[.ca] Cats on Quilts (ISBN 0810957256)

Wonderful creativity on show:
Having decided from the beginning that each quilt should have a cat on it somewhere, I ordered this book to see examples of how people in the past have represented cats on quilts. The liveliness of representation of cats is quite amazing, with many of the quilts managing to capture the way a cat looks and behaves - no mean feat, you only have to look at available cat fabrics to see how rare this is. This is a small book, with each page containing detail from one quilt and I'd recommend it strongly to anyone interested in seeing in close-up detail how cats have been pictured on old quilts. I think it's a wonderful book.

Smart, funny & beautiful:
This is a FANTASTIC book. The quilts that the author chose to include are unique, one-of-a-kind pieces and often display a wonderful sense of humor. (Take, for instance, the quilt which features blocks with the head and front paws of a kitty, and the disappearing hind end of a mouse escaping from the kitty.) The excerpts from different writings about cats are understated and thoughtful, and the author provides a great mini-history of textiles in America. This book moved me into high gear in my own quilting and is an ongoing source of keen pleasure. If you don't quilt, if you just like cats, you'll love the book because of its folk-art depictions of cats; if you like cats AND quilting, this book will make you feel like someone let you loose in the catnip patch.

For lovers of both cats and quilts:
This sweet book would make a nice gift - it is full of whimsical and unusual examples of cat motifs on American country quilts. Many cat-related books are a bit saccharine for my taste but this is a refreshing and delightful change of pace