Cat-alongers!

*sheepish wave*

Ahem, sorry for just disappearing after announcing the Put A Cat On It Sew Along! Halfway through October, I suddenly discovered that I was in charge of costuming my high school's theater production; it had previously been canceled, which was why I thought I had time to run a sew along. Of course, it would be re-booted, but with a different play that required more costumes...but that's a story for another post. Also because my first project was a fail (thanks to mis-measured seam allowances), and then the play took over my life for the rest of the month, I didn't actually sew anything for myself or Walnut. *gasp* Go ahead, award me the Worst Sew Along Host Ever award.

At any rate, here I am, back to say that WOW, I am loving what you guys have made to show your love for cats! I did my best to round up all the IG, Flickr, and blog posts that I could find, but if you sewed and I didn't catch you, post a link in the comments and I'll add you to the prize drawing pool!

Category 1,  Cat Print Fabrics: This category was terrible because all of your guys' projects made me want to go out and buy more fabric.

Adrienne made a cat skirt for Halloween (the perfect time of year to wear cats!):

Megan made good use of the Gertie cat chiffon and made a delightfully swishy circle skirt:

If skirts aren't your thing, there's also this running top that Sarah Jane made for herself:

She also made a pair of leggings from the same fabric for her daughter...lucky girl!

And if like me, cold days make you want to snuggle at home instead of go out running, check out the flannel jammies and neck warmer (with tutorial!) that Laura whipped up:

Chrichrimano made a Seamwork Akita top from this cool neutral fabric with "cattish leopard animals" on it.

Shortened Akita top by seamwork. I sewed this a couple of weeks ago but couldn't bring myself to photograph it, as I don't really like it:-/ It's comfortable but I don't think that loose tops with no waist definition suit me... I wanted to enter it in the #putacatonitsewalong as the print has some sort of cattish leopard animals on it. #seamwork #akita #sewcialists #sewing

A photo posted by @chrichrimano on Oct 28, 2015 at 10:59am PDT

While I can see how the no-waist-definition look might not suit everyone, I still think it looks cute! Speaking of cute, check out Cari's little boy!

Too tired to resume suit making tonight, I made Ace a Cat Agent T-shirt instead. It doesn't match his doggy jammies at all, but he looks cute. #putacatonitsewalong #isewpastmybedtime

A photo posted by Cari (@carihomemaker) on Oct 30, 2015 at 7:57pm PDT

And then if you're not so into wearing your cats, Ginny made a very useful pouch with a perfectly centered black cat:

Category 2, Feline Design Elements: AKA, I am seriously in awe of the patience of quilters and embroiderers!

Lemonadefish made several awesome quilt blocks featuring quilts, so you should definitely check out her Instagram, but this is my favorite because it's cat-on-cat.

Now that @smoobug has received it, I can share this double-cat for #miniminiquiltswap and #putacatonitsewalong (technically I finished it at the very end of September, but it's got cat fabric *and* a cat shape, so I had to share!)

A photo posted by Erin Oakley (@lemonadefish) on Oct 2, 2015 at 7:53pm PDT

Ms. Lusty's appliqued mini-quilt is also gorgeous:

AJmeows made several items for this category: a cat quilt block,

Did a quick project to test my cat block. I think that's as good as it's going to get 'cause I'm tired of futzing with the pattern. #putacatonitsewalong #quiltyzippocket

A photo posted by AJ Wu (@ajmeows) on Oct 25, 2015 at 1:38pm PDT

a cat hat,

The Larva modeling one of the hats I just finished for donating. (Does this count for the cat sew along? It technically doesn't have a cat ON it.) #putacatonitsewalong #chemocap #chemohat

A photo posted by AJ Wu (@ajmeows) on Oct 10, 2015 at 7:52pm PDT

and a cat dress! I think I'm going to die now. Why didn't I have a little girl?

Larva modeling the cat pocket dress. That pocket needs a name 'cause I'm putting it on ALL THE THINGS now. #putacatonitsewalong #handmadekidclothes

A photo posted by AJ Wu (@ajmeows) on Nov 3, 2015 at 9:32am PST

After a brief dabble in embroidery, I sort of forgot all about it, but Erica's adorable embroidered cats for a baby quilt make me want to take it up again, you know, in my copious amounts of free time...

