New Guests in the Nest

 In my Scrap Happy Day post I made reference to a new-to-me block I've started using for scrap sewing. Actually, it's been around since the late 1980's or early 1990's. I've had the book the pattern is found in about that same amount of time.

The idea behind the book is to encourage quilt groups as well as individuals to make simple blocks that can then be made into donation quilts. I believe I've made the house block you see on the cover, and possibly other patterns found inside. I've only ever made single cats to fulfill friendship quilt requests. Until now.

It all started with one cat, as a trial run. Pretty soon I had three. Then six.

Now I have something like 25 cats! I found myself cutting every scrap that was large enough into the strips for cats and backgrounds. Which is a good thing, because I needed a way to use up some larger remnants and older prints.

The blocks finish at an odd size, 5" wide by 9" high. That will make them both a challenge and interesting to incorporate in any Parts Dept. quilt tops I may undertake to build. The quilts featured in Janet Kime's book used only the cat block, no sashing (and no borders!), so quite a number of them were required to make a 70" x 90" quilt. When you've got a  big guild all making one or two blocks you can achieve those numbers in a relative hurry. I expect I will be incorporating a row of cats or a couple here and there in the tops I make. I'm always happy to have some scrap patches cut and laid out ahead of time for mindless sewing and these are easy to set up. Best of all, there's no litter box to keep clean!