Suburban Wild Series

I Didn't Do It

The Story Behind I Didn't Do It

Artwork Details

• Technique: Art Quilt

• Dimensions: 40" wide x 30" high

• Collection: Suburban Wild Series

• Availability: Ready to hang art quilt

This one began with a freshly painted patio... and a cat who refused to wait.

Our back patio was being painted, which meant the door had to stay closed while the paint dried. Unfortunately, no one explained that to our cat.

Determined to come back inside, he walked straight through the fresh blue oil-based paint, squeezed through the cat door, and happily trotted across the white bedroom carpet, down the hallway, and into the kitchen.

He left a trail of bright blue paw prints the entire way.

Since the paint was oil-based, those paw prints were there to stay. We tried everything we could think of, but they weren't coming out.

Not long afterward, we installed hardwood flooring.

Of course, by then the story had become too good not to turn into a piece of art.

Rather than recreate the event exactly as it happened, I took a little artistic license. In my version, the cat has knocked over the paint can himself and is casually strolling away from the scene as if nothing at all has happened.

If you've ever lived with a cat, you know that expression. The innocent face says, "I didn't do it." The trail of evidence says otherwise.

To give the spilled paint a freshly poured look, I used shiny taffeta fabric and metallic thread. The fabrics catch the light much like wet paint, adding another playful touch to the scene.

Fortunately, the quilt has aged much better than the carpet ever did.