It is no secret that I hate Disney stuff.  Before 2008 I was mainly just not that interested but since then I’ve been dealing with an autistic child whose obsessions are always Disney and something else.  The something else varies but Disney stays the same.  That means at any given time she only has two topics of conversation and she talks nonstop.  I want to scream, “Please, for the love of all that is holy, shut the $%# up about Disney!!” but that is considered rude.  For the last year she has been obsessing about Disney cruises to the point that she knows the layout of all the ships and the number of bars.  She gave me a whole monologue this weekend about how I have failed her father because I am holding him back from going on a Disney cruise.  Explaining that her father thinks going on a Disney cruise would be a new level of hell that Dante hadn’t even imagined didn’t work.

The child and her mother are going on a Disney cruise in June.  This weekend when I went to pick up the child, the mother held out a bag and said, “We were wondering if you could make this up this weekend.  I mean, if you can’t we can do it with Grandma.”  Note the lack of a please, thank you, or question in there.  The child explained that I needed to make something for them for their cruise.  The level of stabby was high before this project even started.

Apparently, on Disney cruises you need something called a fish extender.  There is a fish decoration on the door and you hang pockets from it and people give you presents.

They provided me with fleece and a nasty crunchy fabric with glitter that dulled my blade and needle.  I decided to make it fancy and then threatened to sign it so they had to think of me every time they saw it.

I cut two pieces of fleece 8″ x 24″. I layered them with batting in between.

 

I sewed 1/4″ along the long sides to hold them together.

I cut the pocket fabric 6″ x 11″. That was suggested on other sites I read in order to make pleated pockets. I folded over the top and bottom and topstitched the top so it wouldn’t fray. I didn’t stitch the bottom. I figured it will get sewn down when it gets sewn on the background.

Of course I had to get fancy and fussy cut the Tinkerbells. Pin the sides, center the design, and then fold the pleats. I just eyeballed this.

I did a double row of stitching across the bottom to reinforce that weight bearing seam and to make sure I caught the folded edge. I started with the first pocket at the bottom and then put two inches between the pockets. I bound the edges with the Tinkerbell fabric.

I put a fleece hanging pocket on the back for a dowel rod.

One finished fish extender (what a stupid name!). The husband has helpfully pointed out that there was no thank you forthcoming from either of them. I just love making projects for hateful people!

In happier sewing news, I started sewing the fourth row onto my hexie quilt.