Cat Softie - Free Pattern & Tutorial

A few weeks ago, Anna came and sat down next to me with a very serious expression on her face.

"Mum. I have two dog toys. But I don't have a cat. Could you please make one for me?"  She looked up at me full of hope and expectation. How could I refuse? Once I made the first cat, Anna named it 'sleepy cat' because of the way I had embroidered it's eyes.


One problem - I've never attempted a softie before. Plus, I am trying to to be a good girl and not purchase any new fabric or patterns until I use up a bit more of the existing stash. This is what I came up with - a softie for beginners!

I am not a brilliant designer, pattern maker or embroiderer, so I came up with a cat that I could manage and complete quickly. And if I can make one (or three), trust me, this will be a very easy project for you too!

You need:

2 pieces of fleece fabric (for head) - 28 x 12cm (11 x 5")
2 pieces of quilting cotton (for body) - 28 x 16cm (11 x 6")
scrap piece of felt (for face)
embroidery floss & needle
small length of ribbon
hobby fill
Sleepy Cat Pattern - Click HERE. The pattern is available as a google document. If you have any trouble accessing it, please email me and I would be happy to email you a copy! roslynruss{at}gmail{dot}com. Make sure you check 'no scale' when you print.

Cut out the face template from your pattern and trace the face details onto the felt. I used a grey lead pencil.

Take your embroidery floss (I used 3 strands) and thread your needle. Use a simple back stitch to embroider the facial features. If you have never tried back stitch before, this video will show you how to do it.

Cut the face out and set it aside. Take your fleece and cotton pieces and sew them with right sides together.

Open out and use the cat pattern to position the face onto the fleece.

Pin the face to the fleece and sew onto the fleece. I found that a small zig zag stitch worked best.

Take your piece of ribbon, tie it into a bow, and hand stitch underneath the face onto the seam of the fabric.

Flip this piece over and trace the cat pattern out onto the wrong side of the fabric. The cat's neck should align with the seam.

Take the other piece of fabric and place the two pieces right sides together, aligning the seams. Pin together and stitch around the cat outline, leaving a 6-8cm gap at the bottom for turning and stuffing.

Once you've sewn it together, trim excess fabric and clip curves.

Turn the cat right sides out. Take your hobby fill and stuff the cat. I use a chopstick to help get the stuffing right up into the ears.

Once you are happy with the amount of stuffing, hand stitch the hole closed.

You now have a soft and cuddly cat softie! Here are the ones I've made for my girls (disclaimer - my 3yo gave them their highly original names!)

If you make a cat using this tutorial I'd love you to share! Tweet me, post a picture to my facebook timeline, send me the link to your blog or upload a picture to my Flickr pool! I love seeing what people make from my tutorials, it makes my day!