A quick hello

No pictures this post, sorry.  Of course I caught a terrible summer cold (another bout of the crud) on my flight to Fargo, so on top of being gone for five days, I came back and was walking around like a disgusting, coughing, sputtering zombie.  I am starting to feel better already, thanks to several naps, regular doses of medicine and vitamins and some hot baths.  I will post pictures soon of what's been going on here, but I have a little news to share.

The day before I left for Fargo, I took eight kittens to the shelter for kitty-sitting.  Bungalow Bill, Prudence and Sergeant Pepper were all ADOPTED!  Maiden is still at the shelter...she was a short-term Theresa's House resident.  And four little ones were left in Anthony's care in the cat cottage in a cage with everything they needed to get by for a week.

Unfortunately, that entire crew came down with coccidia, a bacterial infection of the guts which causes terrible diarrhea among other things.  Poor Shaggy and poor Minus did not survive.  They died within several days of my leaving them.  Gumbo and Short Stack were also treated.  Both are still not 100%, and I do worry a little about Gumbo, because he's still so skinny.  But they're both happy and toodling around the house.  We hold Gumbo every chance we can get, because that's how he's happiest.

As long as I was picking up a particularly amended set of kittens (dropped off eight...was picking up two), I asked Anthony if there was anyone else who needed saving.  He said, "Let's see," and took me to the "E" room (the most unfortunate room at the shelter.)  He pointed at a cage to the left and said there was a kitten in there, but she was probably feral.  The sign on the cage said something to the effect of: Cannot do exam. Feral. PTS. (PTS means Put To Sleep.)  He said she had bitten through the leather handling gloves and no one was able to do anything with her.

"Let me see," I said.  I opened the cage and peeled back the layers of newspaper she had burrowed herself into.  I saw a beautiful mostly-white calico with olive green eyes and she looked terrified.  About ten weeks old -- maybe 2 1/2 pounds or so and very healthy.

I talked to her for a while, then started putting my hand in the cage...slowly.  She wasn't happy, but she was all right.  So I touched her face a few times, then her shoulder, then her side.  I picked her up once, and she swung around wildly, claws slashing and doing her best angry hissing.  I set her back down and went back to talking to her, touching her gently, and eventually, I was able to scoop her up and hold her against me.  And she started purring.

I named her "Brave," and she is at our house learning to love people.  I've been spoon feeding her nice wet food, and she is slowly learning to trust me.  She's actually very social with our other cats so far (she wants so badly for them to love her.)  I've been able to hold her a few times, and once she fell asleep purring on my lap.

She's got a ways to go yet, but I think she's far from feral.  She's just a scared little girl who needs some TLC.  And I happen to have a little of that lying around. (wink!)

Kitten pics and a vacation

I'll do my announcement first, because I know once you start looking at kittens, your brain is going to overload with cuteness.  I am going to be closed Wednesday the 18-Sunday the 22, so I can visit relatives up north.  I will answer e-mails when I get back.

I'm always excited to go back home, but this time I am going to catch the 37th annual Fargo Street Fair.  I remember attending the Street Fair as a child, back when the booths had a lot of crocheted doilies, modge-podged wooden plaques, and homemade Barbie clothes.  It has grown into a huge area event where an estimated 150,000 people go through hundreds of juried arts and crafts booths, eating kettle corn and drinking fresh squeezed lemonade.

OK, here are the kittens.  You can click on the pictures to make them larger.  All of these guys were dropped off at the shelter this morning for kitten sitting while I'm gone.  It's possible some will be adopted during that time, and I'm ok with that.  I took pictures this morning before I loaded everyone up.  Except Lucy.  I have no idea where she curled up this morning, but Harrison will take care of her when he housesits for me.

This is Shaggy.  He's probably a little less than a pound now...or there 'round.  He is clingy -- loves to be right all up in my business and is going to be a really pretty long-haired black cat with bright green eyes.  I will be picking up Shaggy and a few other of these kittens when I get back, because they're too small to be kept long at the shelter.

