Not Every Project is Destined for Greatness

I made this a while ago, but I thought of it again as I was sewing some pants today. I love Craft: Magazine because of the inspiring projects and diverse artist's stories, but I hadn't ever made anything from its pages before.

I'm not really a sewer, as I prefer to knit or crochet my fabrics. The only clothing I've ever sewn was a pair of hooded capes that I made as a teenager, and I've abandoned my fair share of cross-stitch wall-hangings. I admire embroidery, but I've never had the urge to pick up a tiny needle to attempt it. I usually only use my sewing machine for patching up holes in clothes (like today).


When I adopted my kitten, Rupert, I wanted to make him toys every day. After knitting and crocheting a couple balls that got lost somewhere in the apartment after only a few hours, I wanted to make something a little bigger. Plus, he likes to play rough, and have you seen the price of stuffed animals?? I'd just received some awesome pink fur fabric from a craft swap, and I'd been thinking about the stuffed monster project from Craft for months. Hence, the Pink Man was born.

I did a terrible job with the stitches, which are visible from the outside due to overstuffing, but it's only a cat toy. Rupert, of course, won't touch the thing, even after I stuffed lots of bells inside to catch his attention! I stuffed it with fabric scraps to keep with the recycling concept, and I think maybe the toy is too heavy and stiff for this picky kitty. Ah, well. It was a fun afternoon project! Maybe he'll grow into it. Maybe he's freaked out by Pink Man's eyelessness. Who knows?