and cats

I’m still stuck on animal cushions. Here’s Cat Cushion #1, finished late on Friday night in time for Saturday’s market. It sold within the first hour.

I can be clever on occasion, so I knew what to do — make more! Here’s another one:

Another four cats are waiting in the wings, they’ll be finished and stuffed by this evening in time for the Made in the Cape market at Cavendish tomorrow. I’ve made 28 new cushions altogether in the last few days so, as it happens, it’ll also be me who’ll be finished and stuffed by this evening. 

PS. The woman who bought the cat on Saturday phoned me yesterday to ask if I could make her another one (in a different colourway) so that she’s not without a cat cushion when the first one is in the wash. Purrrrrrr…..  

Advertisement

loving Edward, home and work …

I thought it was only dogs who liked to dig holes in gardens and uproot plants. Apparently, Edward is dog-like in that way. I have a beautiful peperomia in a pot on the dining room table. It has just been mauled to near death and there is soil everywhere. I shouted at the little villain and took him outside to the Naughty Corner, where he proceeded to continue with important excavation work….

Maybe he’s digging for gold or diamonds? It’s hard to be cross for long with a pet (or a person) you love, isn’t it?

In other news, some felicitous arrangements have been made and I am delighted to say that I will be keeping my home. Not only have I grown fond of it, funny old house that it is, it is also my work space. I am so very lucky to have this much room for work and equipment, a sweet garden, lovely neighbours, proximity to everywhere important, and all the other good things that have come my way.

I will be trading at the Made in the Cape artisan market in Cavendish Square from this Thursday for four days (yay!), and have lots of half-completed cushions and bedspreads to attend to today. No more procrastination!! The sewing machine will be put through its paces shortly and work may have to continue well into the evening…

And in other other news, I had a lovely order last week for my screenprinted pillow cases from a gorgeous shop in Kalk Bay called Casa Boho. It’s one of those shops where it’s advisable to shred your credit card before entering, unless of course you are simply very rich and can have everything you want. Not only was I thrilled to get the order at all, what was also heartening was that my invoice was settled in full within 24 hours. I know from experience that small producers like me often have to battle to get paid, it’s a risky business sometimes. This efficiency was such a morale booster! Big thanks to the wonderful manager there, Mymoena, and her son Tauriq. xxx

 

a lot of cat around here

Jessie and Choco are now 15 and 14 respectively. Jessie is the one with the frangipani blossom in her hair, and Choco is her daughter:

This pic was taken about 18 months ago, before they underwent the double trauma of moving home and finding a dog already in it. The dog has since been re-homed but the cats have made it clear that their memories are long and I will never ever be forgiven.

Enter Edward. He is a gift from me to my mother, and is now about 10 weeks old although he still seems almost impossibly tiny and bony. Next to the sturdy, overweight matrons pictured above, I suppose any kitten would seem that way. It’s hard to get an unblurred picture of him when he’s awake because he moves so fast, so here he is all konked out after the excitement of whatever it was he was previously doing.

       

And below, sitting on the steps outside my workroom, is the neighbour’s black and white cat. He/she has begun visiting quite a lot since Tess-dog moved out and, while my fat girls got on perfectly well with the neighbours’ cats when we were living at Linden Park, they cannot stand this intruder. There was a nasty fight on the patio earlier this morning, with fur flying in all directions to the accompaniment of angry cat-screams. Most unpleasant.

And last but not least, here is a gorgeous, happy and cute one-dimensional cowgirl cat on the birthday card I received from Colorado last week. Much more manageable than the real live ones!

I hope I’m not going to become one of those weird cat ladies in my old age. But after the events of 2017, both personal and political, we can’t rule anything out…