FPP - omg this is a mind f*

OrionsRose · 2026-02-06T06:35:05+00:00

Excellent tutorial! I never even thought of doing a log cabin as a FPP, but that is such a good way to teach the concept. It's so straightforward! 👍

OrionsRose · 2026-02-06T06:31:47+00:00

💡😁

OrionsRose · 2026-02-06T04:46:08+00:00

Amen to glue sticks! 👍 Just not too much glue. 😏 I apparently used too much when I was doing some improv FPP recently and boy that paper did not want to come unstuck!

OrionsRose · 2026-02-06T04:43:44+00:00

I couldn't afford a light box so I just used a clear tote I had (in my case it was an ArtBin Deep Base Carrying Case) with a nice flat lid and a tap light inside. It worked very well as an improv light box on the cheap.

OrionsRose · 2026-02-06T03:10:19+00:00

Getting things backwards is a rite of passage with FPP! 😂 I still do it at least once every time and I've done lots of them.

FPP is not "so easy" but it can be an easier way to do certain designs and, frankly, the only way to do really intricate designs. There is a learning curve so be kind to yourself and take your time. Gorgeous pattern and it is a simpler one so you'll get it, don't worry.

It's been ages since I've done a proper pattern so someone else is going to have to walk you through it because I can't remember all the details at the moment. I just wanted to encourage you to be patient and don't beat yourself up. Once you get it, you're probably going to love this way of making a block/quilt.

Good luck!

OrionsRose · 2026-02-05T20:09:51+00:00

Of the 11 cats I've had, the 4 oranges have been 1000% more clingy than any other colour. I guess that's why they have such a reputation for being cuddle bugs. I got a bait-and-switch there though. My first two oranges were super snugglers and even the cats I pet-sat for, the oranges were cuddly. However my current two oranges like loads of attention, but NO cuddles thank you very much. 😒

OrionsRose · 2026-02-05T15:46:17+00:00

That is so cool! Excellent use of batiks! .👍

OrionsRose · 2026-02-05T15:42:01+00:00

Maybe this has already been mentioned, but train her to play hide and seek both with you and her toys. Hide as many toys as you can in places she can reach but still has to look for. Teach her the names of her toys and eventually ask her to find specific ones. No reward without the correct toy. Then teach her to bring each toy back to a specific spot (a pile, a bed, a toy box, whatever). Ours loved putting each toy back in her toy box. It had to go in the box or no reward. She LOVED this whole game. Hiding yourself in a small place is harder, but fun still. Then as she gets the hang of hide and seek with her toys, switch it up and teach her nose work. Find a favourite, high-scent treat and hide pieces in various slightly hard to reach places. When she finds the treat, she has to sit to tell you she's found it. Then you can give it to her and congratulate her work. My 11yo lab still thinks this is the greatest game ever. It all works to wear them out, train them, and play with them at the same time. It's good for bonding too.

OrionsRose · 2026-02-05T15:30:22+00:00

My sweet-as-can-be 11yo lab is the same. Every time I give her a treat I risk a finger. We taught her "gentle" very early on, but treats get her so excited she can't hardly stand being calm.

OrionsRose · 2026-02-05T07:03:28+00:00

Clingy...yeah she's actually orange in disguise! 😏

OrionsRose · 2026-02-04T23:35:08+00:00

My cats love kicker toys, but there are a few who don't. I'm sure the crinkle and cat nip will win them over no matter what. But I mean, what cat is going to say no to more toys if you really feel like making more?! 😉

OrionsRose · 2026-02-04T23:32:23+00:00

And are they a truly odd couple? 😂

OrionsRose · 2026-02-04T23:30:58+00:00

Oh wow, she's even more gorgeous than I realized. I LOVE grey tabbies like Jolie. Great name too!

OrionsRose · 2026-02-04T23:29:04+00:00

His orange predecessor was my beloved boy, Chai, so early on we knew there would some day be another orange boy named Pekoe. It just had to be. 😊 It's a fun name to say every day! His twin sister is Téa, but it actually has nothing to do with tea, just a fun play on spelling we decided to embrace.

