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Noah's Ark Pillow Pattern

Noahs Ark Pillow Pattern My daughter is enthralled with animals, so I drew up this Noah's Ark pillow pattern one night and promptly got started on putting everything together the next day. It was an absolute delight to watch this project take shape and I hope you'll add it to your growing list of great homemade gift ideas.

The bottom of the boat forms a pocket for the felt elephant, giraffe and mouse to ride in while they wait for the flood waters to subside. Each little animal is hand sewn and gently stuffed for a truly irresistible look.

Noahs Ark Pillow Pattern When it comes to making children's toys, I enjoy working with felt because it's soft, durable, inexpensive and easy to work with.

When making a sewn gift for a child, I like to hand sew, rather than glue, small pieces down to ensure nothing loosens and becomes a choking hazard. I also hand sew my pieces because I a) like the look and b) have more control sewing small bits of fabric by hand - sewing around tight corners with a machine can be tricky.

Please remember that children under 2 years of age should not sleep with a pillow or stuffed animals.

Materials

- 1 14" X 14" pillow form
- 1/2 yd(m) of background fabric for pillow case
- 1/4 yd(m) of fabric for Noah's Ark
- thread in coordinating colours
- sewing machine
- darning needle for hand sewing
- embroidery floss
- scissors
- 10" x 10" squares of pink, yellow, brown and grey felt
- tape measure
- polyester stuffing

For all stuffies

1. Download the pillow pattern shapes here.

2. Cut out the pattern pieces and trace them onto your felt with a pencil.

3. Cut out felt pieces.

Noah's Ark Pillow Pattern - ELEPHANT

Noahs Ark Pillow Pattern 1. With your darning needle and embroidery floss, embroider on the eyes, using the photos as a guide for placement and shape.

For eyes: Make a short stitch and then bring your needle up through the back of your work and down again as close as possible to your first stitch (A). Repeat this process, gradually making your stitches longer as you come to the middle of the eye and then shorter again so that the eye takes on an oval shape. Don't forget the eyelashes!(B)

Blanket Stitch

2. Layer the two body pieces of the elephant together so that they match. Trim off any excess felt.

3. In a contrasting colour, use a blanket stitch to hand sew the body of elephant shut.

To make a blanket stitch, bring your needle through the back of your work and pull the thread until you have only a short loop left. Bring the tip of your needle through the loop and pull gently until the loop closes (see photo below)...

Stuffies Eyes

4. When sewing the elephant shut, lightly stuff it with filling as you go, using the eraser tip of a pencil to work the stuffing into any tight spaces.

5. Place two ear pieces together and sew them shut with a blanket stitch. (The ears are not stuffed). Repeat for second ear.

6. Sew the ears onto the elephant's head.

Noah's Ark Pillow Pattern - MOUSE

Noahs Ark Pillow Pattern

1. Layer the two body pieces of the mouse together so that they match. Trim off any excess felt.

2. Sew whiskers and eyes onto each body piece.

For the mouse's eyes: The French Knot

Bring your needle and thread up through the back of the work and wrap the thread around your needle twice(A). Now poke your needle back through the felt as close as possible to the spot where your thread first came through(B. Gently pull on your thread and so that it slides all the way down your needle(C). Pull needle through(D).

French Knot

3. Sew the body of the mouse closed, stuffing as you go along.

4. Sew one inner ear onto one outer ear piece with a straight stitch. (See photo below) Place a second outer ear piece behind the inner and outer ear that you just sewed together and use a blanket stitch to sew the two outer ear pieces together.

Straight Stitch

5. Sew the ears onto the mouse's head.

Noah's Ark Pillow Pattern - GIRAFFE

Noahs Ark Pillow Pattern

1.Cut out randomly shaped spots for the giraffe. Sew these in various places onto each body piece using a straight stitch.

2. Sew onto the giraffe the eyes (in the same way as you sewed on the elephant's eyes), mouth and nose (with a french knot, like the mouse's eyes).

3. Layer the two body pieces of the giraffe together so that they match. Trim off any excess felt.

4. Sew the body closed with a blanket stitch, stuffing as you go. Use the eraser tip of a pencil to work the stuffing into hard to reach places.

5. Sew on the ears and antlers, using the photos as a guide for placement.

Noah's Ark Pillow Pattern - PILLOWCASE

1. Cut two 14 1/2" x 14 1/2" squares from your background fabric.

2. Cut out boat pieces.

3. Cut out window pieces from felt. Sew these onto the bottom part of your boat by hand.

4. Make a 1/4" hem along the flat edge of the bottom boat piece. Stitch this hem in place.

4. Center your bottom boat piece on the right side of one pillowcase piece so that the hemmed edge of the boat is placed exactly 7 1/4" from the bottom of the pillowcase. (The flat edge should sit exactly half way up your pillow). Pin securely in place.

5. Zig Zag stitch along the curved edge of your boat piece...repeat this a few times until you have a nice, dense stitch along the curve of your boat. Don't stitch along the hemmed part or else you won't be able to place your stuffies in the pocket.

6. Pin down the top of the boat about 1/2" above the hemmed edge of the bottom boat piece. Zig zag a few times around all four sides of the top boat piece.

Straight Stitch

7. With right sides of your two pillowcase pieces together, sew your pillowcase shut using the straight stitch on your sewing machine. Leave a 12" opening at the bottom of the pillowcase to insert the pillow form through.

8. Turn pillowcase right side out and insert pillow form into the pillowcase. Sew the opening closed by hand...and it's done!

Straight Stitch

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