May in Review

May was a great month. Lots of flowers blooming, lots of hard work, some travel, some visiting family, some great food, some change, and some new projects. 

During the first week of the month we took a trip down to Cape May, NJ. Our hotel was a gift from our friends, the weather was perfect, the timing for a break was just right. It was the first real beach trip of the season and we quickly got used to taking many more. So, May was filled with drives down the shore, and relaxing by the ocean whenever possible. 

1) The Doctor surveys. 2) A new friend Down the Shore. 3) Cape May lighthouse on a perfect day. 4) Back to work in time for a ramen meeting.  

We headed down to NJ to visit family for Mother's Day. We took a trip upstate and visited Storm King Sculpture Park just as the weather was turning hot. We stayed home and visited some of our favorite local haunts. 

1) New tattoo. 2) Greenwood Cemetery butterfly. 3) Library days. 4) The art in ashes. 

May was hectic, bordering on insane at work, but looking back, I remember the calmness, the oncoming of summer and the warmth of things you love. The familiar feeling of getting tattooed, mixed with the excitement of something new and permanent.  Returning to places you haven't seen in years, the anticipation of what will be waiting, and finding them, more or less, just how you remembered leaving them.  

I guess May is always like that. Fresh and new, but pretty much exactly how you left it last year. 

1) Eager Watcher Dog. 2) New work. 3) Pretty stoic in Park Slope. 4) Pretty sneaky on 8th Ave.  

It should tell you something about how the months are going when I say that I started this post 2 weeks ago. It may also tell you something that when I made the photo mosaics, I labeled them all "June".  I have and have had many posts in mind. But no time to post them. My free time is spent sewing, traveling, or sleeping. My non free time are 12 hour work days, putting out fires, walking to and from work. At least the latter allows me Watcher Spotting time. 

May, you came and went like your famous flowers, opening slowly, bursting with life, fading away but replaced by new growth. June, you already have the sweet smell of Summer, like fresh squished mulberrries on the ground. What other sights and sounds and smells await us in you, June? 

Art and Nature at Storm King, NY

For Memorial Day Sunday, we trekked out to Storm King Arts Center to see some modern sculpture. 

We took some winding backroads and ended up at the overlook on Bear Mountain. 

The weather was pretty perfect, but we were in a lazy mood and only saw a fraction of what is there. We mostly stuck to our favorites. 

Several Serra slabs were imbedded in the hillsides. 

We are always lucky to find our favorite artists. 

The last time I had been to Storm King was when Andy Goldsworthy was just starting his winding stone wall. I was fairly shocked to see it had be completed in 1998. 

Goldswothry's wall starts our straight and conventional, but ends up winding around trees, dipping down into a lake and snaking up and down hillsides. 

Walking barefoot in the sun was an added bonus. But we visited some indoor exhibits, too. The main being a look at Zhang Huan, who has a large outside piece as well. 

Huan creates sculpture using ash from Buddhist temples. But I was more drawn to these jars containing ash and remnants of the incense fires.  Reminds me of our house; full of jars. 

I greatly enjoyed this marble piece that sat on the floor of the gallery, but didn't catch the artist's name:

Cape May Getaway

Cape May is a resort beach town that sits at the southern most tip of New Jersey. It's known for it's brightly colored Victorian houses, dripping with gingerbreading, and classy but casual beach atmosphere.  Like almost all Jersey beach towns, it's a mad house in the summer, attracting tourists from all over, particularly Philadelphia. Despite getting very crowded, it's less of a wild party town than neighboring Wildwood. Cape May has gorgeous beaches, fancy B&Bs, and a more conservative nature.

I grew up visiting Cape May with my mom in the off season, and know it as a quiet, pretty town, with some hidden gems. I recall there being cats everywhere, in every shop and on every stoop. My mom and I often dreamed of writing a children's book staring the feline population. We used to go there quite often, but I haven't been back in more than ten years. So I was pretty delighted when our friends gave my husband and I a gift certificate to one of the most prominent hotels in town. Congress Hall is steeped in history and is quite luxurious by NJ standards (and by our standards, too!). 

Built in 1816, burned in 1878 and rebuilt the same year. 

I had always seen the hotel on previous visits, but never entered and certainly never stayed there. Congress Hall's expansive creamy yellow building with white columns, and tidily manicured grounds are iconic in Cape May.   

The rooms are equally manicured with pastel blue and yellow details, the hotels signature colors. 

