Quilt ADD in therapy

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Colorado, United States
Other than my family, the passion of my life is quilting. An eclectic, I love a wide variety of styles and techniques encompassing both machine and hand work. I am a longarm quilter who can work for you. I enjoy any style, from pantographs to all-over to full custom, ranging from traditional to modern. I love bringing vintage tops to life and am willing to work with a challenging quilt top. Instagram: lyncc_quilts

Monday, August 15, 2011

Our Cats' Quilt Penchants - Pets on Quilts Show 2011

I’m bummed that this week is the single most difficult week in the year for me to get to my computer, because I’ve *really* been looking forward to following all the posts in the 2011 Pets On Quilts Show over at SewCalGal’s!  I’ll be snatching moments here and there as I can, but those will be few and far between as we drive 1700 miles EACH WAY to take Devon out to college. (Why do they have to go so far away??)




In the meantime, though, I wanted to share some fun shots I have of our cats this past year, as pertains to my quilts. We have way too many cats for one house, but there are times when that is really very interesting. For example, if we didn’t have so many felines, I never would have found out that each kitty has his or her own color preferences! (Don’t believe anything that says cats are colorblind – it’s obviously not true.)


Boo Girl doesn’t really pay much attention to the quilting going on (which is weird, because we all know how much cats usually love to lay on fabric, patterns, cutting mats, etc.).  But when I was working on these Geese On the Pond blocks with the greens, she had to be on or by them the whole time they were out. Does she like the green because it makes her eyes pop?  (That’s still a UFO, btw.)



Koko (short for Kao Ko Kung) is my blue baby. He doesn’t go for the fabric piles, but he loves to sit cuddled next to me, so he’s right there for just about every binding or label that I stitch. 



When I was doing the binding on Heather’s graduation quilt last summer, I could swear he’d purposefully kept my spot for me when I got up to go get a drink!


 While he always wants to be by me, other than that time of marking my place, he could be relied on to leave the project alone. 

(I almost didn't put that pic up - me in all my get-up-and-go-straight-to-the-sewing-machine glory. ick!)


UNTIL this next one one came out. 
When I plopped the sailboats and mariner’s star on my “design floor,” he suddenly flew over and stretched himself out across them. He kept trying to cover as many as possible. I’d wrestle them out from under him so I could rearrange them, then go off somewhere and he’d relax. As soon as I’d walk back toward them to get a look, he’d throw himself down on them again!

And when I auditioned the various blues for that project (you can see the finished quilt at this post), he went nuts, laying on the fabrics so pestily and getting angry when I’d move him or them. Every time I had that top out he had to come lay on it. And when I got it back from the longarmer’s, he went ape with excitement. You should have seen how ANGRY he got when I wouldn't let him sit on it while I was binding it and adding the embellishments. (But I couldn't have cat hairs all over it!)  Pretty funny.  Everything since then has seen more of the former “yeah, ok, you’re working on something” attitude. 

Except. . . we were working on tucking tails for this quilt full of the pretty blues he likes. Can you see him all burrowed in there?





And one last shot of his preference for blue - Does he like that color so much because he's got those gorgeous sapphire blue eyes that you sometimes find on a Siamese?









Marco is a typical cat - you ca't keep him from laying on any pile of fabric he can find to lay on. He’d be in heaven if someone would leave a pile of fabric out just for him to make a nest in. But the quilts themselves – he doesn't really care for. 
(Although, put a piece of paper on one and he'll brave even pins to sit on that!) 

But when this one came along from Em at Em Cellebrates! and I draped it over the sofa, that funny cat couldn’t go away from it. He laid on the sofa next to it, talking, talking, talking up a storm to it for DAYS! 





It was the funniest thing. I still wish I knew what that cat was saying to that quilt!










Selma obliged me by sitting on this wheelchair quilt for me, but it was clear she was performing a task. What I don’t have a picture of, unfortunately, is the quilts that she went wild over. 



This gorgeous calico mama goes crazy for purple (she doesn't care about pink). Or maybe it was the neon colors interspersed in these tornado relief quilts. 








Oh, look! I do have one shot of a cat that I sewed in a quilt! (well, a block, anyway)




Cats and quilts – they just go together so well, don’t you think?  

50 comments:

  1. Love your pictures of your babies. I only have one named Lit'l Bit (which has become Fat Bit!). Now, tell me, how did you come up with the name Selma for one of your babies? That is my first name and you don't hear it very often.

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  2. Cute pictures with all of your wonderful kitties! And your little block is adorable :)

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  3. What sweet kitties! I don't know how you do it, I only have one and can't keep up. LOL

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  4. LOL! I have three cats as well. I think sometimes, they think they sew better than me! (this could be true too!) However, I have two dogs as well who believe they are cats! One is a Jack Russell and the other is a Black Lab. The Black Lab is a bit big for trying to hand sew or use my machine :P

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  5. 4 sweet kitties.... quadruple the loving!

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  6. What a fun post. Your four legged children are absolutely beautiful, as your your quilts. Made me smile big time. Love it.

