Cat Mats Finish

This was one of my Q2FAL goals, to make four cat mats. My list is here. I'm happy to report that as of this week, I have completed that goal.

Here are two of them, modelled by the ever-cooperative Bella:

Seriously, she just loves to pose for the camera! She actually was a huge factor in the design process of these first two...

These two accompany a quilt I still have to tell the entire story of now that it has gone to live in its forever home. That's for another post, though. I stuffed these two with fabric, batting and thread scraps. I have a special garbage can near my cutting table reserved for this, and my thread catcher beside my machine gets dumped into the receptacle as well.

I learned that it's easier to stuff these in thirds at a time, as trying to quilt a stitching line through the gobbed-up layers of scraps wasn't fun.  I stuff one end, then stitch a quilting line through the entire mat, stuffing the opposite end third, stitch it, and then do the middle third last.

I was doing both at the same time, and I'd set the one mat down after completing each opposing third, to finish the second 1/3 end. Bella, as she is wont to do, hopped up on the table, 'New stuff!' and very methodically placed herself in the middle of the mat.

She LOVES a good elbow or should rest, often using one of my limbs when she cuddles with me in bed. ON! went the lightbulb. I'd leave the centre not so poofy!

So I did.

Terry towel is on the bottom of these. They got packaged up with the Cat-Eye-doscope matching quilt for their human, and sent to Alberta, where all three pieces are being well-used and loved. That's for that other post, photos of them in use.

Here are the second two cat mats completed, again very happily modelled by the lovely Miss Bella the diva:

She was literally zonked out, head tucked upside down, drooling a little (shh! don't let her know I told you) but when I set the mats down, she obligingly allowed me to gently lift her and deposit her, purring madly now, onto the one mat (which she has already tried out). She likes it too, as it has an elbow rest.

The top one is layered with a wool batting I bought from the friend who is de-stashing. I wanted to test it to be sure it wasn't the bad batch of stuff my friend Judy had a horrible experience with, and which ruined a quilt... This one is great, washed up beautifully. Drat, I forgot to put my label on it, but it's a test block from last year's H2H quilt. The bottom one is my own design, no big surprise, but you can get the tutorial here. These are bits of Dot Crazy fabric, left from the original Plus Playtime as featured in Benartex's ezine, Modern by the Yard, and which QAL is ongoing, coming to a close though in a few weeks! The lower cat mat is stuffed with scraps. All four are just sewn RST and then flipped right sides out and top-stitched.

Here are the backs:

The top one is leftover flannelette from the back of Brady's baby quilt, lions! Get it? He's a Leo, which is why I used that fabric. But cats...lions, LOL. The bottom is the last of a gift bag I took apart to use the fabric for other projects. It works with the bright colours of the front.

I'll be heading to the PawP Up cat café for Moggy's Mission tomorrow to drop the bottom two off for a cat rescue. 😻

Updated photo from that fun visit:

Quilt Stats
Pattern: Original designs
Size: approximately 12X18"
Fabric: scraps
Batting: 100% wool in one; fabric/thread/batting bits and scraps in the other three
Backing: terry towel on two, flannelette and cotton on the other two
Quilted: walking foot on my Bernina
Threads:  pieced and quilted with Gütermann cotton

Oh man. In case you missed last weekend's free classes, like I did, because I 'went dark', you've got another chance.  You can sign up for a free trial at Craftsy, no obligations. I do get a commission when you do the free trial, full disclosure. You may have seen this offer in your inbox or floating around QBL but I am still going to tell you again about it because it's quite frankly pretty unreal.

If, after doing the free trial, you decide to sign up for a year's worth of unlimited classes, which I keep saying is like the Netflix of quilting, take a LOOK at what you will get:

A free quilt kit! Your choice of:

Tea For Two is using Boundless Dutch Garden fabric (affiliate link) which I used in my Auntie Norma's quilt, Sunshine On My Shoulders. It's wonderful fabric. I wouldn't steer you wrong. So it's like you pay for the quilt kit, get free shipping in the US on it and any other purchases, and then get to watch unlimited classes for an entire year for free. Oh, and they give you $25US to spend too. Sheesh, I think I'm talking myself into this, ha! Canadians (and Aussies) it's $150CA or AU for the yearly plan, so that's fair because of the exchange. Something to ponder for sure!

Just a note that I may very well 'go dark' again this weekend with a few looming projects and deadlines, so if I don't respond pronto to your comment that may be why...that or this flippin' PITA issue with blogger comments still...sigh.

Linking up
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
TGIFF at Quilts in Port Hope
Busy Hands Quilts
Dizzy Quilter for the Q2 FAL