I'm referencing back to a previous post: Fabric Images with Susan Carlson - you can view it here. The personality of our office Barn Cat was one that many have called "unforgettable" and "one-of-a-kind". In fact, he was so much my shadow that one delivery guy said "I love how your dog follows you around and talks to you, like, everywhere you go!" Our Veterinarian called him a "dog-cat" - where his endearing and unique behaviors were dog-like.
He follows her around the vineyard
And every place she goes
Those two are inseparable
As everybody knows
I believe the dog-cat is the most exceptional kind of cat to know. This feline was my office-mate and special friend. Whether I was in the vineyard, in the flower garden, on the construction site or in the office, he was always by my side. With an unmistakably loud meow when he couldn't find me, or, talking in his normal (loud) voice, we always knew where he was.
The construction workers all know him now
He talks loudly when they are near
And, if he can't see or find his Esther
He yowls until she appears
As I continued my search for background fabric - wood planks to mimic a barn - I spent weekends cutting out narrow strips to place behind my 20"x30" fabric image. Then, as you now know, our house was lost to a wildfire. My fabric art and accompanying fabric pallet stash was not in a red go-bag.
All was lost in the fire
Their love for each other grew
They promised to work together to rebuild
With tiny milestones and a vision for the new
Both my husband and I relied on pet therapy to get us through the bumps in the road. Recently, I pulled out a photo of our furry feline friend. From the last photo I took of my fabric art, I've edited out the pin heads holding swatches in position. I plan to print the edited image on fabric and complete the project. Here is the edited art:
Progress was nearly complete when I began piecing the vertical wood planks. The sequence of photos has been lost. I will spend some time cutting out new slivers of fabric for the fur, and will revive a new background to honor our sweet kitty.
They both get something from each other
It helps to make them both whole
We all need a furry partner like this
To heal our unsettled soul
The orange text sections, shown above, represent stanzas from a poem we've crafted together about the love of a cat. The remaining section has been difficult to write as we lost him during the rebuild. Perhaps the renewed, artistic fabric image could be a sequel to our uplifting poem. The writing of the 'short lines that rhyme' has become another healing project.
"The idea of calm exists in a sitting cat." ~Jules Renard
Please share what creative project you have worked on in remembrance of a special pet.
Thank you for stopping by.
XOXOX
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