Pillowcases + Cut up Sheet = Cutest Gift Ever

by Andrea Whitley

4 Materials

Baby gift shopping is way too generic. A friend of mine says she sews and gifts stuffed animals when new babies arrive. Eager for a solution to my baby-shopping-haterself, we did some Winecrafting. Busted out the boxed wine and she demo'd while our friend taught me how to use my sewing machine. Now I've gone to bed way too late 2 nights in a row making these little guys...

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See pic below: I grabbed a cute pillowcase from the dollar tree, found a pattern on Pinterest (http://www.thecraftedsparrow.com/2013/03/stuffed-kitty-pillow.html). Since the pillowcase was, well, Dollar Store, I used a sheet to double up on fabric.

1. Lay out two squares of sheet fabric, then lay the pillowcase on top.

2. Draw pattern on with chalk, larger than you want your actual animal to be.

3. Cut shape out all 4 layers

4. On the side that will face outward, use thread and fabric to create a face (embroidery thread if you have it. I used regular thread and a piece of my old jeans for the nose).

5. Layer for sewing as follows: sheet, face (face-up), back (face down, so the butt is essentially facing the face you made), sheet. This will ensure the two sheets end up on the inside when you flip it inside out.

6. Sew edges together, making sure to get all 4 layers securely, unlike somebody I know (me). Also, leave a hole for stuffing.. don't sew it completely together like then say CRAP and have to cut a hole in the thread. Why is thread so hard to cut!?

7. All done sewing? Put that thang down flip it n reverse it. Aka turn it inside out. (So cute, right!?)

8. If you have stuffing on hand already, good for you. If not, take a page from my book and start pulling out your old comforter stuffing. Because you were going to replace it anyway, right?

9. Sew or velcro the stuffing hole shut.

10. Take broken mini-belt you had lying around because your crafting brain just KNEW you'd find a use for it. Turn it into a collar.

11. Get creative. I realized there is no way I can fix the tail because I didn't leave enough fabric leeway. I took the back of the tail that was supposed to be a pattern and frayed it instead so it's a cute fuzzy little cat tail. (Frayed-y cat?)

12. Post with your new friend. Commence addiction.

12. Repeat with seahorse pattern.

Made same mistake of not getting all 4 layers into the stitches, so I hand-sewed and then put little sheet bows around the tail.

Seahorse pattern is here (I kept the fin on the pattern because I'm lazy). Skipped this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSWdk9Wt1ac), but I did use her pattern as inspiration (http://mrmrssorensen.blogspot.com/2014/12/part-1-how-to-make-stuffed-animal.html).

Bring on the babies.