New Patterns

While I’m trying to work up patterns to have my artwork printed on usable products like gift wrap, art papers and possibly fabric, one other person is working up patterns of another type: counted cross-stitch!

When Michelle Elgersma, otherwise known as Dr. Michelle the veterinary acupuncturist who has provided acupuncture to my cats and others’, mentioned she could see some of my sketches as counted cross-stitch patterns, I could see what she meant and we discussed putting together a library of patterns that she could make up and sell. Great! I enjoy counted cross-stitch but haven’t done any for years. I was thinking more of my line art, the marker sketches or silhouettes and how nice they’d look on the corner of a napkin or towel, for instance.

Then she told me she’d started one, “Mewsette on the Afghan”. Below is the original sketch, which just passed is anniversary as the daily sketch for February 7, 2014, and of course I used it as my holiday season desktop calendar for December 2014.

Mewsette nearly blends in with the afghan.

I’ll admit, this took a little longer than the usual 15 minutes maximum. I’ve been holding off the sketches with this afghan just because I knew they’d be time-consuming for part of the charm is the detail of all the colors. Today I could not pass up pretty Mewsette quietly napping on the afghan, especially when she opened her big yellow eyes. I drew the basic sketch in black, then later filled in the colors with every marker I have in the house. This afghan is more muted than this sketch shows, but I like the bright colors too.

I love that old afghan. My mother crocheted it years ago from a 1944 pattern book out of scraps of wool yarn. Each granny square is made of four rows, each a different color, with one last row of black; when the squares are sewn together there are two rows of black between each color set which gives it this stained-glass effect.

I wanted to see what it would look like without the white edges, and I think I like it this way too.

I have done counted cross-stitch and had a hard time imagining why someone would choose possibly one of the most complicated drawings in my gallery! But here it is, and I think it looks wonderful. Her stitches are so perfect, and I love to see how she has taken the freehand lines and edges and interpreted them. She knows her way around needles for certain, and imagine her chops as a surgeon with all that detail! Here is a detail image of just Mewsette and the surrounding squares.

I wasn’t very diligent about removing the spare cat hairs, but what’s cat art without a few cat hairs embedded into it?

Michelle mentioned she might have chosen other colors after seeing how these turned out, and I laughed because I thought the same thing after I’d done the sketch. That’s what makes these things so much fun to make.

As far as patterns, it is complicated but versatile—in the thread working world whether cross-stitch or crochet or knit I’d call this a “stash buster” for sure, one of those patterns where you could use up all your odds and ends. You could use whatever colors you chose, or theme your colors in shades of blue for instance. And while black is part of the theme, you could also make the kitty white or gray or orange—or purple if you want.

Michelle actually has the pattern drawn up and we are working on presenting it in a way others can work with. I’ve taken a few of my own crochet patterns and created illustrated patterns from them, and we’ll do our best to calculate materials and such.

We are also discussing simpler patterns made from line art and silhouettes as well, and Michelle is researching colored or pattern fabrics to stitch on to finalize her own ideas of what they could look like.

And when we do sell this pattern and others a portion of the sale will be a donation. Details to come!

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Where to find this artwork

If you like “Mewsette on the Afghan” as a piece of artwork as well, I also offer her as a print or as a mousepad. You can find these items in my Etsy shop.

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Marketplace

Mewsette understands inspiration.

Take a look at other new merchandise and featured artwork.

Once a week on Thursday I feature something new in my “shop”, whether that’s here on The Creative Cat, in my Etsy shop, on my main website or even at one of the bricks and mortar shops that carry my work.

Read about creating custom items

Find out more about creating custom items for your own home using the images you see here. Visit the “Ordering Custom Art” page to see samples and read bout how to order.

Find out about events and festivals where you can find me and my work.

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It’s all done under the close and careful supervision of my studio cats!

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All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.

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© 2015 | www.TheCreativeCat.net | Published by Bernadette E. Kazmarski

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Weekly schedule of features:
Sunday: Essays, Pet Loss, Poetry, The Artist’s Life
Monday: Adoptable Cats, TNR & Shelters
Tuesday: Rescue Stories
Wednesday: Commissioned Portrait or Featured Artwork
Thursday: New Merchandise
Friday: Bok Review, Health and Welfare, Advocacy
Saturday: Your Backyard Wildlife Habitat, Living Green With Pets, Creating With Cats
And sometimes, I just throw my hands in the air and have fun!

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