I picked Maiden up along with Shaggy about a week and a half ago.  She is one of the most sweetly affectionate kittens I've ever had at home.  She is gentle and so loving.  She's not quite big enough for surgery yet, so she may come back home for a little bit before surgery.

Short Stack -- he's got only half a tail.  He was borderline feral when I picked him up a week ago, and he tore me up that first day (I could not believe how hard he bit me and how loudly he could yell.)  But now...well, now he's a lap kitten and very nice.  He just needed love.  Again, he's very small, so he'll be coming back home.

Bungalow Bill.  This was another wild child...Bill hissed and arched his back at everything when I brought him home.  He's going to be BIG, but he's a lover now, not a fighter.  He's got really pretty peachy fur.  Look at those ears!

Sergeant Pepper is Bungalow Bill's brother.  He LOVES to wrestle, and is a little more independent than the others, but definitely still a friendly guy.  I think he'll end up pretty big, too.  He found a little bit of sunshine this morning to rest in.

Prudence is sister to Bill and Sarge.  She is a gorgeous calico girlie, smart, loyal, and social.  I do not expect to find her at the shelter when I get back.  I wouldn't be surprised if she gets adopted out yet today while I'm still in town.  So pretty, so nice.

Minus has got no tail -- her brothers are Short Stack (see above) and Gumbo (below.)  These three kittens were hours away from being put to sleep when I smuggled them home to foster.  They are adorable and so badly wanted love, care and attention.  She's a little more confident than her brothers, and took to home living quite easily.  And when I say she has no tail, she has not even a little piece of a tail.

I saved this picture for last -- would you LOOK at those eyes.  Don't they kill you?  This is Gumbo.  He, like his brother, was VERY nervous about people, a home, other cats, what-have-you.  But now, he's a little purr bucket.  He's a really nice bright orange color and will make someone a perfectly lovely big orange cat some day.  But in the meantime, we'll take care of him, and love him, and help him grow.

Other kitten news: Bunny, Jelly Bean, and Peter have all been adopted at PetSmart.  Still over there are Charlie, Willie, Isabelle, Peep and Highness/Princess/Miss Priss.  I got to meet Peter's and Bunny's families (nice folks) and Jelly Bean went to a new couple...the wife is in grad school, and Jelly will be their only pet right now, so she'll get lots of attention.

Have a great couple of days.  I'll check in when I get back into town!

It's all so beautiful

When I send a new reproduction off to a model stitcher with flosses, fabric, chart and notes, I am always anxious in anticipating how the finished product is going to look.  And I get it back, and it's like Christmas to see it finished.  And then when I get it in the frame...even better!  I present to you Ragamuffin #2: A Quaker Sampler.

This sampler was a challenge to reproduce, because the alphabets were almost entirely MISSING IN ACTION.  I think that the last time this original sampler was framed, someone thought they were being clever and washed this dear sampler and a lot of the letters just fell out.  So, while the sampler is very clean, it is (to me) a ragamuffin...a little rough around the edges.  You will notice (see below) that the original is more square-shaped, and the reproduction is rectangular.  The original was stitched on an un-even weave linen (meaning the stitches are shorter than they are wide.)

I could see where some of the letters had been near the top, and could tell what type of alphabet was used.  And I did some research with my sampler books at home, magazines, and even called Pat Ryan from R&R Reproductions.  She took a look at photos of the original and gave me some great advice.  I think the alphabets I have put in are pretty close to the feeling the original would have had.  And I love the juxtaposition of the dark and angular lettering against the whimsical and free-spirited motifs at the bottom.

There are a lot of "essential" Quaker elements on this sampler -- the alphabets, a swan, a wreath, Quaker stars, a bird in a branch, urns.  The colors are gentle golds and greens, with a soft black and cream.  The "white" areas of stitching are done with TWO strands of silk, rather than one, to help that show up better.  The original sampler had areas that were almost the same color as the fabric, and I wanted this faded feel for the reproduction.

Anyway, I hope you like it -- I'm working on printing/packing charts, and will be ready in a few days.  You can order through me, or contact your local/favorite needlework shop to pre-order a chart.

