Every few years, it seems, I have to blog about the primitive cats project, a BOM that I subscribed to and started in -- ahem -- 1999. If you have nothing else going on, you can read the previous posts by clicking "Primitive Cats" in the Labels section of the sidebar. Actually, I don't recommend it. Those posts contain a bit of whining and vowing and not a whole lot in the way of progress.
This photo is the completed quilt as planned by the designer. See those checkerboard lattices? They are
pieced; they are not made from a checkerboard fabric. See that
border -- it, too, is pieced. Ye gods. Do you see how detailed and intricate these blasted blocks are? Simplify, simplify, simplify!
It all came to the surface again about ten days ago, and this time it has stayed out! Five of the blocks are finished, or very nearly so. Keep in mind that I use a hand-buttonhole stitch for this kind of project. They take for ever. For blocks 5 and 6, all I have are the two patterns, not the fabric that should have come with them. I don't know why. And at this point it doesn't really matter. Another complication is that the individual blocks don't come with color images and this finished photo above is from a different provider than the one I used, so the colors I have aren't necessarily the same. You can see what I mean.
Here's where I am now. Still have those five just about done blocks. I decided that the thing to do was to put everything up on the wall, start making the backgrounds, bonding down the body parts and so forth, and make a list of the DMC that I'll need for the stitching. Blocks 8, 9, 10, and 12 have been pieced and bonded since the rediscovery. And block 8 was a deliberate variation; it was supposed to be a narrow-striped yellow cat and I thought there were too many yellow cats and not enough of other colored felines and enough stripes already. So I made that cat gray using fabric I had on hand. Block 11 is currently in progress. When that is up on the wall, I'm going to take the patterns for 5 and 6 and make a copy of each and using crayons color them the way I think they would look best and then take those coloring pages to the stash and, if necessary, to the local fabric store. Once those two are pieced and bonded, I'll go thread shopping.
We have some travel planned for later this year; ordinarily, I do not take handwork along on trips, but this time, I think I shall. But no catnip. No.
You know, I just might actually finish this someday!
Comments
No plans to revisit it in the near future, but I will be interested to watch your progress. Perhaps I'll push mine towards the top of the UFO list.
Thanks for sharing.
Megan
Sydney, Australia
Good luck with your new resolution!
Well done in making changes to the fabrics and patterns so this quilt pleases you and well done in getting back to it! Your cat quilt will be a marvel and will be one of a kind on the whole planet. Fabric waits until it's time comes. :)
I feel sorry for those who seem to feel like they are slaves to a kit and MUST get more of the exact fabric they mis-cut from the kit fabric and cannot use any non-kit fabric from any source. I know someone who actually threw away a quilt top she'd almost finished making from a kit for that very reason.
Hugs!
Travel -- heading to Germany for the Luther500? We will be there for the June gathering. Heading to England and other stops first, then to Wittenburg.
xx. Carol