more hammocks and a curtain or three

Still no quilty stuff this week, but more hammocks!

Last week I made 26 hammocks.  This week I've only made 24, but I made three curtains this morning, so I guess my total is 27 this week?

Let's start with the latest fabrics, shall we?

This one was a soft flannel.  So cozy now that the snow has started flying.

And this one?  It's reminds me of a batik, but it isn't.

This one was very stiff even after washing.  I didn't think it has any polyester in it, but as I worked with it and pressed it with a hot iron, it started to emit the telltale scent.  That's okay.  Kitties don't mind.

This was a piece intended to be cut out for applique.  It wasn't much and I backed it with some leftover flag print from previous efforts and it will be just fine.  I'm sure the kitties won't mind the printed directions still in there - or maybe they'll just read them and learn about our sewing tendencies?

This one.  Oh.  It has a nice feel, but I realized only after cutting strips for the loops that it stretches across the stripes.  I think maybe it was meant for button down shirts?  So it stretches around you.  I had some issues with sewing - I'll show photos in a minute.

More dogs.  Funny I got no cat fabrics.

And this last one has yet to be pressed or worked with.  This will be what I tackle when I return to the sewing room.  It is probably 60" wide and printed with these stripes and stars twice near the selvedge edges.  It is, like the denim/stars and stripes from before, a coarser weave and I wonder if it wasn't intended for tablecloths or some sort of decor.  Due to the whiteness, I plan to make kennel curtains with it - cutting it on the fold and having a nice decoration for the kitties to enjoy!

Okay, back to oddball stuff about fabrics.

The Hawaiian print had some red stitches near one selvedge.  I think it marked a flaw further into the piece, but it was an odd thread.  Almost felt like it had been waxed?

I've seen flaws marked with chalk, but I suppose this sticks around longer.  A little nip with the seam ripper and it was history.

And the stripes...sewing with the stripes, I had a nice flat seam:

But sewing against them was another story altogether!

I noticed the pull when sewing strips for the ties and went looking for a ball point needle.  While I know those are meant for knits, I thought whatever was in this that made it stretch might also work nicely with that needle?

I was pretty sure I had bought some many years ago, but who knows where they'd gone.  So I started digging.  I've tidied my sewing room a few times, but needles were pretty much in one of two places.  And holy cow did I find needles!

I might have a problem?

When things like needles and thread were becoming in short supply over a year ago, I just picked up a pack every so often when I was out and about.  I did the same with grey and white thread.  The thread has been used a lot faster than the needles.

BUT!

See the yellow pack in there?  Sticking out like a sore thumb?  Those are my ball point needles!  Hooray!

Turns out they didn't make much of a difference, but I guess no difference is better than worse, right?

Anyways, I found that pressing the seam after sewing did tame the stretch.  And the direction of the stretch means the hammocks will give around the kitties, not stretch to be longer.  The ties, however, well...

Toby thought all this sewing was exasperating.

Thank goodness mom had moved the cozy poof bed up to the sewing room so he could stay cozy and warm while hiding from my ridiculous endeavors.

Today I decided to try my hand at kennel curtains.  I had held back half of a piece from last week, knowing another (the last one posted today) was coming.  My mom donated a bunch of buttons and elastic from her stash and I studied the diagrams the rescue group provided as well as checking with The Google for more information.  Armed with a half-witted idea of what I was doing, I was off and running.

I've made basic curtains before, but they were for me, so I could tweak them as I saw fit.  Having an unknown recipient is a lot harder.  Onward!

The first one went fairly well, so I dug into a second and third.

Fairly convenient is that the kennel we purchased in January for Gabby's return from major surgery is still in the upstairs hallway, folded up and waiting for my strong hubby to lug it into the attic.  It gave me a perfect place to display my work!

Finn, however, was less pleased at my efforts today.

Every time I put something down, he sat on it.  He looks angry or sad here, but really he was just annoyed that I was asking him to look at the camera.  (Add it to the list of making him move 40,000 times - he exaggerates as much as I do!)

Anyways, the kennel curtains went nicely.  I am not as excited about making them, but they are nice for the kitties as well.  They can be used when there are multiples in an area, to give privacy or help kitties feel less stressed.  But they are also good at helping to keep kitties who are sick from spreading diseases.  Kinda like we've been wearing masks, these help prevent the spread of kitty sneezes and coughs.

Also, not pictured, is a dark blue, narrow corduroy, used to make hammocks.  I had my doubts, but my machine sailed right through it.  It didn't even shed that much!

Friday my volunteer contact picked up 45 hammocks from me at work (we find that is a good meeting point), but I was busy with customers and couldn't chat.  I'm sure by Saturday a few more kitties had discovered the joy of a hammock in their crate!

I feel like I haven't sewn as much this week as last week, having worked more shifts at work than usual (a couple folks are out with the nasty virus - the ones that haven't yet been vaccinated!), and a holiday in there where we spent time with family, but my tally says I'm doing just fine.  Not that it's a race!

I am feeling the itch to start figuring out the horse quilt for my niece, though.  So maybe next week you'll see bits of that?  (But this box of fabrics is kinda in the way, so I would like to get that taken care of too...ugh!  Too many choices!)

Happy quilting!

Katie