Self Assembly Required

DIY dressmaking + crafts with Emily

Cat pockets + Cleo

Does anyone remember this Disney short Figaro and Cleo? I loved it as a child (and an adult).


“I just can’t eat that itty, bitty fish 🐟…”

It has absolutely no bearing on today’s post, I just thought it was sort of apt since I’m adding cat pockets to my Cleo pinafore today! And I now can’t get that song out of my head…

So here’s my black Cleo pinafore! It’s not needlecord like I wanted it to be by the way, it just kind of looks like it. It’s some weird heavyweight velvet like thing of unknown quality that I got in Singapore but it seemed perfect for this project!

This Cleo is slightly different to the one I made before in that this is the final, off-the-shelf version, not the tester version so there are some ever so slight differences. Not that anyone else would notice!

My main addition to this version though, are these cat pockets! I’ll show you how to make them too if you want to have some cats of your very own – just follow the tutorial at the bottom!


How cute are these? I’ve made one grumpy and one happy. I figured there was no way I was going to end up making them identical so I might as well give them character!

Cat pocket tutorial 

What you’ll need:

Fabric

Lining

A contrast topstitch thread

Any decorative extras (fabric paint, coloured threads etc) if wanted

Got your bits? Good, let’s go!

  1. Draw out your cat shape or download my version here
  2. Cut out 2 cats in your fabric and 2 in a lining
  3. Right sides together, sew 1cm from the edge all the way around, leaving a small gap at the base (between the notches on the pattern piece).
  4. Turn your cats right side around and press, making sure all the edges are neat. Tuck in the excess fabric at your opening and press that flat too.
  5. Add on your cat’s features! You could do this with fabric paint, machine embroidery, hand stitches – the choice is yours! I’ve done mine with a straight stitch on the machine with upholstery thread.
  6. Topstitch 3-4mm from the edge all the way around
  7. Place your pockets in position and pin.
  8. Stitch carefully 2mm from the edge of the pocket from tip of the ear to tip of the ear

Ta-da! Cat pockets!

Of course these aren’t just limited to Cleos. These pockets will go on pretty much anything! Where else would you put your cat pockets?

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23 Comments

  1. OMG those cats pockets are EVERYTHING! I love how they don’t match – it makes the outfit more interesting. Now I need to go put cats on everything!

  2. Love these pockets , they are super cute , purrfect for the Cleo and would look great on back pockets , giving a smile or a scowl to anyone watching your rear!

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