Back in the autumn of 2015, I was contacted by a kind lady who had the sweetest request: she wanted matching sweaters for herself and her cat, Gwennie.
At first, I’ll admit I was a little cautious. I hadn’t made clothing for humans in a long time – and my shop has always been focused on feline fashion. I explained that to her honestly, but she still encouraged me to give it a try.
She wasn’t in a rush, and we agreed to reconnect once I was feeling better (I was recovering from a cold at the time) and had more time to plan.
Designing the Sweater Duo
Fast forward to spring of 2016 – we began brainstorming!
She browsed my sweater designs and chose one as inspiration:
For the color, she loved the mustard yellow yarn available in my shop – a warm, cozy shade that’s perfect for autumn.
Once we finalized the design and color, she sent over her measurements, along with some preferences on sleeve length, fit, and overall shape.
From Sweater to Sweater-Dress
Originally, the idea was to create a sweater – but she later decided she’d love a sweater-dress instead. Something soft, comfy, and easy to wear with leggings. That meant adjusting the shape and structure to suit her vision – and that’s when my knitting needles really got to work!
It took a bit of trial and error, but eventually, I finished the piece and sent her photos of the final product.
Waiting Game… and a Happy Ending
Even though she said she was happy with the photos, I couldn’t fully relax until she had the sweater in hand. I kept wondering:
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What if it doesn’t fit perfectly?
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What if the real-life version disappoints her?
Luckily, a few weeks later, the package arrived – and I received these reviews:
Cue my huge sigh of relief! I was thrilled that she was happy – both with her sweater-dress and the matching look for her kitty.
Lessons Learned (and Loved!)
Honestly, I thought creating a human sweater-dress would be much more difficult than it turned out to be. Cat clothing and human clothing are totally different in structure and construction – but in the end, I learned so much from the process. And that’s the part I love most.
There’s a saying in my country:
“You won’t carry the weight of knowledge on your shoulders.”
Meaning – whatever you learn will never be a burden. And in this case, it brought me more confidence and a happy customer.
Wishing you all a beautiful day, and a cozy, creative week ahead!
Thanks for reading my little throwback to one of my favorite custom projects. 💛
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