We had more graduations this weekend!  I took four cats over to PetSmart on Monday afternoon.  And is my house more quiet?  No.  I picked up more kittens (I took three sweet ones out of the "E" room at the shelter Monday afternoon.  The "E" room is not the place to be at the shelter.  These three do not have names yet, but it's two orange males and one tortie female.  The tortie has NO tail at all, one of the orange fellas has half a tail, and the other a full one.  I'll post pictures soon.)  

I also have a sweet little black fella named Shaggy who only weighed 14 ounces when I found him in the Kitten Cottage.  Once I took him home, I realized that he did not know how to eat solid food, and probably hadn't eaten since he arrived at the shelter.  We're alternating between formula and wet food, and he's doing great.  He wants me to hold him ALL OF THE TIME.  ALL OF THE TIME.  I mean, literally, ALL OF THE TIME.  He's really nice.  And I have Maiden, who is a white/black short-hair.  She's also very, very sweet.  Maiden and Shaggy have been non-stop purring machines since they came home with me.  I'll post pictures of them soon, too.

But, onto the graduates:

I wasn't able to get a good final shot of Peep.  She is an anxious girl, and once I got the carriers out, she was just a blur.  The only couple of pictures I snapped are just big splashes of black.  Her siblings and mother left the house about ten days before she did.  And she cried.  But she had a cold, and actually, she got a lot more used to human interaction without her mother around.  She had never purred before, and once her family left, she started purring.

The shelter called her "Miss Priss," but we called her "Highness," "Your Majesty" or "Princess."  This lovely little cat was also taken out of the "E" room by yours truly.  She had ringworm on her back and was almost put to sleep.  I got her all cleaned up, and now she's a healthy, big girl who is ready for adoption.  A very nice and regal cat.

Willie's final pictures were a little blurry, too.  (Kittens are very difficult to photograph.)  She was in Violet's litter, and it made me a little sad remembering dear Violet when Willie and Charlie were taken to PetSmart.  Willie is smart, loyal, friendly, and a solid cat.  She has kind of a "wild" coat, but a great personality.  Willie likes to be blown with the blow dryer and then lifted up to drink from the sink.  Now when I blow dry my hair in the morning, I think of Willie.

And here's dear Charlie.  He drove me crazy when I was bottle feeding him.  He would always bite my nose REALLY hard.  Finally, I hissed at him a few times, and after that, he was very gentle, but would still put his mouth on my nose after eating.  He's a talker, and has a really earnest quality to his personality.  He'll be such a nice companion for his new adopter.

And I received another picture of Savannah with Bunny this morning by e-mail.  You can tell this little girl is still pleased-as-punch with her new kitten friend.  Bunny's new name is "Sprinkles."  This is why I foster -- for the animals and for the adoptive families on the other end.  And for me, too.  Kittens are so, so beautiful.

And the winner is ...

Ann Womack will be my next sampler reproduction!  Thank you so much to all of you who voted and helped me make my decision.  All of the samplers received a good number of votes, so don't worry -- they will all be reproduced in the future.

(If I were voting, I would have chosen Mary Bate, because her verse knocks me out, I love the border, and I love stitching lots of words.)

Graduation Day!

There comes a day with all of (ok, most of) our foster kittens, when they must leave the house.  It's kind of a graduation day, of sorts, when they venture out into the big, big world and make a life for themselves with a new family.  It's always kind of bittersweet getting to the end of our time with the little ones.  I try not to call them "babies" anymore, and get choked up when I take them to PetSmart and say what could be my final "farewell" to each kitten.

But, before they go, I always have to take a few last snapshots for my kitten wall here at the shop (which is more full all of the time.)  Here are our recent graduates:

The Professor: Found in a storm drain at The University of Southern Mississippi (where my husband works).  Special skills -- snuggling, kissing, and being very sweet.  He will be a big cat, but has a lot of love for a new family.  I really can picture this laid-back fellow in a university household.  So, so nice.  We really will miss this guy.

