some of the older fabric, especially the Jinny Beyer's, really shrunk - a lot - when I washed and dried them all yesterday.  I should have known better, but, hey, they're pillowcases.

I cut extra pieces, but may not use them, now.  If I had a yard of fabric, I could get a case and a cuff from it.

Standing on a chair to take the pictures, I saw Ebony creeping into the previous picture right before I took it.  Cropped her out, but she looked so cute sitting there, took another and have to include it.

My sewing room was the one non-cat room in my house - until last week.  Two of the three adults in the crew of nine from Truxton had bad head colds, but three different antibiotics didn't help.  I needed to separate the six kittens from them, but had nowhere to go with them except my sewing room.  I knew it was probably too late for quarantine procedures, but it couldn't hurt.  I did a quick kitten-proofing of cords and pins and moved them in.  In about 3 seconds they were exploring and getting into everything.  And loving every minute.

A better picture of Ebony.  She's so sweet.  The whole group is sweet.  You wouldn't expect it from barn kittens, but this is my third litter of them, and I've been delighted with all three.  The adult female, Velvet, that is mom to two of the six kittens is a little shy, but still friendly enough that I can pick her up.

Ranger making himself at home on one of my suitcases I haven't put away, yet.

This is Mittens, the polydactyl kitten.  He has an extra toe on each paw, like Ernest Hemingway's cats in Key West, FL.  And don't think for a minute that he doesn't know he's cuter and more special than the others.  He's even showing you first his left paw, then his right paw. The back feet each have an extra toe, too.  He's going to be a hard one to give up.

The other black and white kitten, Rover, and the black and tan tortie, Patches, playing under my chair legs.  I moved the chair over by my fabric cabinets so the kittens couldn't use it as a step to my sewing table.  As you can tell by Ebony on the pillowcases, it didn't work very well.  These guys are very active and are excellent jumpers.




Ranger resting on my floor fan base.

This is all six kittens before I moved them to the sewing room.  The adult at the top is Prince, likely father of some.  From the top down is Rover, Patches (dark tortie), Teddy, Ebony, Mittens, and Ranger.  The other male, Smokey, is the other paternal candidate.  This whole story is a regular Peyton Place.  As I understand from the property owner, Tracie, there were two males and two females.  Each female had a litter two days apart.  The black female, Velvet, had two kittens and the calico female had four.  Velvet took the other mom's four kittens, put them in her nest, and raised all six.  The calico mom disappeared.  So, it's unknown who fathered who, but they're all so adorable and friendly.......I can't keep them all, I can't keep them all....

Feeding time at Barb's Bar and Grill.  Prince (off-white) and Velvet (black) are at the top. Then clockwise are Rover, Smokey, Teddy, Mittens, Ebony, Patches, and Ranger.

Velvet, Ebony and Patches are the only girls.

Smokey and Prince didn't get neutered in time and Velvet is pregnant, again.  More kittens in about 3-4 weeks.

 Smokey with Rover on top and Teddy.  Prince and Smokey are both wonderful dads and cuddle with all the kittens.  I bet the kittens really miss their dads.  Hopefully, everyone will be reunited when we get this head cold cleared up.

It's very difficult to take a picture of a cat and have their eyes not glow like something from a Stephen King movie.

Mama Velvet.  She's about a year old, just a big kitten, really, and on the petite side.   All the Heartland cat foster moms are overflowing with cats and kittens and people aren't adopting right now due to various reasons, mainly the economy.  If you're thinking about adopting a cat or kitten, we have a wonderful assortment from which to choose.