Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Black Cat Crossing-Day 4

Welcome!  My name is Brandy and I'm so happy you've stopped by to visit.  I was really looking forward to the day when Mdm Samm announced this year's Wicked hop so I could join, because it marks the one year anniversary of my being a part of the blog hops!  I love participating, I find I accomplish more projects and pushed myself further creatively than I would have without the "gentle push" from the ladies who organize these hops.  So thank you very much Mdm Samm and Wendy for allowing me to participate again this year.  And thank you to Maywood Studio for bringing Black Cat Crossing into our lives, I LOVE this line of fabric.  And I have really enjoyed seeing what the other participants have created with this line as inspiration.
 
 
 
I was immediately struck with the idea of a cat crossing my piece, whatever it decided to evolve into, when I first heard the name of the fabric line.  It started out a bit larger than it ended up, but that's how it goes sometimes.
 
When I saw the fabrics in the Black Cat Crossing line I was so happy to see the richness of the colors used.  And then I realized I had a smallish budget to work with, so ordering online was out of the question and neither quilt shop in town nearby carried the line.  And then it happened!  John allowed me to drag him to 9 different quilt shops on a 315 mile trip in one day and one of the shops we went to had the ENTIRE line!  The shop is in Prosser, WA and called The Sewing Basket and oh my lord, that lady has everything.  I've never seen a shop like hers, I loved it!  It's totally worth the hour and a half drive from our house.  Here's a picture of John in the middle of the room full of Halloween fabric, he's deciding which one I'm allowed to use for my project.
 
 
My design has a cat crossing a fence on a dark night while branches are reaching for him.
 
I used this project as another opportunity for practicing my free motion quilting (FMQ) and used a double layer of batting to help the cat and branches stand out a bit more.  We decided the FMQ looks like fog.  You can see here the fabric that we ended up choosing.  Although I may be going back for some of that orange and black harlequin...
 
And here's the finished piece!  We now are the proud owners of a wicked wall hanging.  :)
John and I went to Pioneer Park to get some photos:
 

Isn't the fence fabric fantastic?  When John saw it he said, "that's fencing material right there".  I discovered something veeerrrryyyyy interesting about this fabric when I was cutting it up:
 
It seems that the devil is in the details on this one!
 

 
This has been fun, please be sure to visit the other ladies I'm sharing my day with:
 
Thursday, October 23
 
 
I hope you all have a safe and Happy Halloween!
~Brandy

93 comments:

Amy said...

That is one sleek looking kitty. Very cool! Isn't it sew much fun shopping for material with hubby? Mine goes with me quite often. The devil inside your fence is a little spooky.

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Love your concept of design and very well mastered.

Soma @ inkTorrents.com said...

Beautiful mini! The black cat looks fantastic and the fence fabric is perfect indeed!

-Soma

Judy B said...

What a great looking cat and the fence is way cool! Your quilting and use of double batting makes the cat, branches and fence pop! Thank you for sharing.

Farm Quilter said...

WOW!! Everything about your wall hanging is just perfect!!! That fence material is marvelous and your cat so cute sneaking along the top of it. The way you quilted the whole thing is fabulous!!! Love the branches and the fog...purrfectly wicked for Halloween!!!

Lovelli Quilts said...

The devil is on your quilt!! lol. It is a beautiful quilt and beautiful free motion quilting. I love your choice in fabrics. Your husband is a keeper.

Christine M said...

Great quilt, Brandy. What a wonderful husband taking you to all those shops!

Anita said...

That black cat or yours is on a real hunting trip, I think he already saw his prey.
I love your quilt!

Jane's Quilting said...

Oh, I lIke this a lot! Yes, great fabric choines, it was perfect for a fence.

Shannon Meyer said...

This quilt is fantastic!! Love, love, love it:)

Needled Mom said...

That is wonderful. Love that fabric for the fence.

Britt-Inger said...

Oh the cat running over the fences is so awesome. Thanks for sharing your creativity.

Nana B said...

It is sew nice that your husband enjoys being part of your sewing adventures. I like the way you made branches from the quilting.

Thearica said...

I love your quilt! and the FMQ is excellent! Great job!

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

I love this wall hanging. How creative!

Shari said...

That cat is fabulous. What an incredible quilting job...surely made it come to life!

Debby said...

Love the quilt. The cat is so sleek and looks like he is just sneaking across those fence post. Maybe he is after a ghoul.

Marian said...

Love Love Love the black cat, it does look really sleek. Congrats on your anniversary as well. :)

charlotte said...

Wonderful job on this quilt. I even love the look of the back of the quilt. You free motion quilting really shines on this. Great fabric selections too.

Dorian said...

Cute quilt! an wonderful job on your fmqing.

Elizabeth Coughlin said...

Such a creative piece! The fence material is certainly spooky on its own lol, and it works so well for your project.

Vickie said...

Yes Mam...that fabric is very eerie, is it part of the black cat crossing collection ? Your design is very good !

Carol Swift said...

Your black cat looks so spooky crossing that fence and your quilting is just the perfect finishing touch. Love it!

Marjorie's Busy Corner said...

well, I don't think you need practice!!! I love it

Jeanie said...

What a beautiful quilt! Your stunning quilting lines really make this quilt stand out. I love that you took a road trip to track down the fabric line.... that's dedication!

krislovesfabric said...

Your wallhanging is a beauty and that fence fabric is sooo creepy :)

Linda said...

What a sweet husband to take you around to all those shops! Your finished quilt is so much fun! Great job!

Doris Rice, The Quilting Queen said...

This is my one year anniversary with the blog hops too! Happy Anniversary. The wallhanging is great. John is right. that's fence fabric right there. He's a keeper to take you to all those shops!

Sandra said...

Your quilt looks fantastic.

tink's mom said...

You did a wonderful job capturing the cat in motion on a dark and windy night. Great job.

Ellsie320 said...

That quilt really tells a story. Nice job!

Connie Kresin Campbell said...

What a stunning quilt! Sounds like you had a wonderful time visiting quilt shops too!

Sparky said...

ohhh Brandy, I love your cat crossing the fence..you did that soooooo well...and your choice of fabrics perfect for a moonlight evening....wicked at its best

Lynette said...

Oh, that's really neat. Love the branches overhead in the quilting work. Sounds like a super-fantastic date with your hubby to go road-tripping like that!

The Slow Quilter said...

OMG!!! Your quilting is wonderful, the cat crossing the fince is so dramatic, I just love it. Good Job.

BarbCarol said...

A very wicked kitty! Quilting on thick batting was a very clever way to create dimensionality in the tree branches. Good job.

Mary said...

What a great kitty. You did well on his walk across the fence. Great job!

Kathy H said...

Wonderful quilt and your quilting is a great addition to your design.

Lana said...

What a GREAT QUILT IDEA!!!! I LOVE IT! You did a FANTASTIC job on this challenge!!!!

sew.darn.quilt said...

Black Cat Purrfection! It's wickedly spooky;)

Tu-Na Quilts said...

Purrfectly eerie fence material.

cucki said...

This quilt is so lovely...
Love, love, love it:)
hugs cucki xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Heleen Groot said...

Very spooky! It looks amazing. Absolute spookiness. Thank you for sharing.

Patricia said...

Awesome, you can see him slowly walking the fence!

Julie S said...

I think this is my favorite quilt in the blog hop. A brilliant idea, executed beautifully!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful job! I love your free motion quilting and your wonderful black cat.

Mary Ann said...

What a purrfectly wicked little quilt. Great color choices. You did great quilting in the background to complete the scene. Tell hubby he did good on the fence fabric. :)

Calicojoan said...

OMG...this is just fabulous! First off, you have a keeper if John is willing to go to quilt shops with you. My hubs went 1 time...stepped in and said this is a quilt shop, and went back to the car! LOL!! Congrats to your 1 year blog hopping! Your talents know no end. Can't wait to see more! :-)

Bonnie said...

Love your cat quilt. The quilting is amazing. You have a wonderful husband like I do. Mine will go shopping with me too, but he also does all of my cutting for me. Happy Halloween

Cheryl said...

Awesome work just Awesome!

Createology said...

Kudos to you and John for doing sew much homework, road warrior trip and design to accomplish this Wickedly Wonderful Black Cat Crossing wall hanging. Thank you sew very much for participating and hopping. Creative Black Cat Crossing Bliss...

Nancy said...

Fantastic Job Brandi, and very captivating piece of Art!! Absolutely Love every detail and all the work you put into it!! Where about in WA are you? Thanks for sharing this incredible piece with us!!
Huggs, Nancy

Anonymous said...

Very cleverly and well done.

Joyce Carter said...

Great job on your "spooky" quilt, Brandi. I really love it. (Take care of that man. He's a keeper)

Apple Avenue Quilts said...

Great project. Love your fabric choices!

Joanne said...

This is wonderful and your FMQ turned out awesome! I'm so glad you found a shop like that. It is worth the trip, isn't t? Thanks for sharing your creation with us today.

LJ said...

Brandy, this is fabsolutely fantastic! You are not only a quilter but a designer and an artist. The cat looks like he could jump off the fence at any time, the branches are ready to swish in the wind, and the fence...well, you need John to come along on all your shopping excursions!

