I did get a 4" ruler. It was cheap and it will make the process easier. I kind of experimentally tried with the 8" square ruler I have and got the sense that it would be kind of a pain to do, plus a higher chance of error. And when you're working with fat quarters where almost every square centimeter of fabric will be used, cutting errors are not a good thing.

Plus, I got some kitteh-love by going down to the local quilt shop. They have two cats and by the end of my trip there, both cats were up on the cutting table, vying for my petting attention. (It's kind of nice to be "wanted" in that way once in a while, rather than "wanted" in the way of "Hey, could you take down the minutes of our meeting" or "Hey, I put off doing this homework until twenty minutes before it's due and now I realized I don't know how to do it. Even though you look like you're frantically prepping for class, I want you to drop everything now and help me.")

I know some people might object to cats being present in a quilt shop (and I have a mild cat allergy myself), but I kind of like it.

Someday I will get a cat, I think. Just not yet. And it will be an already-grown cat, adopted from an animal shelter; I don't have the time or the energy to train a kitten.

I also, um, bought the most recent M'Liss Rae Hawley fat quarter book. One I didn't even know existed! But one that has at least three patterns in it I really want to make.

I also thought more about Project Linus...I have some fat quarters and other fabrics buried in my stash that I liked when I bought them, but that I either decided were too juvenile later on, or that I never made the project out of in time (cowboy prints for a baby quilt that never got made...the friend and her to-be-born son got books and booties instead). So I might do a couple more three-six-nine quilts, or some other cut-it-quick and get-straight-to-the-fun-part (sewing) quilts, and then either tie them (so they'll be done fast) or have them quilted specifically for Project Linus.

I think perhaps my New Year's Resolution (and yes, I know, it's way early for that, but still) is going to be to work down the fabric stash, including making quilts to give away as it seems appropriate. I will still buy fabric in the service of facilitating using up what I have, but I'm not going to buy "new projects'" worth of fabric until I've cleared out a couple of stacks or maybe even one of those Rubbermaid tubs' worth.

(I REALLY like the idea of Project Linus. I was never a blanket-carrier as a kid - I had my stuffed animals as my comfort objects - but I can see how having a special quilt could help a little bit when you're in the hospital or some other unhappy situation)