I'm going to space out the pictures of the various spring-break projects over the next few days, rather than having a whole bunch of pictures all at once.

This is the first of the things I made over my spring break:



This is Lola. (Sometimes, "critters" just tell you their names.) She is made using the Pointy Kitty pattern from Wee Wonderfuls.

The fabric she is made of is leftovers from the curtain fabric I had in my bedroom from the time I was perhaps 4 until (if I remember correctly) my parents moved out of that house (I would have been in college). I never really complained or asked for new curtains; I tend to get attached to things even if I've maybe outgrown them a little.

It's interesting to me to see how vibrant the colors of the "stored" fabric are; I remember the colors on my curtains as being quite pale but I am sure they sun-faded over the years.

So the fabric is probably early 1970s; you can notice that is has Holly Hobbie (or Holly Hobbie copycats) on it. (And you wondered why I was so adamant about the "updating" of Holly Hobbie?)

The eyes are also "vintage." In fact, the buttons are probably older than the fabric. They are green buttons from my grandmother's button box (which my mother now has custody of).

And here's a side view, showing more of the fabric:



The only changes I made were to leave off the felt "stripes" on the head and the back - I felt that with the busier fabric they would clash too much, and also cover up the print. And part of the point of making the critter was to preserve a small amount of the fabric, so I'd rather show it off. I also cut the seam allowances bigger than the pattern instructed; I used nearly 1/2-inch seams on most of the cat, because my experience of narrow seams+small grade machine stitching+tight stuffing = split seams eventually. I also embroidered the nose and mouth (and added whiskers and lashes and "eyeliner" using a Pigma pen) instead of the appliqued features.

My mother must have bought tons of that fabric. I had the curtains out of it, I've used pieces of it in quilts, I made this cat, and there's still some left over.

*******

And: hahahahaha.. (I'm presenting this without commentary - rare for me - so just click and read. Don't worry, it's totally work-safe, family-safe.)