2016 Pets on Quilts!!!

It's finally here!!!

One of my favorite parties all year long!

 - and I'm so excited to share my new love with all of you 

=^..^=

Many of you have already met Rocky through previous posts, but let me take a minute to introduce him to our new readers who are visiting today.

Rocky is so excited about being entered into the 2016 Pets on Quilts competition in the Cat on Quilt category!  After all, he just LOVES quilts!!!  When I told him we were going to enter him, he was quite shocked.  He had no idea that he was a beautiful cat or that other people would enjoy seeing him.  He's just a sweet, humble little guy, born in the rough and tumble (and dangerous!) mountains of North Carolina.  He was about 3 years old when I first saw him trembling in the snow on my mom's doorstep in April, fell in love with him on the spot, and brought him home to Nashville with me.

He had a home with lots of other cats, but he was small and gentle, so I think he got bullied by the older males and chose to spend his days outside, usually at my mom's house begging to be let in - but she couldn't because her cat Gus is a one-cat kinda guy.  Unfortunately for Rocky, "outside" was a pretty dangerous place to be - the families in the area had lost quite a few cats to the coyotes in recent months, and Rocky's mother and several siblings were among them.

I fell in love with his sweet fat cheeks at first glance!  I mean, just look at this face .... could you walk away from him and leave him to the coyotes?  Nope, me neither!!!  He took to me right away too, curling up in my arms and purring like a locomotive.  I was thrilled when his mom said I could bring him home with me.

First cuddle - I just love that dirty little nose!!!

Since moving in with us, Rocky has found that he is a true Quilter's Kitty!  He has found his calling!!!  He loves absolutely anything and everything to do with quilts!!!  The moment I walk into my studio, he is right there at my heels.  "What are we gonna do today, Mom?"  He's such a big help....

"Hmmm .... wonder if quilts taste as good as they cuddle ...."

He loves to sit on quilts .... this picture was taken his first night at our house - he headed straight for the first quilt he saw and made himself at home!  Needless to say, I was charmed =^..^=

The first quilt he claimed as "his" was Montego Bay.  I had made the strips for binding it and sat them near the quilt on my machine.  I stepped away for one minute to use the restroom before starting, and came back to this ...

He actually insisted on sitting on this quilt while I was binding it, just cuddled himself right in there and refused to budge.  I found I just couldn't say no - I mean, again, just look at that sweet face!!!  Can't you hear him begging, "aw please Mom!"  He rode that quilt all the way around as I sewed on the binding.  It was too funny!  I really should have made a video of it =^..^=

He also loves to Sleep on quilts .... one of his favorite things to do is nap on my Pineapple Blossom quilt in the studio while I am sewing  =^..^=  He never likes to be very far away from where I am in the house.

The next quilt he claimed was my Blooming Nine Patch.  I think he is especially attracted to the way the quilts feel between the sandwiching and quilting stages for some reason.

He was insistent on sitting on the quilt while I was working on it, but I just couldn't wrestle with free-motion quilting this big quilt with him on it!  The only way to keep him off of it was to cuddle him up on my flannel blue-and-white rag quilt - he was happy so long as he was on a quilt and right next to me!

When I had to set the quilt aside for a while to work on other projects, he made it his special spot - daring me to move him!  He tried to tell me he was just keeping an eye on it for me, but by then I was becoming wise to his addiction =^..^=

He especially enjoys helping me choose fabrics for "our" projects ...

"I don't think you need any of these Mom - I'll just keep them safe for you until you do...."

If there is fabric laying around in the studio, you can bet your bottom dollar that Rocky can be found laying on top of it!!!

"Here Mom, I think this is the one you want ..."



It can be exhausting work....

And the studio is a place of many diversions and exciting adventures!

King of the Hill!

And Hide-n-Seek!

Being a Quilting Kitty is a very demanding job with lots of roles to fill, but Rocky feels he is well up to the challenge!  He even tried to fill in for my machine when it went in for service LOL!!!

Now that's dedication!!!

So have you fallen in love with Rocky as much as we have?  If so, he would sure appreciate your vote for him in the Pets on Quilts contest - the Cat on Quilt category!  Maybe then he will believe me when I tell him what a beautiful and wonderful little boy he is!  Click - HERE - and vote for #2 - Rocky Quilter!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa & Rocky

=^..^=