OMG June

May was the first month of 2017 that I completed my OMG (One Monthly Goal). Thank goodness! I really plan on keeping this momentum up by setting a relatively simple goal for June. 

For June, I would like to baste the baby quilt top I finished in May and start to tie it. That's it. I'll leave binding this quilt for another month's goal. 

Jan - Quilt Maybe Lyz - Not finished
Feb - Quilt Tom Mat - Not finished
Mar - Finish Tom Mat - Not Finished
Apr - Finish Little Baby Quilt Top - Not Finished
May - Finish Little Baby Quilt Top - Finished!!

Linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching (I'm sewing the backing today!), Move It Forward Monday, Monday Making, and of course, Elm Street Quilts OMG!

May in Review

May was a moving forward month, May was a month that felt like the start of things!

The month flew by (which doesn't?) and we flower watched, #watcher watched, got down to work, visited friends, visited vets, went to the beach, and and work from home.  

Flowers were out in May despite it being temperate in weather. We walked out neighborhood and checked our (and other's) yard for new growth. In our town the end of may marks the beginning of Summer and all the flowers made it feel tropical and summery for sure!

#watchercats were also out this month, hanging out in windows, on porches, in doorways and any sunny patches. I travelled a little this moth and saw #watchercats everywhere I went!

Headed to old hoods and catching up with friend was a lovely priority this month, seeing friends and family at home is always relaxing. Luckily I had both in May. There's something amazing about having neighbors in the suburbs, especially those who bring fresh veggies from the garden!

Of course, we are happy to have friend from out of town come visit us and next month is a great month for that! Summer by The Shore, before the crowds arrive is a special time. We eagerly await visitors and the return of Summer residents. But before they show us, we tried to get to take advantage of the empty May beaches!

I was gifted an unexpected surprise in May and it was a great inspiration for getting some finishes made this month! Besides that, quilting rolled along, but work outside the house sometimes took over. 

I'm still loving the @madcatquilts instagram this month but it is a lot of work! I'm finding it fun to come up with quilty love for that space, so check it out!

In the spirit of growth, here are some things I learned, or relearned in May:
- Visiting interesting restaurants/cafes/spaces are good for inspiration but hard to make time for. 
- Having 2 instagrams is twice the work (possibly more!). 
- Sometimes planning things out is great, other times "just do it" is a good motto. 

In April I made a pledge to get back in a blogging groove, and although that didn't go quite as planned for May, that continues to be a personal goal. 

It was a weird start to the Summer, still rainy and cool, mild for May. Let's tune in for June!

Something Nice

When your neighbor brings you home grown spinach and homemade jam early in the morning!

Moth Moon Mini: A Finished Mini Quilt

This might be my favorite ever mini quilt (so far!). After winning @gypsymoonquilts mini and scraps I was quickly inspired to make some simple log cabin blocks and turn them into mini quilts!

Moth Moon Mini didn't come together as quickly as the first mini I made with these scraps, Gypsy Moon Mini, but it was a pretty quick project. After making the log cabin block, I found some scraps of batting and used a current favorite white geometric fabric for backing. I love sandwiching a mini bc it only take a few safety pins to get it ready for quilting! I quilted this mini with simple straight lines in grey thread. 

I added a simple label using the same fabric as the backing. And tada! A new mini finish! This year I've been completing a lot of small projects. They are pretty satisfying, but for June I'm ready for a big finish! 

How about you all? Are you feeling the mini finishes this year, or are you sticking with big projects?

Linking up with Slow Sunday Stitching, Monday Making, Move It forward Monday, Oh Scrap! and more!

May Plant Update

May had flowers, that's for sure!! I never realized how much I liked some of these common yard flowers until moving to Asbury Park. I mean, I like all flowers, but azaleas and roses have jumped up to become favorites in the last two years. It's amazing to see them bloom in the spring. 

Those colors are surreal!

I worry every year that our potted plants won't return, but so far so good!

Rododendrons are native to NJ and on my list for the yard. 

Such a lovey yard I came across walking in the neighborhood. 

Last year we had tons and tons of these wild little white flowers in the front yard. This year we were happy to see them return, even in fewer number. 

