Sunday, January 15, 2006

Muses



I've been impressed lately with the number of cats that appear in sewing room photos. They are really drawn to piles of fiber--just like us--and bring with them that calm meditative air that induces creativity. My #2 cat Fatty has made it her business to claim the best spot in my sewing room: the desk top near the window. I conveniently put my king-sized quilt there after getting it back from the long arm quilter, and then covered it with a towel to keep the cats from getting it dirty. Of course, it became the cat bed of choice, and my #3 cat Bunny kept trying to lay claims to the professionally quilted cat bed.



Fatty is nothing to be trifled with, so she has kept her claim until yesterday, when I was making my bed and looking for a decent quilt to put on it, I suddenly remembered that I have a perfectly quilted king sized quilt in the sewing room cushioning a very cushioned cat body. Much to Fatty's confusion, I have moved the quilt to the chair in front of the sewing machine so I can put on the binding and then put the quilt on my bed. To cinch the deal I bought a new bed skirt and new pillow cases. Fatty is not happy, but she will get over it. To appease the Cat Muse, I may assign her her own cat quilt for the desk.



I've finished a new knitted purse. Awhile back I started using up my odds and ends of yarn to make purses in a totally improvisational way. This one is wool and is one of the most successful so far. I think I'll save it for a gift.


I've put some quilt blocks on the wall that I started to make some time ago with a totally different project in mind. Now I'm playing with the different values in the white fabric, just to get a sense of how it works. Working with white is a warm up for the winter Madonna quilt. I'm challenging myself to use white, a color which I usually avoid. Interestingly, I picked up the Jan/Feb 2006 issue of Somerset Studio, which has the most wonderful projects in white. I think I'm starting to get some ideas. If you're interested in using transferred images, meggiecat is posting a gold mine of links to antique images in her wonderful blog. It's definitely a must-see.



Here is my finished Pineapple Blossom quilt top. It's a quick and fun pattern. I've also recently completed the top below, which I was adding to in rows over the last year. Guess what? My scrap drawers are still full. Maybe it's the cats' doing. They do, you know, have those claws.

7 comments:

Debra Dixon said...

Great projects!

I like the Black and White piece! Would you consider a bright, wild, busy border instead of more black and white?

Show us your bed when it is made with the quilt, yes?

Barbara C said...

Debra, I like that colorful border idea. I actually started these blocks in order to border them with a black white and red fabric with eyeglass frames.

Alllison, all my cats have nicknames and "real" names. Poor Fatty, her real name is Cleo, but we call her Fatty with great affection.

Sandra said...

Your cat, Fatty, is almost a dead ringer for my cat, Buddy. I love the 'cat personality'. Mine also love to be on whatever I'm doing. I very much enjoy the cheery brightness of your quilts.
Sande

Balwearie said...

Oooooo... I like the black and white -- I really like that pattern and with those colours, it looks like a houndstooth check.

I like the grey and white too >@@<

Jen said...

I like all of your quilts, and the purse is great too. I also like brights with black and white, but I am so focused on color it would be hard for me to do just black and white. I have see that "black, white and read" fabric with the glasses, it's wonderful. Jen

The Calico Cat said...

Wow, what a great cat and quilt show. (Am I the only person online not doing a pineapple blossom quilt?)

BTW My cats are the same, but they prefer books.... Especially, the ones that I want to use when I want to use them.

PaigeTurner said...

What a great group of work! The black & white WIP is so striking! I love the scrappy pineapple quilt, too.

Your cats are very funny--my dog feels the same way about any quilt I am working on, and tries to claim it as her own by sneaking over an lying on any fraction of the quilt that happens to hit the floor!

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