Ready to send the cute factor through the roof… at least in your sewing room? Make our adorable Hello Kitty® pincushion. Embroider eyes and a nose for her face and the pins become her whiskers. This would make a great gift for the beginning sewer, but everybody loves Hello Kitty®, so it’s really perfect for anyone… including YOU! We provide a free downloadable pattern so you can easily make a whole litter of pretty kitties.

We originally use the Kokka Sanrio Hello Kitty® Licensed Fabric, which is not currently available. However, there are lots of Hello Kitty® options, including these:

Hello Kitty Flannel Flower Toss in Hot Pink by Springs Creative Products, available now at Fabric.com
 

Hello Kitty Apple Tree in Pink by Liberty of London, available now at Fabric.com
 

Hello Kitty Red Polka Dots by Springs Creative Products, available now at Fat Quarter Shop
 

The pincushion finishes at 4″ wide, so this is also a good project for leftover Charm Squares.

In the background of our photos, you may also spot a matching and equally adorable Hello Kitty® sewing basket. For that tutorial, click here. 

Sewing Tools You Need

• Any Sewing Machine (we recommend, of course, the Janome Hello Kitty 18750) 

Fabric and Other Supplies

• Scraps, Charm Square or ⅛ yard of Hello Kitty® fabric for the pincushion back
  
• Scraps, Charm Square or ⅛ yard of Hello Kitty® fabric for the pincushion back
• Scrap or ⅛ yard of lightweight fusible interfacing; we used 950F Shir-Tailor® by Pellon 
• A generous handful of polyester fiber fill 
• ¼ yard of ½” wide coordinating ribbon for the kitty’s hair bow; we used red velvet
• All purpose thread in colors to match fabric
• Embroidery floss for face details; we used black for the eyes and yellow for the nose 
• See-through ruler
• Fabric pen or pencil
• Seam gauge
• Seam ripper
• Iron and ironing board
• Scissors or rotary cutter and mat
• Straight pins for project, plus at least six “fancy” ball-end pins for the kitty’s whiskers

Getting Started

1. Download and print the Kitty Pincushion Pattern.
   IMPORTANT: This pattern consists of ONE 8½” x 11″ sheet. You must print the PDF file at 100%. DO NOT SCALE to fit the page.
2. Cut out the pattern along the solid line. 
3. Use the pattern to cut ONE kitty head from the solid front fabric, ONE kitty head from the back Hello Kitty® back fabric, and TWO kitty heads from the fusible interfacing.

At Your Sewing Machine & Ironing Board

1. Following manufacturer’s instructions, fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of both the front and back. 
2. Place the two kitty head pieces right sides together, aligning all the raw edges. Pin the two layers together, leaving a 2″ opening along the kitty’s chin.
3. Using a ¼” seam allowance, and carefully following the curves of the pattern, stitch around the kitty head. Remember to leave the opening along the bottom edge and to lock your seam at either side of the opening.
   
4. Clip into the corners to allow the seam to ease when turned right side out.
   
5. Turn the kitty right side out through the opening. Poke out the curves and the points using a long, blunt-end tool, like a chopstick or knitting needle. Press flat.
6. Use the paper pattern and your fabric pen or pencil to draw in the position of the eyes and nose.
   
7. Fluff up your polyester fiberfill and gently poke it into all the nooks and crannies of the kitty head until you reach your desired plumpness.
8. Using floss or heavy thread, embroider the kitty’s eyes and nose. We used black for the eyes and yellow for the nose to match the Hello Kitty® motif on our fabric. We used a small running stitch outline the edge of each oval, then filled in the oval with a satin stitch.
9. Find the thin coordinating ribbon and create a small bow to fit the kitty’s ear. Handstitch the bow in place.
   
10. We inserted our fancy pins to create the kitty’s whiskers.
11. As mentioned above, you can find our tutorial for the equally adorable Hello Kitty® sewing basket shown below here.