C is for Cat
C is for Cat Cushion Panel
When I saw this as a painted canvas is a needlework shop, it immediately made me think of a friend who had a black cat, so I thought of doing it as a present.
The original canvas showed a seal-point Siamese with blue eyes, so I stretched a few points and used grey and navy to create a black cat that was light enough to show its shape and markings, and gave him green eyes as well. The cat is entirely worked in basketweave tent stitch. Much as I enjoy working the ornamental stitches, sometimes restraint is advisable!
Besides, the bright blue “C” is double padded with soft embroidery cotton and then satin stitched over with pearl cotton. I thought that would be quite dramatic enough without any additional flourishes!
The background is worked as a gentle oblong check in Straight Cashmere Stitch, using two shades of soft embroidery cotton that tone with the velveteen I used to make the cushion it is mounted on. I’d almost forgotten about this panel until I was rummaging for notes of some other embroidery I had done and found a reference to it, so it is gratifying to find that I am still very pleased with it. It was a fairly simple and straightforward design, and I think my choice of stitches and threads was simple enough to reflect that while having enough variation to be interesting.
I’m not sure what the real cat thought of his portrait. Cats are what they had in mind when they came up with the word “inscrutable”!
I have a friend in California saying she can’t find any ‘soft embroidery cotton’ for padding in America, and is consequently buying from Australia. Where do you get yours, may I ask?
Oh – and lovely! And so quick! Wanna do a portrait of one of mine?
What a wonderful present! This would look good on a comfy cushion, don’t you think?
That is an adorable cushion! I showed the picture to my husband and even he liked it. (Probably because the cat looks like his cat…) 😛