I had some dental surgery last week which has laid me low for a while. I haven’t been up to tackling any big or tricky projects post-surgery, but last weekend I wanted to sew something – something simple. So, I turned to two of my favourite things: cats and Cocos.
The first project I worked on was a sweet stuffed toy for the cat. Working from Creative Pixie’s handy mouse-making tutorial, I used some fabric left over from my Murphy dress for the body and cut the mouse ears from the same grey knit as my first Coco. I also inserted a bell from a Lindt chocolate Santa and some dried catnip along with the mouse stuffing to spice it up a bit for her, then secured a string tail. The stuffing also came from leftovers – I had used it for the needle case I made at Christmas.
Our cat is pretty tough on toys so I’m not sure how long this little creature will last! It was really quick to make though, so won’t be too hard to whip up a few more when the time comes. Plus, it’s a handy use of fabric scraps – and she’s certainly been enjoying it.
Cue a cat-smushing-toy-in-face photo:
And then for a bit of selfish sewing… I’ve had a lovely soft, very lightweight, polka dot jersey on standby for a while. I found a yard of it in a remnant bin for a few euros and thought that one day, I’d get around to making some kind of pyjama top out of it. Well I forgot all about that until I saw Stitch and Witter’s cosy bedtime Coco and remembered that I had squirreled this fabric away.
The polka dot knit (it’s an off-white base with grey dots) is very lightweight so I made the yoke and short sleeves out of some of the leftover red fabric from my sporty Coco to preserve some modesty.
This is one soft pyjama t-shirt! I’ve been holding off on wearing it since making it on Sunday so I could photograph it and now I can’t wait to snuggle into it! I like the way the unfinished sleeve and bodice ends suit the softness and casual feel of the top, so I’ve left them unfinished.
What do you turn to when you want to do something craft-related, but don’t want to commit to a big project?
Lady Stitcher 
What’s your cat’s name? She’s lovely! (Reminds me a bit of my Mini) Btw I’m presuming that it’s the sun shining thru a blind that’s making her look stripy, not that she’s some rare black/tabby mix!!
We never actually named her but we have lots of nicknames for her. Ha, yep, that’s the light from the blind alright, though she is a very dark chocolatey-brown cat – with stripes! Her stripes were clearer when she was a kitten, they’re hard to see these days. She’s a rescue kitty so who knows what her parentage was!
Aw! She looks a lot like our cat, who is also a rescue kitty. 🙂
Whenever I’m looking for something quick and easy, I tend toward undies. They’re just so quick and easy, they use up scraps from other projects, and you can never have too many! 🙂
Great idea! I have yet to sew anything with elastic, but once I do, undies are definitely going on the list! 🙂
Enjoy you PJ top! Re: quick sewing fixes I’ve just made some free-hand embroidery cards. Never done anything like that before and it definitely hit the sewing spot! Hopefully blog them tomorrow.
PS- cute cat.
They sound great, Louise, looking forward to seeing them on your blog! 🙂
Haha Sabs – I thought that too when I first saw her pic – great stripy effect caused by the blinds 😛
She’s gorgeous – and great Coco! I’ve yet to make one but everyone’s looks fab so I may well have to take the plunge and coco it up!
http://www.mancunianvintage.com
She know her best angles 🙂
Coco is such a handy pattern. I hadn’t sewn with knits before, but if you have a bit of a knit stash or leftovers from other knit projects, it’s a great way to use that fabric.
oh wow your coco’s are superb and i love your photos too! funny thing is I just posted about my coco and my cat was in it too….do cats love coco as much as we do…..glad i found your blog too!
bestest wishes
daisy j xxx
Thanks Daisy! 🙂 I love your polka dot version – that fleece looks really really cosy! Ha, yeah I guess cats always know the most comfortable spots nearby!