We’ve looked at rainbow quilts and novelty quilts, but here is my absolute favorite specialty quilt category – kitty quilts!
I love cats. I currently have two sweet furbabies, Cookie & Honey. They sometimes like to inspect my machines, test the gravity near my sewing table, and snuggle up while I cut fabric. They say that cats are like potato chips – you can’t have just one. I am of the opinion that cat quilt patterns are also that way. I have a collection…and I want to share some of my favorites (made and not yet made).
Trouble & Boo patterns – I discovered these niche applique mini quilt patterns while scrolling Etsy, and before long, I was hooked. They are so cute – most of them feature a grumpy black cat (who reminds me of a special black cat named Winston my family had). There are some other kitties as well, and a few dogs if you are a dog person. The cats, though, have that gloriously snarky “Cattitude” that you can’t help but be amused by.
This is just a sampling of the ones I have made, and I have quite a few more on my to-do list.
While applique and mini quilts are fun, there other style of applique such as Laura Heine’s “Purrfect” collage pattern. I also have a full-size “Fabulous Greek Felines” quilt in the pile for someday.
If you are looking for more traditional piecing projects, check out Pammie Jane’s patterns. “Big Zig” is especially cute and one of the largest scale quilted cats I have seen. She also has a book called Purr-fect Patchwork as well as several really cute fabric lines and more individual quilt patterns. I love all of them – lots of big kitty personality going on in her designs!
Elizabeth Hartman’s patterns are known for colorful pieced animal designs, and her cat patterns do not disappoint. While I still have not made The Kittens, I have completed Cats in Space and Cats in Pajamas. I even taught Cats in Pajamas as a class at Cary Quilting.
VillaRosa, the patterns on the postcards, has a couple of cat quilts. I made a batik version of Cat City as a wall hanging for my mom. I still have Cat Walk and Color Cat in the to-be-sewn category.
I haven’t yet made the “Mama and Her Kitten” quilt by Thangles, but it looks like a great pattern for fun colors.
I am a big fan of Sew Fresh quilts and have purchased a number of their patterns. They have some really fun cat quilts including one with cats in those odd poses they do while self-grooming, cats and books, cats lounging on chairs, cats in boxes, and some other really cute and unique designs.
There is a pattern by QT fabrics called Meow Meow – super cute! I haven’t made it yet, but it could be a fun way to show case pretty fabric.
Missouri Star has several cute cat quilt patterns – including the colorful Itty Bitty Kitty Committee and Pins and Paws. They even have a variation on the bookshelf quilt with a cat.
In 2023, I freestyled a quilt as a challenge piece with some fabric that had lettering. I used it to share a quote about cats that I love. I also recently finished the Cats Play quilt, a mini wall hanging.
My current quilt project is House Cat (by Eye Candy Quilts). I cut all of fabric for the blocks from a Guicy Guice fat quarter bundle. I’m going to try making it as quilt as you go blocks. I’ll share progress once I get a block or two made.
I’m pretty sure there are some more cat quilt patterns in my collection, but these are my favorites that I have shared with you. If you have a favorite kitty quilt pattern, I would love to know about it!
Enchanted Pines Sewing 