April in Review

April was another month filled with work. Interesting and fulfilling work, but all consuming. I'm still loving my job, and I did get to balance it out with sewing, trips to the beach and zoo, and dinners at friend's houses. 

Blogging unfortunately has taken a lengthy ride in the back seat with only 4 posts in the last two months. There are some new posts in the works, but I'll need to find the time for creating them. Unfortunately, it hasn't been a priority recently. Luckily, April had the hopefulness and energy of Spring, Making me think all things are possible. 

1) April finally saw some real signs of spring. 2) Mushrooms and other veggies are popping up at the farmers market. 3) Brooklyn streets are blooming... 4) And the dogs are contemplating the possibilities of warmer weather. 

Although I started several new quilts, and worked on some current projects, April is another month without a finish. I hope May will be a more dramatic and dynamic sewing month. 

1) Flounder enjoys the sunny windowsill. 2) A very fancy duck. 3) Lunch time at the Prospect Park Zoo. 4) THe beginning of a quilt. 

One of our favorite things to do Brooklyn is to go to the Prospect Park Zoo and we were lucky enough to make two trips in April. We even alerted the zoo keepers to an injured peacock! 

1) The most manicured flower patch in Prospect Heights. 2) Lost limb at Sandy Hook, NJ. 3) Magic hour on the Outer Bridge Crossing. 4) A golden life at the Library. 

April had a good amount of visiting with family and friends. Steak dinners, walks in Brooklyn 'hoods, drives to NJ beaches, Easter dinners. Discussions of chess, flowers, birds. Watcher spotting is an obsessive, but relaxing, pastime. 

1) Alert Watcher, keeping an eye on the neighborhood. 2) Stephen's chess game, Mother's flowers. 3) Exotic zoo friends. 4) Sneaky peepers. 

The weather finally broke in April. People are shedding their winter clothes and attitudes, and heading out to see what Spring really has to offer. By the Library, Grand Army Plaza is booming, Prospect Park is blooming, and my little life is chugging along right in the middle. For next month I'd like to see some finishes, some giveaways (only 19 followers on instagram to go!), some organizing, reducing, repurposing. Both in quilting and in life. 

April, you showed us once again that Winter doesn't last forever, that hope springs eternal. Through rainstorms and renewal, budding and growing, April put us at ease and started us off to another Summer Season. May what do your blooms hold?

March in Review

Starting a new job at the end of February made March mostly about work. Which is fine, when you like what you do! The past month was about working, learning, and adapting. About settling in, and looking forward. And as wonderful as that can be, it leaves little time for other things. 

March saw little relaxing at home or seeing friends, less sewing, and no travel. I spent most of my time at work, or walking to and from work. When you work in the Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library (opened Feb 1st 1941) and your daily commute leads you along Prospect Park (ground broken by Olmstead in June 1866), that's not time ill spent. 

1) Sunset view from the arts section. 2) cryptic symbols and mythic creatures. 3) A fiery eagle watches over the Central Branch 4) I managed to get some real work done...

One of the great things about a new commute is plenty of new watchers!

1) Corner of 7th Ave and 9th Street who I haven't seen since they erected the scaffolding. 2) Alert at 7th Street nearing Prospect Park West. 3) So sad at the corner of 9th Street and 8th Ave. 4) Really intent bird watching on 8th Street. 

Although March 20th saw the first day of Spring, Brooklyn is slow to thaw. 

1) Some Spring greens. 2) Big Sky. 3) A burst of teal. 4) Isaac's new bones.  

In past years, I have found the old idiom about March to be true: In like a lion, out like a lamb. This year, March is not lamb-like at it's end. It's almost as bitter and cold and grey as when it began. The tress are reluctantly budding, flowers are only timidly peaking out of the earth, the sky is reserving it's finer blues for warmer days. I'm hoping that April will have few showers, and we won't have to wait until May for the enticing greenery. But if March is an indication for the year, I may be disappointed. 

March, you were a mainstay and a game changer. April, what's your story?

February in Review

Oh February! I have this recurring want/wish that February isn't dark, cold, short, and brutal.  Every year, I fill it up with fun things. My birthday! My anniversary! Friends! Adventure! But as much as I try, as much fun as I have and good things there are throughout the month, it's still cold. February is cold, there's no getting around it.  

This month was a whirlwind. Snow storms, traveling, art, dark days, new jobs, work, sewing, ideas, great friends, even a hint of the promise of Spring.  

1) A cold day at the beach is better than no day at the beach. 2) A special date in the Nation's Capital. 3) A gate way to air and space. 4) A stern artifact. 

It was quite a busy month with a lot of change. Change is good, right?

1) Magic. 2) Finally displaying some of our feather finds. 3) Pit Star has bedroom eyes. 4) Beautiful birthday with fabulous friends.

I wasn't able to able to do as much sewing as I would've liked. But I rarely can. I was able to have one finish at the beginning of the month. Hopefully once march has settled down a little, I can regain my sewing momentum. I have important things that I have to finish! I'm getting close to 1000 followers on instagram, and close to my first giveaway! 

1) A chilly beauty. 2) Flounder's sick of the winter!! 3) Snow, snow, snow. 4) Stash. 