Bunny: Born Easter weekend.  Special skills: following the rules, being cautious, and looking cute.  Bunny was always very careful to look to her mother for permission to venture out, and was always very careful when it was time to play.  Plus, look at that nice white bib.

A nice family saw my posts on the Southern Pines Animal Shelter Facebook page and MET ME at PetSmart when I took the gang over.  Bunny was adopted and is now living with Savannah (above) who is three and loves her new kitten.  Bunny's new "mom" said she's doing great and has learned to purr (something I had never heard her do at our house).  I am thrilled to know this sweet girl has a cat friend to grow up with.  I can't tell you how happy this picture makes me.

Isabelle: Named after Joan of Arc's mother...brave little mother of four kittens.  Strengths -- raising four active kittens, patience of a saint, and a strict disciplinarian.  I am hoping Isabelle finds someone who will properly spoil her after she had kittens at just seven months of age.  She is now fixed and ready for a life of luxury.

Peter: Last of his litter to open his eyes and get around well.  Strengths -- sitting on laps and receiving affection, chasing cat toys, being a social dude.  I worried about him early, and then Pete really grew on me.  I will miss his friendly demeanor and white socks.  He's going to make someone a really nice cat friend.

Jelly Bean: The strongest and most active of her litter from day one.  Strengths -- play time, hanging out with people asking for play time, and sitting around hoping for more play time.  Jelly (as I called her) is going to be a VERY long, lanky cat, and would you look at those ears?  She's got a ton of personality and will be so much fun for the family who adopts her.

Dear Prudence isn't ready for graduation yet.  But she's getting bigger and stronger every day.  And it's having extra little faces like these at home that makes it easier to let the bigger ones graduate.  I hope you had the time of your life, little ones!  Here's to many years of sunshine-y windows, cat treats, scratchy posts, and love and affection from your new owners.

Will you help?

In the course of my day, I get a lot of e-mail from a lot of great stitchers, and in the process, hear a lot about the daily goings-on of my customers and readers.  


Last week, I received an e-mail from Joanne, who has been a customer for a long time.  She works in a lower-income area teaching kids about crafts, and although they try a lot of different types of art, she ALSO teaches the kids about needlework.  


I didn't know she was doing this -- and she helps the program with supplies and money from her own pocket.  You know, and I know, how important teaching arts and crafts to kids can be.  It can help with their feelings of self-worth and accomplishment, as well as give them a lot of enjoyment for the rest of their lives as they pursue creative exercises.


Joanne wasn't asking for a hand-out -- we were just chatting about something else.  I offered to send her some donations from here and asked her if she'd be interested in me sharing her story and seeing what other help we could give her (as the fabulous group of stitchers we are!)  Here's a little in her own words from her e-mails:

Basically I try to teach them about how stitching started with samplers. I tell them about the Loara Standish sampler and how the Pilgrims needed initials stitched on their clothing because clothes were one size fits all. They are amazed.  So we learn how to make x's that are crossed right away.  We use small scraps for that (so I never throw anything away). They do 50 stitches across.  If they do a decent job, they get an alphabet chart. Then make their own sampler and when they are ready, I put out charts from my stash and they go from there. So Aida, thread, needles, any old charts no one wants.  Whatever someone wants to get rid of will be so welcome. Budget cuts are terrible. You should see the boys stitch  They love it too....I would be grateful for anything you would want to send.... The kids will use anything; some will buy stuff, but the majority are poorer kids and their parents can just about manage.  I use a lot of my own stash.  I have 1000 kids a week. (So,) you know how much I go through. 

Thanks so very very much. Love, Jo Edwards

Joanne told me the school's budget for art is very low, so she can use a lot of different type of art supplies -- think paints, crayons, markers, construction paper, felt, glitter, glue, scissors, as well as Aida fabric, floss, patterns, needles and other stitching supplies.  This is a great way for you to help a new generation of stitchers, and I know Joanne will be very touched by whatever you can send.  I'm going to start getting stuff together here.  I know I have a box of art supplies at home that my kids used when they were younger in school, and of course I have lots of needlework items I can share.  Will you help, too?


