Reading 1820 Blogs Daily!


August 17, 2026
Picking Up Steam from ... Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. A lot was accomplished sewing wise yesterday. Possibly the Lemurs used up my supply of sewing mojo, and I needed a break from sewing for a day or two. Yesterday saw me picking up the pace again. First, I finished January's block for Pieces of the Heart.


Actually, I’m not certain what the name of this project should be. It occurs to me that “Pieces of the Heart” is the business name of the woman who designed it. Her name is Sandy Gervais. I’ve searched high and low for this pattern online, but ...

read more
Picking Up Steam from Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. A lot was accomplished sewing wise yesterday. Possibly the Lemurs used up my supply of sewing mojo, and I needed a break from sewing for a day or two. Yesterday saw me picking up the pace again. First, I finished January's block for Pieces of the Heart.


Actually, I’m not certain what the name of this project should be. It occurs to me that “Pieces of the Heart” is the business name of the woman who designed it. Her name is Sandy Gervais. I’ve searched high and low for this pattern online, but ...

read more
August 12, 2026
Four Projects from ... Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. It was a very busy morning yesterday. Since I hadn’t checked the garden the day before, I really needed to do that. One of the zucchinis had gotten away from me. It wasn’t a true giant yet, but another day going undiscovered and it might have been truly humongous. There were two or three more normal sized ones that I added to the pile already in the fridge. Also, I found another half dozen pickling cucumbers. I’m still a pound short of the four pounds I need for a batch of pickles. 

The ...

read more
Four Projects from Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. It was a very busy morning yesterday. Since I hadn’t checked the garden the day before, I really needed to do that. One of the zucchinis had gotten away from me. It wasn’t a true giant yet, but another day going undiscovered and it might have been truly humongous. There were two or three more normal sized ones that I added to the pile already in the fridge. Also, I found another half dozen pickling cucumbers. I’m still a pound short of the four pounds I need for a batch of pickles. 

The ...

read more
August 10, 2026
Lots of Sewing from ... Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. There was plenty of time for sewing yesterday. We mopped the floor in the morning, and I checked in on the garden. While there, I harvested two more zucchini and three more pickling cucumbers. The cucumbers need to pick up the pace a little. I only have about half what I need for a batch of pickles. As for the zucchini...I will do battle with them today.

With the morning stuff done, I could get busy with the quilt binding. I've turned two corners on the Kittens quilt, and I'm very close to ...

read more
Lots of Sewing from Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. There was plenty of time for sewing yesterday. We mopped the floor in the morning, and I checked in on the garden. While there, I harvested two more zucchini and three more pickling cucumbers. The cucumbers need to pick up the pace a little. I only have about half what I need for a batch of pickles. As for the zucchini...I will do battle with them today.

With the morning stuff done, I could get busy with the quilt binding. I've turned two corners on the Kittens quilt, and I'm very close to ...

read more
August 6, 2026
Lambs and Lemurs from ... Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. Our air quality continued to suck yesterday. According to our local newspaper, Portland has the worst air quality on the planet right now.


It was worse yesterday than the day before. The day before had the air quality index rating of "unhealthy to sensitive people." Yesterday's air quality index gave us a rating of just plain "unhealthy." To everyone. We're expecting another day of bad air today. With a shift of the wind, hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

Checking the garden, I decided hoeing could wait for the air quality to improve ...

read more
Lambs and Lemurs from Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. Our air quality continued to suck yesterday. According to our local newspaper, Portland has the worst air quality on the planet right now.


It was worse yesterday than the day before. The day before had the air quality index rating of "unhealthy to sensitive people." Yesterday's air quality index gave us a rating of just plain "unhealthy." To everyone. We're expecting another day of bad air today. With a shift of the wind, hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

Checking the garden, I decided hoeing could wait for the air quality to improve ...

read more
August 2, 2026
Bitter Harvest from ... Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. Oh my...what a dire title to this post. Not to worry, but it's okay if you want to grrrrrrrrrrrrrr a little bit. Before we get to the grrrrrrrring part, though, let's take a look at the slow-stitching. Yesterday morning had me finishing the reindeer on the left side.


Now I've moved my hoop to the right, and this is all that's left. I expect to finish it this morning.


Okay...now for the part that might make you want to grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Please come with me to the garden. At first glance ...

read more
Bitter Harvest from Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. Oh my...what a dire title to this post. Not to worry, but it's okay if you want to grrrrrrrrrrrrrr a little bit. Before we get to the grrrrrrrring part, though, let's take a look at the slow-stitching. Yesterday morning had me finishing the reindeer on the left side.


Now I've moved my hoop to the right, and this is all that's left. I expect to finish it this morning.