The bathroom in our room was almost as big as the living room in our Brooklyn apartment. There is a nice bar, The Brown Room, and a decent restaurant, but sitting on the balcony or taking a long soak in the tub was more our speed this trip. 

I had to sneak in some time for sewing, of course. 

Although we explored the town some, we were more interested in the beach as the weather was practically perfect. We saw dolphins, horseshoe crabs, many birds, and many stones and shells. 

Dead sand shark. 

Beach and sky.

We particularly like the southern most point of town where you can walk a rocky beach, picking up Cape May Diamonds and exploring the lighthouse grounds. 

The lighthouse has a great little nature museum and Purple Martin hotels. 

Light house impression. 

The brief trip yielded many great treasures. Cape May Diamonds, smashed pennies and a fossil are just a few things we took home with us. 

Fern fossil, coral found at Sunset Beach, Cape May Diamonds, pink rocks and sea glass in a jar, and an enamel pig pin from The Blue Pig. 

We did manage a trip to the Cape May County Zoo and the ferry, but were not able to see some of the interesting nearby sights. We can save those for another trip.

There's something about shore towns that speaks to us. Something about the ocean, and the people who have chosen to make their lives near it, that's soothing and inspiring. Shore towns are relaxed, but hard working, calm but diligent, very much like the waves hitting the beach. I will always visit them. 

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?

Sunday

Sunday Stash #4

Last week I received some vintage fabric to add to my stash. Some of it was immediately dogeared for current projects. 

This is only part of what arrived!

Ordering "vintage lots" is a tricky thing. Most times there isn't much description given, and I often just go with my gut. I'd say 9 times out of 10 this works. I've only ever had a few that I was really disappointed with. This was not one of those times. Although old and musty smelling, these five are my favorite from the lot. They will wash nicely, I'm convinced, and be ready to use in no time. The far left red dots and flowers reminds me of the blue flowered fabric from another Sunday Stash, which I adore. The black and white will go perfectly as a backing for a quilt top that is almost complete. The green dots are just right for a friendship star quilt I'm currently piecing. 

I have been waiting for sunnier days and simpler times to post a shop update. Here is a sneak peek at some amazing Library Card felt jewel rings:

Needle felted gems. 

These oversized felt cocktail rings are soft, comfortable and come in a wide range of colors and sizes. The rich jewel tones and shapes contrast perfectly with the playful textiles and tactile nature of these hand made accessories. I can't wait to get them in the shop!

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?

Busy Being Busy.

March is flying by and Mad Cat Quilts is suffering slight neglect. Life will do that to blogs. 

This is what life has looked like, lately. 

The end of February was still snowy. 

My new commute is pretty wonderful. 

Prospect Park West. 

Crisp, clear, chilly mornings....

The Arch from afar. 

Great light in the evenings...

Hustle and bustle on Grand Army Plaza. 

Purple Arch. 

Stunning sunsets...

Iconic Brooklyn images. 

And hidden details. 

Snakes in the park. 

Perks of taking the elevator. 

My quilting has suffered a bit, too.  I see myself getting back on track soon. In the mean time, I'll try to enjoy being busy. 

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. 

Modest Goals

Although 2014 seems like it will be a very exciting year, I'm trying to keep my goals and aspirations to a minimum, to take things as they come, and with an open mind. 

2013 was a big year in many respects. Many things changed in my life and work. All positive, but sometimes stressful. Sometimes it was hard to not be discouraged, to keep going until the positivity showed through. Quilting helped me along the way. Not only was it a personal goal I set out to achieve, but it was a way to de-stress, stay calm, and meditate. By the end of the year, I had made quite a few things, and started the Mad Cat Quilts website officially. I tried to make items that I could sell, but I also worked on gifts for friends and family. It felt wonderful. It was wonderful. 

In the first few days of 2014 I realized that I did not have a quilt that I had made for myself to own. All the quilts were for other people, or for the shop. I decided to keep one for myself. It is so satisfying to see it on my bed at night. It feels like the first time I saw one of the quilts I had gifted being used by it's recipient. This is what quilts are for! I love seeing them rolled, or folded in cute, colorful piles, but when they are bunched up and used and loved, it's even better. I started working on quilts that friends had asked for. Not commissioned, just requested. It felt good to be making things with certain people in mind and not even think about putting them in the shop. I started thinking of people whose birthdays were coming up, or who might need something to cheer and warm them this year. The more quilts I make, the happier I am, it seems.

