First, the first two rows of the Zipper quilt:



I'm almost to the point on cutting where I can just sit and sew for a while until I run out of pieces (or run out of variety).

As I said, this is a fun pattern to make - all of the seams are pretty easy (no setting in and no worrying about not-cutting-off points) and it's interesting to see how the colors come together. It looks trickier than it is to do, and I always like things that look complex but are basically simple.

I also finished the toy cat:


His name is Percy. The pattern was obtained free here (scroll to the bottom of the page).

I used a different yarn (Plymouth "Oh My!" a chenille/fur type yarn) and smaller needles - I used size 8 US. I also added a 5 stitch i-cord tail, because, well, I wanted him to have a tail. And I did the face differently as you can see.

It took just under one ball (82 yds) of the Oh My. I have perhaps 10 or 12 yards left. (So now I have two leftover balls to figure out something for)

The face came out a little "grumpier" than I originally intended but I'm not changing it because it also has a bit of what I think of as a "vintage" feel - like the way some old-time toys were done. (And I also kind of superstitiously or fantasizingly believe that when a toy's face comes out a certain way, sometimes it's that it's how it is supposed to be, it's how the toy "wants" it).

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Also - I need not have worried about the youth-led Sunday. The kids did awesomely well - everyone was appropriately respectful, no one dropped the offering plates or communion trays, and everyone came dressed nicely (either a white shirt and dress pants, or a good polo shirt and dress pants, or "cowboy style" - nice western shirt and IRONED jeans). And a couple of kids who hadn't contributed all that much - who had seemed shy - in the meetings before were all smiles after the service and they said they felt good having done what they did.

And now that we've done it once, if we do it again, it will be easier the next time because everyone will know what they need to do. And we've kind of broken in a sort of junior diaconate; I can see some of the kids getting tapped (because they are often in church when the adult deacons aren't) to take up the offering or carry the Eucharist.

So, good.

And it's funny - Saturday evening I was thinking about the next day's activity and a kind of peace came over me; I had the feeling that everything would go all right. That's happened more than once with something I was worried about - I get this feeling that it's going to be okay.

And this week is a lot easier and more open - no meetings, no craziness, no exams to give. Thank goodness, I need a breather.