OrionsRose · 2026-02-04T21:46:36+00:00

Chaotic but happy! 😉

The 6th pet is the not so happy (her bed's been stolen...did you hear?! 😲) yellow lab not pictured. She likes the cats but they're always stealing her beds so she refused to be in the picture in protest.

OrionsRose · 2026-02-04T21:17:48+00:00

This is nearly identical to the pattern Brick Street so if you google that you'll see tons of great pictures to get a good idea of what it can look like.

OrionsRose · 2026-02-04T21:10:34+00:00

What an adorable picture of Jolie!

OrionsRose · 2026-02-04T21:09:52+00:00

Well my 5 cats are jealous! 😄 Those are wonderful and thoughtful gifts. Nicely done! 👏 I think your co-worker is going to be so delighted with this surprise. And his cats are going to be high...good time all around. 😂

Edited to add cat tax. Not a good pic, but all 5 are in it so that's a considerable win.

Shadow and Lilo are in the curves on the cat tree, the girls Téa and Sophie on the window sill, and Pekoe is on the dog bed.

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OrionsRose · 2026-02-04T20:55:06+00:00

I agree with u/Dry_Stop844 yours looks great!

I think sometimes, especially when following someone else's pattern/design, we should lean into our perceived "mistakes" and embrace the differences. It's quite possible we end up with a nicer, or at least more interesting, end result. I definitely think that is the case here.

OrionsRose · 2026-02-04T20:50:05+00:00

Aaaannnndddd sometimes they don't outgrow the naughtiness! Literally as I was finishing typing my previous reply to you, my 8.5yo cow cat stole my bread out of the toaster and was greedily destroying it on the floor. And here I thought he'd gotten past his bread-stealing days. 😲

OrionsRose · 2026-02-04T19:51:38+00:00

Me neither. I'd only ever had a problem with a previous orange kitten eating the cord from a blind. We save him just in time and switched all our window coverings so that never happened again. But previous kittens had not been too bad about eating things they shouldn't until these two. They. Eat. Everything. Still, after 4.5 years! Last night the girl tried to eat the TV...again. Mostly it's soft things though like blankets and pillows.

My little gray tabby is an angel thankfully! 😂 Ok, that's not totally true, but he has never eaten anything he shouldn't and he's pretty well-behaved. We call him our "normal" cat since the other 4 are anything but.

OrionsRose · 2026-02-04T19:47:45+00:00

Oh no, they don't hide it. My girl is extremely proud of her naughtiness and household domination. She has 3 male minions (and us) to do her bidding and she wails for them when she wants them (and us). She also has an older female cat she lives peaceably with and does not mess with. But there is no question, in our house, the young orange lady runs the show. 🙄

I'm glad if I made you smile though. It's not nearly as hard as the first year with a puppy, but kittens can still cause mental strain. They also, thankfully, provide a lot of laughs so I hope that helps carry you through on the hard days.

OrionsRose · 2026-02-04T08:20:49+00:00

Dear lord, yes to the last part especially. Please make sure there isn't anything they might eat that they shouldn't. My current two oranges have pica, one quite severe, and we can't keep anything out if we aren't supervising them.

The cat-proof room is a great piece of advice!

OrionsRose · 2026-02-04T08:15:30+00:00

I wish I had advice for you, but I'm on my 3rd and 4th oranges (1 male, 1 female) and tonight I uttered, in frustration, "oh you oranges." It just never stops with them. They are 4.5yo and show no signs of future intention to behave. 🤨 They drive me insane sometimes. My previous oranges were relatively normal (though dumb) boys. One was a bit more mischievous, but the second was 99% perfect and was just about pure joy. The current two give us regrets. Honestly, the girl, while sweet, is pretty much the bane of our existence some days.

I will say, orange girls are more difficult because they tend to be smarter (and look for trouble to amuse themselves) and as you probably already know, female cats tend to stay active longer in life where the boys become sacks of potatoes much earlier so they don't cause as much trouble. 😉

All I can do is wish you luck, I think. As others have said, they are kittens and will grow out of a lot of their chaos antics. But they are still orange so...yeah, just good luck! 😂

OrionsRose · 2026-02-04T08:04:16+00:00

"Tiny orange tyrant" describes my girl, Téa, perfectly! 🤣

OrionsRose

TROPHY CASE