Alison J Reid - Stitch 50 Cats

When I told people that my next book would be Stitch 50 Cats, I got a few puzzled looks. Cats? But theyre all the same, arent they? My response was: Well, no not really!

When you start to explore the many different breeds of cat, you realize just what a variety there is, and how different they are from each other. I spent days beavering away in my studio, researching all different kinds of cats, both the small cats and their bigger, wild relations. I checked out their colourings and markings, and spent so much time trying to perfect their colourful, beautiful eyes. It became an obsession!

It was only by researching the various details that make each breed so distinctive that I was able to capture each one's unique qualities and differences. Pattern, colour and shape are key, so capturing these details in felt was important. Luckily, there are many different colours of felt available, including those with fur-like mottled effects. Felt's non-fraying, double-sided, robust qualities make it easy to create all the little details that result in unique and instantly recognizable breeds. I also used small amounts of wool curls and wool roving for some of the cats to add texture for truly strokable results.

I have loved putting this book together just like our favourite pets, it has been a constant companion over the course of many months, raising my spirits when needed. This collection of felines means a lot to me, and I hope you enjoy the book as much as I have enjoyed putting it together.

Once your cats are stitched, transform them into gifts and accessories that really let the cat out of the bag

• Pop your pussycat under a glass or acrylic dome, available from many craft and gift shops. This will make an instant feature of your feline (and prevents them from scratching the furniture when you're not looking!)
• Give your pencil case or make-up bag a makeover by stitching a loop of cord to your cat and threading it through the zip pull.
• Is a house really a home without a cat, or at least a few felt felines hanging around? Dangle them from door handles, drawers, bed posts basically anywhere that's mewing out for a touch of the cat's whiskers.
• Cherish and display your cat in a box frame. Include a name tag as the purrr-fect purrr-sonalized touch. If you have more than one cat, they can live together in the same frame.
• Make your cat into a brooch by sewing it onto a brooch back or safety pin. Fasten onto your hat, jumper or it would look especially cute pinned to a pussy bow blouse.
• Even small cats can be big cat plushies! Enlarge the templates on a photocopier or scanner to make bigger cats in exactly the same way as you would create their mini-me.

What size?

You can customize the templates to suit whatever you plan to make your kitty into! If you do choose to resize the projects, ensure you increase all the templates by exactly the same percentage to maintain the correct scale.

Dont forget to share photos of your cats online. Use the hashtag #stitch50cats and tag @dandcbooks and we can all enjoy our crafted cats. I look forward to seeing them!

Materials

The many cat breeds sport a dizzying array of features, from smooth, evenly coloured coats, to a patchwork of long-haired fluff and even beards! Here are the materials used to recreate their good looks.

Acrylic Felt

There are lots of felt fabrics on the market, as well as a vast array of colours. For the cats in this book, I chose acrylic felt for several reasons: the fibres are held together more firmly than wool, its easy to sew and it doesnt stretch. 100% wool felt is lovely to work with, but it's a lot softer than acrylic and can easily distort when the item is stuffed.

I have included the tones needed for each colour in the You Will Need lists. For example, dark brown, medium brown, light brown. As long as you achieve this range, youll get the desired results. There is also a variety of fantastic mottled felts available, so you will see those used too. Of course, you can change the colours however you like.

MAKE IT PERSONAL

To recreate your own cat, look at their markings and use the template as a guide to sketch them out. Then, when you are looking through your stash or shopping for felt, refer to a photograph to match their colours in terms of tone.

Sewing Thread

I used basic 120s polyester thread. Strong and easy to handle, its readily available in stores and online, and perfect for hand and machine sewing. I like to use colours that dont match exactly for a unique and quirky finish.

Stuffing

With fifty cats to make, I used a big bag of supersoft polyester stuffing. To get started, you could use cotton wool balls, or recycle stuffing from an old cushion instead.

Wool Roving

Roving is fleece that has been cleaned, dyed and combed, and its perfect for use in needle felting (a technique I describe later). I have used sheep's wool roving to add particular details and texture on some of the cats.

Wool Curls

This distinctively curly fleece looks a bit like wavy hair, and comes from breeds of sheep such as the Teeswater, Bluefaced Leicester and Wensleydale. Use them to add texture or make little beards for particular cat breeds.

Air-Drying Clay

I find that the best way to achieve the distinctive vertical slit shape of the domestic feline pupil is to use black air-drying modelling clay. Its both affordable and easy to find in craft shops and online. Alternatively, 5mm (3/16in) flat-backed cabochon beads would create the same eye-catching effect.

Brads

Unlike small cats, big cats have the same round shaped pupils as humans. Brads (also known as split pins) come in a variety of sizes and colours. I have used them as eyes, making a hole in the felt to allow for easy insertion. Brads come in a range of sizes, so use whichever best suits the cat youre making.