Cozy Catz Quilt Along

If you know a cat lover, I hope you'll quilt along with me this year to make Cozy Catz (cats on quilted cushions).  These can be made in holiday colors or favorite colors.  There will be at least 6 different Cozy Catz blocks.  Hope you will join me!  Let me know if you complete a block so I can feature it in a future Cozy Catz Post!

Valentine Cozy Cat is the first block.

Block is 14 1/4 x 16 1/2 Tutorial is below

Christmas Cozy Kitten is Block Two of the series

Tutorial is here.

Valentine Cozy Cat Cutting Instructions

Cut the following pieces:
From cat fabric
Ears 2 7/8" square, cut in half diagonally
Face 5 1/2" square
Lower body 2 1/2 x 6 1/2"
Tail 2 1/2 x 3 1/2"
Haunch 3 1/2 x 8 1/2"
Right neck piece 1 1/2" square
(2) 2" squares for half square triangles for upper heart
3 7/8" square cut diagonally to border the lower heart

From background
Left upper border 3 1/2 x 11 1/2"
Left lower border 3 1/2 x 1 1/2" not shown
Right lower border  2 1/2 x 8 1/2"
Upper right background 6 1/2" square
Tail rounding pieces 1 7/8" squ. and 2 7/8" square.  Cut each square diagonally once (need only one of each size triangle)
Back of ears 2 1/2 x 5 1/2"
To round the haunch 3 7/8" square cut diagonally once (need only one triangle)
Left and right cushion border 2 1/2" squares (2) (not shown)
Four 1" squares to round the cushion (not shown)

Heart block.  

(5) 2" red squares (2 for HSTs and 3 cut diagonally -- see picture below)

1 1/2 x 6" strips of reds,

Constructing the heart block  (there are some instuctions on the cutting diagram above or use the following instructions)

Sew 2 sets of the 1 1/2" strips together, leaving one alone.

Make 4 half square triangles (HSTs) by drawing a diagonal line along the 2 red 2" squares.  Place a red and white square with right sides together and sew 1/4" to each side of the diagonal line. 

Cut the squares apart and then cut along the diagonal lines.

Press open and square up as shown, placing your ruler's 45 degree line along the diagonal seam and trimming each side until you have a 1 1/2" HST

Now you can lay out your pieces to make your heart (disregard the extra HSTs (you only need 4).  Cut the remaining 2" red squares diagonally to get 6 more red triangles.

Lay out pieces for heart as shown here and sew all pieces together as shown in the following photos.  

 Press heart block and square up to 6 1/2".

 Pinwheels  (For the cushion)
Cut six 3" squares of two fabrics each for each pinwheel

Place 3" squares together and sew around the perimeter.  Cut each diagonally twice.

 Press open half square triangle (HST) and square up to 1 1/2". Then sew together as shown to make the pinwheels

Sew 6 pinwheels together to make the cushion.  Round the 4 outside corners by placing a 1" square on each corner and sewing along the diagonal line.

Ears
Take 2 1/2 x 5 1/2" background piece and lay triangles (cut from 2 7/8" cat fabric square that was cut diagonally to form 2 triangles) as shown.

Lay triangles onto background as shown so points extend over edge about 1/4".  

Sew 1/4" seam

Press open as shown.  Trim to 2 1/2 x 5 1/2"

Haunch Section
Place background triangle (from 3 7/8" square) on 3 1/2 x 8 1/2" cat haunch piece as shown.  (Note photo of background triangle is not accurate -- the triangle will be larger.)

Sew using 1/4" seam.  Trim, press open, square to 3 1/2" x 8 1/2"

Tail section

Place the 1 7/8" triangle on the tail piece as shown and sew 1/4" seam.  Trim and press open.

Repeat process with bigger triangle.  Trim, press open and squ. up to 2 1/2 x 3 1/2"

Sew sections in this order:
1.  Ears to head.
2.  Head section to right background.
3.  Heart section to bottom cat.
4.  Tail to left lower background.
5. Haunch to right lower background.
6.  Tail section to left upper background
7.  Sew the 3 colums together
8.  Side background pieces to cushion section and cushion section to completed cat section.

This picture doesn't show cushion rounded.  And the haunch is inaccurate.

Block would also be cute for pillow or wall hanging or come back soon for the instructions for the next Cozy Catz quilt block!