Catmint mice from 'Gifts From Your Garden' by Debora Robertson You will need
- Scraps of strong cotton fabric, corduroy or tweed
- String or ribbon, for the tails
- Hollow fill fibre toy stuffing, available from craft suppliers
- 2 teaspoons dried catmint for each mouse
- Scraps of felt for the ears
- Embroidery thread, for the eyes
- Pins
- Needle and thread or sewing machine
How to make
For each mouse, cut a heart-shaped paper template, approximately 18cm at its widest point. Pin this to your fabric and cut round it. Cut the fabric heart in half along the central point so that you have two pieces. Place the right sides of the fabric together and tuck the tail in position so that you catch it as you sew around the mouse. Pin together and stitch, leaving a gap of about 3cm in the base of the mouse. Turn the mouse right-side out and press.
Fill the mouse with the hollow fill fibre and a couple of teaspoons of dried catmint, then sew up the hole in the base securely. Cut small triangles of felt for the ears and stitch them on. Embroider small crosses for eyes. The catmint mouse’s scent will remain strong for several months.
Growing Catmint
Hardy perennial catmint, Nepeta, gets its common name from the near-narcotic effect it has on cats, but it makes a very attractive border plant in its own right. Plant in well-drained soil in sun or light shade and when the first flowers have faded, cut right back to within a few centimetres of the soil line to encourage lush growth and a second crop of flowers.
If you are cultivating it for your cat, you’ll need to protect it. Cats will roll around on the plants in a state of ecstasy and gnaw the foliage down to the stems. Poking some twigs or sticks into the ground around the plant and tying some garden twine in a web between the sticks can help stop the worst of the damage.
Gifts From The Garden
Containing more than 100 projects that use the gardener's bounty throughout the seasons, Gifts From The Garden is divided into 'Flowers and Herbs' and 'Fruit and Vegetables'. Discover how to make edible gifts, gifts for the home and gifts to enhance wellbeing. Published by Kyle Cathie priced £16.99. Buy this book at a discount from Saga Bookshop.