Everybody Wants to Be a Cat

And if you grew up watching Disney movies, go ahead and sing the rest of with me: "...because a cat's the only cat who knows where it's at!"

If you're not into using (or buying) cat-print fabrics, you can always join in the cat sew along fun by adding cats to your normal fabric/garments. This is also an easier/faster way to join in if you're pressed for time but still want to join in the cat-along! I've previously added cat faces with fabric markers and with appliqué, as well as entire cat silhouettes. One might argue that four cat sweaters is enough for anyone, but I confess I'm still eyeing these pins that I've saved:

Colorblock with applique.
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Easy to recreate with a fabric marker even if you can't draw!
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I can't decide if this is creepy or amazing. Oh come on, who am I kidding, it's totally amazing.
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There are no words for how much I love this.
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While poking around Pinterest for inspiration, I also came across some old-timey cat fashion -- okay, okay, they're Halloween costumes or outfits for fancy dress parties -- that shows that crazy cat ladies desiring to broadcast their status goes back at least a century!

I can't find an original source for this picture, but it appears to be a Victorian roller derby girl with a black cat theme going on?

In the category of what NOT to do: put a taxidermied cat bust on your head.
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This 1920s Halloween dress has the most adorable spooky cat silhouette on it!
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I can't seem to find any information about this image, but I'm in love with the panniers and the little cat corsage. That staff looks like a big feather duster though...

What can I say, those toxo parasites make us do ridiculous things...anyway, I hope these have been inspirational if you're still trying to figure out what to do!

Cat Print Fabric Inspiration

I'm so excited that so many of you are in on the Put A Cat on It! sew along! It's gratifying to know that I'm not the only one obsessed with representing my love of cats in my sewing.

To that end, let's take a look at some of the fabulous cat-print fabrics that you can get from our wonderful sponsors. First, Feline Dezine, which specializes in cat fabrics:

I love these gorgeous Japanese watercolor cats. They've all got names!

Two of my favorite colors to wear are gray and red, so I may or may not have squealed when I saw this print. I've purchased a few yards of these cutesy cats to make a fun dress.

That said, I almost bought these adorable little fuzzballs instead:

I have a soft spot in my heart for derpy-looking animals, so these noseless, goofy-looking cats make me laugh so hard. I think they'd make for great pajamas.

If those aren't sophisticated enough for you, there are also these hipster cats in Paris:

And lest you fear that none of these fabrics truly represents the terrible helper aspect of a cat's personality, there's always these Michael Miller bad kitties:

As far as I can tell, Feline Dezine mostly has 100% cotton fabrics that would be most suitable for quilts and non-drapey apparel, like my favorite fit-and-flare 50s dress silhouette. If you'd like to be able to sew something drapier, though, or more hardy (canvas tote bags?), or more fuzzy (cat blanket?), you can always select a design to be printed on the fabric of your choice at Spoonflower. I love that they print their fabric in the US, and there's also the option of choosing fabrics that are entirely manufactured in the US. I've poked through their many, many cat designs and chosen some of my favorites to show you here.

As a chemistry teacher, I of course am a fan of Schrodinger's Cat:

And as a teacher who believes strongly in the importance of reading, these library cats are a combination of two of the finest things in life:

And as a person who likes stunt dressing, I am seriously tempted by these slightly creepy staring cats -- how awesome of a novelty print dress would this be!

This cat butt print is too funny! There's also a matching cat fronts print by the same designer...imagine a top where the front is the cat front print, and the back is the cat butts!

Okay, let's get serious here. What if you need some more classy, sober cat prints? I like how this print looks like normal polka dots from far away, but up close you see that some of the dots are actually cats!

And if that's still not sophisticated enough, there's always these lovely line drawings. I think they'd make for a nice silky shell that would go with all colors of cardigan.

Lastly, a print perfect for SHB: so that I can make him a cat shirt that's not pink and covered in bows:

What do you think? Would you wear any of these prints? Or am I just a little too over the top in my willingness to proclaim my crazy cat lady status? Of course, if none of these strike your fancy, you can always print your own fabric with stamps!