It sounds as if everyone has an exciting weekend planned! I'm going to brave Joanns tomorrow to return the Simplicity rotary cutter, then I'm going to buy some muslin and batting and border material and spend the rest of the day piecing... looking forward to it... I didn't get a chance yesterday and worked today, so hopefully I'll make some progress tomorrow! I can't believe how much I've missed working on the quilt these last couple days! I've been toying with the idea of getting an embroidery machine, so I've been reading lots of reviews and watching videos... somebody stop me please!

The day is winding down, and I'm feeling good about the quilting I've gotten done. My main project this weekend was to get my crazy quilt done, and I only have to sew on the binding tomorrow, and it'll be finished. A while back I got this crazy idea to make a crazy quilt out of sections of fabric I had already quilted but never used. I dug them out, cut a few into squares, triangles, and odd shapes, and pinned them to the quilted backing I was using. Instead of making crazy-quilted blocks, I did the whole quilt at one time. Joann's carries quilted batting which has fabric on both sides, and it was perfect for this project. When I sewed each piece onto the quilt, I was also doing my quilting, doing two steps at once. I rather like how it turned out, and if I can find a way to put it all in one picture I'll post one tomorrow once it's finished. I made it into a longer queen-sized quilt. The only bad part about it all was trying to fit all that quilt into my little singer sewing machine when I needed to get into the middle of the quilt to sew a seam. But, even though I had the "help" of my two cats, I prevailed and it's done. I think I'll wait awhile before I try this idea again...lol!

Magothyrivergirl - I know I've seen ideas on how to keep cats from using areas as their litter box, so I don't know if any of these would help: -There are a number of household foods that felines absolutely detest. Some of these products include orange peels, coffee grounds, and cayenne pepper. Create a mixture in a large cup using any three or all three of these ingredients adding water to make a solution. Take this crazy concoction and sprinkle along the perimeter of the sandbox play area and the cat will turn nose and tall away once he or she gets a whiff of this new barrier. You will have to re-apply this solution every few days due to wearing away by rain and the sun. -One of the best devices available for keeping cats out of the sandbox or even yard is a water sprinkler triggered by a motion sensor. These devices can be found online and are one of the most humane ways of keeping cats out of the yard. A few soakings of cold water will be enough to deter the neighborhood cat from urinating or burying fecal matter in the sandbox, garden or even yard. -Line the outer edges of your sandbox with tinfoil. Tinfoil is shiny, makes a funny noise and slippery. Cats do not like to walk or stand on tinfoil and will avoid it if they get the chance. -Place a row of garden basil around your sandbox on all four edges. The row should be short enough so that your children can step over it. Cats do not like the smell of basil and will avoid areas where it is planted. I don't know if any of those are useful for you but they were things I would not have thought of! Karlene

I have had the shingles for the past 5 weeks, and am hoping it will be fully healed in another 2 weeks. Also last week, Easter break week, everyone in my house got a nasty stomach virus with fever.... so glad that is over..... hoping our taste buds return to normal soon. I am not quilting this weekend ... I have a roof leak in my sewing room near my desk so not using the sewing machine until the roof is fixed.... the roofer is suppose to come when we have dry weather and fix it, hoping that is soon as I had planned on May being the month I resume working on my Crazy Quilt making blocks. This week though am crocheting some doilies and this weekend my son has a huge Middle Ages school assignment that is due Wednesday which is bound to occupy a large bit of my time this weekend. Hope everyone has a good weekend. Best to you all, Sandra