I haven't washed the sizing out yet but this little guy is going to be a quilt block for the baby. #putacatonitsewalong

A photo posted by Erica (@ericalbraun) on Oct 5, 2015 at 1:11pm PDT

Molly's embroidery of a cat head peeking out of her shirt pocket was directly inspired by her cat Potato:

#putacatonitsewalong #embroideredcatportrait #potatothecat

A photo posted by Molly Pruess (@mtoferet) on Oct 10, 2015 at 3:12pm PDT

Category 3, Actually For Cats: There were only a couple of sewing projects that fell in this category, but I seriously love them.

The Purling Princess made Halloween-themed bandannas for her cats so that they could be festive for Halloween. They're made to go over breakaway collars, which is awesome, and she made a tutorial, which is even more awesome:

It's a black cat wearing a black cat print fabric...how meta is that?

The Fabric of Time made the most adorable little tents for her cats. I'm seriously tempted to make matching ones for Walnut and SHB!

It's like a Portal game, but with cats!

Okay, that's all I could find...let me know if I missed you. I'll announce the winners on Friday after Thanksgiving!

SHB Sew-Along Winners and Category 2 Round Up: Baby Accessories

For any sewist/sewasaurus/sewer/someone who sews, there are some items that fall into the mental category of "really difficult to make," e.g. jeans, evening wear, corsets, and tailored coats. When someone successfully manages to make one of those items, invisible choirs start singing and the scent of peaches wafts through the air, and one is instantly transported to a daisy-filled field where one can frolic (ironic, considering that three of the four items I listed are not really field-suitable, frolic-type garments). On the other hand, there are some items that are so mundane, so deceptively simple, so normal, that when one makes such a thing, it's rarely noticed and hardly celebrated. I think baby bibs fall into that category. When I tried making some for SHB, they were hilariously Becky Home-Ecky, to the point that they made SHB cry to wear them.

Okay, so maybe he wasn't crying about my amateur-looking bibs, but I think you get my point: there are some items there's no glory in sewing, but to do them well and have them look professional can be harder than you think. So I'm here to celebrate the meticulously assembled, generally gorgeous baby accessories that you all sewed during the SHB Sew-Along. I first shine the spotlight on the various bibs, of course:

Neenkster's reversible bibs in adorable prints (and props to her for sewing with an SHB and cats).

Dorisaurus' be-owled bib must have taken so much patience to applique!

been a little behind on sewing bibs for recent new additions but I got to give this one away to baby June! it's extra absorbant for future drool :). more to come post-May... #SHBsewalong

A photo posted by Doris Cheung (@dorisaurus) on Apr 27, 2015 at 3:22pm PDT

Mealtimes with SHB have shown me the usefulness of catch-all bibs; ofingleside's ultimate bib has way more personality than my generic silicone one...isn't her print combination great?




You all know what a soft spot I have in my heart for softies, so I'm glad somebody made a toy, and check out what a toy! I think it's great that Helen of Grosgrain Green had such fond memories of a similar doll, and is passing that on to her SHB.

Having made a couple quilts of my own, I know how much work they take, even if it's all just straight-line sewing. This one by Emily has a beautiful selection of fabrics that works well together:

Don't discount the sleek look of a simple, well-made receiving blanket, though, like these two by Alice: 

Ergo-users with mouthy babes, unite! Love that Lanamfacio's strap covers boast 50% less napkin, but hey, no shame in reusing textiles...I do it often enough myself.

SHB slept swaddled for all of the fourth trimester, so I know how useful these swaddles by the Itinerant Seamstress can be:

Speaking of bundled up babies, this bunting by mollysews makes me want to squee:

A baby bunting from a 1987 Qwik Sew pattern- it's for the car seat but doesn't work bc of safety restraint changes. Oh well still cute! #sewing #sewingforbaby #shbsewalong #vintagepattern

A photo posted by Molly (@mollysews) on Apr 11, 2015 at 5:26pm PDT

And I know this Tolkien-themed quiet book isn't actually an official entry, but the geek in me just has to shine the spotlight on Becky's delightful ongoing project. Check out that hand-stitching! So literary! Much detail! Very wow!

