Or maybe not.
After the last quilt I basted, I swore I'd never crawl around on the floor again. Especially after I recovered from a serious brain fart and realized we had a gorgeous dining room table that was plenty big for quilt basting.
I got the backing smoothed out and clipped to the edge of the table, and started laying out the batting.
This caught the attention of our cat, Lynx.
It became like a dance.
Pat the batting. Remove the cat.
Pat the batting. Remove the cat.
Here he's trying to help smooth out the batting by rolling on it.
Pat the batting. Remove the cat.
Despite all the help, I got the batting reasonably smooth and started laying out the top.
His claws actually worked rather well for nailing the layers together. Whether I wanted them nailed or not.
Pat the top. Remove the cat.
I don't know which of us was more patient through this process - him or me. He did keep trying to point out to me how hard it was for him to reach the quilt from the floor. "How can I help you when I'm way down here?"
But when I reached the needle and thread stage, I finally had to give up and put him outside. Because "String!!!" He absolutely could not stop chasing the thread as I tried to baste the layers together.
He spent the next half hour right outside the door, complaining. Apparently he was willing to forgive my Extreme Rudeness if I would just come open the door so he could get back in. And play with String!!
Finally!
(And I have to mention that when I got all done and opened the door to let the cat in, he rocketed through the door and immediately jumped up on the quilt. Just to show that he could.)
Next stop, machine quilting. Wish me luck!
Is he going to help with the quilting??
ReplyDeleteYou have way more patience than me! But then again, the table was strictly off limits for Psycho Cat, but if the quilt was on the floor...there were a couple of times she ended up in a kennel until I got what I was doing finished.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see how you are going to quilt it and what the binding is going to look like.
Tee Hee = this is so like my Bella. Especially fond of batting. I pin baste and she is faster at un-pinning than I am at pinning.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you were supposed to pat the cat and remove the quilt! Congratulations on getting the job done with all that help!
ReplyDeleteI quilt "by check"--I send the top, back, & batting to my wonderful longarm quilter.
ReplyDeleteBut to get everything the right size, I have to lay it all out on the kitchen floor (the only place big enough) So I have 2 kitties (4 years old)running across the top, and and old (13) dog trying to get under it all!! Much fun in the Finley household :-)
I often think about getting another cat -- haven't had one since I divorced the last ones in 1978 (I got the kids, he got the cats)and I still miss them. Then I read stories like yours ...
ReplyDeleteOh! Lynx is so beautiful. I could pat him while you pat your batting. lol. I miss having a cat. I grew up with one or two cats in the house. Mr. Wonderful doesn't like cats. Maybe I should do like Libby and divorce him. Keep the kids AND get a cat lol. NOT! He pays for my fabric; got to keep him lol. Anywho!!! Your quilt is definitively Lynx approved. Good luck with the next step. Go Gayle!! ;^)
ReplyDeleteMight I suggest safety pins? At least that way Lynx would stay in one spot. (He's adorable, by the way.)
ReplyDeleteHmmm. How about a baby sling so you could wear the cat? (I'm just full of good ideas.)
ReplyDeleteLynx is a BEAUTY! If I put ANYTHING on the floor - it's automatically fair game, but they especially love blankets. I suspect even a table wouldn't keep them at bay.
ReplyDeleteHowever would you have managed to get it done without all that help?
ReplyDelete