Making a Cat Bed

I am happy to say everything is ticking a long smoothly.  Housekeeping is day to day and the house has never looked better.   Which means I'm ready to start crafting more.  My original plan of bringing this life change on in stages rather than all at once was a good idea.

Per my last post we have a new family member and he needed a new bed.  Old me would have walked over to Pet Valu on my lunch hour and picked one out.  Instead I decided I would try my hand at making it.

I read multiple posts on the net about nest beds, flat beds, basket beds, portable beds, I liked the look of this one here Instructables Cat Bed, well not so much the look (eeek fleece is such a hair catcher) but the style.  I decided to make Capone's more of an oval, and also to try and do it from fabric I had left over from another project.

I should have taken photos a long the way, but I wasn't sure it was going to turn out.  Next time I promise LOL, but more or less I followed the instructions.  The only thing I changed was I did not use all new fill.  From my years with pets I am a believer in the fact that scent is a huge factor for animals, they find comfort in familiar scents.  I grabbed an old pillow that I had planned to throw away and used the stuffing from that.  Two birds, one stone, bed and cat soother.

Finished bed:

He loves it, sleeps in it regularly.   Can't ask for more success than that . .  well maybe I can, I have yet to wash it, it could fall apart first go round, but for now . . . success.

xo
J.

Is this a trend?

The house top to bottom organization was done a couple of weeks ago.  Crafters nook created.  I had been gifted a copy of Jen Lancaster's the Tao of Martha, which I read cover to cover and laughed and cried at.  I could see the similarities, between my life model and hers.  Including the relationships with her pets/fur babies.  I could relate to her last days with her dog, in the end it was similar to when we lost Noah.  Then, the unthinkable happened.  My little Gizmo who has had a permanent ear infection for life (it's been treated, surgeries performed, it was her barn defect and permanent) finally got to where there was pressure or what have you and she was incapacitated.  We had her euthanized because it was the only option. She couldn't walk, her tongue  was stuck out of her mouth and she couldn't pull it back in.  She was older, but I wasn't ready.  I've always had that long lingering fight with the dogs, that "if we can get one more meal into you, one more treatement . ..  we'll beat this" but with Gizmo it was one day she was stealing french fries out of the take out bag, and the next she was unable to stand.     Understandably this put my Year of Martha off the rails, at least temporarily.  I couldn't find the motivation to keep up with anything.  I guess it's understandable, but I really didn't expect it.

Then Capone arrived.  Part Maine Coon, part short hair tabby.   He is a lovely addition, and of course right now we live in a house divided . . . or I should say tri-sected.   Capone likes everyone, Barney likes him.  Missy and Mischief have reserved judgement.  I shouldn't put Mischief with Missy.  Mischief tolerates him.  Missy wants to nose him, and he is just having no part of that.    With this return to some sense of balance, I was able to find my path back to my happiness project fairly simply.   It also opened up a completely new set of projects, as Capone needs a new bed, and he is a cat-nip-o-holic.  He also is the kind of cat who has the constant need to be involved.  This weekend we will start out with some simple catnip toys for my fat boy. Since they are 1.99 each at the store, and always prefers a fresher one, I am sure I can handle the cutting of squares and a straight zig-zag stitch and the packing of the nip.  Worse case they are lopsided and the catnip will fall out making us appear as sloppy marijuana users, we aren't but really, who would believe that the green shredded leafy material was catnip?, either way, I'm sure he won't complain.  If that works out well, we will move on to trying to construct/sew him a new cat bed.  

Of course after Capone settled in, I looked online and found out that Martha has a very large soft spot for the Maine Coon breed.  Jason asked if I had planned that on purpose.  Fact is I didn't.  Between losing Gizmo and Capone arriving, I hadn't been keeping up with my review of the copious amount of information and projects at www.marthastewart.com.  So it wasn't intentional, but it kicked me in the pants to get back to my happy.  We will see how our sewing projects end up.

and Yes I am aware that this weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving.  I am also much like Jen Lancaster in that with the other things going on in my life it snuck up on me.  Lucky for me it's traditionally held at my parents home, so I only have to produce a couple of dishes to contribute to the meal.  Christmas Eve will be my time to shine with my Martha-esque entertaining skills.  That is when my family will come to visit, and be awed by my culinary skills (which are already finally honed thank you very much).

Capone

Wish me luck that I don't sew my sweater to the catnip pouches :)

J.