February changed things up. Let's what March has in store. 

January in Review

It seems shocking that the first month of 2014 is already over! January flew by!

January had it's ups and downs. The weather was mostly bleak, but with shining moments of bright sun and snow. I feel like I was sick almost every day this month so I stayed inside at home for most of it, some days not even being able to get out of bed. Despite that, I managed to have my first finish of 2014 done on the 6th. I was also able to complete 2 quilt tops, and 2 quilt bottoms, baste them, and start the quilting on one. 

We were able to get out and see some great art at both the New Museum and the MOMA. Seeing more art and culture (for lack of a better word) is a huge priority for 2014. It feels like we are off to a great start. We were very lucky that my dad was able to join us on one of our museum jaunts. But besides that, January saw a sad lack of seeing family and friends. Hopefully February will change that trend. 

I've been extremely grateful for the continued interest in my work via this blog and instagram. Please feel free to always comment and like, follow, or contact me!

1) This month started off bright and cold. 2) We did only a little shopping and exploring during the first month. I left this vintage beaded dress behind, but took some photos with me. 3) We saw so much great art, mostly modern! 4) Lots of snow made for great light, but bitter mornings. 

1) Working on a huge all gingham quilt took up much of Jan. Bippi helped! 2) A serious watcher on my way to work. This pic was even featured on South Slope News. 3) Doing laundry on a cold wet January day kinda sucks. But seeing this watcher helped. 4) The whole family spent a lot of time cuddled under blankets and quilts. 

1) Working in DUMBO has the advantage of letting me see some great views. January saw some extreme fog, wild rain and snow, and great clouds 2) Quilts are stacking up to be completed. 3) Pit might have been less than thrilled with all the gingham. 4) An unexpected dragon. 

Well, January, it seemed short and not altogether sweet but we made it through! Let's see what February holds...

December in Review

A great month to end a great year. And a great month for photos!

Thanksgiving was quite late this year, so the first week in December was all about coming down during the holiday lull.

The next week we flew off to Tennessee to see family. Even though it was only the second time I have visited there, it feels like coming home. We had a wonderful time with family! We got to explore Nashville with friends and on our own. The visit was too short. 

1) The kitchen table at my In-Laws during our trip to TN. 2) On the way to NJ for the holidays. 3) The windowsill at work never disappoints. 3) Goodbye 2013!

A friend of mine sends messages of positivity each morning and in the third week, I embraced his words and set about being positive and happy about a work situation that I'm less than thrilled with. It's helping!

Week four was back to being all about the holidays! We went out to see my mom, uncle, brother, and niece and nephew for xmas eve. Despite a rocky start to the day, it was a calm and lovely holiday. After xmas, my dad came in and we walked around Brooklyn and chatted up a storm. We spent New Years Eve in Prospect Park watching the sky explode. The perfect end-of-year celebration. 

1) Christmas comes to Green-Wood Cemetery. 2) Our first morning in TN, it snowed and made the holiday even more festive. 3) Even my dad, a classic scrooge, loves xmas. 4) South Slope gets decked.

December was a great mix. And a great mix always includes quilts and cats!

1) Been working on this, my biggest and most quilted, quilt for several months. 2) Some holiday goodies were quilted. 3) Flounder lends a hand sorting the stash. 4) A lynx looks on at the Nashville Zoo. 

Thanks to everyone following Mad Cat Quilts on this blog and on my Instagram during the 12th month!

I'm so grateful to be gaining readers and followers. So grateful in fact, that I've decided to do a giveaway when I reach 1000 followers on Instagram!! I'll have more details soon, but in the meantime, tell your friends bc I have a little ways to go!

I hope everyone enjoyed December as much as I did, and I hope you all had a lovely start to 2014!

November in review

November can be an up and down month but over all this was a good one. It balanced itself out nicely. This november had some of the coldest days we've seen this year. Bitter and biting. But they were tempered by crisp, bright sun.

Our friends from Tennessee came to visit for almost two weeks. It's always great to be shaken out of my routine. Visitors want to see things, do things!! So we did a lot of new things, new restaurants, new galleries, new landmarks. But I also got to show them all our favorite spots, all the things we like to do. So it didn't get overwhelming. It was wonderful that our friend is a craftsman and seamstress. She showed us some fun projects, how to better use the sewing machine, and nerded out about fabric. 

Then there's Thanksgiving! This year, it went perfectly!! I got to see both sides of my family with little to no fuss. We also got to spend one night Down The Shore.  

Here are some instagram moments from the 11th month. 

1) Lovely windowsill at work. Still time for pumpkins! 2) Now that the weather is cold, I can snuggle up under the quilt I'm working on with Tom. 3) The heron at Green-Wood Cemetery is looking a little chilly. 4) First eggnog of the season in my Grandfather's bird mug.

Mad Cat Quilts Instagram

1) Watcher spotting never goes out of season. 2) Buying fabric at Brooklyn General then having a cocktail and reading a novel at Fort Defiance is a pretty perfect day. 3) We stayed at our friend's lovely beach house on the night of Thanksgiving. 4) Flounder has the right idea about Fall.