Quilters Who Love Their Cats...

What is it about cats and quilts? It's almost as if one was made for the other. Not only do we quilters love our cats, but I, for one, permit all sorts of mischief in the sewing room. Even when she disrupts a project, I'm tolerant of, and even amused by, Lily's antics. I'm pretty careful with pins and thread, and have otherwise tried to cat-proof the room. But I've finally accepted that very little is sacred to her.. she's taken a bite out of batting, knocked assorted small objects to the floor, and tunneled into fabric.

Quilters love their cats so much that they can't resist depicting them in their work. At quilt shows there are often cat-themed quilts on display. The designs range from realistic to whimsical, like the ones shown here. The remarkable quilt at left, was exhibited at the recent Friendship Knot Quilters' Guild Show in Sarasaota, FL. It's a "distance quilt", meaning that when you stand close to it, the design is obscure. But when you stand back, the image of the cat emerges. I'm sorry I don't have the title and maker's name, but the work is exquisite. The lively folk art cats are blocks in a quilt displayed at The Villages Quilt Show. I'm always drawn to quilts like these.

And what's better after a day hard at play in the sewing room than a relaxing nap on a quilt?