This is my giant bag of scraps from all of the sewing I’ve done since moving here (so about a year’s worth of scraps). Olga knows that anything in this bag is fair game for her to play with, sew, or snip, so she spends a great deal of time rummaging through it, and then begging me to make something for her. This week she wanted a kitty. She’s been talking about kitties for AGES, and we’ve even talked about getting a REAL kitty soon, but for now, a fuzzy scrappy kitty will do.

The pattern is from one of my favorite sewing sites, put together by a very talented Japanese lady (and translated rather strangely in parts, so some general sewing knowledge is required to decipher some of the instructions). This kitty is actually made from an odd-ball bath towel we’ve had for a while, and which I had already put in the give-away pile. We stuffed the body and head with scraps from the scrap bag.

Olga picked out a couple of buttons (thank goodness I haven’t packed my button jars yet!) and I added some whiskers using vintage six-cord (a very heavy weight thread). And there it is, a sparkling new friend that didn’t cost a dime to make.

Deadline is over at last, and I’m particularly pleased with how well this issue came together. And I’m even more pleased that my cloth diaper article that I’ve been whining about telling you about for ages is finally going to print! Hooray! (And incidentally, it turns out that Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream is even better than the best chocolate for getting through my writing fits… especially when it’s my very own pint hand delivered by my charming husband.)

So for all of you who have been sitting on the edge of your seats wondering, “When will she finally finish that dag nabbed article,” you can rest assured that it will hit your mail box in mid-August.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to do the happy dance with the kids… and wash diapers.

16 July 2002

What a lucky girl I am.

Every now and then I get a question in the comments, but I don’t think too many readers get to see the answer if I just respond in the comments, so I’m going to try posting a little Q & A section every now and then.

The first Q is from Mary:

I have a question for you–can you tell me where you got your adjustable metal sock blockers?

My sock blockers are all from the thrift store. I know that’s no help to anyone, sorry. All of mine are made by Lee-Rowan Co, and every now and then I see a pair on eBay. The good news: it is ridiculously easy to make your own custom sized sock blockers. Or, if you like to work with wood (I do) you could also make yourself a gorgeous wooden set of blockers. Trace a pair of socks onto a piece of 1/4-inch birch plywood, cut out the shapes, sand it REALLY well, and finish the wood however you like.