I do love cats and have many canvases of them. Over the years I have collected and stitched several of the Winnetka Christmas trees in this style. I have them finished as stand-ups (you can see one of them here). I like them because the trees are all similar in size and structure, so they look nice as a group. Their decorations are varied enough that they don’t look too uniform.
The cat tree pictured above is my current project. If you look at the cats, you will see that some are strange colors, including purple and blue. I thought about stitching them as they are painted, but then I realized that there are bluish and purplish colors of cats. As a result all of my cats will be stitched in wool, using realistic colors.
Here’s how the breeds break down from top to bottom: seal point Siamese, grey Persian, orange tabby (ginger tom), lilac point Siamese, Havana Brown, black Domestic Shorthair (i.e. alley cat), white Angora (long-hair), brown tabby (tan cat, don’t want to repeat Siamese), Russian Blue (not a Siamese). Being cats, they will be stitched in wool.
The tree is also being stitched in wool, Gloriana’s Lorikeet. I will be using metallic for their eyes and tags. The collars will be in stash threads in assorted colors.
That will make it interesting but because everything is in Tent using wool, it will be a bit too uniform. I’m left wondering how to spiff it up.
My first thought was to substitute brass stars for the silver balls, but then I realized several of these are against the background so stitching under them will be a problem because I haven’t picked a background stitch. I decided to use brads and found silver 8mm ones that are the exact size.
While looking for these I found some wonderful starburst brads and got one for the tree topper. In this context they will give the tree a bit of a mid-Century Mod style, like those starburst clocks from the 50’s.
The tree is without a garland but has holly leaves scattered throughout. They are small, so giving them definition in stitching might be tricky. Instead I’m going to go with small buttons, probably from Just Another Button Company.
In two weeks the blog stitching post will show my progress. Next week on Tuesday we’ll have a patch of Yoshigire.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
That is so charming. But you would laugh if I told you the first thing that popped into my head when I read
“needlepoint cat tree.” ;->
Hi Janet.
I like this design so much 😉
Can I buy this chart? If possible…
I am from Russia, and I can pay via Paypal.
Thanks.
This is not a chart, it’s a painted needlepoint canvas by Winnetka Stitchery. It can be purchased through needlepoint stores.
Keep Stitching,
Janet