Olly The Octopus

Make a little one happy with this fun toy.

You Will Need

Note: the fabrics used for the body and legs were all taken from a jelly roll.

For the body:

10 strips of fabric each measuring 6.5 cm x 27 cm (2½ ins x 10½ ins)

For the legs:

8 strips of fabric each measuring 6.5 cm x 42 cm (2½ ins x 16½ ins)

Two squares of wadding each measuring 27 cm (10½ ins)

Lining:

Two squares of suitable fabric each measuring 27 cm (10½ ins)

White felt:

two pieces each measuring 6.5 cm x 7.5 cm (2½ ins x 3 ins)

Black felt:

two pieces each measuring 4 cm x 4 cm (1½ ins x 1½ ins)

Machine quilting thread or cotton perlé to hand quilt

Black and white cotton embroidery threads

Polyester toy stuffing

Tools

Iron

Sewing machine

505 Spray Baste or safety pins

Fabric scissors

Hera marker or chalk Sewing needle

Size: 58.5 cm x 25.5 cm (23 ins x 10 ins)

Important Note

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TO MAKE

1 Stitch five strips together for the front and repeat for the back of the body. Press the seams open.

2 Layer each with wadding and lining, with the patchwork on top, right side up. Lightly baste together with 505 spray baste or safety pins. Using the seams as your guide, with a wavy embroidery stitch selected from the sewing machine, quilt both body pieces. Alternatively, you can quilt by hand using cotton perlé and big-stitch quilting.

3 Using the template, cut out the eyes from the white and black felt.

4 Create a circle template with a diameter of 24 cm (9½ins). On the front piece, draw around the circle template with a Hera marker or chalk, and use this shape as a guide to place the felt eyes. This will leave a non-permanent mark for your guidance and will not matter if it does not line up perfectly when you stitch the front and back together. Stitch the black felt pupils to the white eyes, then sew on to the body with a running stitch.

5 To make the legs, fold each strip right sides together along the length and, starting with securing stitches, sew along one side and across the bottom. Secure to finish and trim away the excess fabric at the corners. Using a chopstick or similar, turn right side out and press flat. Now tie a knot towards the bottom of the leg (see photograph). Make eight.

6 Position the legs at the base of the front of the octopus, overlapping them to fit if you do not want them too spread out. Pin them so that the legs will be inside the circle when you stitch the front and back together, leaving about 1 cm (½ in) for a seam allowance. Stay stitch or tack in place. On the back of the octopus, on the lining, draw around the circle for the body.

7 Place the back of the octopus right sides facing on to the front and pin around the circle. Beginning and ending to one side of the body, sew around the circle, leaving a small gap to turn right side out.

8 Trim the excess fabric away from the circle, leaving a 5 mm (¼ in) seam allowance. Snip the seam allowance to make the circle smoother when turned through.

9 Turn right side out and stuff with the polyester stuffing. Slip stitch the opening closed.