Old and Precious . . . New and Adorable

Many of you know my quilty kitty Shadow and all the fun and frustration she managed to provide in my studio while I worked. I even blamed her ("It's the Cat's fault") for one of my more challenging quilting experiences. Shadow always found every quilt I was working on no matter where it happened to be and made herself at home. Every quilt was Shadow approved. She sat on top of my laptop, on the keyboard (her typing skills were questionable), on the ironing board, on the cutting mat, on the fabric, and would have sat on top of the sewing machine if she could. Sometimes I was afraid her tail would flip under my rotary cutter or under the needle while I sewed like you'd expect on some silly cartoon . . .  thankfully it never did. She kept me company in my studio by day and on my lap in the evening while I read or sketched new quilt designs. I think she probably dreamed quilting along with me while she slept on my head by night.

Shadow . . . my precious baby!

On her last day with us, we were able to love and comfort her into her final sleep. Sad for us but a real blessing for her to be at home surrounded by love. This all happened in November and over Thanksgiving when our kids were home from college which was another blessing as well. It's taken me some time to be able to post about her. We had her for 15 wonderful years. She was and always will be my precious quilty kitty.

Needless to say there was a sadness around the house and we thought maybe by spring we might be ready for a new cat. School finished up and kids were once again home for Christmas break. Then out of the blue, I came home from the grocery store in mid December with loads of groceries and a brown paper bag full of not one but two little kittens. So very unlike me and so unplanned that it just had to be right.

Now a new saga begins and new challenges arise. Kittens like to play, and chew, and climb, and claw, and run, and eventually sleep. I see my studio now through cat eyes. How much fabric might be clawed. How many spools of thread might be unwound, how much batting might be batted about, will the quilt top on the design wall be pulled down, will a nose be burned on the iron or a pin swallowed? Yes, I've had to kitten proof my studio as best I can while still trying to be productive. And just when I think I have it safe for them and my quilting, they find something new to get into. I don't dare leave them alone in here . . .  who knows what would happen. I might even sit on them one day as they have taken to sleeping under the throw that covers my ugly studio chair instead of on top of it where Shadow liked to hang out.

They have won my heart. They are adorable. I'd like to introduce you to LuLu and Opal . . . my newest quilty kitties. I'm sure you'll get to know them as they learn the ways of becoming quilty kitties too. May they too live a long and purrrfect life.

LuLu (white face) and Opal (dark face) . . .
my adorable new babies!!