Okay...now for the part that might make you want to grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Please come with me to the garden. At first glance ...

read more
August 1, 2026
Busy Kitchen Day from ... Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. There was a lot to do in the kitchen yesterday, and so I went straight to work on that before I did anything else. First, I wanted to try another method with the Granola Cups. We really like these a lot for breakfast, and I think I've finally hit on the magic formula. This was my fourth attempt.


The first time I made them, I baked them in a 12-cup muffin tin. The recipe would have you take them directly from a 350-degree oven and put them into the refrigerator. And, I’m sorry, but ...

read more
Busy Kitchen Day from Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. There was a lot to do in the kitchen yesterday, and so I went straight to work on that before I did anything else. First, I wanted to try another method with the Granola Cups. We really like these a lot for breakfast, and I think I've finally hit on the magic formula. This was my fourth attempt.


The first time I made them, I baked them in a 12-cup muffin tin. The recipe would have you take them directly from a 350-degree oven and put them into the refrigerator. And, I’m sorry, but ...

read more
July 31, 2026
Ending July from ... Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. Can you believe it's the last day of July already? My mind is still back in March, as if we've only just returned home from our winter trip. And now...here we are, halfway through summer. We'll be home all of August, but we have a trip planned for mid-September. As the time gets closer, I’ll say more about where we’re going. Also, we’re still sweating the possibility of a gas shortage. If that happens, the trip is off.

There wasn't much time for sewing yesterday. I had to ...

read more
Ending July from Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. Can you believe it's the last day of July already? My mind is still back in March, as if we've only just returned home from our winter trip. And now...here we are, halfway through summer. We'll be home all of August, but we have a trip planned for mid-September. As the time gets closer, I’ll say more about where we’re going. Also, we’re still sweating the possibility of a gas shortage. If that happens, the trip is off.

There wasn't much time for sewing yesterday. I had to ...

read more
July 28, 2026
Two Scary Starts from ... Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. Camping is fun. Getting back to normal is also fun. We had grocery shopping to do yesterday, but we were finished and home before noon. Earlier, I had time to stitch up Tiny Treasure #70. This one has stem stitch, stem fill, lazy daisy, and fishbone stitches.


The garden is looking good. The green beans are getting a once-over every morning as I train them to climb their poles. They’re getting the hang of it, and some are nearly to where the poles come together at the top. There are a few tendrils still too ...

read more
Two Scary Starts from Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. Camping is fun. Getting back to normal is also fun. We had grocery shopping to do yesterday, but we were finished and home before noon. Earlier, I had time to stitch up Tiny Treasure #70. This one has stem stitch, stem fill, lazy daisy, and fishbone stitches.


The garden is looking good. The green beans are getting a once-over every morning as I train them to climb their poles. They’re getting the hang of it, and some are nearly to where the poles come together at the top. There are a few tendrils still too ...

read more
July 8, 2026
Math is Hard from ... Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. It was good to get back to my sewing yesterday, even if I was determined to do most everything wrong. The only thing I was able to do right yesterday was to stitch my way across the “[L]ove" portion of my embroidery piece.


From there, I had to decide whether I wanted to move to the left or else down. I opted for down since I can continue stitching the border all the way around. It hardly matters, but it made more sense in the moment to continue around clockwise rather than back and forth ...

read more
Math is Hard from Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. It was good to get back to my sewing yesterday, even if I was determined to do most everything wrong. The only thing I was able to do right yesterday was to stitch my way across the “[L]ove" portion of my embroidery piece.


From there, I had to decide whether I wanted to move to the left or else down. I opted for down since I can continue stitching the border all the way around. It hardly matters, but it made more sense in the moment to continue around clockwise rather than back and forth ...

read more
July 7, 2026
A Feel Good Day from ... Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. It was another no-sewing day, but it was a good day just the same. Matthew and I met up to walk the Eastbank Esplanade in downtown Portland. The weather was perfect. It was also a day for testing out the capabilities of my new camera, starting with the morning's sunrise.

Matthew and I walked this same route back in April. It’s a distance of just under four miles. Back then, I took a lot more pictures of the landscape, the bridges, and some of the buildings. The pictures from yesterday's walk were mostly ...

read more
A Feel Good Day from Cat Patches

Good morning, my friends. It was another no-sewing day, but it was a good day just the same. Matthew and I met up to walk the Eastbank Esplanade in downtown Portland. The weather was perfect. It was also a day for testing out the capabilities of my new camera, starting with the morning's sunrise.

Matthew and I walked this same route back in April. It’s a distance of just under four miles. Back then, I took a lot more pictures of the landscape, the bridges, and some of the buildings. The pictures from yesterday's walk were mostly ...

read more
  • mindless musings
  • Page 2 of 106 ( 2112 posts )