My sister has a small collection of waving Chinese cats (which I've just discovered are called Maneki Neko) so when I came across this free embroidery pattern I knew it would be just the ticket for her for Christmas.
Silly me forgot to take a photo of it when it was totally completed - fabric trimmed and glued to the back of edge of the embroidery hoop - but this is one I took once I'd finished all the stitching.
Everything used to make it was thrifted or recycled - the hoop, the embroidery thread, the fabric -except the fabric glue which I had to buy new. The trickiest part was trying to trace the pattern onto the fairly thick piece of vintage linen (the other part of the tablecloth that I made these gift bags from.) I'm sure if you've got some sort of lightbox this would have been fairly easy but I was going for the taping the pattern and fabric to a window method. The whole lot slid to the floor on numerous occasions, causing me to swear copiously at the time!! It all worked out rather well in the end though and my sister was very pleased with it - as was I. It looked particularly nice wrapped in tissue paper and presented in this gift bag (also made using totally thrifted / recycled materials.)
I've linked this post over at Apron Thrift Girl's Make Share post.
This is so adorable. I love this and the little bag, and how it's made of recycled material.
I have to correct you though, Maneki Neko are Japanese :) I love them and wouldn't mind starting a collection of 'em myself.
Posted by: Van | 01/05/2011 at 07:39 PM
Dear Liz,
Yes, I am very, very pleased with my present. I love it and it takes pride of place in the kitchen alongside my other waving cats. I seem to spend an awful lot of time in my kitchen and they really cheer me up whilst carrying out the mundane, but necessary, tasks of each day. I'm also very pleased with my gift bag, which is now being used to keep my work in progress cross stitch projects in.
Love from
Sarah
xxxx
Posted by: Sarah | 01/05/2011 at 09:38 PM