|
KITTEN IN THE CORNER is one of those designs that celebrates magnificently the great magic of patchwork, that is, its fascinating ability to transform into meaningful geometric abstractions. A very simple pattern, incredibly easy to piece. A real kitten though is lively, playful and ingenious and so there is a challenge here to come up with some sort of inventiveness that would fill in those same attributes. The 3D circles in the example upper right could stand in for many different colors of buttons, big and small, sewn onto the design. The other illustration on the left suggests imaginary ribbons appended to the block, since kittens love string and balls of yarn, etc. Notice Cabot's illustration also, indicating that something of interest needs to be pieced into the corners — not just because of the block name, but see below how strategic they are geometrically when the pattern is tiled!
KITTEN IN THE CORNER debuted in print in Nancy Cabot's quilt column in the Chicago Tribune, on June 25, 1934. The title is itself a play on a very old block name, called PUSS IN THE CORNER, which long ago was the name of a well-known "hide and go seek" type children's game.
Compare with PATIENCE CORNERS. And for more designs at this site where creatures reside in a certain place see:
DOVES IN THE WINDOW
SNAKE IN THE HOLLOW
BUTTERFLY IN THE GARDEN
TOAD IN A PUDDLE
BIRDS IN THE AIR
|
KITTEN IN THE CORNER
