On the right we have Irma smelling her tail...no wait. it is the tail of her avatar on the rug. You can clearly see my process here. I first drafted this on paper and then transferred the design to Burlap. I have started with the two cats.
This is a half moon shaped welcome mat full of symbolism. Cats for instance are considered guardians of the household. And what better cats than my own Irma and Reg. The message on the border reads Merry Meet. Merry Part. Merry Meet Again which is a common way to address the Lord and Lady and other elementals in Pagan rituals. The pineapple represents hospitality. The bee is a symbol for the Goddess. The dragonfly is not only my symbolic signature but also a symbol of transition...a link between our own and the spiritual world. My rugs always evolve from the original sketches. So you may notice changes when we get down to the final photo.
Here Reg gives his very own stamp of approval. This image evokes another tangential thought pattern. If you are not interested in why Reg has a sore on his cheek skip this next bit.
If you are interested read on. Poor Reg has suffered for several years with weeping sores around his head, neck and mouth. Four different veterinarians didn't know the answer so I spent years of biopsies, examinations, medications, injections, searching the net, changing food and water dishes, changing food, changing litter, changing water, worrying, wringing my hands, tearing my hair, making a fresh grain-free food called the BARF diet (biologically appropriate raw food) all with no success. finally a vet said try allergy pills. I did and they didn't work.
So Reg and I suffered for another year when in desperation I tried them again...but a different brand and THAT new generation of pill was the solution. (She crosses her fingers and knocks on wood here) I give him about half a pill only when I see him start to scratch and he is almost totally free of problems now. Other than the scars he has from constantly scratching for several years. But enough cat chat and back to the task at hand.
A rather foreshortened photo of the mat as it appears at the entrance to my dining room.
If you check the original drawing in the final version I have relocated the date and eliminated the word "and" from between the Merry Meet etc. The less lettering I have to do the better. Yechchchc.
Next is a rug I call Once in a Blue Moon (written on the left hand side border in red). We hookers like to do the odd geometric rug so we can use up little bits of our left over wool when there would not be enough of that color for a normal rug. they are relaxing and fun to do.
It still needs to have the border filled in and the raw edges turned under before it is whip stitched with yarn.
Here are some close ups ...yes they are dragonflies in the second picture. 
