Crazy quilt cats and a fabric-inspired block

These are the cats that inspired my attempt at making my own. I believe these were made from a vintage crazy quilt, and a particularly lovely one. Perhaps it was too damaged in some areas to be displayed as a quilt, and this is certainly a good alternative to have the good parts still be enjoyable. They sold on Ebay for $81 for the pair.

The first of my pair is done. This one is sitting up, but the other will be lying down like the two on Ebay. I had it almost together; stuffed and with the bottom panel pinned on, but it just didn't look or feel right to me. It was too fat and too floppy at the same time. To make it less floppy would require more fiber fill, and that would make it more fat, so I was in a quandry. I let it set for a few days where I could see it, and finally decided (in the middle of the night) that it needed some stiff interfacing to help it keep its shape. I took the bottom panel off, unstuffed it, turned it wrong side out again, and stitched some heavy-duty interfacing on the back side. Then I turned it again, stuffed it again, and it still stands up, but it has a flatter CQ side, which shows off the stitching better, in my opinion. And unlike the cats on Ebay, it is free-standing.

This is a block that I felt like piecing just because of that salmon colored moire taffeta (oh, how I love moire taffeta!) in the upper right side. My trunk that I keep my CQ fancy fabrics in is so full it won't close, and that fabric is a recent purchase (from Salvation Army) so it was on the top, whispering to me, "use me in something...anything!" I was compelled to go through the trunk and pull fabrics to go with the salmon. I also worked in the crocheted edge of a damaged doily. It was ripped in two spots, and by cutting it at those points, I was able to use both pieces in this block. I absolutely love using someone else's previously made and discarded art in my CQing. That's recycling at its finest!