    And drive safely as you take Devon off to college. Seems to be that time of year and I know so many parents currently doing the same thing. Major milestone on the journey of life. Congratulations to Devon and your entire family.

    SewCalGal
    www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

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  7. That's amazing that they all seem to have colour preferences. You have some beautiful cats, thanks for showing them to us.

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  8. I counted 4 beautiful cats with their own unique personalities! Have a safe trip and I love your kitty block from the Fab Shop Hop right? - need to work on that one!

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  9. Enjoyed your post so much! What beautiful cats you have! I have a cat that loves green quilts, and one that loves yellow. Love the "Cat Who" reference with Koko's name!
    The black cat block is just darling! Is that your own creation, or did it come from a pattern? I have to ask, because I would love to make one!

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  10. These pics are just too precious. Cats and quilts. Two of my favorite things. Thanks for sharing.
    Deborah

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  11. This was so fun to read. Your cats really do seem to have color preferences. I have a "paper sitter" too. Who knows what goes on in those brains.

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  12. You cats are so cute and seem to be very helpful in the sewing room... I really like KOKO as he reminds me of my son's siamese...so pretty

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  13. How funny, maybe they just have good fashion sense, since they all picked colors that were perfect for them. Maybe they all discuss it. "Oh Boo Girl you looked so good on that green quilt". "Do you think so?" "Yes darling, it really makes your eyes pop".

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  14. I'm still laughing at your cats ... how amazing they can be! I truly enjoyed this post, Lyn! Thanks for sharing!

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  15. Oh yes, cats do love fabric don't they. Great photo and great quilts.

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  16. Wonderful fur babies - each with their own personality. Thank you for sharing.

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  17. Your Boo Girl is a twin to our Cocoa Kitty! All your sweet kitties are so cute and seem to have fun personalities! Great post and pics !

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  18. You have some beautiful friends! And great quilts too!

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  19. Such cute pictures. That last cat block takes the cake!!! So cute.

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  20. Love your little Fur Babies!
    Paulette

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  21. Love that your Koko has the same name as the Siamese in the Cats on the Quilts books. Wonderful photos!

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  22. Funny stories! Boo Girl and Koko look like babies I've had in the past, SC and Sparkle, and Marco is just too cool. Selma is a lovely name. I wish we could learn more about cats and whether they really do respond to colors, or maybe it was something else. They're so mysterious!

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  23. Kao ko kung is beautiful is he a siamese? I have a tonkinese who has the same colouring, don't they just love quilts and laps.

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  24. Boo Girl, Koko, Marco and Selma all look beautiful on your quilts. They must be a great help to you in your work:)

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  25. Loved your post! Your kitties are so beautiful as are you quilts. Isn't it wonderful that they have unique personalities and their own preferences for quilts? I love Koko's full name. The last cat block is lovely.

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  26. Sounds like you have lots and lots of help around there!

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  27. Your cats are beautiful. Isn't it funny when you're in the middle of working on a quilt and they just plop right down on it.

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  28. Love your cats and your quilts. I have 4 dogs, and they don't get as involved in my quilting as your cats do. I still get plenty of help, like chewing up pin cushions and laying on the foot petal.

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  29. Wonderful fur babies! Thank you for sharing! Very cute photos!

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  30. Oh, Koko looks a lot like our late cat Poldi ... thanks for the sweet memories!

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  31. Your cats are adorable! My cat Bubbles loves tissue paper too. The quilts are beautiful!

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  32. Your cats are such good quilting assistants. Love the cat block, too! :)

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  33. I think it's so interesting that they seem to like certain colors! My Moses just likes fabric! Any fabric, as long as Mom is messing with it! LOL

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  34. What an interesting and informative post!! And all the cats and quilts are lovely.

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  35. Hi! Your cats are so beautiful! I love your quilts and patchworks! How great blocks with the boat and the cat is amazing!

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  36. I adore that you know what their favorite colors are. Tiny my grey dearest loved Patisserie (to the point of braving those pins you mentioned - even though I tried to tell her not to) until the moment I put it on DD's bed. After that she was finished with it.

    Your mariners is just divine, there's no other word that comes close, so lovely.

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  37. What a wonderful family of kitties you've brought together! I love the story of Marco chatting to the quilt!

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  38. You make also many nice things. I absolutely love the carpet with owls.
    Thank you for your comment on my blog.

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  39. I do not think there is a better combination then cats and quit(ers). Made for each other I swear.

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  40. You have some awfully cute cats. And that block is just adorable!

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  41. Green is most definitely Boo Girl's color!

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  42. You have a lovely collection of cats. I think Koko is definitely a mariner.

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  43. I love how you shared everyone's different personalities :)

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  44. Well, no shortage of cats on quilts at your house!

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  45. Great quilts, great cats! Love how you showcased their personalities for us.

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  46. Lovely cat pictures! I wouldn't let my cats (must be 7 or 8 at last count) near my quilts, but then they're farm cats. I've enjoyed looking at your latest quilt projects.
    best, nadia

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  47. What an interesting and informative post!!Your blog keeps getting better and better!


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    Cheers
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