First Finish of 2021

Happy, Healthy New Year!!! Yes, here is my first finish for 2021. Now before you start patting me on the back, let me tell you the whole story.

I had laughed when I found this pattern last year as the cat in the Christmas sweater reminded me so much of my cousin Kristin's cat Franklin. Kristin's family has two cats; Bella who is a sweet, friendly cat, and then there is Franklin who is neither sweet nor very friendly. This is exactly the look Franklin would have given had anyone been foolish enough to attempt to put a sweater like this on him.

I also made a quilted wall hanging for  my cousin Linda's family as two years ago, Santa Claus had brought her two very good boys a sweet, white kitten all the way from the North Pole. Snowy is a wonderful addition to their family. If you would like to see the pieces that I made last year, please click here.

My neighbor had seen those pieces last year and thought they were wonderful. I knew then that I would make one featuring her two cats as a Christmas present this year.  I pulled fabric from my stash to match both cats, tucked away the strips used to make the sweater piece, the sparkly fabric for the ornaments, some cording, and a snowy background fabric. All this along with the pattern I placed in a bag knowing that I would have a whole year to get this piece done. Well, November rolled around, and it occurred to me that I should get started on it. Did I? Nope. Thanksgiving, such as it was, came and went and still I hadn't start working on it. Let me admit right here that I have one longstanding character flaw . . . I procrastinate. (I probably have other character flaws, but I don't believe they are relevant to this story. :-) 

Anyway, finally about the second week in December I started working on it for maybe a day or two. Then . . . you guessed it . . . I put it aside to work on other things. As I noted in my last post, when my neighbor brought over a gift for me on Christmas Eve afternoon, I showed her a pile of cut out pieces that would soon be her gift. 

When did I start really working on it in earnest? Sunday, December 27th. Procrastinator . . . At this point I stayed focused and was able to get it done by January 1 . . . only a week late. :-)

In fact, I accomplished a lot on January 1st. All of my outside decorations were put away including these ornaments that I hang on my railings and shepherd hooks around my yard. I corralled them in this sifter that I use to filter my compost. Though they have tight caps, you would be amazed how much water collects inside them, so I turn them over to let them drain before putting them away. They looked so bright and colorful that I had to grab a couple of shots.
 

The other highlight of the day was a socially distanced, masked visit from my cousin Linda and my favorite cub scout. He had Emma perform all of her tricks and played "Hide and Seek and Get a Treat." There was a whole lot of running going on in my backyard. Both Emma and I enjoyed their visit.

Recommendations:

If you enjoy "Antiques Roadshow" and you have Netflix, check out "The Repair Shop."  It is a British program. Folks bring treasured items to "The Repair Shop" where a group of skilled craftsmen restore the items. On the first episode that I watched a butter churn, a suitcase, and a watch were the featured items. You meet the people who own the items, watch the painstaking process of repair, and then see the owners' reaction to the finished items. Now perhaps you are thinking . . . that doesn’t sound very exciting . . . Well, let me tell you it is interesting and is very relaxing to watch. Personally, in these trouble times, a little bit of interesting, informative, and entertaining is welcome. Try it; I think you will like it.

Last night, the film Jimmy Carter - Rock & Roll President played on CNN. It will no doubt be repeated, and I would encourage you to watch it. It talked about music, the 70's, and about Jimmy Carter the man who is so greatly admired for all that he has done since leaving office.

So, about that lifelong character flaw . . . I should work on it, but I think I will just put that off for a while. :-)

Stay safe.