Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Fabric Collage: "Forever in my Heart"

Hello friends! I hope that you are having a good week.

This past Saturday was a sad day for my neighbor and friend, Pam. Her sweet little cat, a grey tabby named "Monkey" did not recover from the cancer surgery that he had at the end of the year, and had to be put down. It was terribly hard for her, but us as well, since we used to feed Monkey when they were away, as they did for our cats when we were away.

We knew that he was not doing well, as he had stopped eating and drinking, but Saturday night, about 8:30 I noticed that Pam and her husband, Al, were out by their garage moving their car around with the headlights shining on the side of the driveway. Right after I noticed that, she sent me a text saying that Monkey had just crossed The Rainbow Bridge. So Mr. Perch and I put on our coats and went over there, where we stood and watched Al dig Monkey's grave, upon which Pam placed a little marker.

Mostly Monkey was an outdoor cat, so he would often pay us a visit while we were gardening or sitting on our front porch. He loved to hunt mice and voles and bring them to Pam as gifts. We choose to remember him that way. I was hard-hit by his death as we have two cats ourselves, and our little Ollie is a grey tabby just as Monkey was. Losing pets is so hard, but hopefully we will see them all again one day.

So I made Pam this little collage to honor Monkey, 
and to celebrate the joy he brought her.
Here it is hanging on Miss Grace,
my mannequin...


It's quite simple, actually.
The background fabric with the fringe
is from an old window valance 
that I came across while cleaning
out the attic.
It seemed to match the image so well...


Laces, brown velvet ribbon, 
a small tulle flower,
and some vintage buttons...


This most beautiful image, which is the nicest
I could find featuring a grey tabby cat,
is from Ireland Rose Nostalgia on Etsy, 
and you can find her here...


A little crystal heart dangles from
one of the buttons...


And some crinkled seam binding is tied in
a bow at the top...



I backed it with a pretty piece of
vintage ivory silk brocade.
I hope that Pam likes it as much as I liked 
Monkey.

Oh, and if there's anyone out there who is not
sure of what The Rainbow Bridge is,
click on this
for a beautiful version of it.
If you doubted that animals go to Heaven,
you won't anymore.
My daughter sent a similar version to me when
my Shih-Tzu passed,
and I sent this one to Pam.

**************************************
Today think about your family, friends and pets,
and feel joy that they are with you.


6 comments:

  1. Amazing work Sue! And I can feel all the love in which you made this~ She will be thrilled; no doubt. I love each snip of ribbon and lace; buttons and fabric. You coordinated the colors so beautifully~ Love the paisley type background fabric. I am so sure this will bless your friend immensely! Just look @ all the gorgeous layers and textures! Wonderful workmanship~ Hugs 2 U Karen O

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    1. Hi Karen. Thanks so much for your kind words. I gave it to her this morning and I think she liked it. She just sent me a text with a photo in her kitchen showing it hanging on the wall. I think it made her a little sad though. Have a great day! Hugs back!

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  2. I am so sorry to hear about the passing of a beloved pet! Such a beautiful piece to give to your sweet friend. Cherry

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    1. Thanks Cherry. And thanks so much for visiting me. I love your own blog and your beautiful creations! XO

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  3. Dear Sue, such a beautiful collage for your friend , to make her know you care, -the most lovely idea.
    Love the colors and fabrics you used , and the little heart,too. The image is wonderful, ....so sorry for all ,you lost the sweet visitor !!
    Dorthe, xx

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for your lovely comments, Dorthe. We will indeed miss the little guy. Hugs your way!

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