Fat Cat Crafts PURRRRFECT Pincushions!

While I was looking around Etsy, I found this cute store that has cat pincushions. They are the cutest things ever! I am not an avid seamstress….or a seamstress at all, but I am in love with these. I want to buy all of these just to sit around my desk. When I look at these they make me smile! So I knew I had to share them with my readers, so I could share the smiles I contacted the owner of Fat Cat Crafts, and she was more than happy to let me share them with you all.

I always like to know a bit about who is making the handmade items on Etsy, it makes it a more personal experience. So I thought I would put some info here that I got from Fat Cat Craft’s Etsy store’s about page.

Here’s how it evolved:
About 8 years ago, I decided I wanted to learn to sew and make a Halloween costume. I sat in front of a sewing machine with the instruction booklet and attempted to sew a rather overzealous costume. It ended pathetically with me crying and my mom finishing it for me on the day of the party. Next Halloween I gave myself more time, though not necessarily an easier costume, but I did it. I sewed a costume by myself and I liked it! Liked the outcome of the costume and I liked sewing. I now had basic knowledge of a sewing machine and the creative possibilities were endless. (And I’ll add that my costumes have gotten better and it no longer ends with my crying in a corner.)

But to sew, you need a fun pincushion. And that’s where Fat Cat Crafts comes into play. There at the time, I never thought that I was going to be selling them. I just wanted one for myself.

I’ve always just had the basic tomato pincushion. It works just fine, but I thought it was rather boring. The concept of pincushions actually came to me around the holiday season. I was making presents for my family, all gingerbread people items since I’m a gingerbread nut, and just in passing thought about how awesome it would be to have a fat gingerbread girl pincushion. After the hoopla and craziness of the holidays passed, I started really thinking about making pincushions and having a shop. And then I looked at my fat, furry black cat Spooky sitting and staring at me. I had an epiphany. Spooky was going to be the model for my fat cat pincushions.

And so in 2008, with the support of my family, Fat Cat Crafts was born. I will admit, the figuring out process was pretty painful. I had many failed attempts at patterns and shapes. And me being the weirdo that I am, I kept them all. I have all my miserable cat blob pincushion in a box. And then one night, I finally did it: I figured out the exact shape that I wanted. And I have a picture, somewhere, of me proudly displaying my first successful pincushion cat. I posted my first pincushion cat up on Etsy in September of 2008. I also went to my first craft fair a month later. Fat Cat was up and running!

For about 2 years I did both online and craft fair sales, but I felt that I never was able to give full attention to one venue. So I decided to focus just with online and stop going to craft fairs as a vendor. Though I still attend them as a buyer!
There’s been lots of trial and error along the way. And I’ll admit I’ve had my share of disastrous prototype pincushion characters. And unfortunately one major down. I was diagnosed with Lupus in the summer of 2011 which forced me to close up shop for a few months until I got things back under control. And after I finally was able to open up again, I had to taking sewing very slowly. I have no intention on making this a major part of the story, but I felt that I should share it with you. I will admit, there was a point where I was afraid I was going to have to shut down my shop for good. But this story has a happy ending and I didn’t have to go that far. I still have to pace myself and be smart about taking care of myself. So I just take one day at a time and am extremely grateful that I am still sewing. Even if it is a bit slower.

And I’m so proud to say Fat Cat Crafts has hit 200 Etsy sales in May of 2012! Which was a huge milestone for me and I couldn’t be more thrilled!

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Aren’t they just so cool!!! When I saw these I thought of one of my friends and reader in particular, Carolyn…if you are reading this – don’t these make you smile!!! These would make great gifts for the cat lover in your life – we all know one…or five.

Ok I have to know….which one is your favorite? You can see Fat Cat Craft’s entire line here : http://www.etsy.com/shop/FatCatCrafts?ref=seller_info….. They have so many different cats – I have to say it is hard to pick just 1!

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