Casa Beta: Amy Butler's Free Birdie the Cat Pillow Pattern

Since it's almost Christmas, and since he doesn't read my site anyway, I thought it would be safe to show you the pillow I made for my little brother Forrest, who's 6. Forrest is a major cat lover and a cuddle bug, so I thought he'd like this Birdie the Cat pillow.

The pillow is from Amy Butler's online free downloadable PDF patterns. It calls for one yard of flannel, felt for the kitty's face, more felt for the eyes and mouth, fusible interfacing, and poly-fill stuffing. I took some liberties with the materials, which added a bit more work for me. For instance, I used corduroy for the cat's face and velvet for its eyes, which meant that I needed to hem each of these pieces. Not a big deal, but this step added at least 10 minutes to the project.

Instead of poly-fill, I also decided to use down. I love the heft and feel of down-stuffed pillows, and while this was a bit messy, it wasn't too bad, and I think the results were well worth it.

To hear more of my thoughts about this pattern, and to see the finished product, read more.

I used Echino fabric for the body, which gave the pillow more of a boy-oriented cat-monster vibe. I found the directions and pattern very easy to follow. When you download the PDF, the pattern is printed out in four pages, which you then cut out and tape together to use for the cat's body and face. I opted not to give the kitty a mouth, which I think actually looks better for this creation. I'm definitely going to make more of these, and they're definitely not just for kids: even my hipster 20-something sister wants one!
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