A step-by-step tutorial for sewing a Simon the Cat plush toy: print the pattern, cut the fleece pieces with seam allowances, sew the body, clip notches on the paws and cut a slit in the head, turn the toy right side out and stuff it with hollow-fiber filling, sew on the tail and eyes, then finish the face and paws with decorative stitching.
Beginner1 hrFree
Translated
Things you will learn
The toy sews up extremely simply and takes about an hour; a full-size pattern is included with the tutorial.
You'll need medium-weight fleece, black cotton embroidery thread, white sewing thread, hollow-fiber filling, and two small black beads or buttons for the pupils.
Print the pattern on A4 paper, pin it to fleece folded in half, and trace it with a pencil, adding a dashed 3-5 millimeter seam allowance line around each piece.
After sewing the body, clip small notches between the paw toes along the seam allowance, and cut a careful slit in the head where the eyes will later be sewn on.
Turn the toy right side out through the head slit and stuff it with hollow-fiber filling, starting with the paw and ear tips and finishing at the crown; sew the eye circles on and stuff them with hollow-fiber before closing the seam completely.
What you'll get
A plush Simon the Cat toy made from fleece, with a face and paws embroidered in black thread, a sewn-on tail, and bead eyes.
Materials and tools
Materials
Medium-weight fleece, the main fabric for the body, eye pieces, and tail
Black cotton embroidery thread, used for the decorative stitching on the face and paws
White sewing thread, used for the main seams when sewing the pieces together
Hollow-fiber filling, stuffing for the toy and the eye pieces
Two small black beads or buttons, used as the pupils
Tools
Printed paper pattern, included with the tutorial, printed on A4 paper
Scissors, for cutting the pattern pieces and fabric
Needle, for hand-sewing the tail, eyes, and decorative stitching
Pins, for pinning the fleece edges together before sewing
Pencil, for tracing the pattern onto the fabric, and the blunt end for pushing stuffing into the paws and ears
Sewing machine, for sewing the body
Preparation
Gather your materials
Gather medium-weight fleece, black cotton embroidery thread, white sewing thread, a printed paper pattern, two small black beads or buttons, hollow-fiber filling, scissors, a needle, pins, a pencil, and a sewing machine.
Print the pattern
Print the pattern on a regular printer, A4 format.
Cut the pieces from the fleece
The pattern pieces are traced onto fleece folded in half, with a seam allowance added.
Fold the fleece in half
Fold the piece of fleece in half, right side in, and pin the edges together.
Trace the pattern and cut out the pieces with allowances
Lay the cut-out pattern on the fabric and trace all the pieces with a pencil. Working 3-5 millimeters out from the outline, draw a second, dashed outline for the seam allowance. Cut out the pieces. You should end up with two body pieces, two eye pieces, and two tail pieces.
Pattern traced onto fleece
Sew the body and cut notches
Notches and a slit are cut on the paws and head so the toy turns out neatly and can be assembled later.
Sew the body
Sew the body pieces together. Then, along the seam allowance between the toes on the paws, snip small notches — this makes the toy look neater once it's turned right side out.
The body pieces sewn togetherThe cut-out piece before stuffing
Cut a slit in the head
Cut a careful slit in the head — this is where you'll sew on the eyes later.
Turn the toy right side out and stuff it
The toy is turned right side out through the head slit and stuffed with hollow-fiber filling.
Turn the toy right side out
Turn the toy right side out through the slit in the head.
Turned right side out before stuffing
Stuff the toy with filling
Stuff the toy with filling, starting with the paw and ear tips (pack them firmly, pushing the filling in with the blunt end of the pencil) and finishing at the crown of the head.
The stuffed earsThe stuffed body, back view
Sew on the tail and eyes
The tail and the round eye pieces are sewn on once the main body has been stuffed.
Sew on the tail and close the slit on the face
Sew on the tail. Close the slit on the face with blind stitches.
Sew on and stuff the eyes
Sew on the round eye pieces and, without closing the circle completely, stuff them with hollow-fiber filling, then finish sewing them closed.
Finish the face and paws
Decorative stitching in black thread shapes the cat's face and paws.
Stitch the paws, nose, mouth, and eye outlines
Using decorative stitches (with black cotton thread), stitch the paws, the nose, the mouth, and the outlines of the eyes.
Embroidering the face with black threadThe finished face
Sew on the bead pupils
Sew on the bead pupils.
Finish and variations
Finish
Give your finished toy
Your finished Simon the Cat toy is ready to become a gift for kids — and adults too — after only about an hour of sewing.
The paws look messy after turning the toy right side out
Problem
After turning the toy right side out, the fabric between the paw toes puckers or bunches up.
Likely cause
No notches were cut along the seam allowance between the paw toes before turning the toy right side out.
How to fix it
Before turning the toy right side out, snip small notches along the seam allowance between the paw toes — this noticeably improves how the finished toy looks.
The filling doesn't reach the tips of the paws and ears
Problem
After stuffing, the tips of the paws or ears stay empty and floppy.
Likely cause
The filling wasn't pushed firmly enough into the farthest points of the paws and ears.
How to fix it
Start stuffing at the paw and ear tips, packing the filling in firmly with the blunt end of the pencil, and only stuff the rest of the toy afterward.
The round eye pieces come out flat or uneven
Problem
After sewing them on, the round eye pieces look flat instead of rounded.
Likely cause
The circle was sewn shut completely before any filling was added.
How to fix it
When sewing on the round eye pieces, don't close the circle completely — stuff them with hollow-fiber filling through the remaining opening first, then finish sewing them closed.
?FAQ
What materials do I need for the toy?
Medium-weight fleece, black cotton embroidery thread, white sewing thread, hollow-fiber filling, and two small black beads or buttons.
How long does it take to sew the toy?
About an hour.
Why cut notches between the paw toes?
So the toy looks neater once turned right side out — the notches are cut along the seam allowance right after the body is sewn.
What order should I stuff the toy in?
Start with the paw and ear tips, pushing the filling in firmly with the blunt end of the pencil, and finish at the crown of the head.
How many pieces do I need to cut from the fleece?
Two body pieces, two eye pieces, and two tail pieces.
Your project
Log in to track your project, attach photos, and publish your result into the shared feed.
Beginner1 hrFree
