Slow but steady

I've decided to focus my "HOME" craft time to finishing up the rug for the entry way. This has become a high priority because the rug I have been using has finally disintegrated in the wash.

We've struggled with finding a rug for this area because the bottom of the stairs impinges on the area that a normal sized rug would cover. So for the past 8 years, I've been using a rug that is far too small for the space while hunting for the "perfect" replacement.

Alas, I have not been able to find anything that we like that will actually fit in the space.

To compound the problem, cash is a bit low at the moment. So, I came up with the brilliant solution of making a custom sized rug, using fabric from my stash, costing me next to nothing to create. Anyway, as you can see, I am making slow but steady progress on the rug.

The first picture is the size of the rug as of early Monday morning. Fortunately, this is a no-brainer type project. Since it is my first toothbrush rug, there are a few flaws. Initially, I didn't have the whole increasing thing down very well, so the middle is a bit denser than the subsequent rows. That makes the center pooch out a bit but I'm hoping with a good washing and stern blocking, the finished rug will be smooth enough for the front door to pass over without snagging and catching.

The second photo is of the rug progress as of this morning. Not bad for 24 hours, I'd say.

Of course, both cats are utterly fascinated by the new rug. Koda is constantly trying to curl up on it while I'm working on it. I've had to get a bit stern with her, which has led to an injured sense of martyrdom on her part and significant guilt on mine. She was less that pleased when I shooed her away during the photo shoot, as you can see by the flash of floofy tail in the second photo. Trust me, there was a definite cold shoulder being presented to me as I attempted to get a decent shot of the rug.

To exacerbate matters, now that Harley has discovered the joys of this rug as a scratch pad/sleep mat, I have an epic battle of the sexes going on over possession of the rug when I'm not working on it. As you can see in the third photo, Harley obviously won this round, as Koda is relegated to the corner. I doubt that is going to improve her mood today.

It is clear to me that I'll need to make two toothbrush cat mats as soon as the rug is done. That is, unless I make this one so large, they can manage to share it later.

Of course, being able to open the front door with two cats sprawling all over the new rug may create a whole new problem . . . not to mention the whole cat hair on the rug thing, too.

How come seemingly brilliant solutions come with so many problems?

(BTW, to answer Guinifer's question, pointe shoes are not as expensive as skates, generally under $100. But they do require specialized fitting and need to be replaced at least once a year, so this annual trip to St. Paul can definitely be added to the overall expense of dance. Ugggh!)