DIY SOFTIE - TUTORIAL

This is a free form project - pretty much anything goes.  Your Little One can be creative with drawing as well as practicing their sewing skills.   This is a good project when starting out with the sewing machine.    

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* What you need

• Fabric for front: an old sheet or scrap of plain white, medium weight cotton works well, about 40cm x 40cm.
• Fabric for back: something snuggly ie quilt batting, an old jumper or rug, polar fleece, etc.  About 40cm x 40cm
• Textile markers.  If you are not planning on washing your softie, normal markers would work.
• Stuffing - wool or polyfibre
• Needle and thread
• Pins
• Scissors
• Sewing Machine

* DRAW YOUR SOFTIE

Take the fabric you will use as the front of your softie and use the textile markers to draw your softie design.   You may choose to draw an animal, character or a scene.  
note:  most fabric markers will bleed through the fabric, so you might need a cloth or paper to protect your table.  

* PIN FRONT AND BACK TOGETHER

Take the fabric you are using for the back of your softie and lay it with the right side up (the side you want to see when you have finished your softie).   Place your finished front piece on top of the back piece, making sure the drawing is facing down.  


Pin the two pieces of fabric together around the edges.   Try to keep the fabric as flat as you can while you put the pins in.  

* Sew FRONT AND BACK TOGETHER

Thread your sewing machine and sew around the outer edge of your softie.   Follow the edges of your drawing, trying hard not to sew on the drawing or off the edge of the fabric.   

Don't sew all the way around, leave a gap of about 15cm.  You will use this gap to turn your softie in the right way and stuff it. 

You can't go too wrong here - the final shape of your softie will be as a result of your sewing at this stage.   

Things to focus on:

• Go slow and control  the speed of your machine
  
• Take pins out before you sew over them!
• Safety - if you are not sewing, keep your foot away from the pedal; if you have long hair, tie it back; keep fingers well back from the needle area.  

* Cutting OUT and STUFFING

Cut around your softie, about 1cm from your stitching.  Make sure you don't cut the stitching.  

Turn in the right way through the gap you left in your stitching.  Stuff.   


Fold the edges of the opening towards the inside.  Fold in about 1cm.  Pin the front and back together along the opening.  


Stitch opening closed using your needle and thread.  Make sure your stitches are close together and try and make them all the same size - this will give you a strong seam and make your softie last longer.    

* Finishing off

Trim any loose threads.   

Congratulations - give your new softie a name and a well deserved cuddle!