Punk Rock Kitty Toys
Hey ghouls and creeps! This week I revisited previously drafted cutting files from other projects and repurposed them into kitty toys! I learned some lessons from the Cryptid Kitty Toy project: https://stitchingwitchcrafts.com/cryptid-kitty-toys/ and wanted to implement my improvements in this week’s project! One of these changes is the material choice. In the cryptid project, I used felt, which came apart with excessive chewing, tugging, and pulling. Since felt is made by heat pressing polyester or wool fiber together, I chose a woven fabric for this project. Hopefully, the Kona cotton will prove to be more durable than the felt! I’ll be sure to follow up with any major insights! Toy size was also a factor with the first project, so I made sure to make the toys in varying sizes. Let’s get started!
I’m rating the Punk Rock Kitty Toy project as easy. Ideally, you would cut your appliques in Cricut Design Space, but you could cut your pieces manually. Pro-tip: if you are manually cutting out the “creep” heart, instead of cutting out the text simply transfer text with chalk paper and paint in text!
Step 1: Cut out Appliques: Using the JPG file below, cut your applique pieces in Cricut Design Space. If you are cutting yours manually, print the file contents and use printouts as a template to cut your appliques. Pro-tip: Iron your Heat n’ Bond to the back of your Kona prior to cutting your material!
Step 2: Iron Appliques: Peel the paper backing off your appliques. Make sure that an applique has a minimum of 1/2″ all the way around it before you fuse it. Place applique fusible side down on the front of your material and press to adhere.
Using a transparent ruler, make marks all the way around your applique 1/2″ away from the applique’s edge.
Fold material so that you cut both the front and back of the kitty toy simultaneously.
Pin your layers, and cut around your marked perimeter. Repeat these steps for each kitty toy.
To stabilize your appliques, sew 1/8″ from the edge of your applique pieces.
Step 3: Make Kitty Toys: Before sewing the front and the back of the kitty toys together, mark your 1/4″ seam allowance where your opening will be for turning and filling. These marks will make it easier to know how much material to turn to the inside when slip stitching the opening closed.
Place right sides of the front and the back together. Pin around the toy perimeter if needed.
Sew a 1/4″ seam allowance all the way around the toy, exempting the opening. Backstitch at each end of the seam to reinforce the stitching.
Make small snips in the seam allowance on curved areas, being careful not to cut through the stitch line.
Turn the toy right side out, and use a blunt-ended tool like a bodkin to get all the corners poked out.
Fill the kitty toy with Poly-Fil and optional catnip until reasonably stuffed.
Pin the opening closed, and slipstitch the opening with tiny stitches. Repeat these steps for each kitty toy!
Congratulations you did it! Now it’s time to show your kitty friend what you made!
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Ready for your next project? Here are some tutorials on the blog I think you’ll like! Frame Flip tutorial: https://britnijade.com/frame-flip/, Macrame Wall Hanging: https://britnijade.com/macrame-wall-hanging-w-bones/, or the Spider Web Macrame: https://britnijade.com/spider-web-macrame/. Enjoy!
