One FF Cat with One Finally Finished UFO

FF (formerly feral) Rusty with FF (finally finished)  CC Jane for Vivian Rose

This little outfit has been sitting at the back of my cutting table for almost a year now.  Why?  Because after embroidering the tricycle I thought a lighter pink applique fabric would have looked better.  I got as far as cutting out another front, but never got to the re-embroidery.  So it sat. Until last week.

Children’s Corner Jane, one of my go-to-patterns for wiggly Vivian Rose, with an added angel sleeve ruffle. The pattern is so simple, perfect for embellishing one way or another.

When I took it outside to photograph because the lighting is so much better, my ever-loving, always-seeking-affection feline fella Rusty jumped into a pot of geraniums to be near me.  It was a cat photobomb. But I  just kept shooting as sunset was approaching.

Some readers might remember this photo of grandson Alastair with kitten Rusty, who was discovered with his recently feral mama in our old vacant chicken house.  That was in an earlier post, Sew Lucky, Sew Beautiful, .

Grandson Alastair is wearing his Big Brother shirt and holding tiny Rusty.   Mama Alina is keeping close to her kitten. He never was camera shy.

A most unusual cat, he has grown up to be as social, loving and attentive as any dog we’ve had.

Finally, Rusty left in a huff because there was none of his usual lovin’ to be had. So I was able to get a shot of the embroidered skirt.

The trike is Vivian’s dream transportation to pre-shool.  The post and sign were extracted from other designs in my design library.  The tricycle applique’ is from Linnie Pinnie.

The road is simply a folded piece of bias, stitched in place with the raw edge toward the embroidery.  Then the fold was pressed up to cover the raw edge and stitched in place.

It was designed to appease then 2 yo Vivian Rose’s envy of her  5 year old brother.  Alastair joyfully rode to kindergarten every morning on the back of his father’s bicycle.  And every morning Vivian stood at the end of the driveway wistfully waving goodbye.   She desperately wanted to ride her tricycle to pre-school.   Of course, that wasn’t going to happen.  So I hoped the embroidery on this Children’s Corner  Jane   would allow her an imaginary ride to that destination.

After nearly a year, I decided that a too-bright pink trike was better than no trike and no outfit, so last week I finished it, complete with bloomers.

I have a few more UFO’s that need to move off my heavy laden cutting table and be finished.  Do you ever do that–leave a project unfinished because it could be better?

P.S.  This comment just came in so I thought others might have the same question. “Janice, I was researching this pattern and notice you added that extra gathered fabric over the sleeve. Were the instructions for that on the pattern? If not, would you share how you did that? Thanks!”

No, Carol, the instructions were not in the pattern. Years ago, Elizabeth Travis Johnson taught that to make any puff sleeve bishop into a ruffle sleeve, cut just above where the armhole curve begins. Most bishop patterns have a J shaped armhole curve, straight from the neck and then curved.  I’ve always just cut there when I want a ruffle sleeve. Jane, however, has a slanted armhole curve. So I just traced it and picked a random length for the ruffle. I make it a tad longer if the sleeve will have a very narrow trim, or shorter with a wider trim. It’s all pretty much “whatever” Bishops and Jane are very adaptable to creative interpretation. This photo shows how I “drafted” (and I use that term loosely!)the sleeve ruffle.