Stuffed cat and lion

Stuffed Cat and Lion Sewing Pattern by Caroline Lefebvre

This downloadable PDF sewing pattern by independent designer Caroline Lefebvre of Atelier Caroline includes instructions and pattern pieces for creating two charming stuffed plush toys: a classic stuffed cat and a stuffed lion. Designed at an intermediate difficulty level, this project is ideal for sewists who are comfortable with basic machine sewing and are ready to tackle the satisfying challenge of three-dimensional toy construction. Both designs share a similar construction approach, making the pattern an excellent value for anyone who loves handmade plush animals.

What Is Being Made

The pattern produces soft, sculptural stuffed toy animals — specifically a plush cat and a plush lion — intended as decorative toys or gifts. Each finished toy features a fully rounded head, a body with attached arms and legs, a sewn tail, and an embroidered face complete with eyes, nose, mouth, and whimsical thread moustaches on the cat. The pattern includes both a standard size and a large cat and large lion variation, giving makers flexibility in the finished size of their creations.

Techniques Used

• Pattern tracing and cutting: Pattern pieces are printed at 100% scale and traced directly onto fabric using a fabric pen or marker before cutting.
• Face-to-face and back-to-back fabric placement: Different assembly methods are used depending on whether the fabric frays. Non-fraying fabrics such as fleece are sewn back-to-back with trimmed seam allowances, while woven fabrics that fray are sewn front-to-front and turned right side out.
• Machine sewing: The body, head front, arms, and tail are all assembled using a sewing machine with standard and narrow seam allowances.
• Turning and stuffing: Sewn pieces are turned right side out through openings, then filled with polyfill to create dimension. Arms and legs are filled to approximately three-quarters of their length to allow natural posing at the joints.
• Notching: Small notches are cut between the legs after sewing to allow the seam allowance to spread cleanly when turned, preventing puckering.
• Hand sewing: The head is attached to the body by hand after both pieces are stuffed and closed, giving the maker precise control over positioning.
• Embroidery: The facial features — eyes, nose, and mouth — are hand-embroidered using embroidery thread. The cat's moustaches are created by threading multiple strands of white sewing thread through the nose tip, securing with a double knot, and trimming to length.
• Three-dimensional head construction: The head is assembled by aligning marked points (labeled B and C on the pattern pieces) on the front head seam with corresponding marks on the back head piece, then pinning and sewing all the way around to create a fully rounded form.

Stitches Used

• Straight machine stitch: Used throughout for assembling all major body pieces, including the body, head, arms, and tail, with a standard 1/4-inch seam allowance included in all pattern pieces.
• Narrow machine stitch: A 1/8-inch seam allowance is used specifically when attaching ears to the back head and when sewing non-fraying ear pieces back-to-back.
• Hand slip stitch or ladder stitch: Used to close stuffing openings and to attach the finished head to the body.
• Embroidery stitches: Surface embroidery stitches are used to create the eyes, nose, and mouth on the face of each toy.
• Knotted thread technique: For the moustaches, multiple strands of white thread are stitched through the nose area and secured with a double knot before trimming.

Materials Required

Fabric

• 1/2 yard or one fat quarter of medium-weight fabric per toy. Designer Caroline Lefebvre recommends polar fleece or cotton fleece as preferred choices for stuffed toys, as these do not fray and simplify ear construction. Woven cotton or other fabrics that fray can also be used with adjusted construction steps.