Friday, May 7, 2021

Greybird

 About a month ago, my good friend Liz had to say goodbye to her beloved cat, Greybird. She was 15 years old, a good age for a kitty, but still... I knew I wanted to make her a little something to show my sympathy and empathy for what she was going through. I had originally thought of a mug rug, maybe a mini cat with the Snail's Trail block tail.

That's not a cat, I know! And it's not a mug rug either, if you look at the size of it compared to the thread! As with many projects, things have a way of just flowing along in the way they mean to; I just have to listen, and then follow.

Greybird was found as a very young kitty wandering the dock at Leamington. Liz actually got her from Kittenaide, which is the rescue I sew kitty mats for.😻She was one smart cat! She would carry on conversations with Liz, and she really enjoyed yoga, and was quite taken with Bella (who isn't, Bella thinks).


I am not sure how, but maybe when I was looking in my files in my hard drive or bookmarks on my laptop of 'Things I NEED to Make' or 'Cushions' or something, I came across this sweet heart pillow tutorial designed by Minki Kim at We All Sew, which is Bernina's blog. I have wanted to make it for some time, so why not make one for Liz? Animals give us such unconditional love; it just takes one's breath away, their devotion, their trust. Hearts symbolize all of this. I wanted to make it in turquoise though, not pink. I'm not sure exactly why, though it is my favourite colour, not sure about Liz's. However, she lives right on the Detroit River, at the point where it opens out into Lake Erie, so water colours are perfect, as well as calming.

I used Aurifil floss to do the running stitch outline. It felt good to do some had embroidery again, and it adds a nice touch to the simple design.

I hit upon the idea to put some cat fabric on the back while I was making the front. I could picture one piece in my stash in my mind's eye, originally bought for a cat mat that I was pretty sure would work. I could not find it, although I did find a super-cute dog one, and then I found this much-loved piece I'd bought from either Fat Quarter Shop or Connecting Threads. I knew this was THE ONE.


And it was perfect, or should I say purrr-fect. The subtle grey in the backing is a nod to beautiful Greybird's luxurious grey fur. The background I used on the front of the cushion is Toscana by Northcott, a subtle grey mottled fabric. I hope to surprise her with it this weekend, an essential reason to leave the house, imho, to offer some comfort and love to a dear friend.


Quilt Stats:
Pattern:  Heart Pillow by Minky Kim for Bernina (link above)
Size:  18.5 x 18.5"
Fabric: scraps and stash; background is Toscana by Northcott
Backing:  The Highlands by Violet Craft for Michael Miller Fabrics
Batting: Warm & Natural 100% cotton
Quilted: on my Bernina
Threads: pieced with Aurifil; quilted with Aurifil 50 wt 2843; topstitched binding with Aurifil 40 wt 1148; embroidery with Aurifil embroidery floss 1148

Meadow Mist Designs for favourite finish

22 comments:

  1. Oh, what a sweet gesture. I'm sure your friend will love it! It's beautiful. Thanks for linking up to TGIFF.

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  2. That backing fabric is perfection and it almost appears like you chose it first; I love it when things are so clearly meant to be! Loosing a pet is so hard (I was just looking at photos of my boy Puppy the Cat last night), and I'm sure your friend will appreciate your love and care through this pillow so much.

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  3. That's so pretty, Sandra, and a lovely gift for your friend! I love a simple design like that, and the fun surprise of the backing, too!

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  4. What a thoughtful gift, Sandra. I feel certain that Liz will LOVE it!!

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  5. What a lovely thought & our animals can mean so much and leave one big hole when gone. I do like the strippy heart. Take care & hugs.

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  6. So pretty, a gorgeous gift made to give comfort on the loss of a much loved pet.

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  7. So very nice and all the fabric is just right. I love the touch of hand quilting and I hope you have a good visit with your friend. She is sure to love this too.

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  8. Such a pretty piece and will be a wonderful thoughtful gift. Have a lovely weekend.

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  9. Such a sweet gift for your friend... she'll be so pleased xx

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  10. A beautiful piece! The backing was meant to be as you said a purrfect fit. I love it!

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  11. What a sweet and thoughtful gesture. I think the simple running stitch around the heart adds a great impact.

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  12. You found the perfect backing while looking for the other perfect backing :-) I love that! This is just so good, Sandra - what a kind and caring gesture for your friend. I'm sure she will love it.

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  13. Sweet. Perfect color, perfect backing. Yes, a very kind gesture, indeed.

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  14. Hi Sandra. Its a lovely pillow - the colours are wonderful, and the backing is purr-fect. It's so hard to lose a pet - we have talked about this before. For those out there, I do realize it isn't a child, but to some of us, it leaves a big hole in our heart - they're dependent on us, and give us unconditional love. Such a nice thing to do, just what the doctor ordered when we are still so restricted.

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  15. There you go again, reaching out to touch someone with a handmade treasure in their hour of need. The world needs more people like you. A simple heart but it will mean so much to your friend.
    Pat

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  16. Hi Sandra! What a great nod and memorial to Greybird. Surely it will be a bit of a balm for your friend's heart that is hurting. While it won't carry on a conversation with her it will offer a good hug and it's sew with lots of love and thoughtfulness. {{Hugs}} You're a good egg! ~smile~ Roseanne P.S. We just finished the first two rows of Follow. Woot woot!

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  17. This is lovely and a great tribute to Greybird. Like everything, you find a way to put so much meaning into it! I was thinking of you today, as I did my last two sets of arrows. Now to check out where I really am supposed to be on the schedule!

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  18. Well done. That's a great pattern. She's sure to love it.

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  19. I love the hand quilting detail. It really add to the pattern.

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  20. Oh what a sweet gesture - I am sure it will be loved and cherished. You are so kind

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  21. What a perfect way to show a friend some love.

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  22. What a great project even without all the story. The story just makes it better. It definitely looks purr-feat to me.

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