Midnight Prowl - Mysterious Purrs - by 3 Wishes

Look at Mysterious Purrs from across the room and it’s a rich, dark black. Come closer and the cats appear. Dozens of them are packed together in the shadows, drawn in black on black, with only their glowing golden eyes and noses giving them away. It’s a clever, atmospheric print, and it’s a lovely way to bring cats into a project without it being obvious.

This is 100% cotton fabric in a quilting weight: smooth, soft and breathable, and it cuts and sews cleanly. It’s 112cm (44") wide, the standard width for quilting cotton, which suits patchwork, bags, crafts and smaller clothing projects. Because the print is so dark, it works as a near-solid black in a quilt or a bag, and the eyes add a touch of surprise.

Black cats are one of the best-loved subjects in sewing. A cushion, a zip pouch or a tote in this fabric makes an easy gift for anyone who has a cat, or wishes they did, and it looks good all year, not only at Halloween.

What to make

• Quilting and patchwork: quilts, wall hangings, table runners and cushion tops, as a dark backdrop or a feature
• Bag making: totes, zip pouches, pencil cases and project bags
• Dressmaking: shirts, skirts, children’s clothes and pyjamas for cat lovers
• Home décor: cushions, bunting, tea towels and storage baskets
• Crafts: gifts, Halloween decorations and tech cases

Planning your cut

The cats faces have a direction, so it’s worth cutting each piece individually if you’d like a pair of eyes to land in a particular spot, perhaps on a bag front or a cushion. Lay your pattern pieces on the fabric before you cut, to see how it will look.

Sewing tips

• Pre-wash before cutting, as cotton can shrink
• Use a universal needle and a medium stitch length
• Press on a medium to hot heat, on the reverse

• Width: 112cm/44" (approx)
• Composition: 100% cotton
• Colour: Black
• Fabric Type: Cotton
• Range: Midnight Prowl
• Designer: Michael Moon
• Brand: 3 Wishes

✔Machine washable at 30°C
✔Wash separately the first time, then with similar dark colours
✔Do not use bleach
✔Tumble dry low or line dry
✔Iron on a medium to hot heat, on the reverse
✔Always test a small sample first to check your preferred washing method

Cotton is a natural, renewable fibre, and a good quilting cotton like this is made to be washed and used for years. At the end of its life, it’s biodegradable, because natural cotton breaks down in the right conditions.