Turnip, Tibs, and Tabs

I'd like to introduce you to a couple of my cat friends. First of all, I think it's
about time that LIttle Turnip made an appearance. He is the first of the collection, made for my sister (and nephew) as a remembrance of the stuffed black-and-white cats that we both had while growing up. He also turned out to look just like the real cat Turnip, and therefore took on his name...

Secondly, and most especially, one of the

most recent additions-- this is Tibs, short for Tibby and long for Tib. For reasons I can't quite explain, Tibs is my favorite of the bunch. She's not exactly the cutest, or the softest, or the one with the nicest tail or the prettiest ears. But something about her friendly expression brings back memories of favorite childhood friends and books- things like the Velveteen Rabbit, Betsy-Tacy, and most particularly Kitty's New Doll. In fact, Tibs and I got to be such good friends during the weeks between the time that I made her and the day she was meant to go to her new home,  that in the end I decided I simply couldn't part with her...

So, only a few days before the intended departure, I made the last minute decision to keep Tibs. Very conveniently, I had just the right amount of fabric left to make up Tabs,  a name which isn't long or short for anything but is simply Tabs. Tabs turned out to be just as cute and love-able as Tibs, and will, I think, be very happy in her new home...