The culprit and the cause

On By CarynIn Craft, Cats
Photo description: Izzy the calico on a Barcalounger chair back she has claimed as her own complete with claw marks

Izzy the cat was quite miffed when I got a new chair and got rid of the hollow she has been carefully cultivating for years. She started the process over with the new chair and decided to add in claw sharpening, much to my dismay. To hide the damage I made a chair back cover with materials from around the house. It worked OK, but kept sliding, so I bought some nice heavy custom-print fabric from Spoonflower to make a new cover.

Photo description: old free chair back cover, with the new fabric across the seat

The first decision I had to make was how to construct the back cover. I decided to do a long strip up the sides and top, and a panel for the front and back. I tore the fabric to get straight lines (yes, light denim will tear like cotton plain weave, just make sure to tear at least an inch away from the seam line because the threads distort at the tear.) I then used the treadle sewing machine to sew up a new cover. I did a fit once the side seams were done, adjusted the length, then sewed a hem.

Photo description: Singer model 66 red-eye treadle machine used to sew the chair back cover
Photo description: newly installed custom chair back cover on a Barcalounger swivel chair

I do like the Art Nouveau look with squirrels on the fabric. Izzy has already started to reclaim the new cover. It’s a good thing I like cats more than furniture.

Throwback Thursday: lure

On By CarynIn Craft

In March of 2017 I hand carved and painted a fishing lure for my Dad.

Photo description: carving a basswood lure blank with a pocket knife and cut resistant glove
Photo description: sanding down the blank, started with 100 grit, 220 grit shown
Photo description: air brush setup with lure mounted on a wire for control
Photo description: base coats of paints applied
Photo description: fishnet stocking pulled tight over the lure blank to mask for painting scales
Photo description: finished airbrush painting

I did coat the lure in a water proof gloss finish, but didn’t take a picture at the time. Below is a picture of the lure in 2026.

Photo description: gloss coated hand carved and painted wood fishing lure, approximately 4” long, 9 years old

Standoff

On By CarynIn Cats, Uncategorized, Wildlife

It has been while since I checked trail cams. Mostly the SD cards were full of cats, raccoons, and opossums, but there was a series of photos where an opossum was investigating the cat food when a cat came along.

Photo description: night vision view of a back step off the coop with a young opossum, back to the camera, and a black short haired cat, facing the camera

The result was a no-contest. The cat went straight to the bowl of the food on the cat box, away from the opossum, and when the cat settled in to eat and not attack, the opossum left. I’m pretty sure the cat is the one we call Greebo, who has scars from fighting and his fur is thinned with some kind of mange. He actually looks healthier since he joined the neighborhood colony. The last couple years he and Fang show up in the Fall and then head out again in Spring or Summer.

I was wrong

On By CarynIn Life Hack

I thought I would be fine with a living room chair that swiveled, but didn’t rock. I was wrong. To make the chair rock, I cut a 1.25 inch dowel in half and put it under the base to make it unstable. Just behind the center line gives me an easily obtained balance point when I sit in the chair, allowing a small rocking motion.

Photo description: half dowel placed under the base of a swivel chair

Even this small amount of movement helps to keep my muscles from setting up when I sit too long.

Crossvine blooms

On By CarynIn Garden
Photo description: crossvine with a few open blooms and many flower buds

The crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) on our front fence is happy to greet the Spring. This Texas native does well in sun or shade, is evergreen during mild winters, and blooms repeatedly throughout Spring, Summer, and Fall.

This sounds like a plug for the crossvine, but it is not a paid promotion. This is honestly one of my favorite plants in our yard. It is a superstar.