Lazy Cats Christmas Tree Ornaments

Created By Susan M. Thigpen © 1995

Issue: Winter, 1995

Basic-Instructions

Pattern for Baby Fur-Ball (Cut 2 - Pattern front, but back is plain material.)Start with a piece of tightly woven material. Cut two of the oval shapes. If you are going to be appliquéing the head, cut a head pattern also.

If you are going to be embroidering or painting the features, do it before you sew the front and back of the body together.

Lay the cat pattern on top of the piece of material and put a sheet of carbon paper under it. Trace the cat features.

With the wrongs sides of the material together, sew around the oval, leaving a one-half to one inch opening. Clip the sewn edges and turn right-side-out.

Stuff the body with a fiber-fill stuffing or potpourri for a scented ornament. (Dried Catnip if the ornament is for a cat.) Do not over stuff, so the cat will lay flat. With your fingers, work the stuffing into place so it is evenly stuffed. Then hand stitch the opening together.

If you are going to quilt the cat, do it at this point.

For ornaments, stitch a loop of small ribbon or heavy gold thread to the middle of the cat at top, so that it balances when hung.

The pattern for Baby Fur-Ball has only a front design and a plain backing.

Start with one size oval and turn it into a whole litter of snoozing, stretching and yawning kittens. The body is the same size in each of the ornaments, but some of the ornaments are oriented wide, some long. The features in each cat vary.

Embroider or paint features on the cats with textile paints. Even do them in appliqué if you wish.

Pattern for Meditating Cat (Cut One Front & Back)

Choose an unbleached cotton material for a homespun look or make them out of bright calico. If you are painting them, why not paint them the colors of your own cats and add their names and the date for a keepsake ornament. They make nice presents for cat lovers.

The ornament patterns are four inches long and two and one fourth inches high. (4" x 2 1/4")

Pattern for Fat Cat (Cut One of each Front and Back) Cut along dotted oval line. Sew along solid oval line. Cut out notches all around circle after stitching.

By doubling the pattern (6" x 4 1/2") you can use the pattern for a pot holder. Just add a loop (so you can hang the pot holder) to one edge before you sew it shut. A nice effect can be made by quilting through the cat's features.

You can triple the pattern (12" x 6 3/ 4") to make a small couch pillow.

Extras

If you really want to get fancy, try rolling a tiny ball of yarn and stitching it to the cat's front paws, and running the end of the strand around as though the cat has been playing with it, stitching it in place.

Stitch through the middle of a piece of ribbon under the cat's chin and then tie in a bow.

Sew a tiny bell under the cat's chin. Or, stitch a tiny bell inside the body of the cat so the ornament jingles.