Milo - Dede's Cats

Last summer I purchased 3 Dede Ogden kitty canvases.  They were such a deal, I couldn't pass them up - from Canvases Begone.  On the left, you can see canvas #1, the yellow striped kitty.  I decided to stitch him for a friend who has a yellow striped kitty named Milo.  I tried to use as much Stash as possible for Milo.  I think the only thread I bought was the Rainbow Gallery Alpaca 18 and Fuzzy Stuff, all for the fur.  From Stash, I found Kreiniks, Crystal Braid, Neon Rays, Fyre Werks, Silk Lame Braid, Cashmere & Silk n Cream.  I used some Pink Angora for the trim on the hat & it brushed up nicely.

Here is Milo all finished.  I used a variety of stitches.  His hat is Neon Rays and beads in Criss Cross Hungarian with the pink fuzzy trim in random straight stiches.  I used a kind of overlapping gobelin for the furr.  It is quite random and works well.  I have used this method for furry stuff before and like the way it turns out.  Let see, what else did I use? 

The package is a Framed Mosaic.  There's a few other patterns, but I forget what they are.
This is one of the very few painted canvases I have done in many years.  I think I can get better!

I decided to have Milo finished as a Stand Up, so I worked some background around him.  I think I should have used a lighter color, or a more contrasting one.  The background color is too close to his fur color & so he doesn't show up quite as much as I'd like.  I'll remember that for the next one!  Milo has now been delivered to his Forever Home and I have heard that one of the "real" Milo's brothers thinks this is his toy!  Here is Milo all done & standing up: