Scrappy Do!

I always have an emotional dilemma when it comes to parting with anything left over from a project. Sure I save the scraps that are even remotely close to being "usable" for another project but the tiny pieces of fabric, batting and snips of thread - well, by the time my project is done, I am emotionally attached to the "ingredients" so it's hard to part with anything. I literally stop as my hand hovers over a garbage basket and my hand freezes shut, refusing to open and drop the itty bitty pieces. I believe this is the first stage of my separation anxiety. Send it to a landfill? NO WAY! So, I have a bottomless pit of "unusable" cotton ingredients for a recipe that I haven't come up with.
The other day I was lucky enough to meet Deb and Cheryl - two really nice (and so fun!) ladies from Columbia River Piecemakers Quilt Guild and they have solved my emotional dilemma! They stuff pillow cases with all their scraps, sew them closed and donate them to animal shelters to use for beds! Brilliant! I can now part with my leftovers, keep them out of the landfill and ease my separation anxiety with the feeling that maybe I made a puppy dog's day a little bit warmer and more comfortable!
I probably won't be able to part with actual pillow cases but I do have fabrics that I can use to sew up some quick alternatives. Daughter Maddy is pretty excited about this idea because she wants to have a doggy rescue facility when she grows up. This will be a great ongoing project that we can do together! Thank you so much Deb and Cheryl!

Bandit the Raccoon!

We have raccoons that like to climb up on our deck and eat our cat food at night! We named three of them "Bandit", "Bandito" and "Bandita" because they steal our kitty food! Little bandits! Well, the other night it was just beautiful out! Warm and clear and the river looked beautiful with the moon shining down. So, I was winding down and enjoying the peace and quiet late at night. Well, all of a sudden, I hear this growl coming from below the deck. Apparently, I stayed outside too late and Bandit was letting me know that I was keeping him from his dinner!

I thought this was so cute! I found him on etsy. Handmade by "BedBuggs" and his name is "Bandit"! Isn't he so cute?
Here is a link to him:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/51584296/bandit-the-raccoon-plush-pillow-wool