Lisa in Port Hope said...

Amazing design! So nice you were able to support a bricks and mortar shop too

Mary said...

I'm so glad that DH took you to visit that shop! Some people were overwhelmed by her hoarding. The back room is the best. Did you notice the floor? She does know her stuff, if you call asking about a fabric line she knows if she has it! I wondered how everyone got their fabric for this hop. The kitty is very sneaky up there on that fence! Can't wait to see it in person.

Janarama said...

Love the design and the quilting! Awesome mini quilt.

OhioLori said...

Love the Quilt!! Awesome job!! The fence is cooll...& lil' scary huh? Yipes!

Heidi [Banks of Frog Creek] said...

Wonderful quilting!

allthingzsewn said...

Very nice Brandi. That goes for your husband too, no way would mine go that many mile to a fabric shop. Your (FMG) looks great with this quilt

Kwilt Krazy said...

It's nice to have a great hubby like that. Mine is also very encouraging and helps with measurements. I hate math LOL. What a wonderful job on the quilting. I really like how you stitched that branch. Great idea! I do see the devil in the fence. Awesome job!

Quilt Doodle Designs said...

Love your black cat, so beautifully done!

StitchinByTheLake said...

That cat is just wonderful and I love the way the quilting forms the branches coming down.....perfect piece for this hop and for the holiday! blessings, marlene

Quilting Tangent said...

Great realistic quilt.

Katherine said...

You did a fantastic job on this quilt. Love how your captured the beauty of a stalking cat and the mood you created by combining awesome fabrics and great quilting... you really made it special. Wow.

Kat said...

Beautiful cat.

JuliaP said...

Lovely wall quilt and fabulous free motion quilting!! Thanks for sharing.

Siouxzq64@gmail.com said...

Gorgeous quilt and love your quilting.

evelyn said...

What a great job. Love how the quilting adds to it. Those branches came out perfect. Hubby has a great eye-that is surely great fence fabric.

Patty said...

quilting is really makes the quilt! nice job

Kathy @ Kwilty Pleasures said...

Great cat in the crossing!

Carla said...

Your cat is awesome, Brandy. I love that your hubby got involved with the fabric selection and was a trooper on that long quilt shop hop. Love the tree limbs quilted into the design. Very NICE!!

Marcy said...

Wow. You created a real masterpiece. The colors and fabrics are amazing.

Lydsfire said...

Great cat! :)

Michelle said...

Great work, love the cat.

Gmama Jane said...

yOUR CAT TURNED OUT FANTASTIC....VERY SPOOKY!! Your fence fabric was perfect..good eye Mr. Pampered Pettit!! Your quilt looks more like a piece of art. Glad that you and the Mr. got to spend time together. He is a winner in my book for going with you. If he holds your purse while you shop he deserves a jewel in his crown!!
Blessings
Gmama Jane

gpc said...

What a great quilt! Love that cat! :)

Charlene McCain said...

Great quilt! Love the way the cat is stalking on the fence posts. Your quilting is stunning!

Leah said...

Your quilting is fabulous! Love the tree branches, and yes, that is the perfect fabric for the fence. Great job!

carla said...

Hi!!!! Beautiful!!!!! Love it all!!!!!

Anita said...

Fabulous quilt! The fence fabric is perfect!

Renee said...

Oh, wow! I have seen so many amazing treasures throughout this blog hop, I doubted I could choose a favorite. I love trees worked into quilts an embroidery. Picket fences are also amazing. The combination of both with your black cat is wonderful! I love it!

Michele said...

Oh wow is right. I really like how it turned out.

Mary Ann said...

Lovely! I need to keep practicing my fmq

Anonymous said...

Ohhh, your quilt is so gorgeous, fantastic! This could me my Diva, the lady black cat I have.... She loves to jump over fences..... Great work!

The Thimblemouse of Country Crossroads said...

Brandy that is one awesome quilt!!!!

Anonymous said...

You have a great hubby! Mine would not have been so supportive as 1 quilt shop would have been his limit! Love your artistry!

Teatime Creations said...

I just looked out the door and saw a cat slinking across my yard. Looks exactly like the one you created. Perfect fence and the quilting add so much. Very spooky and wonderful project.

Quilt n Queen said...

The black cat crossing the fence is fantastic!! The night sky is errie ... the wall hanging is spooktacular!! Awesome fabric choices!! Thanks for the inspiration...happy stitching!!

Rhonda R said...

Fabulous job on creating texture with your quilting. I love this quilt, but then I have a sleek black cat that could have been your model. :)