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This is Zsa Zsa.

Am I dating myself that when someone suggested a collar with bling I immediately thought of Zsa Zsa Gabor? 🙂

Anyway – I made Zsa Zsa using the Pip pattern, a shortish pile white fur, and a couple of scraps of pink satin for the ear linings.

I made Zsa Zsa to show you a few things.

How to Make a Fancy Collar with Bling

I bought that ribbon with the jewels already sewn on it. Fancy and easy. 🙂

But it was kind of flimsy.

To make a sturdy collar that could withstand lots of play, I made the regular collar from the Pip pattern, then sewed the blingy ribbon onto it.

I had to make the collar a little wider so it would accommodate the full width of the ribbon. You can do that too – just cut your fabric strip 4 times the width of the ribbon you want to use.

I also had to use a zipper foot to sew down the edges of the ribbon. The zipper foot let me keep the presser foot out of the way of the bumpy bling. If you don’t have one you can just sew the ribbon on by hand. The easiest and strongest way would be to whipstitch it around all the edges. Use this tutorial to see how.

You Can Use Fake Fur to Sew a Zsa Zsa from the Pip Pattern

You don’t have to make any adjustments to the pattern.

You can find all my video tutorials about working with faux fur (along with other special fabrics) here.

I recommend using the optional muzzle applique piece included in the pattern. Otherwise the cute embroidered smile will get lost in the fur.

The pattern includes instructions for how to prepare the muzzle piece and how to applique it onto fur.

Please get the good stuff!

It’s going to take you a couple of hours to make this toy and someone is going to love it. Make it out of materials that feel good and will last!

I sewed Zsa Zsa up with junky fur that I had on hand for some reason. It’s white – which is exactly what I wanted for this project – but that’s the only good thing I can say about it. I bought this at Joann’s and it’s awful. It feels like plastic. I can tell it’s going to get terribly matted if this toy actually gets played with. The backing fabric is so thin that you can see my light pink pattern-tracing lines right through it. Awful stuff! I gave the leftovers to Jo to use for making rugs in her doll house. That’s the only thing it’s good for. 🙁

But you’ll use the good stuff, right?

You can find info about my favorite source for faux fur here. I haven’t tried all their furs – not by a long shot – but every single one I’ve tried had been terrific quality.

So – ready to make a furry cat?

Get the Pip pattern here.

Happy sewing!

Best,
Wendi