Purrrrfectly cute cat quilts

As animal lovers, we're always thrilled to find quilts that showcase some of our favorite creatures, including cats.  We came across some great quilts featuring fun felines in recent shows.  We hope these brighten your day! (Note to cat lovers:  also see our 2010 series on The Best of Cat Quilts, and our Cat Quilts Board at Pinterest.)

Flower Queen Kitty, 47 x 59, exhibited by Mary Fish

Mary notes, "This quilt was my 'thank you' gift for serving as a 2009 River City Quilters Guild Quilt Show co-chair. Thank  you to [all who worked on my quilt] including , ShirLee Belisle, Nancy Causey, Nancy Gangler, Nancy MacDonald, Kathy Mitchell, Phyllis McCalla, and Annette Blandin. I will treasure it always. "

Close-up of Flower Queen Kitty

We love the whimsical face and fanciful long whiskers of this giant purple kitty.  The striped inner border in extra-bright colors provides this quilt with a glowing, surrealistic, Alice-In-Wonderland look.

Let Sleeping Cats Lie by Jane Chiles

At the 2012  Arizona Quilters Guild Show, Jane noted,  "I started this at Quilt Camp in 2006 and finished it this past year. I am a new quilter, and this has been my biggest challenge!"

Close-up of Let Sleeping Cats Lie

The center spiral of these blocks is formed by the cats' tails all cozily curled up together. The center of this pattern is based on the traditional "Snails Trail" quilt pattern. The pattern, by Helene Knott, can be seen at Alderwood Quilts.

Holiday Party Kitty,  47 x59, exhibited by Paulette Trafecanty

Paulette exhibited this adorable black, white, and red cat quilt at the 2012 River City Quilters Guild Show in Sacramento, California. She explains,  "I was one of four ladies that put on the River City Quilters Guild Quilt Show. I never expected to get a quilt. But lo and behold, Phyllis McCalla and her great group of ladies made one for each of us. I absolutely adore it!  It is now hanging on my living room wall."

Close-up of Holiday Party Kitty

So much personality is imbued to this crazy cat by its heart-shaped nose, striped bow-tie collar, and red bell around its neck. The echo quilting or outline quilting around this center panel really gives a wild, zany energy to this delightful work.

Sleeping Cat, 27 x29,  by Dorothy Findley

At the 2013 Flying Needles Quilt Guild Quilt Show in Woodland, California, Dorothy writes, "This quilt was made just because I love cats. I designed the whole quilt. The flying geese were made for another project that didn't work out. So, I put them on this quilt. "  We are impressed by the contrast shown between the bright, energetic border, and the graceful, serene pose of the dozing kitty.  Can you see the little gray mouse at his feet?
 
2009 Co-Quilt Show Chair Quilt, 47 x 59,  exhibited by Diana Muenzler

Diana exhibited this whimsical cat quilt at the 2012 River City Quilters Guild Show in Sacramento, California. She says,  "I was absolutely thrilled to receive this quilt. Thank you so much to Phyllis McCalla, ShirLee Belisle, Nancy Causey, Nancy Gangler, Kathy Mitchell, and Nancy MacDonald." 

Close-up of 2009 Co-Quilt Show Chair Quilt

This kitty is done in neutral, calm earth tones that would blend well with the décor in any room of the house. But, that's about the only thing 'restful' about him. The way his fur is styled to fly out wildly in all directions leads us to believe he's really a wild partier ready to dance the night away.

Sleeping Yellow Kitty, 15 x 26, by Monica Kaseman

At the 2013  Guild of Quilters of Contra Costa County Quilt Show, Monica explained, "This quilt hangs over our bed, inspiring sweet dreams!  The cat was paper pieced. The pattern for the cat is by Maureen Sparrow on the Paper Panache website and is called Sleeping Cat."

We really like the "album quilt" effect of the traditional Amish  patterns in matching colors which surround this kitty, who apparently snoozes without a care in the world. 

Image credits:  Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration.  We have not yet identified the patterns for the Holiday Party and Co-Chair quilts; if anyone knows the source, please let us know.

A Gathering of Angels

Angels to watch over you, and angels to bring you messages of peace and love, at the holidays and throughout the New Year.  Here are patterns by talented artists who we have featured in 2011. Happy holidays to all of our fellow quilt lovers and blogger friends around the world.

