Huggable Heart

Share the love with our Huggable Heart. Searching for the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day? Looking to treat your little one to a cuddle companion? Or perhaps you’re simply looking to expand your sewing skill set with a spot of easy appliqué? Whatever the case, Chloe Hailwood has got you covered. In just five simple steps you can transform your favourite plush material into a super-cute cushion that hugs you back!

Essentials

Fabric, plush, 1m
Felt, assorted scraps
Iron-on adhesive
Stick-on hook and loop dots
Safety toy stuffing

Download and print the templates from sewmag.co.uk. Press iron-on adhesive onto the felt. Using the templates and working on the paper-backed adhesive side of the felt, draw around the facial features. When drawing around the eyes, mark them with the template one way, then flip the template over to draw around the opposite eye shape. Snip out two eyes, a nose and a mouth.
Using the template and plush fabric, cut out two large hearts. Peel away the backing paper from the face pieces and position them on the right side of one heart. With a pressing cloth or scrap of fabric to protect the plush material, bond the face pieces to the heart by pressing them under a medium heat. Add some running stitches around the features.
Cut four rectangles from plush fabric, 20cm x 35cm each. Draw around the arm template on two of the rectangles. Lay each of these arm pieces on top of another rectangle, right sides facing. Pin together and sew directly over the marked lines, leaving the small, straight edge open. Trim round, then make small snips in the seam allowance along the inverted curves, particularly around the thumb. Turn through to the right side and fill with stuffing.
Lay the embellished heart flat, with the facial feature facing upwards. On one side lay an arm, with the hand pointed inwards across the face and the raw end of the arm meeting up with the raw edge of the heart. Overlap the raw end of the arm by 2cm over the edge of the heart. This will allow for movement within the plush fabric and will make sure the end is caught within the stitches when the heart is being made up. Tack to hold at this edge and add in the second arm on the opposite side.
Tack the arms and hands together. Make sure they are as flat as possible, as this will keep them out of the way when stitching up. Lay the second plush heart on top, right sides facing. Pin, then tack all round. Sew together, leaving an 8cm turning gap along one side. Make small snips in the seam allowance at the inverted point at the top of the heart, remove the tacking and turn through to the right side. Fill the heart with stuffing, before closing the gap with a ladder stitch. Add stick-on hook and loop dots to the hands.