Plush little Cotton Candy Kitty is just as sweet as a package of peeps without all the sugar and way less sticky. This is a fast and easy project even for the beginner. We found the Minky Cuddle Fleece surprisingly easy to work with. Ours was double-sided, but single-sided would work as well.  The fleece is very forgiving and a third of a yard is enough to make three little kittens. Do you think the Easter Bunny feels threatened by the Easter Kitty?

Fabric.com offers a great selection of Minky Cuddle Fleece in a variety of colors.  

Sewing Tools You Need

• Any sewing machine (we recommend the Janome Skyline S5)

Fabric and Other Supplies

• ⅓ yard of 54"+ Minky Cuddle Fabric in Pink. This deliciously soft fabric is enough to make three little kittens.
• Scrap of printed cotton quilting weight fabric for ears
• All-purpose polyester sewing thread in pink
• Iron and ironing board
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Sewing needle
• Fiberfill: we used Fairfield Soft Touch® Poly-fil Supreme
• Chopstick or similar to push Poly-fil into position
• Embroidery floss
  NOTE: We used pink for both the nose and mouth. You may also prefer to embroider the eyes for children too young for button eyes.
• Embroidery needle
• Buttons for eyes (optional and not appropriate for toddlers or younger)
• 1 yard of ½" ribbon for bow at neck

Getting Started

1. Download and print both of the 8½" x 11" pattern sheets using standard weight paper: Kitty Body Template and Kitty Ears and Tail Template. Note: the Kitty Body pattern piece is labeled Bunny Body. That's a typo, ignore it – the pattern itself is correct.
   IMPORTANT: You must print these PDF files at 100%. DO NOT SCALE to fit the page.
2. Cut TWO 8½" x 11" pieces of the Minky for the body. If you look at the Minky, you will see that one side is slightly fluffier than the other and should be considered the right side. Treat Minky like any napped fabric and place all patterns in one direction.
3. Press your cotton fabric scraps prior to use. Minky should NOT be pressed.

At Your Sewing Machine

NOTE: Minky is fluffy and a bit slippery. We found it easier to sew the Minky right through the pattern paper using the seam line as a stitching guide. When you finish sewing, gently tear the paper away from the seam. If you prefer not to do it this way, you can out the Kitty Body pattern adding a ¼" seam allowance all around.

Make Kitty Tail

1. Cut out the Kitty Tail pattern piece. Place two pieces of Minky, just slightly larger than the pattern piece, right sides together. Pin the pattern piece to the layers of Minky. Sew from the base of the tail around the tip and back to the base. DO NOT sew the base shut. Trim along the pattern cut line.
   
2. Gently tear off the pattern.
   
3. Turn the tail right side out.

Make Kitty Ears

1. Cut out the two ear pattern pieces. Place one piece of Minky and one piece of cotton fabric, just slightly larger than the two ear pattern pieces, right sides together. Pin the pattern pieces to the layers. I pinned on the cotton side so I could center my ear patterns over an appropriate motif on the fabric.
2. Sew along the outer edge of each ear on the stitch line as shown. Leave the base of each ear open.
   
3. Gently tear away paper and turn the ears right side out. Finger flatten (remember... do not iron Minky).
   

Make Kitty Body

1. Place the Kitty Body printout atop the wrong side of one of the 8½" x 11" pieces of Minky. Anchor with a few straight pins.
2. Use pins to mark the location of ears.
   NOTE: The ears go beneath the Minky, NOT between the pattern and the Minky.
   
3. Use the pins to find the corners of the ears and pin as shown (I held this up to a window to show positioning). Pin the ears in position underneath the Minky.
   
4. Lay the piece of Minky with the ears pinned in place rights side together with the remaining 8½" x 11" piece of Minky. You now have a little sandwich with the ears between the two layers of right-side-together Minky. 
   
5. Pin the sandwich all around.
6. Stitch along the dashed seam line (again - right through the paper), beginning at the marked dot on arm. Backstitch to start, then continue along dashed seam line all around to the second marked dot. Stop at this dot and backstitch, leaving the space between the dots open for turning and stuffing.
   
7. Gently tear away paper pattern and trim the Minky to approximately ¼" from the seam line.
8. Turn kitty right side out. Push out the arms and legs with a chopstick or similar.
   
9. Use the chopstick (or similar) to push Poly-fil into all parts of the Kitty Body until pleasingly plump.
   
10. Slip stitch the opening closed.
11. Fold the tail's open end under by about ¼" and slipstitch it in a circle to the back side of the Kitty Body about where shown.
    

Make Kitty Face

1. Sew button eyes to face. Depending on where you put them and the size and style of you buttons, you can achieve a variety of facial expressions. I sewed from one eye across to the other and snugged it just a little to slightly indent the eyes.
2. A simple X makes an easy nose and mouth. Again, this is an area to be as expressive as you'd like with your embroidery floss.

Contributors

Project concept and sample creation: Alicia Thommas