Hedgehog Softie

Fabric Requirements:

Notes:

• Finished Size: 2 3/4" x 4 1/4"
• All seam allowances are 1/4" unless noted.
• Fat 1/8 = approximately 9" x 22"
• WOF = width of fabric

Assembling the Project:

1. Place right sides together and sew Hedgehog ears, hands and feet. Clip around the curve. Turn right side out and press.
2. Pin the Hedgehog hands in place (approx. 1/2" away from the belly corner) and sew the raw edge of the feet on along the bottom raw edge (placement is towards the center of the bottom edge) (Fig. 2).
3. With the right side of the belly fabric lying face up, flip the right side cheek down on top of the belly piece, lining up the cheek curve. Sew along the cheek curve, sewing the hand in place (Fig. 3). (Tip: As you near the tip of the nose, you may not have a full 1/4" seam allowance, which is okay because it's a tiny nose.)
4. Repeat step 4 on the other side (Fig. 4).
5. Sew the notched center forehead curve together (this becomes the seam in between the eyes and becomes the bridge of the nose) (Fig. 4).
6. Remove the pins from the hands.
7. Press open the center seam and stitch a 1/4" seam along the straight edge of the nose (Fig. 4 inset). Using the skinniest metal turning tool, gently push out the nose of the Hedgehog.
8. Trim the ear pieces 1/4" shorter than the hands and feet. Pin the raw edge of the ears approx. 3/4" away from the center seam, along the raw edge of the head (Fig. 5). Set aside the front of the Hedgehog to work on back.
9. With right sides facing, connect one side of the back to the spine piece (Fig. 6). Open these two pieces and connect the other side of the back to the other side of the spine (Fig. 7).
10. Lay your first strip of fabric on the top of the Hedgehog's back, 1/4" away from the edge (for seam allowance) and stitch across (Fig. 8). (Tip: Using any fabric scraps will work very well for the "spiky fur" and give it character.)
11. Fold the first strip up towards the top of the Hedgehog's head and lay your next strip down, partially overlapping the folded-over first strip. Again sew straight down the center of the strip (Fig. 9). When you look at the inside of the back, this stitching line is approx. 1/4" away from the stitching line of the first strip. Sew some of the strips right side facing up and some right side facing down.
12. Continue this same process (steps 10 and 11) until you only have about 1/3" left uncovered at the bottom of your Hedgehog back (Fig. 10). The end is left uncovered to close it up after stuffing. (Tip: If you are making two different Hedgehogs at the same time, you can "chain piece" the back strips so you are not starting and stopping with each new strip. Stitch one strip onto one body and then stitch one strip onto the next body and continue to rotate until you've completed both).
13. Fold all of the strips upward or downward, making sure the strips are all as flat as possible. They need to be all in one direction to avoid bunching up.
14. Pin the front of your Hedgehog to the back of the Hedgehog together with right sides facing each other, making sure the ears are pinned securely (Fig. 11). Sew these pieces together. Start at the top center and sew one side down to the bottom and then sew from the top center downward on the other side. Be sure to remove the pins from the ears.
15. While it is still inside out, line up the oval "bottom" piece of the Hedgehog (fold it in quarters to have approximate marks to line up with the front, back and both sides). Sew the bottom piece almost all the way around, leaving a 2" opening in the back so you can turn it inside out.
16. Clip (inward curves) and notch (outward curves) as necessary.
17. Embroider eyes in place and set aside the front body pieces. (Tip: Be sure to not use buttons or other choking hazards if this is for a small child. Embroidery floss knotted eyes would be best if you are making this as a gift for a child 3 years old or under. No matter what you use for the eyes, be sure to sew them securely.)
18. Turn your Hedgehog right side out. Stuff your Hedgehog with desired stuffing and, using a needle and thread, tuck the bottom raw edge under and stitch the back bottom of your Hedgehog closed with a ladder stitch.
19. Time to spike the fur! Using sharp-tipped scissors, cut the strips as close to the seam as possible to loosen them from the seam. Then cut one strip at a time by cutting at approximately 1/2" intervals across each strip. Note: On the next strip, stagger the first cut (like brick laying) so it seems random and spiked. Continue this until you have spiked all the fur. Rub and scratch the "spikes" to remove the tiny fabric threads.

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