The Great Eye is ever watchful... #lotr #quietbooks #BecauseHobbit #SHBsewalong

A photo posted by Becky (@sunnyb64) on Apr 17, 2015 at 6:41pm PDT

It was so fun seeing what everyone else came up with for this category and I was impressed by all the clean, professional-looking sewing! It's been a pleasure sewing along with all of you, and I hope your SHBs get a lot of use out of these accessories.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for... the winner of the Ottobre Kids' magazine subscription is Jennifer of FernKnits! She made an assortment of accessories, from bibs to crinkle toys, but the one that really got me was this adorable little sleep-sack:

Now, the Category 1 (Baby Clothes) and Category 3 (For Parents) round-ups are over on Mikhaela's and Clio's blogs respectively, but I have the pleasure of announcing those category winners here. It was exceedingly difficult to choose from among all the fantastic sewing you guys did, but in the end we decided on Lee and Hannah! Lee's Category 1 Brindille & Twig hoodies look like they came from some high-end boutique, and Hannah's Category 3 Gondorian Mei-Tai carrier is just delightfully geeky. As for the Oliver&S Lullaby Layette patterns, the lucky drawing winners are Masha and Ofingleside! Winners, please email me (cationdesignsblog [at] gmail [dot] com) so that I can arrange for your prizes to be sent to you.

Once again, thank you to everyone who participated in our sew-along! Sometimes it's just nice to have that camaraderie (and a deadline) in sewing, even if we're all making different items. I hope you all felt as inspired and motivated as I did, and hopefully those feelings will carry along into this month too!

OMG That Stitching!

If you've done any historical clothing research, you've probably come across the omgthatdress! tumblr, and subsequently wasted several ____s (fill in appropriate time-related word) looking at all the dress p0rn (and possibly spent a great deal of time cursing the lack of references for some of the older pictures -- sure, you're telling me it's a dress from the 1830s, but I swear that sleeve looks more 1840s than anything, and you don't have any links to the original source! Curse you with curses, so foul and cursed!). Well, last week I got to check out the Resplendent Dress from Southeastern Europe: A History in Layers exhibit at the UCLA Fowler Museum, and it was like omgthateyelet! omgthatembroidery! omgthatsoutache! omgthatlace! omgthatcouching! left and right.

See that expanse of gold? It's all tiny metallic threads couched onto the surface so densely as to obscure the actual fabric surface!

Apologies for the fuzzy iPhone snaps! It was pretty dimly lit in the museum. This is a different outfit, but gives a better view of the couching. Now just picture those little loopy lines filling an entire jacket, like in the picture before this!

It's just incredible how intricate the designs are! 

Couching done with black threads instead of gold. 

How fantastic would it be to swoosh around in this full-skirted jacket!

There were some pretty fabulous examples of other handwork too. This outfit was trimmed with intricate eyelet borders.

The method used to make these textured flowers is so cool -- little strips of stiff paper are wrapped with metallic thread and sewn to the fabric, making a raised surface like embossing. 

Gorgeous lace and embroidery on a bonnet. 

Look at that cutwork!! 

It was fantastic seeing such gorgeous handiwork up close, and marveling at the tiny stitches and amount of detail that went into these festival clothes. What heirlooms they must be! I don't have the patience for this kind of thing, so I'm even more appreciative of the fact that these girls spent so much time on these garments.

I was also a fan of the simple background that the exhibit director chose. I love it when little things like that enhance a museum experience. 

And then a couple of days ago, Sandra of Brown Paper Pattern met up with me to go check out the FIDM Museum's Planes, Trains, and Automobiles: Travel & Fashion exhibit. I'm always excited when I get to check out extant vintage and antique gowns, and this exhibit, though tiny, was a treat because 1) the garments weren't roped off or behind glass, so we got to examine them up close (all the while keeping in mind the Arrested Development motto "No touching!!"), and 2) Sandra was with me! I usually go to these exhibits by myself or with non-sewers, so it was a nice change to have someone to exclaim with about things like...

This 1960s coordinated traveling suit and luggage! And the very non-PC fur stole. 

We marveled at the topstitching and clever seamlines...

...the bound buttonholes made in knit fabric, and the matching custom covered buttons!

The "invisible" hem allowance was a whopping six inches! Can you imagine a modern pattern calling for that much extra fabric? 

The topstitched seam on the front of the dress continues onto the back. Lovely. 

Another gorgeous travel set. 

I know I keep saying everything is fantastic and intricate and all, but it really is! Look at that contrast piping and edge!