Last year, I planted this iris and it never bloomed. I was ecstatic to see it thriving! I hope they go nuts and cover the front bed. 

My lemon balm came back with a vengeance. 

These were roadside in Allenhurst NJ. Anyone know what they are?

I want roses everywhere!!!

Beach roses, too!

Theses are the roses in front of the post office that I pass every day on my way to work. It's such a treat and they bloom all Summer. 

What are some of your favorite May flowers? Did you plant this year, or just enjoy what comes up?  Share your plant observations!

Something New: Machine Sewing

As you may have noticed, I hand sew everything. All aspects of my quilts are hand sewn and hand quilted. But I've been wanting to try making some clothing and as sweet an idea as hand sewn clothing might sound, it's just not practical. 

It's not that I have never used a sewing machine before. I have, but not for a long time! I don't particularly like it. Sewing on a sewing machine, for me, is like working with a robot who speaks a different language. I'm always confused and frustrated. 

That being said, I'm serious about trying out some patterns! That will require not only that I use the sewing machine, but also practice, practice, practice. 

My early attempts have been... mixed. I've already struggled more with the machine than I think is necessary. Here's hoping all that struggle pays off!

Anyone out there trying something new that they are less than comfortable with?  

YOTS2017/Sunday Stash

I've been pretty good about not buying much fabric this year. Except, the other day, I got a little stone in my craw about trying out some clothing patterns. So, of course I had to run out and buy some fabric suitable for clothing making.

I got soft, shear muslin to try out a few self drafted ideas I have. And some linen like fabric if those ideas go well. I wanted linen, but it's so expensive!! And it's all in the experimental phase....

Here's my month Stash Update for May:
Fabric Added from the Since Last Update: 10 (mostly for experimentation, but I picked up a piece or scrap and a vintage table cloth to use as backing at a rummage sale, too) 
Fabric Added Year to Date: Approximately 23.25
Fabric Used Since Since Last Update: Approximately 2 yd
Fabric Used Year to Date: Approximately 10.5 yd

Although I feel good that I haven't bought too much, my output is still about half of my intake! I have to do better at making!

How's your Year of the Stash going so far?

On My Mind On Friday Morning

I've been thinking and thinking about making my own clothes lately. I might have picked up a few fabrics to experiment with but I can't quite commit to actually make anything yet. Here's some instagrams or websites I've been watching for inspiration (Threadsnips 1, Halfmoonatelier 2, Threadfox 3).
Speaking of clothes and sustainability, here's a argument for not "sparking joy". I think I'm somewhere in the middle in my attempts.  
A nice little write up about my town. 
And a look at a special place in my old hood. 
I've been enjoying @madcatquilts and on Fridays I started featuring #madcatfridayafaves. Be sure to check it out!

Mad Cat Capsule: What's Not Working

Over a month in and I'm loving my capsule wardrobe. My Mad Cat Capsule consists of approximately 50 pieces of clothing not including loungewear, sleepwear, shoes, work out wear, under garments, or outerwear. That's a lot more than a typical capsule, but as this is my first one, and I literally have hundreds of items of clothing that I'm trying to pare down, this feels like a good start. I've really enjoyed refining what I wear, seeing what works and what doesn't. Going into this project, I really didn't know what to expect, but it's been helpful and exciting to wear only clothes I really enjoy. Over the past month or so, I've definitely noticed that there were items I chose that I didn't end up wearing. Here's the scoop about what I've discovered so far:

I chose quite a number of tank tops at the beginning of my 3 month capsule. I layer, layer, layer and I knew this capsule had to take me to the beginning of Summer so this was a good idea. But as the month progressed, I realized that I was only wearing some of them over and over and never reaching for others. I'm packing up the ones I'm not feeling. 

I thought having a few long sleeve shirts would be a great idea for a capsule that had to span April to June. I wore them once or twice, but noticed that I pulled out sweaters more often. Several of these are going into storage. I love these shirts, but not right now. I feel like I'll be pulling these back out for my 4th quarter capsule in Oct. 

I also had a 3/4 sleeve shirt that I really love and thought would be great, especially for work. I forgot that this shirt captures every cat hair, lint ball, and speck of anything really. This shirt will go to donation. 

