Stairway to Cat Heaven!

It's been a good winter for fiber arts: I've finished a small quilt, learned the basics of drop-spindle, made a small dressy sweater and a large scarf, and have eight projects in the works. This pattern, available online from McCalls Quilting, is called Stairway to Cat Heaven.

The pattern makes all 4 cats in black, silhouettes in the night. This take depicts the cats in our house, in white, white/gray, gray, and black velveteen. From top to bottom, these depict Millie, Pox, Rosemary, and Ramona.

I added embroidered details, including Pox's shoulder marking and the names, and quilted by hand in pale thread. This detail shows embroidery and quilt stitches, as well as the obvious marks of a white cat rubbing up against the quilt, which hangs behind our couch.

This project served as a sampler for trying techniques that were new (hand quilting) or that I hadn't done for a long time (embroidery). It left me wanting to stitch. The next project -- far more experimental -- features hand-stitching prominently.