I know a lot of quilters pick a word as a mantra for the beginning of each year. I've seen a lot of these words quilted, or incorporated into quilts. Some words I might choose for 2014 would be Make, Calm, Productivity. 

Tavis Smiley enjoys a gift. 

January and early February have set the stage what seems like a banner quilt making year. The latter half of February has surprised me with some unexpected change. Not unusual. Although I might have less time to sew, I think good and exciting things are a foot and I cant wait to take my quilts along for the ride. 

Sunday

Stash #3

My mail delivery is really becoming a problem. I lost a package of vintage fabric this month. The post office says it must have been stolen... but somehow I'm not convinced. 

Not the best lighting, as I took this picture at night, but I received some vintage fabric this month!! I adore the bright blue and orange on the end. I have also recently come to grips that I'm addicted to fine calico of all colors. So the blue on the right is wonderful to me. 

The Bismuth is so shiny and iridescent! Hard to capture in a photo. 

Two treasures we picked up in DC, a perfect pyrite cube and a bright piece of bismuth. Again, not the best lighting, maybe I will try for more pics another time. We are thinking that we need to re think our over all gem display, especially for small pieces like these. One day it will happen. 

6th Ave in Park Slope was lovelier than ever. 

Brooklyn has seen so much snow in recent weeks. Some of the prettiest I have seen in the city. 

It has gone from beautiful and crisp and clear, to wet and icy and horrible and back again for several weeks. 

I'll leave you with another ill lit pic; My truck, completely buried.

There's another 2 foot wide, 2 foot high wall of snow between it and the road. 

Art and Nature in Washington DC

During our recent trip to the District of Columbia we made time to see some great art. Nature was a little harder to come by. But our first stop was the National Museum of Natural History which is pretty much a combination of nature and art. 

A statue/idol from Easter Island who greets you as you enter the museum...

But this guy in the lobby is more iconic. 

I hadn't been to the Smithsonian Museums in many many years, and my husband had never been to visit them, so it was a great adventure. He was very keen to see the Hope Diamond, which I had forgotten is blue. I didn't get a good picture, unfortunately, so you will have to visit it for your selves!

We loved visiting the big gems and meteorites! I hope, one day, to own one! Can you imagine owning a piece of outer space?

There was a great live bug exhibit that culminated with a butterfly garden. We skipped the butterflies bc it cost extra and we were short of time. I love a good bug zoo, so we fully explored the other bugs. They were fascinating, interesting, and not a little creepy. We left feeling a bit itchy. 

Gorgeous colors. 

Armor plated. 

We popped into the National Gallery of Art and saw a few favorites. 

I think Seurat and I would've gotten along. He seems to love the Shore. 

This is a detail from The Wind by Felix Vallotton. I had never heard of him before but really enjoyed this painting. It seems like he is someone I will have to research. 

I always love Wyeth's muted tones, bleak but beautiful. 

There's an underground passage way connecting the two wings of the art museum. The highlight of which is an amazing light walkway. I'm not sure who the artist is, but it was clearly a fan favorite judging by all the people snapping pics.

One of the things that I find really thrilling about all these museums is that they are free. The ease  of entering is a shocking contrast to doing just about anything in NYC. Bc one doesn't pay to get in, there is only a small security table, only for checking larger bags, etc... It makes it quick to enter but it also makes it feel so much more accessable. I could certainly picture people popping in on their lunch break, or walk home. And it must be spectacular for people with kids. All of the education, fun and excitement of the museum in an easy and affordable way. I sometimes marvel that families can pay what it takes to go somewhere like the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, where one trip for a family of four might cost upwards of $100. 

One of my IG friends recognized this spot in a photo from all the way in Cleveland, OH. It leaves an impression. 

Something that I was not thrilled with was that a lot of museums, exhibits and exhibitions seemed to be closed, some permanently. Upon entering the Modern wing of the Gallery of Art, we realized that there were only a very few pieces on view and these only in the lobby. All the galleries were closed.  

The few things that were on view were pretty great, though. On display was work by some of our favorites, including Serra (not pictured), Ernst, Calder, and Goldsworthy.   

The largest Calder mobile was sadly tied and not allowed to turn. 

We are fans of Max Ernst's paintings and print work and were happy to discover this sculpture. 

It's pretty rare to find Goldsworthy's work in galleries or museums. I always feel lucky if I stumble onto it. Unfortunately you could get no closer to it than this as the doors out to the patio were locked and the windows to look down on it were very dirty. 