You can make donations by sending them to: 


Joanne Edwards -- Elementary Art Teacher
c/o Lakeland Elementary School
1569 Lakeland Drive
Scott Township, PA 18433


Or you may send directly to her home address:


Joanne Edwards
528 Deerfield Drive
South Abington Township, PA 18411-1315.


                    

Life!

This last weekend was particularly long and sad.  We mourned for a few days over the loss of Violet (see my previous post.)  But we have many kittens to take care of, some are getting ready to leave us, and another group was waiting to be saved....

Right now the shelter is not housing any kittens under six weeks old.  There are too many kittens coming in, and the littlest ones don't do well in the kitten cottage (they quickly become sick.)  A litter of four was slated for euthanasia yesterday, and while a plea went out on the shelter's Facebook page, nobody offered to take them.  In swoops Theresa to save the day!  

These poor babies were absolutely covered in fleas -- probably a few dozen per kitten.  We bathed them in magical blue Dawn dishwashing detergent (which gets rid of fleas), gave them some flea spray, and then a dose of a topical flea ointment to keep them off.  These four are some of the NICEST and SWEETEST kittens we have ever taken in.  They are playful, energetic, loving, social, friendly and so, so happy.  We have named them after Beatles songs characters...here are:

Sergeant Pepper.  (He was hard to catch on film, because he was tearing around this morning.)

Bungalow Bill.  (He hisses at ALL of the other cats, and he has perpetual poof tail...but he LOVES people.  Maybe he thinks he *is* one?)

Lucy.  (She has taken a particular shine to Steve last night, who said he "didn't sleep for one minute" last night.)

Prudence. (We tell Lucy and Prudence apart, because the orange marking on Prudence's face looks like a "P" and Lucy's looks like a lower case "l.")

For Father's Day, we went to one of Steve's favorite dude restaurants ... Buffalo Wild Wings.  We joked while there that even the SALADS all have meat.  It's ridiculous.  Then we went home and painted with the painting supplies I received for my birthday.  This is a picture of my painting, inspired by a photograph in a Barefoot Contessa cookbook.  It turned out really cool.

And why not ... one more little happy story.  This is Minty.  She came and wenty.  (See what I did there?)

  

Wednesday, Minty was on the PTS list (Put To Sleep).  She had fleas, ear mites, worms (probably), and a goobery eye.  I scooped up this baby, and Amanda (one of the shelter vet techs) and I cleaned her all up -- gave her dewormer, flea medication, ear mite medication, and then I medicated her eye when I got home.  She was really nervous at our house, but after a few days, she started sleeping out in the open and playing with the other cats.

A nice lady (named Sarah) I had met at the shelter had made plans to come by and see me (and my kittens) to pick one out.  She is going to do her doctoral work at Purdue this fall and wants a cat for a companion.  Well, she came over Saturday afternoon and went home with Minty, who is now named Hattie.  Hattie is now being royally spoiled and is doing well with a lot of one-on-one attention.  Sarah's roommate came along on Saturday and fell in love with little Charlie (Violet's brother.)  The roommate and her fiance are coming over today to look at him and possibly take him home.  LOTS of happy stories, huh?

Oh, and a little more good news.  Kathy the amazing finished stitching the Quaker Ragamuffin Sampler last week, and I should have it in my mailbox today.  She said it turned out beautifully, and I can't wait to see it.  Remember, this one is stitched on 32 ct. Vintage Light Exemplar by Lakeside Linens (you will need a fat half.)  And while I have previously posted the thread list, I didn't have totals.  Here is what you will need in terms of threads:

Gloriana Florimell Antique Black (3)

Gloriana Silks Vanilla (2) (please note, this is the only thread you're going to stitch with TWO strands)

Au Ver a Soie 1814,  3723 (2), 1845 (2), 3812, 2212

Needlepoint Silks 224, 901

I will post a picture as soon as I can get a good one.  Hope y'all are having a great week so far.  It's back to work for me, and I am feeling much better this week after losing two dear kittens last week.  Life goes on, and while I will not forget those we have lost, I will keep fighting the good fight.