First Christmas Reveal! Cat Love!

This is the beginning of a series of Christmas gift reveals!  I made this quilt for my trainer and friend Gina!    She is one amazing woman!  Go back a few years and I was suffering from two bad hips, excess weight and overall lethargy.  Enter Gina who inspired me with her upbeat attitude and practical approach to improving my fitness given my crazy life as a working mom.  I can't believe how much better I feel even as I am getting chronologically older!  My hero!

But I digress...so the quilt!  Gina and her husband are cat people (they rescued an adorable little kitty Tobey...amazing people, right?).  So, I wanted to make them a cat themed quilt.  I found this pattern from April Rosenthal entitled Positively Perfect and I thought "perfect pattern for my perfectly positive pal!"  (I don't speak in alliterations for just anyone!)  The challenge with this quilt was the absence of any fabric stash, let alone CAT fabric!  I know, major league rookie issues!  That gave my husband and I a challenge as we visited fabric stores across the Northeast this summer (just ask my husband, he will confirm that we hit almost.every.one!) to find a good mix of cat themed fabric!  The result:

I found the fabric on the back in the discount bin at my LQS; it is called Cat Amore!  So cute!  I sewed lots of (almost) straight lines in the center of the quilt and had fun with FMQ'ing loops in the borders.  I hope Gina, Bryan and Tobey have lots of snuggling time with this little lap quilt!

So, I am taking advantage of Freshly Pieced WIP Wednesday to share this first, of several, Christmas gift posts!  Stay tuned...there are a few more to follow!

PS  As I am seriously addicted to spending time with my sewing machine, I have self-imposed rules about trying to do a little exercise before I get cozy in the sewing room.  How do you manage the magnetic pull that comes from the sewing space and keeps you from doing anything else???