My computer decided not to work last night – so you get Monday’s post on Tuesday today! Thank goodness it’s working now… (sign of relief!)

So. You have a ton of stuffed animals… and they are all over your house… what do you do? Put them in an S.A.C. – the S.tuffed A.nimal C.hair, it’s a genius idea that Shannon from googiemomma made and has a tutorial for. Hooray! In case you’ve seen this before, it is from 2011. Problem is I saw it BP (Before Pinterest) and bookmarked it – and forgot about it until my friend pinned it a while ago and reminded me how amazing it is. And… I had the perfect fabric (that I won, eek!) waiting on the shelf! I entered a Violette Field Threads contest this past May where Whimisical Fabric was giving away 8 yards of Riley Blake chevrons and dots in delicious colours… and all of a sudden it was mine. That never happens!

My youngest has a thing for green!

When I won the fabric I told Danielle from Whimsical Fabric that I would post whatever I came up with on Thread Riding Hood, and she offered to give me a discount code to share with all of you. And, as a bonus for you – since Shannon’s S.A.C. pattern does not come with a pattern piece, I volunteered to make one. And, I made it in two sizes because the first one I made is amazingly too big! (Imagine something so large it won’t hold all of your children’s stuffed animals.) I had to stuff one of our extra pillows and the unused (but still loved) nursing pillow in the top to fill it up for the photos!

Whimsical Fabric is just what the name says. I love the playful variety of fabrics that Danielle stocks. And she also has patterns, notions, packaging and clothing blanks – lots to use the discount on! Head over to Whimsical Fabric and use the discount code: TRH10% to get 10% off almost everything in the Whimsical Fabric shop from today until Wednesday, Nov 27th, 2013 at 12 midnight MT! You can even use it for most sale items. (Items that do not apply for the discount will state this in the description.)

I don’t think (if you have children) that I have to try to convince you to make one of these! My kids fully endorse ours and it’s super comfortable to sit on… I’ve tried it! Just don’t put anything too hard inside and you’ll be fine. We even have a mewing cat in there that sometimes goes off if you sit on it right and the kids think that’s hilarious. You can read Shannon’s very funny post about it for more information also, since that is where you will get the bulk of your instructions. On with the pattern pieces?

The large size pattern will get you a (roughly) 85″ around, 18″ high and 25″ across chair. The smaller size pattern will be aprox. 70″ around, 12″ high and 20″ across. Both of my kids like curling up on the large one, in fact they can both fit on it at once. And the smaller one is the perfect size for my youngest who is 3 1/2. As she states – “This fits my bum and legs perfectly.” How do they come up with this stuff?!

You will need:

  • FabricAssuming it is 42″ wide prewashed, see “Cutting Your Fabric” below for cutting layouts & more information. You will need more for nap and one-way fabrics.
    • Large size in 6 fabrics: 2/3 Mtr/Yds each of 5 Outer Top fabrics, 3/4 Mtr/Yd Outer Bottom and 2 3/4 Mtr/Yds Lining
    • Large size in 1 fabric: 2 3/4 Mtr/Yds each of Outer and Lining
    • Small size in 6 fabrics: 1/2 Mtr/Yds each of 5 Outer Top fabrics, 1/3 Mtr/Yd Outer Bottom and 1 2/3 Mtr/Yd Lining
    • Small size in 1 fabric: 1 2/3 Mtr/Yd each of Outer and Lining
  • Same yardage as lining in high loft batting if using (less enough for the bottom zipper pieces which do not need battingmore info about the batting below)
  • Zipper: 25″ for large size, 20″ for small size
  • Pattern Pieces:

Notes on my changes:

  • I only made two changes to Shannon’s tutorial. The first was to add a pentagon shaped patch over where the points of the side pieces match up at the top. This is because I was in a hurry and didn’t take the time to line them up. The second was to adhere batting to the lining as I sewed it together. So the entire chair (except the zippered bottom) is lined with quilt batting. I found that the high loft cheapy polyester batting smooths out any bumpy edges and makes the chair smoother. Especially since I used quilting cotton. Shannon leaves a gap at the top of the lining for some stuffing – either way is great. I have included directions on how to do the optional changes below.

Before you begin:

  • Print all pages of the pattern piece pdf in the size you choose on letter size (8.5″ x 11″) or A4 paper. Important: Make sure scaling is set to “None” or “Actual Size” when printing. Once you have printed the pages, measure the 1″ test square to ensure the pattern is the correct size.
  • Cut or fold the pages on the outer gray lines and tape/glue the pages together, matching the letters in the gray half-circles.

Cutting your fabric:

  • Cut your fabric as per the pattern piece directions and notes on the S.A.C. Tutorial Post on googiemomma.
  • Visual layouts for each of the 4 options are below so you can see more easily how much fabric each option uses. Pieces are illustrated in full – not “cut on fold” shape.  
  • Please use the diagrams as a guide only, referring to the S.A.C. Tutorial for placement.
  • You may need more/less yardage for one-way and directional fabrics.

Large Size OUTER Fabric Yardage for 6 Fabrics (see Large Size in One Fabric for Lining Yardage)

Large Size in One Fabric Yardage (You will need this much each for Outer & Lining)

Small Size OUTER Fabric Yardage for 6 Fabrics (see Small Size in One Fabric for Lining Yardage)

Small Size in One Fabric Yardage (You will need this much each for Outer & Lining)

Sewing Instructions: 

  • Follow the googiemomma directions on the S.A.C. tutorial post to make your Stuffed Animal Chair.
  • A 1/2″ seam allowance is included in the printable pattern pieces.
  • A 3/8″ seam allowance is included for the zipper seam.

Optional Instruction: Add the Pentagon Patch – Do this after stitching together all of the outer outside pieces. (1) Cut 2 the tiny pentagons out of your fabric (see pattern pages). (2) Stitch them together right sides together. Leave an opening on one side for turning. (3) Turn the pentagon, folding under the opening edges and ironing the sides. (4) Line the straight edges of the patch up with each side of the outer outside pieces and pin generously. (5) Topstitch the patch. (6) Turn the outer pieces over and CAREFULLY! cut out the centre of the fabric that is under the patch.

Optional Instruction: Add Quilt Batting to the Lining – Do this when stitching the lining pieces together. (1) Cut 5 pieces of batting using the outside pattern piece. I used my cut fabric as a template. (2) Place tape over the open edges of your zig-zag foot. This prevents the batting from getting stuck in the points. (3) When stitching the lining together, place 1 batting piece on either side of the lining before stitching, and while it is right sides together. Like this: Batting, Lining pieces Right Sides Together, Batting. (4) Stitch together following the instructions, making sure to stitch each outer outside lining piece with a batting piece.

Here’s wishing you many happy stuffie-free days ahead – and a comfy spot for your kids to sit too! Please share your projects on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram – hashtag: #alongforthreadride so we can see them. I love to share my favorites too!