Row 1: Let It Snow Angel by Diane McGregor at Castilleja Cotton;  Monterey Angel by Helene Knott as seen at Story Quilts; Angel of Light by Ravenwood Designs as seen at Quilters Treasure.
Row 2: Angel's Flight by Tracey Campbell at Top of the Range Designs; Flower Angel by Nina Lise Moen at Mrs. Moen Patterns; Winter Angel by Laurie Tigner at Laurie Tigner Designs
Row 3: Angel with Harp by Joan Bouwmeester and Debbie Bouwmeester-Fasek at Three Swans Studio; The Angel by Ursula Riegel at Designs to Share with You, wall hanging kit at Creative Quilt Kits

Monterey angels

With all the stillness and serenity of a deep Christmas night, here's an angel shining brightly against the starry sky. This Monterey Angel quilt, known as the "Celestial Angel", with its beautiful winter colors, uses Amish patchwork piecing to achieve a clean, geometric effect that looks stunning in all types of decor.

Monterey Angel, approx 60" x 60", by Helene Knott as seen at Story Quilts

Ten fabric colors, including three different shades of periwinkle blue, are used to create this luminous work. Surrounding the angel is the traditional trip-around-the-world piecing along with time-honored sawtooth stars using half-square triangles. The halo, face, and hands can be appliqued using a variety of techniques.

Taos Angel version of Monterey Angel, approx. 60 x 60", by Helene Knott as seen at Story Quilts

Here is another version of the Monterey Angel, done in rich, warm terracotta colors with a regal red and sage green gown. Because these colors are so often used in the folk art of the southwestern United States,  Helene named this version the "Taos Angel", after the art town in New Mexico. 

On Helene's website she writes,   "I was born and raised on the Monterey Peninsula in central California, a beautiful area that served as an inspiration to set me onto a creative path for life."  The town of Monterey was the capital of Alta California from 1777-1846, when California was under the control of Spain and Mexico. Helene was inspired to create the wall quilts shown here by the paintings of angels displayed each Christmas season, in Monterey, a reflections of  the town's cultural and artistic Spanish heritage.

Image credits: A very well-known, prolific quilt teacher, designer, and workshop leader, Helene has received many awards for her quilt creations, which have been featured on the cover of Quilter's Newsletter. For more information about Helene Knott and for photos of her brilliant work, please visit her intriguing website, Kitty Stomp. Images are shown here with the generous permission of Story Quilts.

Pumpkat, Podcats and other Garden Patch quilts

Our fascination with cat quilts began last year, with a series called The Best of Cat Quilts.  Some fantastic new entries in the "Best Of" category have been accumulating in our inbox. Meanwhile, we checked into the latest developments in Helene Knott's Garden Patch Cats collection (there are now 18 different cats !)

Pumpkat, about 18 x 18", by Helene Knott at KittyStomp

A minimalist rendition of Pumpkat, below,  is available in a laser-cut quilt kit at Quilter's Paradise:

Pumpkat (above) and Podcats (below) are perennial favorites...

Each little quilt measures 18 x 18" and includes a recipe for the vegetable represented in the quilt. Here are several more designs in the series:  Catus Romanus (includes a recipe for Greek Salad Tonnato), Pepper Puss (includes a recipe for Southwestern Stuffed Peppers) and Stalker (Cream of Chicken and Winter Vegetable Soup).

 

And there is even a banana cat....

 
Helene Knott is a designer and teacher whose art quilts have received worldwide acclaim.  StoryQuilts carries Helene's Garden Patch Cats patterns, along with her Postcards from Japan.

The Best of Cat Quilts! Part Three

Here we go... Part Three (and the grand finale) of The Best of Cat Quilts !  As we mentioned in Part One, we "previewed" over 150 cat quilts in order to select the best for this series. Some of the quilts we showed last week make us feel as if the cats could jump right off the page! Today we're including some more contemporary styles:  silhouettes, pieced cats, abstract cats, and some cool tessellations. Read on for The Best of Cat Quilts - Part Three (and a request to readers: we'd love to see any outstanding quilts that we missed !)

Stairway to Cat Heaven, 52 x 52, by Marty Mason, at Marty's Fiber Musings

Marty Mason is a fiber artist who creates original art quilts and thread paintings, along with a selection of classic quilts.  Her striking "Stairway To Cat Heaven"  is a beautiful rendition of the popular quilt which first appeared in 1997 (links to the pattern can be found at the bottom of this post.)  The quilt shown above has been sold, but you can read about it on Marty Mason's blog, where you can also see Kitty Cat Charm.   Marty Mason's original fiber art works can be found at Marty's Fiber Musings on Etsy, including one of our favorites, the abstract art quilt known as  Architect's Dream #2. We can't help but mention that we are smitten with Marty's original thread paintings of pretty ladies in smart hats; check out her fabulous recent works !

