I remember asking for a kitten for Christmas when I was around 5. We had 1 or 2 aging cats at the time, so it was obviously out of the question with two young children in the house. To my disappointment, on Christmas morning, there was a stuffed cat and kittens under the tree. When I grew older I realized that my mom had made these cats, and of course grew to love them. The creative answer, to a far-fetched request was, I am sure not so easy for her to do. Hopefully I was not an ungrateful brat for the stuffed cats that Christmas, nor any Christmas after. As a crafty person, I prefer the gifts made by the giver, as I know they are gifts of time.
Greta is bound to be crafty – there is no way around it. Her parents are both frequently heard saying, “I could make that.” It is with no surprise then, that this year she has a few home made gifts for Christmas. This cat stuffed doll came about because I was flipping through catalogs and looking on Etsy at all the kitchsy, mismatched, it’s-cool-to-not-look-cool toys. You know the style.
I am proud to say that start to finish this project was all my own creation. I made the pattern for the body, felted the face, and even made the dress. My only regret – the dress is a little crude, so I may be replacing it with a nicer one at some point.
The pattern is made from a lightweight drawing paper. The pieces are folded or doubled up for better symmetry.
The pattern pieces are then traced onto a felted merino wool sweater. The pieces are cut out, pinned together, and then sewn.
The top leg has not been reversed, but the bottom leg has been turned so the seams are inside and is ready to be stuffed.
Holes? No big deal with felted wool – just simply sew on a small patch.
The arms and legs all stuffed and ready to be attached to the body.
The body stuffed and in the process of being sewn shut.
The tail sewn shut and ready to be attached to the body.
To attach the tail, simply place in desired location and sew together.
The finished stuffed cat.
To make a simple dress, use tee shirt scraps. Cut two pieces, sew pockets on the front section, and then sew together, right sides together. Leave spaces for the head and arm holes.
Felt a face using a felting needle and loose colored wool – called carded roving. I have a large bag of many colors that I have been using.
Once the felting is complete, use a hot iron to shrink the wool and hold in place.
The finished face. So much for symmetry. Oh well, she will love it anyway. After all, if something is worth doing, it is worth doing badly!
This is an easy kit to get you started on felting without breaking the bank.
Bluebird Hill Art 