project // guinea pig cushion

When I heard that July 16 is Guinea Pig Appreciation Day, I knew that I needed to do something to show my own appreciation for these sweet little critters that have captured my heart. Last year I made a pouch for them to laze about in, and they love it. So it seemed like time for another DIY designed for guinea pigs. Although this one would also be fun for humans too!

The idea for this came when one of my piggies was sitting comfortably in a bean bag chair watching an old episode of Scarecrow and Mrs. King on DVD. She was nestled in there and just so very cute. True story.

So I thought, what if they had their own piggy bean bag? Well, this isn't exactly a bean bag, but it is a soft and slightly squishy spot for piggies to watch some Netflix.



Of course, even when you're crafting for critters, you can make things cute. So I made my cushion look like a guinea pig. It's styled a bit like the stuffed guinea pig in my book, Stitch Love: Sweet Creatures Big and Small. Because of this, I think it would just as fun to make this as a little pillow for a piggy fan!



You will need:

No-pill fleece - guinea pig colors
Wool blend felt - black and pink
Embroidery floss - black, pink, and white
Sewing notions
Sewing machine

DOWNLOAD THE GUINEA PIG CUSHION TEMPLATE PDF



Cut two large body pieces from fleece. I used cream for the top and brown for the bottom.

To do this, place the pattern piece on the fold, paying attention to the stretch arrows on the template (not shown above). I extended my pattern piece to the edge of the paper, but you can cut it off for a stubbier guinea pig.

Cut around the edge adding a 3/8-inch seam allowance.



Cut the front and back accent pieces with an added seam allowance around the curved ends, but not on the swerve.



Pin the accent pieces to the top body piece and sew along the swerve. (That's officially now my technical term for that wavy bit.)



Cut out two eyes from black felt, and two ears and one nose from pink felt.



Arrange the face pieces so they look cute and start stitching them down. Use three strands of matching thread to tack down the edges of the felt.

Embroider the mouth with pink embroidery floss. I used chain stitch to make a thicker line, although satin stitch would probably be better for making super cute and smooth guinea pig lips. I did use satin stitch for the teeny tongue.



Use all six strands of white and a french knot to stitch the highlight on the eyes.



Pin the top and bottom together, wrong sides facing. If the edges don't match up exactly, don't worry. You can trim them down later. Just be sure that you are able to catch the fabric as you sew.

Sew around the edges, leaving one of the sides open.



Cut a few more pieces of fleece using the body template. This time, don't add the seam allowance. Also, you don't need to follow the stretch guide, so cut them however it fits on your fabric.

I cut four pieces, but you can do more or less.



Slide the fleece pieces inside the guinea pig so they fill the body.



For some extra stuffing, I cut up a bunch of fleece scraps that would have gone in the trash. These, I put between the layers of fleece.

By the way, I opted to fill this with fleece because it won't be as soggy/lumpy as stuffing when it gets washed. That said, I expect that it will shift a bit when washed. I haven't tested it yet, but will update here when I do. I plan to just scrunch it around to keep my piggies comfy.

As an alternative, you could tack through the layers to make it a little quilted and keep the layers from moving. I may still do that. Or, if you're making this into a pillow for you, just use regular stuffing.



Sew the opening closed and trim the seam allowances as needed.



Let your pet try out their new cushion!




Lieutenant Nibbles is definitely enjoying her new comfy spot, and looking cute at the same time. Do you think she's noticed that her cushion looks a little like her?




No time to notice that she's sitting on a guinea pig...she just wants to know if you have any food for her!

project // embroidered plush alpaca softie

At my house, we love llamas. There's a good chance that this is mostly due to The Emperor's New Groove, but they're also just kind of fun. Alpacas don't have the same kind of comedic charm, but they are cuddlier, which is why I thought that an alpaca softie would make a great plush. So today I'm sharing how to make a mini embroidered alpaca softie!

This is part of a month-long series called Sew a Softie. This isn't the first series like it, but if you haven't heard of it before, Sew a Softie is basically an initiative to encourage kids and adults to sew fun things together. Visit their site to find a whole month's worth of softie tutorials for July!



