Sewing and Cats

 Two of my favourite things!

So I've finally got around to writing a SewforSoul update, having left an embarrassingly long gap since my last post! Lots has been going on here, including the sad death of Lily, our tabby cat, who often used to make a blog appearance.

Mr Larkin and I decided not to get another cat, as our human offspring will soon both be at university and my elderly father-in-law needs ever more care, so we felt it best to stay feline free......

This decision held for at least four months(!) before I weakened and we welcomed Luna and Lola, two British Shorthair girls, into our house and hearts.

When they arrived they were just the cutest bundles of fluff I have ever seen and they literally brought tears to mine and my daughter's eyes!  A year further on and they're still very adorable and fluffy, just much bigger!

Like all cats they are unbelievably nosy and are always keen to be involved in everything and anything anyone is doing.  Unsurprisingly, what they enjoy doing most is inserting themselves into the activity where they're actually needed the least! So this means they're often to be found in my sewing room 'helping' me with both fabric choices and the actual stitching....

Now you would think having originally decided we weren't having any more cats, two would have been more than enough......Not so!

We recently also acquired Digby, a little Snow Savannah boy! 

British Shorthairs and Savannahs are different in everyway - personality, size and build, fur, etc etc but Digby and the girls actually complement each other beautifully!

Views around cat ownership have definitely changed since we last had new cats, with many people now keeping their pets as indoor kitties only. I personally think that lots of cats like to have outside access, so we had our garden cat proofed by Viking Joinery using the Felisafe system. 

This meant a pretty brutal pruning back of over twenty years of growth but it was definitely worth the loss of shrubbery for the peace of mind the cat fencing provides.

Chris, the joiner from Viking, did a brilliant job and worked 10 hour days for a week in order to fit the system. He also made us a bespoke gate (& water butt lid!) for the same price as an inferior off the shelf version. He and his partner don't have cats, instead sharing their home with cute guinea pigs!  He really is a lovely guy and also gives his time and amazing joinery skills to helping at the Cavy Corner Guinea Pig Sanctuary. So when I saw some lovely guinea pig fabric over at Etsy I knew exactly what to make him for a little thank you present....

Festive Guinea Pig Bunting!