Last year I signed up for Sarah Fielke's Block of the Month Program to make a quilt called "Down the Rabbit Hole". I thought it would be a good project for me and a challenge to get it done.
It is a pretty big quilt with a lot of handwork, which I love. I also loved how she had several options in case the maker didn't want to do rabbits along the border. I opted for cats, because I love them and almost always have at least one cat living in my home. I realize that cats are not for everyone, but I've never understood why that is. I really seem to have an affinity for them...
Anyway, I loved her patterns generally, but I don't think she's a cat person. I say that without judgement, but I felt I needed to rework the cat profiles a bit to match my picture of a great cat. Here is what I came up with. I used her general pattern, but then worked on the heads and chests especially. After I sewed the leaping cats down I wished I had reworked their hind legs too. I think they are much more rabbit than cat, but c'est la vie, it was done and I wasn't about to unpick it. I felt that the cats in the original pattern were a bit boxy; in my version they look almost Egyptian. One of my favorite things about cats is how beautiful and sleek they are -- always graceful, usually with a bit of attitude. Definitely different from a dog- or a bunny.
Actually, I enjoyed the process so much that I signed up for her 2018 programs. Both of them. I'm not sure why I'm doing both, because I have a long list of WIPs and projects that I need to start and finish. More than I can actually finish really, but I guess I'm doing it because I had that much fun. I'm also using them as exercises to work on my skills, both in sewing and color. I like that she brings a real sense of play to her quilts and that she uses traditional concepts in interesting ways.
To truly finish this quilt, I actually have to quilt it. I pulled my quilt frame out of the garage (its been out of use for more than 20 years, so it is time to get it working again) and realized that it isn't big enough to accomodate this size quilt. So, I'm working on that...
In the meantime, I've got some WIPs that need my attention.
Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts.
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