I am new to quilting, but not new to sewing.
I'm sure most of you on this board already know about safety precautions that must be taken for our precious pets, but I was just doing some reading and looking at some links that were posted here and
I ran across this article about sewing room safety for pets.

I am such an animal lover and would never want anything to happen to my precious dog, Sparkie OR any other animal, if it can be prevented.

Just in case there are any newbies to quilting and sewing, I think it's important to post this.

Please take any precautions to guard your cat/dog's health and safety.


http://www.catswhoquilt.com/safety.html

Cathy, that is a very good reminder to all of us. I have a cat that I got from a shelter. She really liked to stay pretty close to me when we first brought her home. She really liked to lay right behind my sewing machine while I sewed but thenshe would try to "catch" the needle. I don't know how many times I came close to catching her paw with it so we had to come up with a new plan for her to stay close without being in danger. I also have to watch my little dachshund (also a shelter animal). Daisy really likes to burrown under things and I found her one day inside a trash bag with some leftover quilt batting. It made the perfect bed for her but I didn't think being in a trash bag was such a good idea for her!! LOL
Gay

I had to kinda laugh when I read this thread. As I was reading this I was picturing what my cat has started doing. Archie was a little mad when I wouldn't play with him in the craft room, so he started actually pulling pins out of the pin cushion and dropping them on the floor where I would stand to work. He never went after them...just liked to pull them out and carry them across the counter and drop them to the floor. But all that stopped as soon as we got a dog....something new to destract him.

I'm "lucky" from the sounds of things. My biggest problem with the cat is his insisting on laying all over whatever I'm working on. As if it isn't hard enough wrestling with a quilt when you're trying to machine quilt. LOL

I did replace all my carpet with tile last year. Not especially for sewing safety, but I knew it would be a bonus. 'Course, around here, I'm the one who usually ended up with pins in my paws.

After reading about the thread disasters, I'll start paying much closer attention AND find a way to conveniently but safely keep things at hand. He hasn't played much with anything else - yet - but he does like to chase those spools.

Now if I could just keep the dog from munching on the batting ... gotta watch him like a hawk. LOL

Daisy doesn't munch on the batting but she sure likes to dig at it so she can get it all nice and fluffy!! LOL

I was just remembering a tip I read in one of my quilting mags about taking masking tape and wadding some up. Then you stick it to the sewing cabinet/table and as clip threads you can stick the clippings to it. When it fills up throw it away and start a new one. I think I'll try it.
Gay

Oh and that Archie is a stinker!! LOL

Gay

My cats are quilters. They like to help by pulling on my chain piecing. I never have to worry about it bunching up with those two around. :lol:

This is an ugly and sad story, but worth passing on from this past Sunday paper. One wrote that her puppy had licked the opening of an automatic paper shredder. Need I say more? The puppy had to be put to sleep. How tragic!
Suz

Oh goodness...that is terrible.....poor baby. I try to always have mine shut off or unplugged but was doing it because of the grandkids. Hadn't even thought of the 4 leggged kiddos doing something like that.
Gay

Hmmm... a bit of a scary thing to read but very good to know. I am new to quilting but not to cross stitch. My two cats LOVED watching me cross stitch, and are very quick to jump on the thread. They always will pick up and chew any stray objects dropped on the carpet, so I have always been very careful with my threads and equiptment. I now have a wooden sewing box with a kitten proof catch on the lid - as they have figured out how to open boxes, draws, lids etc.
Now I am quilting they have wholeheartedly joined in with my new interest. Kitchen gets all excited and 'freaked out' when the sewing machine starts humming away, and loves watching the spool on top spin around. Satchmo is more conservative, and sleeps leaning against my foot on the treadle. What a happy bunch we are!