Walking out on the National Mall is very similar to being in a sculpture garden or museum bc of all the monuments and memorials. I covered some of what we saw in a previous post about this trip, so I won't go into it again. But it was also nice to see some "wildlife" on our walk as well. 

One of the things that I really really wanted to do was go to the National Zoo. We ran out of time for it on this trip... So I guess we will have to go back!

Bottoms Up Bunny Quilt

My second finish for 2014 started way back at the end of last Summer in Vermont.

I still haven't figured out the best way to photograph quilts in my house. This works for now... At least you get the idea!

The Bottoms Up Bunny Quilt actually started as a quilt back. When I was making Peach Sideways Cities I had gotten a yard of this Windham Fabrics retro print that I thought would be perfect for the back. And I made the back... but ran out of the fabric before completing it. Wanting to see PSC mostly done before I left Vermont, I put the bunny back aside and created a whole new one. It was similar in design but, of course, not quite the same. The more I looked at the original incomplete back, the more I enjoyed it and realized that it could stand on it's own. I had fallen in love with the bunny fabric. 

A lot of hand stitching went into this one.

Back in Brooklyn, I tracked down the fabric. It wasn't easy as it had been discontinued. I only managed to get a yard and a half, but that was more than enough to finish the front. (I used some for the back, as well, and still have about a yard left. Yay!). But I didn't pick the quilt up again until January 2014. 

Bottoms Up Bunny Quilt has a cross type design for it's front with the bunny fabric as negative space. I quilted three lines down each fabric in the cross and then quilted the negative space diagonally. Some of the lines get a bit wonky, as I didn't use any markings. The body is quilted using vintage embroidery thread. 

This quilt differs from most of my others bc it uses almost entirely new fabric. Only the small pink and peach dot fabric is vintage. The back is peiced with material from the front cross, new orange stripes, and of course, some bunny from the front as well. 

I actually like not marking my hand quilting lines. It's great exercise for me to try and get my lines straight. 

It was bound with my fold over method that I use for most of the quilts I make. The binding was mostly stitched with plain white cotton thread. But where bunny meets bunny I used teal embroidery thread. 

I thought the blue went perfectly with the inside of the flowers and that it would break up the bunny on bunny a little. 

This quilt measures about 43 1/2" x 43 1/2" and is almost perfectly square (ha!). My cat Bippi sat under this quilt pretty much the entire time I was hand quilting, so she thinks it's a great couch or lab quilt. I think it would be great for a baby, or play mat, as well. 

I'm linking up with Kathy's Quilts today. Check out her blog!

A Monumental Anniversary

This past weekend we headed down to Washington DC to celebrate our One Year Anniversary. Hey, it's my blog and I can name the posts any corny thing I feel like. 

Our hotel was only a few blocks from all the monuments, so right after checking in we set right back out to see some sights. 

I haven't been to DC in many years. It was a warm clear night when we arrived and it was great to get right out and walk down to the Mall. It took me a while to become oriented but luckily our hotel was right in the heart of town. 

It seemed like 2 in the morning, partly because the night was so black, and partly bc there were very few other people out. We were lucky to have the Mall to ourselves. 

Everything there is so BIG! When I was young, walking between sights seemed to take forever. I remember the Mall being enormous! Upon returning, it didn't take that long to walk from one place to another... but the whole city still felt gigantic.  The streets are so wide, the buildings so large! It didn't help that there never seemed to be anyone around. It felt like the opposite of Manhattan, which always feels like it's wall to wall with people and buildings.  

Some things were exactly the same as I remembered them. 

For only being there a very short amount of time, we saw so much! We were able to see three (really four but one of them had only a few permanent pieces on view but no exhibits and therefore doesn't count) of the museums, many memorials and monuments, and walk around to several different areas of the city. We decided to stay close to the hotel this trip and not go where we couldn't walk to, which worked out perfectly. 

The second day was rainy and chilly so we mostly stayed indoors visiting the museums. The last morning was warm again, although overcast. We took the opportunity to see a few of the monuments and memorials in the day light. 

I was very surprised that several of the museums had no exhibits, or were currently closed. The biggest shock and disappointment was that the National Aquarium is closed for good. It was the oldest public aquarium in the nation and closed last Fall. I don't remember ever going there, and was sad not to able to on this trip or in the future. It seems very sad to me that they closed such a historical site forever. 

This pic makes it seem that the White house is in some rural location, but it's right in the heart of downtown Washington DC!