Cat Nap, by Cynthia England, at England Design

Cynthia England is an internationally known quilting instructor and pattern designer, who is best known for the stunning quilts she makes with Picture Piecing. Cynthia's innovative technique breaks the design down into pieces that can be sewn using straight seams. Her elegant Cat Nap quilt pattern, above, is one of our favorites: it features a serene gray cat reclining on a red-and-ivory quilt. You have only to look at the amazing detail of the cat's face, shown below, to appreciate the piecework.

Cynthia England's most recognized art quilt, Piece and Quiet, was chosen as one of the "The Twentieth Century's Best American Quilts" in 2000. Piece and Quiet has over 8000 pieces and it is so realistic that it appears to be a photograph!  Don't be intimidated, though: Cynthia has made her techniques easy to learn with a book and with free videos, and two free patterns so that quilters can try the technique.  Also check out Quilter's Kitty, and the many gorgeous patterns in Cynthia England's landscape and nature galleries.

Porcelain Cat, 26 x 31, by Jane Spolar, at Quilt Poetry

Jane Spolar's quilts and fabrics exemplify her distinctive, lyrical style. Porcelain Cat dreams the dream of life and chasing, naps and frolic, flowers, a garden, and a friendly lap.  Another lovely cat quilt, Contented, bears the description: "Contented as a cat in the flowers". Also, if you are seeking bliss, take a look at Bliss, Jane Spolar's luscious fabric line for Northcott Silk.

Kitty Corner Cats, 35 x 35, by Ruth Powers, at Ruth Powers Art Quilts

Since taking up the art of quilting in 1989, Ruth Powers has gained national recognition for her award-winning quilts. Her works hang in private collections from coast to coast.  "Kitty Corner Cats" is another classic, with its combination of playful cats and "catty-wampus pieced blocks". (What an apt description... cattywampus really sums it up !) The pattern can be obtained on the Kitty Corner Cats page; also you can browse Fat Cat Dreaming, and Ruth Powers' many other inspiring patterns and recent works.

Garden Patch Cats, about 18 x 18 each, by Helene Knott, as seen at StoryQuilts

Helene Knott is a designer and teacher whose quilts have received worldwide acclaim. We adore her stylish Garden Patch Cats, and are showing six of our favorites: Pumpkat, Gourdo Gato, Eggplant Purr-mesan, Boscat, Walla Walla Kitty, and Kitt'ney Bean. A total of fourteen cats are available as of this writing, and Helene reportedly has drawings for many more !  StoryQuilts also carries Helene's marvelous Postcards from Japan and other designs. Helene's brochure includes all of her workshops, along with images of many of her spectacular quilts.

Sawtooth Cats, 64.5 x 80, by Janet Miller, at the City Stitcher

Janet Miller has been quilting since she was 12 years old; her many bestselling designs can be found at The City Stitcher, which she founded.   The charming "Sawtooth Cats" is one of our favorite pieced cat quilts. The curved backs and tails of the cats, and the borders, are made with paper foundation piecing in a sawtooth pattern. This quilt is perfect for scrap fabrics.

Kitty Memories, 60.5 x 62, designed by Dawn Navarro Ericson, quilted by Pamela Dransfeldt, and published by McCalls Quilting

Dawn Navarro Ericson is an artist and illustrator, whose original designs include the very clever Copy Cat Quilts. One of Dawn's ingenious tessellation quilts is Kitty Memories, published by McCalls Quilting. If Kitty Memories is turned upside down, the dark cats appear, and if you click to enlarge the above image you can see the embellishments, which include dimensional cat collars and tags.  The McCall's web bonus includes photos of additional cat faces and a line drawing of the assembled quilt. 

Copy Cat Quilt, designed by Dawn Navarro Ericson, quilted by Pamela Dransfeldt, and published by Martingale and Company®

Finally, we're so pleased to be able to show you the ultra-cool quilt that  graces the cover of Copy Cat Quilts.  First published in the 1980's, this award-winning pattern has been updated with contemporary quilting techniques... it is a perennial favorite, and a definite Best of Cat Quilt !

And now (drum roll, please....) a request !   In  compiling The Best of Cat Quilts we previewed 150 quilts, and then selected the best 15 quilts to showcase in this series.  We're pretty sure there are some exceptional quilts we haven't seen, and we would love to know about them !  Please leave a link in the Comments below (et merci !)

Image credits and additional links: Images are shown with the generous permission of the artists. Stairway to Cat Heaven: Fabric requirements and applique templates are available at McCalls Quilting, and the complete pattern can be purchased from the Quilt and Sew Shop.  Feline-friendly blogs:  SewCalGal has just wrapped up her Pets On Quilts Show, with some wonderful photos of real pets on real quilts ! Also check out these blogs: Felines and Fibre Arts, Cats and Quilts, Cats On My Quilts, Cats Who Quilt, and Quilt Tales and Cat Tails.