Huggable Wildlife: Stuffed Animal Pillows
These Stuffed Animal Pillows are my attempt to create huggable wildlife! I love have always loved stuffed animals and dolls –especially homemade ones. They are also huggable paintings since they are made from fabric printed with the image of my watercolor paintings.
I also really enjoy observing the woodland animals that visit occasionally, and they, along with my cats, inspired these Stuffed Animal Pillows!
If you are interested in making your own Stuffed Animal Pillows, I describe the process of making them below.
If you are interested in purchasing a Stuffed Animal Pillow:
They are $25 in my Etsy Shop with Free Shipping!
or buy in person when you visit the Cottage for $20!
To further spread the love for animals, $5 from each purchase of a Stuffed Animal PIllow will be donated to African Parks.
Step One: Watercolor Painting to Fabric Design
I began this process by making ink and watercolor paintings on watercolor paper. Note: I painted the animals with limbs contained into the body. It is much easier to sew a lumpy shape later without a bunch of tricky bits sticking out.
Then, I scanned them to create digital files.
I combined the individual animals into a singular digital file, wich I uploaded to my Spoonflower Shop.
Spoonflower prints your own designs onto fabric, wallpaper, and wrapping paper. You can make your designs available for others to purchase, or you can just use them as your personal printer.
Finally, I ordered a yard of Kona Cotton fabric with my new animal design tiled with animals measuring approximately 5″ x 8″.
Step Two: Cutting
I cut out each animal with about a 1″ margin. I was a little more generous around the necks and the curve of the fox’s tail, to make it easier to sew. 
I chose to use upcycled denim chambray shirts as the backing for the Stuffed Animal Pillows. 
I pinned the animals to the backing fabrics with right sides facing inwards, of course.
Step Three: Sewing
I sewed around the perimeter – leaving approximately a 1/4″ around the printed animal. This margin varies though in the tricky areas, like the notch of the fox’s tail where the margin widens. I use my intuition as I sewed around trying to maintain a steady stitching line that doesn’t dip in or out too much.
Note: I am not sure if that makes sense, and my intuition is useless to you. If you are nervous about your margins, you could make your own, you could create a template to practice on before sewing up your good fabric.
Finally leave about 1 1/2″ opening to right side out your stuffed animal and to fill with polyfil.
Fill your animal to your liking –super squishy or firmly stuffed!
Finally, stitch up your hole with a hidden stitch.