I chose a few skirts for this quarter 2 capsule and I haven't worn any of them. Huh. I don't want to give up on them just yet but some of these will be put away soon. Again these are pieces that I love, but haven't worked out just yet. On the other hand, I was sure that I wouldn't need my favorite shorts until July, but grabbed them up for a hot beach walk around the beginning of May and am happy that I'll have them for the rest of this capsule.

After scrapping these items and a few others I'm just not wearing, you would think that I would have less pieces in this capsule, but alas, I don't. I lost a few, swapped a few, but added a few, too. In lieu of the long sleeve shirts, I added a dotted sweatshirt I quite fancy, and I recently got a few more graphic tees. So I'm hovering right around the same number of items. 

Really lessening the items I wear has been challenging. Getting rid of items that I definitely won't use, don't like, or don't fit has also been surprisingly hard. I have found it to be difficult to find the time to get these pieces out of my house and into new hands. Anyone out there have any suggestions?

If you've recently started a capsule wardrobe, tell me how it's going!

New Block: Circle Appliqué

This isn't my smoothest appliqué job, but it's the first circle I've ever worked on. I've been working on sewing a lot of orange peels and curves, lately so it was nice to try a different kind of curve. 

Next time, I hope to hide my threads a little better, but other than that, I like the way this block turned out!

Linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday, Finished or Not It's Friday, and more!

Gypsy Moon Mini: A Finished Mini Quilt

I was so inspired by my new mini and the little scraps that came with it, that I got right down to business making a mini of my own!

I rarely can make any work to completion in one day, so this was an especially fun finish! All the pieces needed fell into place. First, inspiration: The scraps from @gypsymoonquilts gave me were lovely and easy to work with. I happened to have a few other scraps right at my fingertips that I used to round out this mini. 

Second, I had time! I had a fairly free day to sit and sew! The top came together quickly, the batting scraps were on top of a pile, I used one of my favorite prints as a backing. The quilting and basting goes so fast with a mini!

I hope my inspiration hangs in there! I love the feeling of a finish! 

Linking up with Move It Forward Monday, Monday Making, Oh Scrap and more. 

Winner!

I recently threw my name, well my new name @madcatquilts, in the running for a giveaway with @gypsymoonquilts on instagram. And I won!

Credit for all this loveliness goes to @gypsymoonquilts!

What a sweet little mini mini/mug rug! Some lovely scraps! A cute needle minder! Her work is lovely so check it out!

Just a Top...

But also a finish! Finally, I've managed to finish one of my OMG goals!!

I'm excited to link up with Elm Street Quilts at the end of the month and I can link up with Monday Making, Needle and Thread Thursday, Move it Forward Monday, and more!

Off Season: The French Market

Since moving to New Jersey in 2015, I've enjoyed exploring the state and do so the most when tourists are not around. Living in a seasonal tourist hot spot is fun, but I love the Off Season! Over the last few years I've made a few posts on the blog about places that I've seen, noted, liked or loved. Now you can find them all by checking out the Off Season link.  

A friend told me I had to visit The French Market in Rumson, NJ, bc it was right up my alley. She was right! I visited the last weekend in April and have been back 3 times since then! 

Mostly The French Market is a little cafe with fresh bread, pastries, take out prepared food, coffee,  and a ton of sandwiches, wraps, quiches, etc.. but it also sells gift items, plants, and very pretty, if not practical, planting supplies.  

I love the interior which is all black and white and brown with lots of live plants. But I especially love the back room which is a modified, winterized greenhouse and so adorable. The food is simple, fresh and tasty!

The French Market
114 E River Rd, Rumson, NJ 07760
- Open until 7pm on weekdays
- Owned by 3 designers/friends.
- Opened it's doors in July 2015.
- Sadly only has a Facebook page (which I won't bother to force upon you) instead of a proper website. But it does have an Instagram. 
- First visit April 2017

New Block: Honey Bee Block (Solstice Block 14/25)

Here is another block I heavily modified for Pat Sloan's Solstice Challenge. Her Honey Bee block called for appliqué, ut I chose to make some orange peels instead. 

Her block also called for petals or peels at all four corners, but three were enough for me. I'll need to sweep some threads off this block and square it up, but I'm pretty happy with how it came out! 

Linking top with Finished or Not It's Friday, Needle and Thread Thursday, Slow Sunday Stitching and  more! 

Bullet Journal Check In: May Layout

All Bullet Journalists (Journalors? New word?) know that a new month means new layouts! 

Share your May layouts in the comments!

OMG May

Oh brother, I was this close to finishing my April goal! And yet... it didn't get done. I've been flitting from project to project lately and not finishing anything! My OMG2017 list is looking pretty abysmal. 

Here's another sad look at OMG2017 so far:
Jan - Quilt Maybe Lyz - Not finished
Feb - Quilt Tom Mat - Not finished
Mar - Finish Tom Mat - Not Finished
Apr - Finish Little Baby Quilt Top - Not Finished

For May I'm rolling over my April goal. Ever the optimist, I'm hoping to finish this baby quilt top. 

Linking up with Elm Street Quilts OMG, Building Blocks Tuesday Needle and Thread Thursday, Move it Forward Monday and more!

Something New: Introducing Mad Cat Quilts Instagram

Recently, I decided that I needed more quilt photos in my life so now Mad Cat Quilts officially has it's own Instagram! I hope any one interested in this blog follows @madcatquilts!

I've long had a personal insta, and feel free to follow me there, but I wanted a place for all the quilty goodness! Instagram is one of my favorite ways to connect with people and learn so I'm hoping to meet a lot of great new people, learn some techniques, branch out and connect, and see lots of quilts, of course!

Here are some of my recent posts:

I hope to show lots and lots of quilts, but a good mix of cats and other pretty things that inspire me to quilt, too! Playing records, walking my neighborhood, seeing art, and exploring all manifest in my quilt making. 

So far, I'm loving @madcatquilts and I'm trying to branch out from my usual instagram MO by trying to post new things (like videos!). I'm hoping to add more features and use this tool as a companion for the blogs, so next time you're on the gram, stop by and say hi!

April In Review

April was a busy month. Do I say that every month?

OK, before I get into reviewing and remembering last month, I need to get something off my chest; I was terrible at blogging in April. I had a hard time keeping to my schedule and meeting my goals. Sure, sometimes life gets ahead of blogging, but one thing I enjoy and want to prioritize is this space. It's not always easy, but I continue to learn and grow from my attempts to be a better blogger. In May I plan to renew my commitment to this blog and learning from it. I just wanted to say that, put it out there, at the beginning of a new month. 

Anyone else exclaiming their enthusiasm for their... trade, craft, blog, journal, instagram, etc...? Shout it out in the comments. 

Now on to April:

We spent a lot of time at home in April. We spent time chilling in the back yard with bonfires and cats, walking on our local beaches, planting, weeding, cleaning, crafting and catching up on sleep. Afternoon naps with cats are the best! 

We traveled some this month, too. Seeing friends and family and familiar places. Brooklyn's still cool, Cape May is still cozy, in case you were wondering!  

A good portion of April was just about going outside, enjoying the weather, spotting the #watchercats, and taking endless photos of flowers. 

A lot of sewing got done this month and some exciting things are happening for Mad Cat Quilts. Be on the look out for new work, new columns, new instas to follow! April was a time to grow!

In the spirit of growth, here are some things I learned, or relearned in April:
- TV is bad for me and my productivity (but I love it!).
- Getting up early is hard, but oh so satisfying. 
- I love seeing flowers I planted last year coming back again! 

April was plenty rainy, so here's hoping May sees tons of buds blooming!

On My Mind On Friday Morning

I really liked this color chart for food groups. 
Now that April weather is in full swing, shouldn't we all learn from the Japanese tradition of flower viewing?  
I really love this post by Tu-Na Quilts. I think having a "what I learned" section is a great idea and I plan to try this in the future!
In another interesting quilt post Sew Slowly talks about her switch to organic fabric. 
Since going to swim at the health club, my hair has been a terror. The pool is saline, but also contains chemicals. I've taken to not washing it at all when I don't have to so that it can produce some good oils. I was thinking about oiling it as well. I found this article which has given me some ideas. Any readers struggle with this? Give me your suggestions!