Dolly interrupted and continuing ...

What was I thinking when I said I wanted to finish the next day?!? Ack!

The minute I have a plan, God sends me down a side path, LOL. I received a message that there were 2 feral cats in the local shelter that needed picked up. We live in a rural area and have outbuildings that attract mice and rats. I NEED cats to help me keep the population in control. In exchange, I have a kitty condo in the far barn. It's 10 by 20 ft or so, with houses stuffed with hay for warmth in the winter. We put out dry food and water daily and even have a litter box so they can potty indoors when the weather is bad. They are protected from dogs and wild animals with a high door but they can come and go as they please. It's a decent gig for a wild or semi wild cat.

And yes, I do have them spayed or neutered before they go out to the barns.

Since it is Memorial Day weekend, the spay clinic is closed until Tuesday which means I had to break out cages for the fur balls. They are not friends yet, so they each have an extra large cage with food and litter box until Tuesday. Its work to clean each day but worth it to save them from being euthanized. Once they recover sufficiently from surgery, they can join our other cats in the barn. These kitties are both black - one shorthair, one longhair. We already have a gorgeous part Siamese that is completely wild - do not touch! The other is a black and white shorthair that likes petting and loves hunting. She is quite skilled and usually has a body or several each day for us. These black cats will add a sneaky factor to the nightly hunting forays.

I did get the backing pieced for the dolly quilt from a yard of burgundy paisley and some solid black. The binding will be solid black, as it will edge the yellow ruler fabric. I just love the black against the yellow. The quilt is measuring about 48 1/2 inches square. Big enough for a toddler to snuggle under on cool nights watching tv.

I laid out the backing, batting and top and proceeded to frustrate myself endlessly. I don't have a utility table set up, so I was using my nice dining room table. Argh. To avoid scratching the finish, I put my cardboard pattern laying board underneath. I couldn't really attach the backing to it or the table. So I pinned. Found the wrinkles, Unpinned and repinned. I will have a sewing room eventually and life will be easier. Until then I make do with what I have :)

Once I was mostly satisfied, I stitched in the ditch around all the blocks to secure my quilt sandwich. I do not plan on any other quilting on the ruler fabric so I went ahead and bound the quilt. I could let it go as it is but I want to do some free motion quilting around the dollies. Its good practice and will look nice.

I machine quilted my binding with a decorative 'asterick' stitch. I love decorative stitches and this looks so cute to me. Have you been fortunate to see the She Who Sews fabrics up close? I love the detail! The ruler markings are sharp and consistent. The pincushion fabric is vivid red with shading, pins and even stray threads in the design. I love them!

A peek at the backing

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!! I want to thank all military persons and their families for their sacrifices for my freedom. I appreciate all you do!