Foster Kitten Friday - The Week of Potential Failure

There is always one week in my foster kittens' lives that it happens. The week I almost become a failure. A foster failure. (Foster fail is the lighthearted term for when the foster "fails" by deciding to adopt the animals themselves instead of getting them ready for someone else to adopt.)

It happened with Cami and Sami, my first bottle babies.

It happened with the ringworm Duck Tales. 

Huey, Dewey, and Louie.

With the board gamers. 

Domino, Checkers, and Yahtzee

With the Yellowstone Crew. 

Beth, Dutton, Kaycee, Monica, and Rip

It happened with the Simon and Garfunkel kittens. 

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme

Happened with the Breakfast Club. 

Buttermilk, Flapjack, Shortstack, Crepe, Cupcake and Mama Sienna.

And of course with the Wild West Gang. 

Annie Oakley, Calamity Jane, Wild Bill, and Wyatt Earp 

Especially Wyatt Earp. Boy, I was oh-so-close to keeping Wyatt Earp, my foster kitten born missing his back feet.

So it's no surprise that we've hit the almost-a-foster-failure week with Denali and McKinley. 

Free spirit McKinley

and the hold-me-like-a-baby Denali

make it hard to not keep them forever and ever (and ever). 

But I have to stop myself and think about the big picture. The more kittens I let go in and out of my home, the more families I’m able to touch, and the more kittens I can help give a good life. Yes, it'll be hard to let them go (as usual!) but it's the right thing to do. 

Thankfully I still have more time to love on these two and be entertained by their antics. 

Who knew packaging paper could be so fun?

And envious of their ability to sleep just about anywhere.

Not too worried about getting caught with the
stolen piece of carpet, are they?

No foster fail in this house this week. But next week, who knows?

Make Your Own Pinwheel Bunting - Cute DIY Fabric Garland Sewing Tutorial

In today's tutorial we are learning how to make our own handmade pinwheel bunting. This quick and easy hanging garland is a great last-minute decorating idea for your spring or summertime parties. Use red, white, and blue fabrics and make your own homemade July 4th decorations or hang them on your walls, hearths, or fireplaces year-round. Fun for classrooms, too!

For this project you will need:

• Cotton fabric
• Cotton batting for the filling
• Buttons for the centers
• Iron and ironing board
• Scissors and pinking shears
• Fabric clips or pins
• Rotary cutter
• Cutting ruler
• Cutting mat
• Sewing machine
• Matching thread
• Printable template from the pattern

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

Now available in my Etsy shop as a digital download with the written directions, step-by-step photos, printable template, and link to the tutorial video. Click to get it now!

Looking for other fun fabric buntings to make yourself? Check out some of the other projects we've made!

Otherwise join us as we make our homemade fabric pinwheel garland in the step by step sewing tutorial:

Foster Kitten Friday - The Circus Has Come to Town

Now that the babes are weaned and eating food on their own (yay!), are litter box trained (yay!), and have discovered the big room (living room/dining room/kitchen) the circus has arrived. 

They've turned my room into a circus tent strewn with their blankets, boxes, and toys. And the pair of little kitties named McKinley and Denali now think they are large and in charge of every single ring of the 3 4 5 6 7 ring Alaskan Circus.

Denali, Circus Performer.

McKinley, Ringmaster/Instigator.

Finally nap time for us all!

Stuffed Star Ornaments - A Quick and Easy DIY Holiday Sewing Tutorial

For today's project we are learning how to make handmade star ornaments. Great for an Americana themed Christmas tree, the July 4th holiday or a patriotic event, or all year long as part of your farmhouse decor. These hanging fabric stars are a super quick and easy sewing project for beginners, too!

For this project you will need:

• fabric
• polyester fiberfill
• scissors and pinking shears
• sewing machine
• matching thread
• ribbon
• Iron
• Rotary cutter, cutting ruler, and cutting mat
• template from the pattern

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

Now available in my Etsy shop as a digital downloadable pattern with the written directions, step-by-step photos, and printable template. Click to get your copy today!

Looking for something else? 

Check out some of my other holiday sewing and crafting projects!

Otherwise join us for the video tutorial and watch as we put together the fabric star ornament:

Foster Kitten Friday - Bananaaa

As a high school teacher for almost 30 years, my husband has had to tell many a joke to get teenagers interested and engaged in learning. Now that he's retired I'm the one who gets to listen to all his jokes, new and old, funny or not. Sometimes I don't even realize he's attempting to be comedic because what he comes up with requires a bit of thinking to figure out. Take this week for example.

This was the week McKinley and Denali started on gruel. Gruel is a mixture of kitten formula, jarred baby food, and canned cat food and is the beginning of the weaning process. All those every-2-hour 'round the clock feedings are long gone (whew!) and the babes are moving onto some good stuff. 

It starts with bottle feeding the gruel.

McKinley was quite shocked by what came out of the bottle.

Then comes trying to eat it from my finger and then off a spoon.

McKinley's on her way! Denali only watches.

Next up, move the spoon to the saucer.

You go, girl!

Then the food gets a little thicker. And the girl gets a little messier as she steps all up in it...

Yep, all in!

while Denali only continues to look on.

Whatcha doin' sis?

I haven't quite gotten him past the bottled gruel stage yet but he'll get there.

Like my gruel mustache?

 At least he's cleaning up after himself!

All this gruel talk leads back to the teacher/comedian husband of mine. When I'd say the word gruel this week - and it was a lot - he would say:

"Bananaa!"

"I'll be Kevin!"

"Bee-do! Bee-do! Bee-do!"

"I'm Bob!"

"Stuart!"

Or sing "Ba ba ba ba ba nana, ba ba ba ba ba nana, banannaaaa" 

What the heck do any of these things have to do with gruel? Let's follow hubby's thought process...

Kevin, Bob, and Stuart are all Minions.

Minions say Ba-na-naa and sing a Bananaa song.

One of the other Minions is a firefighter with a megaphone saying saying Bee-do, bee-do, Bee-do.

Minions are in the Minions movie and in Despicable Me. 

Which star a character named Gru.

Gru = Gruel.

Mic drop.