Two out of three ain’t bad!
I promise you – this is the last post featuring my handmade gifts for 2021. (I can’t believe it’s almost March!) But I just couldn’t leave out the Catnip Fish I made for my cats. Not only are they super cute but they are also good for the environment – a win-win in my book.
The Catnip Fish pattern is from my favourite sewing book ‘That Handmade Touch’ by Svetlana Sotak. If you don’t have this book in your collection I can highly recommend it! The projects are all stylish and modern. Svetlana incorporates a range of different techniques whilst keeping the environment in mind. There’s bag projects, like the QAYG Zipper Pouch, but also a range of projects for around the home. Including some for our furry family members!
I did make some changes to my Catnip Fish that you might find useful. First I decided it was worth interfacing my fabric pieces. I just added some scrap SF101 to the fabric pieces before sewing them together. But I was using a range of quilting cottons so I thought it was worth it. Particularly once my cats got their claws into them. So it also made sense to put the catnip in it’s own muslin bag, as Svetlana suggests. The last thing I wanted was catnip scattered all over the floor.
You might be wondering why I’ve said that my Catnip Fish are good for the environment? First this project is made using scrap fabric. It’s something I love about Svetlana’s patterns! She creates a lot of projects with scrap fabric. And in my pursuit to be more sustainable – I’m always looking for ways to use up scrap fabric. So with this in mind I decided to replace the polyfill stuffing with scrap fabric instead. Definitely a good choice for the environment!
I absolutely loved making this project! The Catnip Fish were such an enjoyable sew and took no time at all to make. I think the hand sewing at the end was the only thing that held me up. Hand sewing is not my strong point (so I should probably do more of it). This project can definitely be made by sewers of all levels.
The end result? I love the Catnip Fish! They are all still in one piece – 2 months on (no catnip spills!) What would I change the next time I make these? I think it would be slightly easier to add the eye before I stuff them. But I know I’ll definitely be making this project again! What do the cats think? Billee and Kishka love their Catnip fish! Edward not so much – but when it comes to the cats – two out of three ain’t bad.