The suitcase has a shoe compartment and a compartment for hanging tops. It was meant to be a coordinated traveling wardrobe, with mix-and-match spotted, solid, and checked tops and skirts, plus a reversible vest.

This 1920s outfit is pretty unremarkable. It's kind of all the things I hate about the 20s, all shapeless and weird floral prints...

But! I found it extremely reassuring that whoever it was who sewed this, totally botched the bound neckline! Hah, I'm not the only person who has issues with chiffon!

They had one older garment, too! The museum labeled this as 1904, but it looks more like an earlier silhouette to me.  This is more natural form  bustle Victorian and less S-bend Edwardian-puffed-sleeves, right? 

Neat back pleat detail on the jacket. See what I mean about getting to walk all around the dresses and get up close? 

Cuff detail. Sandra and I were both of the opinion that the silk moire looked quite a bit like some awful modern polyester...funny how that was a desirable look back then! 

Nice buttonholes, darts, and bobbly buttons. 

There were a few more outfits, but most of my photos were pretty bad. Still, I had to include this one with not only the coordinated luggage, but also picnic basket and thermos!

Unfortunately, both exhibits are closing quite soon; Resplendent Dress is closing tomorrow, and Travel & Fashion is closing on July 19. I always seem to check out these costume/fashion exhibits right at the end of their run! I'll miss having the FIDM Museum so close by once we move up to NorCal, but thankfully the De Young and Legion of Honor are pretty awesome too. Still, the Oscar and Emmy award-winning costumes exhibits have been some of the highlights of my two years in TCOCC. And of course, it's sadder to leave the little sewing community down here! The ladies of Stitch in the Ditch have been wonderful and welcoming; if you're in the LA area, I highly recommend their company!

March Stashbusting Link Party!

I've been stalled on my own sewing projects this week after a machine breakdown, but before that happened, my sister was able to squeeze in a stashbusting project of her own. In lieu of sharing anything I've sewn, take a gander at her potholder made from fabric she's had stashed for a while:

All museums should use cats as showroom aides. The fabric is Robert Kaufman's Metro Cafe Toasters, originally purchased from Peapod Fabrics in San Francisco. 

She only just started sewing with a machine last year, and this is only her third project (here's her first!). Way to go with tackling quilting with three super-tall layers of batting, Emily!

And now it's your turn to share! Once again, the link party is your chance to show off what you've made from your stash, and it doesn't need to fit the theme necessarily; as long as you used fabric you already own it counts. After all, potholders aren't necessarily spring-y...

Happy ending: I took my mom's machine in to the shop to get a tune-up (it hasn't been serviced since she got it years ago, I think), and now it's back to being functional. I don't know if I'll get the lobster dress finished before we go back down to TCOCC, but I'm going to try!

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner Not Provided

Well, it was difficult, but EmSewCrazy and I have selected the winner of the February Stashbusting Sewalong Challenge! Congratulations to Andrea of StitchParade, who made this gorgeous shirt for her very lucky husband!

[source]

Andrea, please contact me at cationdesignsblog [at] gmail.com with your mailing address so we can send you a little something!

I really enjoyed going through all the links and checking out all the generous gifts you all have bestowed on your loved ones. As much as I like selfish sewing*, it's nice to share one's skills and stash with others, too! Here are some of my favorite projects and other top vote-getters from the link party, in no particular order:

Can I help it if I'm a sucker for dinosaurs and turquoise?  Long-sleeved shirt by The Brothers Yount.

Heavenly Handmade's pleated skirt was a hit with you guys, and no wonder; it's absolutely perfect for a little girl!

Isn't Musings of a Seamstress' vest for her husband just the last word in vests? Swoon!

Sewing for others long distance is no easy task, but kbenco pulled it off admirably with trousers for her daughter. 

I want to work with Yentair -- she made this awesome octopus-tentacle print dress for her coworker!

I'm in awe of the beautiful and intriguing design process that led to this origami-esque silk purse for Dashing Marmot's aunt!

Great jaerb, fellow sewasauruses! Keep up the good work, and I hope your changing seasons projects are coming along nicely. My first two projects this month were really more fall-appropriate, but my next make will definitely be springy -- stay tuned!

*If you want to see some of our favorite selfish sewing from this month, go check out our picks over at EmSewCrazy!