Needle Felted Tabby Cat

Cute Needle Felted Animal Friends

Posted by Tuttle Publishing

About

FINISHED SIZE
4 in (10 cm) high

★ Make the body and head out of batting and the rest
of the parts out of regular wool roving.

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You Will Need (4 things)

  • Wool Batting Ivory 8g
  • Wool Roving Golden yellow 2g Light brown 1g Peach 1g White 3g Pink a small amount Burnt brown a small amount
  • 2 pieces Crystal eye Green 4.5 mm
  • Nylon bead Stringing Wire (fine) 11⅞ in (30 cm)

Steps (21 steps, 120 minutes)

  1. 1

    Using the Actual size illustration of parts as a guide,
    make all the parts.

  2. 2

    Attach head to body. Place the head on the body and
    secure by poking with needle all the way around once. Take
    small amounts of batting and place around the base of the
    head and poke with needle. Repeat one more rotation to
    firmly secure.

  3. 3

    Attach front legs to body. Gather the loose fibers of the
    legs and attach to the side of the body so that the paws will
    be able to hold a ball. Poke with the needle.

  4. 4

    Attach hind legs to body. Starting with the right leg, place
    the section with the loose fibers of the hind leg on the body
    and poke with needle to secure. Place the left leg over the
    right leg and poke with the needle.

  5. 5

    Attach ears. Spread out the loose fibers of the ear, pinch the tip and poke with the needle. Keep adding and poking little bits of golden yellow wool to secure. Add pink to the inner ear and poke.

  6. 6

    Make snout. Add white wool to the snout area and poke with the needle.

  7. 7

    Layer white wool on stomach and poke with the needle.

  8. 8

    Poke golden yellow sections of the head, body and legs
    with the needle.

  9. 9

    Add nose and mouth. Take a small amount of burnt brown
    wool and twist with fingertips to create a thin strand. Poke
    into the shape of the nose and mouth on the snout. Add a
    little bit of pink wool to the tip of the nose and poke.

  10. 10

    Attach eyes. Punch eyeholes with awl, dab glue on the
    crystal eye stem and insert into eyehole. Add burnt brown
    wool around the eyes and poke. Then add white wool around
    the burnt brown section and poke.

  11. 11

    Attach tail. Gather the loose fibers of the tail and attach
    to the backside by poking with needle. Place a small amount
    of golden yellow wool around the base of the tail and poke to
    reinforce and adjust shape.

  12. 12

    On the golden yellow sections of the head, body, leg and
    tail, poke light brown wool into tiger stripes.

  13. 13

    Add claws. Take a very small amount of burnt brown wool,
    twist into a strand with fingertips and poke with needle.

  14. 14

    Add paw pads. Take a small amount of pink wool, place on
    top of foam pad and lightly poke with needle into paw pads.
    Position on the back paws and poke securely into place.

  15. 15

    Add three whiskers on each side. (see below).

  16. 16

    Place ball in-between front legs.

  17. 17

    HOW TO ADD WHISKERS
    The following will show how to insert bead stringing wire securely. We’ve used black wire here, which is easier. For the final project, clear wire was used.

    Thread the wire through the eye of a needle. Insert the needle from the right side of the nose and pull out from the left side. Leave a tail of the wire on the right side.

  18. 18

    Insert the needle just beneath the exit point from step 1 and pull through to the right side. Tug tightly so that the stitch on the left side is not visible.

  19. 19

    Repeat step 2 in the opposite direction.

  20. 20

    First pair of whiskers.

  21. 21

    Repeat steps 1~4 to create additional whiskers as needed and trim to the same length.