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Stuffie of the Month! Valentine Doggy & Kitty – Pattern Review!

February 14, 2014

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Today I am kicking off a new series – Stuffie of the Month –  with a sweet Valentine Doggy and Kitty that I made for my kids for Valentine’s Day!

stuffie of the month pic

I really love making stuffed animals (you can see some of the animals I have already made HERE) and it’s one of my goals this year to design and write my own stuffed animal pattern for my shop.  I do have a few FREE stuffed animal/pillow type patterns available in the tutorial section of my site, and I have a few completed animals for sale in my shop, but I really want to make my own 3D stuffed animal pattern.  I know that the best way for me to gain the knowledge I need and the confidence to design my own pattern, I need to sew sew sew other people’s stuffed animal patterns.

So my goal is to sew a stuffie a month! My plan is to choose a stuffed animal pattern from a different designer each month, purchase the pattern and make it as a gift for someone, my kids or just keep it for myself!  Each month I will show you how it turned out and let you know what I thought about the pattern!

For February, I am starting with a pair of Valentine stuffies for my kids!

feb stuffie of the month title

I bought the Breeze and Jetty Stuffed animal pattern from McKay Manor Musers last year at the Sew Expo in Puyallup, WA.  McKay Manor Musers is a local WA company, actually from my hometown of Vancouver, WA, made up of a Mom and her daughters.  They specialize in Cuddle™, or at least it seems like they do, because they sell kits and patterns that primarily use Cuddle fabrics.  Their designs are darling and you know I love Cuddle, so of course I had to snap up the pattern!

puppy kitty pattern

I wanted to make them as Valentines for O & V, so I used scraps of red and pink cuddle that I had.  As long as you have a couple of larger scraps you can totally make these guys using your stash!  The pattern is nicely printed and very easy to follow with step by step instructions.  They also include tips on working with Cuddle, which is nice if you have never used it before.

pieces cut I cut my pieces out according to the patterns/instructions.  The only addition I did was to add a little heart to the front bellies of the doggy and kitty.

The construction was pretty straightforward and the instructions were detailed and easy to follow.  The trickest part was attaching the head to the body.  A very small/tight circle to sew around.  I tried the kitty first with my machine but only made it less than 3/4 around and realized that it just wasn’t going to cooperate.  I finished it off by hand sewing the head to the body.  For the dog I skipped the machine and went straight to the hand sewing, it worked out much better.  They do point this out in the instructions which is nice, otherwise one could get very frustrated with it.

unstuffed with poly pellets With this project I got to use a material I hadn’t used before – Poly Pellets!  I used the Poly-Fil poly pellets by Fairfield, that I thankfully found at Michaels.  The pattern calls for a few tablespoons in each foot and hand and a little bit at the base (bum) to help the doggy or kitty sit up.  The pellets are pretty cool and a little goes a long way. doggy I grabbed some scraps of fuzzy Cuddle and tied it around their necks for scarves as the pattern shows, not really necessary but its cute!

kitty I also did the optional topstitch at the arm and leg joints, it just helped the stuffing stay where it should and made it easier for the kitty and doggy to sit up.

doggy 2

kitty 2 They are pretty darn cute!  I have been hiding them from my kids, I know they will love them.  Can’t wait to give them their Valentines this year! kitty and doggy To recap my thoughts on this pattern:

  • Easy to understand (CHECK)
  • Quick construction (CHECK)
  • Cute and cuddly (CHECK)
  • Pattern layout attractive and easy to read (CHECK)
  • Full size patterns provided (CHECK)

Things I learned:

  • The machine doesn’t have to do all the sewing – hand sewing is good!  It’s not my favorite thing but I feel like with every hand sewing step I do, I get a little better, practice makes perfect right!
  • Poly Pellets are cool and very handy to have around when you make stuffed animals.

While I don’t think this should be your first stuffed animal project – the tricky head attachment and the cuddle fabric make it better suited for someone who has made an animal or two before – I do think this is a great pattern and it makes a very cute stuffie!

Please come back next month for my next stuffie pattern review!  A Peacock from Funky Friends Factory! peacock picture funky friends factory

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