About a month ago I was contacted by a person, who wanted something rather unusual: a snowsuit for her Sphynx cat. She said that her cat needs daily walks, and towards the winter the weather gets cold where she lives, so she needs something that would protect her naked kitty from getting cold and sick. She mentioned that she contacted some shops that sell cat clothes before, but none of them agreed to do this kind of project. And now I understand why: it takes a lot of thinking, a lot of time and quite a bit of work.
I can’t say it was very difficult to figure out the structure of the snowsuit, because I have my own cats, that are live example of what my clients look like 🙂 The knitted part was pretty easy and quick. But the real thing started with the sewing. I spent 12 hours straight sewing it. Yep, maybe that looks silly, because it’s not a HUGE project, but it is quite time consuming, when you hand sew every single detail.
The snowsuit’s outer layer is hand knitted and the inner layer is fleece. It is very warm and thick, so the wind and cold won’t reach the kitty. The paws are also waterproof – I sewed the glove-like fabric, which will prevent the paws from getting wet. Oh, and in case you were wondering why there’s a hole in the snowsuit, it’s for the harness.
I sent the pictures to the customer and so far she is satisfied with everything, which is great. The only concern that I have is the fit. Even though I had all the needed measurements, it’s always a gamble with something like this. If it was only the knitted part, I wouldn’t worry even a bit, because it’s so stretchy and comfy, so even if something’s a little tight somewhere, it will stretch out. But it’s the fleece I am worried about. It’s stretchiness is quite limited, so if something doesn’t fit, it might be difficult to make it bigger. But fingers crossed it will fit!
Would I take on another project like that? Probably yes! Even though I felt quite miserable after those 12 hours of sewing and all my muscles were sore, if the sweater will fit the kitty it will be the biggest reward! I think it is important to do something you’ve never done before, because it gives you not only skills, but is also daring and interesting.
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