I made these a couple of weeks ago. We decided that the cats should be able to enjoy the outside too! So I was looking for ages for a pattern to make a secure harness for the kittens, I had read other cat owners say that there cat preferred the harnesses that are more like jackets as they made the cat feel more secure. But despite my best efforts I could not find a pattern, so I had decided that I would leave it for another day and just make it up my self.
But low and behold as I was looking for a pattern for a cool bag guess what I stumble upon... a harness pattern for a small dog! So thanks to
Erin Erickson I didn't need to draft my own pattern, I altered
this one a bit I had to take some of the width out of the back but with slight adjustment I had two functioning harnesses! Both need to be remade as there are problems with both, Flynn's is too tight around his chest now and Inara's one keeps breaking. I used poppers on the harnesses as I didn't trust Velcro, the poppers on Inara's keep ripping out of the fabric though hers has Velcro too as it was the prototype. Here's some picture, oh and I made a matching leash for Inara:
They are such different cats in their personality's, Inara loved it outside she was striding about like she owned the place, bearing in mind this was my parents garden home to two large 9 year old male cats. Flynn was terrified he panicked at every noise but after a while gained confidence from watching Inara waltz about the place, but Flynn had never been outside before, where as Inara was allowed into an outside enclosure at the breeders.
We have walked them twice so far the second time we went so we could sit in the sun as we have no garden ourselves. Flynn just tried to hide under my body when I was laying out on a blanket and Inara started on one of my mums cats. I say my mums cats, they were mine, Grey and Cream we call them - guess what colours they are! But after uni they didn't like me for abandoning them and my little brother adores cream cat, also my boyfriend did keep reminding me that they were not his cats. So that's why we decided on getting our own cats.
So I added a load more buttons, and while looking for more buttons I found this cute mushroom charm in my stash. I really love this little mushroom it actually came off of a pair of underwear. This bracelet is quite short due to my smallish wrists. I really like it I don't really wear jewellery but its nice to have something to show people that you like making things when your out and about.
This second one is massive and very heavy! I used a wire wreath box frame which aren't so easy to get hold of in the UK! I had to order it from the US and the postage was more than the frame, but I think it looks quite impressive! I started using the fabric above but realised it would cost loads if I used my expensive fabric so I found an old green double flat sheet and it used the whole thing and I could have filled it out more if there had been more fabric!!!
The great thing about these are they are both sided, I'm going to hang the big one in my window so everyone can see it! I might try to find something to decorate it with, my mum suggested red berries and I was thinking a big red bow, but I'm not sure yet...
But as you can see he's all happy now, having a evening nap with his Inara! It was very stressful time he had lots of medication and eye drops and a buster collar - he hated the buster collar and he couldn't do anything with it on! He couldn't eat or drink with it on and toileting became very messy. Apart from his bottom being a bit chilly he is right as rain and beating up Inara with angst!
Over the summer months we went out for the day a few times and as the cheapskates we are we always tried to take a packed lunch with us (often the out of date stuff for the local shop brought the night before!). So I decided I would have a go at making a cool bag so that maybe our food would stay cooler, and this is what I came up with! I'm not a 100% happy but it should do for me.
The apple fabric is a medium weight cotton and so is the lining, the green fabric is a upholstery fabric and the handles are just some ribbon - I regret the ribbon but I didn't have anything else at hand when I made it! But what I love is that it is the right size for me and the other half, I designed it so that it fit two small bottles of water and two sandwiches and snacks for two! The other thing I'm impressed with is that I learned how to do a recessed zipper. I used Insul-bright to help the insides stay cool, but I think I was meant to put a layer of wadding in as well but I didn't realise until I had finished, amateurs mistake.
Such a shame it took me this long to get it made as now I'll have to wait until next spring to use it!
A nephew was born on the 13th October 2011, not technically mine but my boyfriend's, but every one loves to spoil a baby!!! Here is my gift to little Henry (well our gift). The bib I made from my first attempt at machine free motion quilting - I just cut out the shape and bias bound the edges. The booties I found a pattern for online, this one in fact: http://www.maked.ca which is brilliant, easy to follow.
And up close of the outside I chose the apple print as Henry was my boyfriend's Sister's first baby and thus the metaphorical 'apple of her eye' see I thought about that one.