This alpaca requires some knowledge of embroidery, but you only need to know the basics. Of course, you could use fabric paint to add the decorative blanket instead. And while I'm showing this made on a sewing machine, you can do all of the sewing by hand if you'd rather. Ready?

Here's what you need:

Flannel - 1/4 yard
Embroidery floss
Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy -or- a water-soluble pen
Embroidery hoop
Scissors
Needle
Pins
Pinking shears
Sewing machine
Stuffing

DOWNLOAD THE ALPACA SOFTIE PATTERN



Print out the pattern page and print or trace the blanket pattern on Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy. To do this, I used this method for saving scraps of Sulky.

Place the flannel in an embroidery hoop and stick the embroidery pattern down onto the fabric (or trace it with a water-soluble pen). Be sure you position the pattern so that you have room for the template outline in the correct place.

Embroider the pattern with three strands of embroidery floss. You can use whatever stitches you like, but I used chain stitch, back stitch, french knots, and satin stitch.



Soak the Sulky off and then let the flannel dry.

Cut out the pattern template and pin it over the embroidery so that the markings on the pattern match up with the stitching.



Flannel like this frays pretty easily, so it's best to cut out the pieces with pinking shears.

Cut around the embroidered front, then flip the pattern piece over and cut out the back.



Place the front and back pieces right sides together and pin around the edge.

NOTE: a simpler way to sew this is to place the pieces wrong sides together, which will give you a softie with raw edges.



Sew around the alpaca with a 1/4in seam allowance. Leave a 2in opening for turning, and back stitch at the start and end of the sewing.



Clip the curves, trim the top of the ear, and snip the angles at the ear, base of the neck, and the top of the legs.



Turn the alpaca right side out. Fill it with stuffing, adding it in bits so it doesn't become lumpy. Fill in the head/neck and legs first, then fill the body. It should be soft, but full.



Sew the opening closed with ladder stitch.



Your softie is all finished and ready for a snuggle!

A soft and cuddly alpaca like this would make a great gift for a baby. Especially if you add a rattle insert inside.



I thoroughly enjoyed working the embroidery on this and it went pretty fast. It's actually a little different for me to make a thing that doesn't have a face. Even more so when it's an animal that usually does have a face! But the embroidered blanket wanted to be the star of the show.



Happy crafting!

project: animal pins

Although I haven't made any of the projects from yesterday's Stuffed Animals book review yet, it did get me inspired to make a few animals of my own to share. These are the kind of critters that you keep with you, even as an adult, pinned to your favorite sweater or bag. And the good news is, they don't take long to make, so you can stitch one up for yourself and one for mom too! (Mother's Day will be here before you know it, after all...)



You will need:

Linen (or another solid)
Cotton print fabric
Cotton batting
Embroidery floss
Pin back

Animal Pins pattern PDF



Print the pattern page and choose which animal you are making. For each pin, cut out one shape from linen, one from the cotton fabric and one from the batting.



Sew the pin back to the right side of the print fabric. I used a doubled piece of regular thread and took a few stitches on each side of each hole in the pin. You can also use embroidery floss for this.



Hold the linen and batting together and embroider the face and the fur. Because these are pretty small, I didn't like the way that a regular french knot looked. Instead, I used tiny satin stitch to form the eyes. Also, I freeform stitched the fur, because the pattern is more of a rough guide for something like this.



When the embroidery is done, place the print piece with the pin back behind the batting layer and stitch around the edge with running stitch. Go close to the edge, but not too close or it may fray too much.



Once you've made one, I can almost guarantee that you'll want to make more. They are cute and addictive that way!

A few notes on linen: First, this is a material that can be expensive. But with a sale or coupon, you'll be glad that you're treating yourself and having some on hand. Next, this is also a material with a weave that frays. Work with caution, while appreciating the charm that the fraying gives!



I wasn't lying about getting excited about making these. Not only did I make a set for me, but I made some extras to give away! Enter below using Rafflecopter, and 3 winners will each receive an animal pin. (I'll choose which animal to surprise you!) Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway