Cats in Needlepoint

It’s no secret that I love cats, so I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite cat canvases. So consider todays’ entry a bit of enabling for all of you.

I’m starting with Naxos Cat by Elian McReady, which is a kit from Ehrman. The cat also comes in a kit with a green background and there is a companion, a long-haired striped cat. I’m working on this currently as a memory of my cat Wakko, who looked like this.

This is just one of many whimsical cat canvas from Quail Run which are designed by Nancy Coffelt. I just love the complex backgrounds, the bright colors, and the pointed shape of her cats. Many of them also have the greatest titles. This one is called “Because You’re Mine, I Walk the Line.”

OK, so it’s not strictly a cat, but I’ve been in love with “Feet” from The Red Thread Designs since I first saw it in the new edition of The Needlepoint Book. It’s on of Terry Enfield’s delightful designs of cats, which have that Oriental style which I love so much. I often think about why I love this canvas so much, not only do I love all the pattern in the kimono, but I love the sweet look about the cat, such a small creature who shares our lives so willingly. I think of this little dear as being a much loved part of these elegant ladies lives, a pretty bit of nature, who is still essentially a wild thing, but is with us willingly (read Kipling’s Just So Story, “The Cat who Walked by Himself” to get the idea).

I love Leigh Designs cats, which are available either as the whole cat or just as the face. They are so wonderfully complex, with such great colors and shapes — a real treasure for stitching. This one, Pepper, is my favorite — I love the bright red color.

I adore Dakota Rogers’ cats. They are charted needlepoint and explore blackwork, stitches, Bargello and patterns. There are many in her composers series which are tons of fun to stitch. My favorite is the simplest, Mozart, which is Florentine work and in one color. I stitched im in gray to look like my cat Astro.

ABS Designs has this delightful cat sock in their line. I have it on my desk ready to stitch. You can personalize it with the name of your cat. I’m thinking about making the kitty long-haired and black.

As I write this I keep thinking of more great cat designs. So go searching, make a cat needlepoint. Now I’m going off to stitch on the Naxos Cat for a bit.

A couple of hints to finish up. If your cat is a solid color, it’s easy to change the color of the fur to match your cat, just try to go darker rather than lighter. If you’re cat is striped, start with a canvas of a striped cat and change the colors.

If like me, you tend to own black cats, then you’ve got a wonderful source of cats in Halloween designs. As long as the cate doesn’t look too scary, you can change the colors
around it. For years I collected black cat ornaments.