It was a shockingly easy and fast trip down (we took the bus!), and hopefully we will make it back before too long. Some things that I would really enjoy seeing next time include the Jefferson Memorial, the Potomic River, the National Zoo, the Textile Museum (which was open, but currently had no exhibits??), and the Post Office Museum.  

We collected many squished pennies!! If you are a fan of these souvenirs, DC is the place for you!

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...

First Finish of Two Thousand Fourteen

What does one do when a quilt spans the years? If most of a quilt was created in one year, but completed in another, what category do we put it under? This is a new dilemma for me, and I'd like to know how others tackle it!

Although most of the work on my latest quilt was done in the latter part of 2013, it was technically finished in the early days of 2014. I struggled with whether to call this a 2013 quilt... But I decided that it will be my First Finish of 2014!!

I really thought this quilt was going to be a regular rectangle. But they always somehow get out of control and go all wonky. That's what I get for not measuing. And I wouldn't have it any other way!

This is one of my Squares and Strips quilts, which is what I call my version of a crazy patchwork. I used many browns and blues from my stash, mostly vintage and thrifted. It also contains new fabric. Although the front is mostly brown, it also contains white on white and black. Some of my favorite pieces are repurposed black jeans, some tree fabric that my mom and I thrifted last summer, and a swatch of brown and gold that came to live with my when my husband did. 

There is a patchwork patch of blues on the front that contains some of my all time favorite anchor fabric that I bought new. 

Sometimes not having enough fabric for a backing makes everything more interesting. 

The back has a reverse style design. Mostly blue with a patch of brown patchwork. The main bit of blue comes new from Brooklyn General. The binding on the front also follows this "reverse" theme, blue where the front is brown and brown where the front is blue (pretty much). 

I used some of my favorite precut squares in this quilt. Both vintage and new. 

This quilt is completely hand pieced, basted, quilted and bound. It's my largest to date and has the most quilting. It was a blast to make and it might be one that I keep for myself. 

My cats Bippi and Tom spent a lot of time with me on this one. It's pretty fun to snuggle under!

Wrinkly Old WIPs

I've noticed there's a lot of quilting lingo out there. Some of the terms I like, some not so much. WIP (Work In Progress) is fine, normal everyday. UFO (UnFinished Object) on the other hand.... Not my favorite. I choose not to use it. (HST [Half Square Triangles], by the way, I quite enjoy.) 

 My sewing work generally breaks down like this:

I always have one or two quilts that I'm really working on at any given moment. Those I don't even consider WIPs bc they are active and getting done. These quilts could be in almost any state of progress. I like to have a few since I sew everything by hand. My hands tend to get tired but not my mind. I need one quilt getting pieced and also one getting quilted or bound. That way, when my hands start to hurt, or I have to give my callouses a day to rest, I can switch up the type of sewing that I'm doing. 

Next I have my ongoings. Little projects that aren't fully formed in my mind, or scrap projects. These are often littered about, sometimes easy to find and add to, sometimes not. These probably don't have a clear ending in mind. When they do, they will most likely move into the first category. Until then, these could be considered WIPs. 

Then there are the theoreticals. These are sometimes stacks I've pulled or stacks I'm adding to. Or fabric I'm just not using bc it seems to have a quilt waiting for it, eventually. Most times, these are only ideas I have for quilts. These really cannot be considered WIPs, bc they don't usually even exist. Yet. 

And lastly, I have the stalled quilts. These are mostly what I really think of as my WIPs. These are mostly quilts that I had to stop bc I didn't have the right fabric for them, or I got to a point where I wasn't sure what to do next, or didn't have the space to complete the next step. Occasionally, these are quilts that I just stopped bc I didn't feel like working on them. Not long ago, I was able to photograph some of this kind of WIPs. 

I started this quilt late last Summer, or during the Fall. I had some reclaimed bright feed sack squares and wanted a really bright vibrant quilt to showcase them. I started making blocks with lots of little fiddly bits and all the yellow I could find. I made six blocks and started putting them together, but ran out of the right yellows and the motivation. 

This is a quilt I worked on last Fall while working on another that has since been completed. Also using reclaimed blocks, I finished this top pretty quickly, but have stalled out on the back. For many of my quilts I wait to find just the right fabric to finish. And since I get most of my materials vintage or thrifted, this could take a long time. 

This poor little guy has been waiting a very long time to finish. Started in AZ at my BFF's house in 2010, this mini only needs the quilting and binding finished.  I chose a particularly annoying quilting pattern for this quilt, then lost the thread I was using, then, who knows.... One day, it will get done. 

