Cat + Koi #2

Cat + Koi #1 had a warm, playful feel to it, made up in Rose and gold tones. For #2, I wanted something mysterious, dark, a bit edgy, perhaps even foreboding?

The deep tones in the middle panel suggest twilight, with the geese flying to their roosts and a bit of fading sun illuminating the lilies. A lovely tableau.

The next panel set of Koi in deep midnight tones is dark and dreamy. Small, quiet ripples float lazily across the water’s surface as the Koi settle into the nooks and crannies of their pool.

Night falls. The outside panels feature lovely blooms against a serene background. All is peaceful.

Or is it??(Cue the scary movie music!)

Are those eyes? Yes! Piercing eyes amongst the blooms. Cat eyes. Two, four, no eight, no, a dozen! And wait! There are more! 16 pairs of watchful Cat eyes are following every move of those peaceful Koi as they drift into slumber! Yikes!

Things I like about this Komono Rose pattern.

1. You can cut the fabric in a couple hours and arrange them all without any sewing. (And then rearrange them to test different fabrics.)
2. Large scale prints can be used. This is an issue when you find a large scale pattern fabric but can’t find a pattern that displays them in all their glory.
3. Topic quilts – music, animals, whatever topic you can find a fabric for – work well with this pattern.
4. It has 6 fussy cut blocks for showing off specific motifs in the fabric.
5. You can sub one or two panels and/or a couple blocks with a solid (love the grunge for this use) and have some nice space to feature some FMQ.
6. The pattern makes up quickly! Easily sewn in two days.

Things to watch out for!

1. This pattern was developed for a fabric company, which means they prioritize using up as much fabric as possible! You will have large chunks left over. If you plan diligently, you can repeat your fabric choices and buy fewer fabrics. I did this by reusing the Koi in the fussy cut squares and reusing the Cat in the top and bottom center blocks. The center panel fabric is also fussy cut to use in the corner squares.
2. Measure very carefully! Matching the sashing intersections requires precision. (Yes, I had a bit of ripping on this one to get them fitting well.)
3. Watch directional fabrics carefully and check often to make sure that right side up sections remain UP!

All in all, a fun pattern and I have one more shot at it coming up! Cat + Koi #3 will appear here later this year. Now it’s time to get this sandwiched and quilted!

Happy quilting all! Lennea