Knitty Kitty Mats

This is my OMG goal for March: a cat mat aka cat pouffé for Bella, and two mats for cat kennels that I'm donating this year to the kitties who are waiting for their forever homes in Animal Welfare League, a no kill shelter.  Update: I've just dropped them off this am at the Suncoast Humane Society, which is where I took those I made last year.  We took the dogs there to get their heartworm tests, so I thought it fitting to give them a little extra thanks.  I've taken all the photos and written up some of the directions for the tutorial for both designs too, so pop back soon. Pretty easy peasy.

You may remember that I forgot Miss Bella's cat "pouffé" at home in Kingsville.   You may recall that I found some perfect cat fabric, "Knitty Kitty" at the Port Charlotte Quilt Show.  Bella put her fuzzy butt stamp of approval on it.

I finished her pouffé a few days ago.

I think she approves!

I did stuff the scraps I had saved mainly from the making of my Swoon Mini inside it along with the poly batting I tried.  It's got that extra little 'poof' for her extra-cute butt.

Here's the back:

I quilted it with Connecting Threads' cotton. Serious love for this thread you guys!

I had got 1/2 yard of this main print.  All the previous cat mats I've made have been 12X18".  Well, this shop owner cuts you at 18" and when you go to cut your 18.5" (unfinished size, right) backing with a little extra wiggle room for quilting, it ain't gonna happen.  So I had to add in that strip of pink, and then thought the selvage with the "Knitty Kitty" name of the fabric on it could be sewn right into the seam!

Bella's pouffé with the two cat mats I made to donate

I sewed up the other two mainly on Thursday and finished them yesterday morning.  However I didn't get this post written until now because some good friends from Alberta were in Florida and we met up with them both Thursday and Friday, and they stayed the night last night, so real life took over for QBL life, which is as it should be...sometimes this QBL can suck me in, if you know what I mean.

These two cat mats for the shelter have terry cloth that I bought to make a burp cloth for a friend's grand-baby as the backings.  I got a great deal on a remnant at JoAnn's, and there was enough to make both mat bottoms and the burp cloth.  It worked out really well as mat bottoms.

I just did a simple walking foot grid to hold the layers together and still keep the mats cushy for the tushies. ;-)  All three have polyester batting in them.

Yay, the low-growing bougainvillea is blooming!

More animal warm fuzzies happened while I was sewing up these mats...
Happy happy mail arrived March 10!

Oh the noses were just quivering!

Jake, not her real name, who has commented from time to time on my blog, with whom I've bonded over our love for pibbles and all animals in general, whose work with and for animals is amazing, and whose efforts to get dogs who live their lives on the end of a chain off said chain truly humbling...anyhow she sent me this care package.  And what a package.  "Stuff it until it is full!!" is what she wrote. And boy did she.

Patriotic bandana for Miss Bella the Diva, "This is not my good side!"

All right then:

This cat should be in Hollywood.  Looks, personality, and POSES no problem.  Loves having her photo taken.

Naala wasn't so happy with her bandana being set on her shoulders...

I think it was the "Stay!" sternly said to her that made her not so happy.

Rocco does not like his picture taken, but he, like Naala, obliged by being still for a moment so you can see his adorable Spring Training-themed tie.

Dapper boy!

Naala's bandana and Rocco's tie both have loops to slide over a collar, but unfortunately, we don't have the buckle-up collars, just the continuous loop ones, so once I do get a buckle-up collar, I can put these accessories on them and take better photos.

I got some loot too!

I am OVER THE MOON in love with the cat and dogs doing yoga fabric!

Generosity abounds again.  I am overwhelmed.  There's a link to Preeti of Sew Preeti Quilts here too; I believe that is her dog/cat yoga fabric scraps. :-)   Scraps!  Look at all the sweet little scraps Jake sent.  A humbug bag, something I have never heard of, and homegrown catnip.  Miss Bella has partaken of some already.  I don't know, but she seems like a teetotaler to me; she is the first cat I've had who doesn't go INSANE over the stuff.  She's like, meh.  Maybe she's like I used to be with red wine...now I'd drink it with every meal if I let myself, (gulp! haha) well, maybe not breakfast.  I'll be encouraging her to enjoy a nip from time to time of this good stuff.

Linking up with
Confessions of a Fabric Addict (I am whooping about a few things here!)
Crazy Mom Quilts, (just sneaking in under the wire there)
TGIFF at Dizzy Quilts

Linking up with Heidi at Red Letter Quilts for OMG for March.

Lots of quilty inspiration at these fun linky parties.

If you haven't heard, you might want to check out Craftsy this weekend. In celebration of National Craft Month, they have grouped similar classes together into packages at some pretty great prices.  You will find all classes in these bundles have been discounted at least 50%.  Ch-ching!

Might be a favourite because of a recent finish of my Swoon Mini!

I am an affiliate for Craftsy which means I get a commission on purchases if you click through my links in this post!