Every once in a while, I pull out these WIPs (plus more. But not too many more...) to look at, remember, or to see if anything in my stash has become usable for. These three may be doomed to stay in the pile, tho, at least for the time being. Just bc I'm not picking up these projects doesn't mean I'm not sewing! I'm making more WIPs all the time. 

The start of one busy quilt...

Modern Art in the New Year

As a belated xmas gift, we took my father to the MOMA last week. We specifically went to see a Magritte exhibit that ends tomorrow. That means there's still two days, if you want to catch it! My father is a huge Magritte fan and we always try to catch any retrospective that travels our way. It's always nice to see the old favorites, like old friends, and there's always a piece or two that I haven't seen before, or haven't seen live. This time, I discovered Le Chant De L'orage which has been on my thoughts ever since. 

No photos were allowed for the Magritte exhibit, but I couldn't help myself. 

Any trip to the MOMA requires that we visit our favorites. Such as Duchamp's To Be Looked at (from the Other Side of the Glass) with One Eye, Close to, for Almost an Hour, or Oppenheim's Object 

The MOMA has quite a few nice Duchamp pieces. The Philadelphia Museum of Art has a ton, as well. Worth a trip!

I'm not sure why this furry cup has always been so appealing to me!

Not only are many modern art works reminiscent of quilts, some of them are quilts! Like Rauschenberg's Bed. 

Detail of Bed. Not the best lighting. 

And in keeping with a theme lately, we stumbled on a Yoko Ono work that I had not seen before. I wonder if perhaps she is my spirit guild this year?

I'm a fan of Art Books, in general.

I also like instructionals. Is that even a thing in art? It should be. 

All in all, a great trip into The City and a a great start to the new year. I fully intend that this year shall be full of good art, good work, good trips, good family and friends, and good times. 

If you live in the area and haven't checked out the MOMA, or haven't been recently, you should go! We bought a years membership ($70) which paid for itself just on this visit. 

Stephen (my father) and I in some Modern Art. He looks so serious here, but he had a good time. 

Mad Cat Quilts Welcomes Library Card!

 Only the first week of 2014 and new exciting things are already brewing here at Mad Cat Quilts!

The only thing better than a pile of quilts is being snuggled up underneath them! 

The site has been slightly updated.

The Portfolio section has been updated with better pictures of the 2013 Collection.  The photo are not the complete collection as there are a few things that are still un-given gifts. When the remaining pieces go up, I'll be sure to let you know! 

A link to Mad Cat Quilts official Instagram has been added in the navigational bar. It's gaining followers and I hope to gain more in the coming months. There's an upcoming giveaway planned, so stay tuned for more info!

The Shop has also been updated! Go check it out for new pieces, new prices, and best of all new creators!

Mad Cat Quilts proudly presents the addition of Library Card goods for sale!

 Library Card creates unique handmade items.

Library Card creations are handmade in Brooklyn and feature a variety of useful objects.

To start, Mad Cat Quilts now has Library Card 2 and 3 pocket wallets for sale! These wallets are super soft and made in a variety of interesting pattern and color combos, using new and vintage fabric. Perfect for tucking in your pocket or bag, these little guys are a simple solution for keeping your money and cards. 

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!

Cutting Floor Room

I had great plans to post more during the past week. 

Even though my holidays were calm and easy, there never seems to be enough time. I'm trying hard to get one more quilt finished before the new year (but, it looks like it will be just after the new year, at this point). I have also been helping my husband with some projects he's working on. 

We craft all over the house, but are mostly centered in the living room. This is how our sewing machine table looks most of the time. But often with more cats on it. 

My husband has a few weeks off and has decided that he wants to create something every day. What a great idea! One of the larger projects he's embarking on is creating his first quilt. He picked out his fabric, and the square he plans on using, but he hates the cutting! Now, I don't use a mat and rotary cutter for my own quilts or projects but I'm happy to cut his pieces for him. His scraps become my pre-cuts!

One thing I long for is a big, wooden table and a room to put it. Right now, I cut everything on the floor. 

I keep almost every scrap bc I use them a lot in my quilts. But I haven't figured out what to do with these tiny edges. Any thoughts?

It's very fun to help and collaborate any way that I can. I try not to interfere with the creative process too much, while still being helpful and encouraging. 

We have very different taste in color combos. It's always interesting to see what he matches together!

I hope everyone had a calm and creative holiday season.