Hand-Sewn Stuffed Cat Plushie MODERATE SKILL LEVEL
Introduction: Hand-Sewn Stuffed Cat Plushie MODERATE SKILL LEVEL
I used this website for the pattern:
https://dollmaker.nunodoll.com/cat/ragdoll.html
DISCLAIMER: The printed pattern is from a website not owned by me. I did not create this pattern nor the directions on the website myself. All rights are reserved to the original maker of the pattern.
There is a small tutorial on the website for the construction, but it was not thorough enough and took a lot of trial and error for me to get right.
I made this cat for my aunt, in likeness of her late cat <PERSON>. I have made three cat plushies with this pattern total. For the pictures with a blue background, I was at school using one of my teacher's fancy cameras. For the pictures with a brown background, I was at home using my phone. It took me a few days to complete sewing this cat, because I sew by hand.
Supplies
Here is a list of the materials I used, but you can change the fabric depending on what you have:
Things I bought/printed:
* 1 yard Black and 1 yard White Anti-pill Fleece (from Joann Fabrics) $6.00 a yard - one yard of fabric can make up to 3 cat plushies -
* Black embroidery floss (from Michael's) $0.62 for individuals
* Plastic cat eyes (from Joann) $2.50
* Thin, translucent wire (from Joann) $4.50
* Polyester Fiber-fill (from Joann) $17.00
* Printed pattern on paper from Nunodoll.com:
+ BODY- https://dollmaker.nunodoll.com/cat/ragdoll1.gif
+ HEAD, BELLY, and TAIL- https://dollmaker.nunodoll.com/cat/ragdoll2.gif
Total Cost of Items: $36.62 roughly
Other supplies I had on hand:
* Needle and thread, black and white
* Fabric scissors (I used my Calculus teacher's fancy scissors)
* Chalk and Washable marker, for tracing the pattern
* Seam ripper, for mistakes and putting in the eyes
* Measuring tape, for seams
You will also need to know the following hand stitches:
* "Back" stitch - the usual stitch
* "Running" stitch - for closing the head and tail
* "Lock" stitch - for starting and ending each stitch
* "Ladder" stitch - for closing ears and attaching the head & tail to body
* "Embroidery" stitch - for optional details
Step 1: Print Out the Two Patterns Onto Computer Paper
Print the pattern out onto computer paper and cut it out.
(Optional step) Since paper is so flimsy, I glued the pieces to cardboard, from cereal boxes, with a 1/4 inch border around all the edges, except for the underbelly's slit in the middle and the hind foot's slice. 673
It is hard to explain in words, so I hope the pictures can help explain this better.
There is one other piece I made from the fleece that didn't have a pattern, so make sure you have enough material for it (it'll show up later).
Step 2: Cut Out Pieces for the Head
When cutting pieces out of any material, it is very important to know which side is the good side and which side is the wrong side. The good side is the side that will show up on the outside of the final product. The wrong side is the side that you sew on and will end up on the inside of the final product. With fleece, it is hard to tell which side is which because they are both the same color. However, I found that the good side of fleece is fluffier than the wrong side.
Trace your patterns on the WRONG side with chalk. I added a 1/2 inch border around the pieces to make them a bit bigger. I do this with every piece, even the ones with the body, but you do not have to do this.
You should have these pieces cut out: 10 in total
* 4 ears/ 2 black and 2 white
* 1 head, black
* 1 nose, white
* 1 cheek, white
* 1 chin (here I have it black but I ended up changing it to white later)
* 2 head sides, black
In the picture above, I laid out all the pieces with their wrong sides up. Later I will show you what the wrong and good sides look like. 316