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Sewing Time for Winter wardrobe

Natalie Murphy

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Seeing as winter is coming pretty fast and I am on annual leave I thought it perfect time to get a nice bright winter wardrobe together. I especially bought a sewing machine to make Shamus clothing last year when he was a kitten. I ordered a pattern for a onesie as he always gets extra fluff on his rump. I have no idea what he thought this machine was other than a fantastic new Prime Order Perch. I even removed his shirt hoping he would get cold and go to his electric blanket. But did he fall for this No. From 10 am to 2.30pm he sat very quiet and comfy on the extension tray. Eventually I just went to sew. Now if your 50 you understand the mission it is to thread a needle try having a fully grown running up and down your arm looking more interested at why you can not aim straight for that hole. Eventually I could put my foot down on the sewing peddle and go. Well that little reel spinning away on top nearly blew his mind with this thread OMG it moves and the best toy he has found this month. I even had to cut his nails as he was slapping it a good left and right. Or trying to get the thread in his mouth. I then gave him a front row seat with his electric blanket right up close. At the back of the machine. To watch and not partake. I am sure he was counted every stitch. It was a great day. Except the fact I did not like the fit of this onesie on him. It was a very bad pattern design so in the trash it went. We shall stick to making jackets this year. I bet if I never put the machine away he would of still been sitting there guarding his new found friend.
 

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Cleopatra Beers

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He is so cute, guarding his machine. However, a word of caution. I am always careful to either not leave my machine threaded, or I cover it so the cats cannot reach the needle and bobbin threads. Our Cleo had to have 32 inches of yarn removed from her gut when she was 11 months old. You wouldn’t want your baby to have to go through that. I am looking forward to the jackets you make for him.
When I sew for our duo, I make them harnesses and jacket harnesses.
 

Natalie Murphy

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He is so cute, guarding his machine. However, a word of caution. I am always careful to either not leave my machine threaded, or I cover it so the cats cannot reach the needle and bobbin threads. Our Cleo had to have 32 inches of yarn removed from her gut when she was 11 months old. You wouldn’t want your baby to have to go through that. I am looking forward to the jackets you make for him.
When I sew for our duo, I make them harnesses and jacket harnesses.
Thank you for that advice. About the thread. It never crossed my mind. But I can see how easily that can happen. Luckily I live alone so I tend to put things away once I am finished with them as no one else will do it.
Could you please share a picture of your harnesses and jacket harness. This sounds super amazing. I have gotten bored with the basic Raglan sleeve. I need a new challenge. That was why I thought I would try a onesie but I shall design the next one by myself.
 

Natalie Murphy

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This is the very first one Bless him He was still brand new and was the perfect little model. Now I need to chase him for a size refitting I made it before I found a clothing supplier on one of those little dinky machines you buy for a 10 year old that runs on batteries. It was the pattern design and fit I had first got right. I never kept photos of the others I gave them away to my friend whose little girl is 2 months younger. I really can not wait to see your jackets as you must be a pro.
 

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Cleopatra Beers

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Thanks! I’m not a pro anymore, but I did sew professionally for a while, and I taught sewing for several years in a high school in Las Vegas. What I did for patterns was to get a pattern for a dress for Cleo when she was about a year old, and then I adapted it for other uses. For example, the dress has a skirt that I removed and then I lengthened the upper pattern piece to fit the cat’s back length. To make it a harness, I put buckles and Velcro both on the belly and chest straps for safety, and put a strip of fabric down the center back of the harness, with a D-ring sewn under the strip just below their shoulder blades. I also experimented with step-in harnesses. They work pretty well, but they are harder to get on, because both front feet must be in the leg holes before I can fasten the harness. Here are some pictures of the dress (and a silly hat) at Easter one year, Marcus in his Autism Puzzle harness, and Cleo in a harness that matches her Daddieo’s shirt.
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pussiette

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Good for you Natalie and gosh well done for not having an accident with the needle and thread, your boy was such a cute kitten!
 

Cleopatra Beers

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Oh, the last photo. So we have had competitions here on the Lair in years past for Halloween and Easter costumes, and also the Fourth of` July. This photo was my entry the year Cleo was two years old, in 2012, I think. Her dress and hat I made from a pattern that I got from an Etsy vendor, so they were her Easter dress and Easter bonnet. We were living in the Las Vegas, Nevada area, and Cleo was an amazing scorpion hunter, having found her first scorpion in her litter box when she was 4 months old. By the time we did that photo, Cleo had a big reputation as a scorpion hunter. Also, my husband, Bob, is an artist, and at that time, we had a store here on the Lair. so, the cartoon behind Cleo depicts her cartoon caricature, which was our store logo, (with bunny ears—it was Easter, after all) and a scorpion who apparently wanted to become the next Cadbury Easter Bunny, but failed. The ”portrait” was done in our living room. Cleo kept her hat on for about 3 seconds, just long enough to take the picture. I am looking for her Easter dress, but haven’t found it yet. if I do, I’ll get a picture of it, because it is really pretty.

And, no, we did not win the contest that year.
 

Cleopatra Beers

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This is the very first one Bless him He was still brand new and was the perfect little model. Now I need to chase him for a size refitting I made it before I found a clothing supplier on one of those little dinky machines you buy for a 10 year old that runs on batteries. It was the pattern design and fit I had first got right. I never kept photos of the others I gave them away to my friend whose little girl is 2 months younger. I really can not wait to see your jackets as you must be a pro.

Wow I love the Dring idea. Thank you now I am going to have to go back to the fabric market at hunt them down. Wow you have made me so exciting ted to be on a new mission. Thank you. Love your outfits
I forgot to say that your little jacket is soooo cute, but not as cute as the model! You should be able to find D-rings at any sewing supply store and online. The buckles are a bit harder to find. I bought mine online, from Plastic Buckles | Pet Hardware®
I use their safety, or breakaway buckles for cat collars, and the buckles that do not breakaway for harnesses.
 
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