Squirelly Squirrel prototype

The thought for this little project has kept me awake many a night, I'm odd like that I think about sewing things just as my head hits the pillow - it's a terrible affliction and I'm thinking of setting up a support group for all those troubled sewers/crafters out there that are debilitated by this condition.

Anyhoo...I'd been thinking of making a squirrel for a while and how I wanted to put a pipe cleaner in it's tail so that it would curl nicely and could be refashioned as desired, so some scrap red cotton, red felt and a pipe cleaner later....

Here goes nothing:

Step 1:
Draw yourself a squirrel minus the ears and tail at the desired size:

Step 2:
Cut two squirrel shapes from fabric of choice:

Step 3:
Cut two pointy ears from fabric of choice:

Step 4:
Sew all round the two squirrel pieces, making sure you've placed the ear pieces at desired placing inside the two pieces so when you turn the squirrel right side out the ears will stick up.  Make sure you leave a hole for stuffing where you want the tail to go.

Step 5:
Stuff the squirrel within an inch of it's life!

Step 6:
Make the tail by cutting the length of pipe cleaner to desired length and then using it as a guide to cut two pieces of felt/fabric of choice that will become the tail.  I made mine a sort of rounded end oblong, then sew the pipe cleaner to one of the pieces down the centre and then sandwich the pipe cleaner between the two pieces of fabric and snip up both sides to make the tail fluffy.

Step 7:
Sew the tail into the main body of the squirrel

Mr Squirrel is eyeless at the moment as can't decide if I want to give him button eyes (which makes me think of Coraline!) or embroider some on...hmmm

It's been suggested that I make a giant one and I'm rather tempted!  This one's a little rough round the edges as he's hand sewn and done whilst watching tv as I was too comfy to go traipsing up to the attic to my sewing machine, but think it's a good indication that it could become another project that breeds like the rabbits.  I'm starting to think I need to make some nuts to go with the squirrel too...as long as I don't go making a whole woodland scene I think I may be ok!

If you look closely in one of the photos you can see what my next project is going to be about.

Happy Autumn and happy crafting!