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Cute Kitty Baby Mat

This super soft baby mat will give a little one a soft place to play or will give parents a place to change the little one away from home if it is kept in the diaper bag.

By Carol Zentgraf

Designer's Notes

Mom and baby alike will love this warm and fuzzy floor mat. Shaped like a kitty, it is made of cuddle fabric, and the edges are serged with woolly nylon thread for a soft finish.

Serger Skill Level

Beginning

Finished Size

25 x 36 inches

Serger Skills

Finishing edges, serging curves and corners, working with deep-pile fabric

Materials

• 3/4 yard pink cuddle fabric
• 1/2 yard white cuddle fabric
• 3/4 yard coordinating cotton polka-dot fabric
• 8 1/2 x 11-inch sheet double-stick fusible web
• Scrap black flannel
• Pattern-tracing paper or fabric
• Lightweight water-soluble stabilizer
• Permanent fabric adhesive
• Fabric basting spray
• Press cloth
• Basic sewing equipment and supplies

Threads

3 spools serger thread
1 spool woolly nylon thread
Coordinating all-purpose sewing thread

Serger Stitches & Settings

Note: These are suggested serger settings. Be sure to test your stitch on a scrap of project or similar fabric to ensure stitch perfection before beginning your project.

3-thread wide overlock for edges

Stitch Length: 3.0
Left Needle Tension: 4
Right Needle: Removed
Upper Looper Tension: 1
Lower Looper Tension: 4
Adjustments for deep-pile fabric:
Increase cutting/stitch width to 6.

Machine Threading

Serger thread in both needles and lower looper

Woolly nylon thread in upper looper (tension reduced)

Cutting

Enlarge and trace the head and arm/leg patterns onto pattern-tracing paper or fabric to make templates, following instructions on patterns.

From the pink cuddle fabric:

Cut one 26-inch-diameter circle.

Using templates, cut one head and four arm/leg pieces.

From the white cuddle fabric:

Cut one 18-inch-diameter circle.

From the polka-dot fabric:

Cut one 26-inch-diameter circle.

Using templates, cut one head and four arm/leg pieces.

Face Applique

1. Using the facial features on the head pattern, trace two each cheeks, eyes and inner ears, and one nose onto the fusible web paper backing, leaving at least 1/2 inch between each.
2. Cut out fusible web applique pieces leaving a 1/4-inch margin around each.
3. Following manufacturer’s instructions, fuse the cheeks, nose and inner ears fusible web applique pieces to the wrong side of the polka-dot fabric.
4. Fuse the eyes to the wrong side of the black flannel.
5. Cut out the facial-feature appliques along the drawn lines.
6. Referring to the pattern for placement, remove the backing from the applique shapes and position them on the cuddle-fabric head piece. Use a press cloth and fuse the appliques in place. Note: Do not apply the iron directly to the cuddle fleece fabric as it will melt. Use a press cloth and a medium heat setting to press.
7. Cover the applique shapes with lightweight water-soluble stabilizer and use sewing machine to zigzag-stitch over the edges of each shape with matching thread.
8. Gently tear the stabilizer away from the stitches. Use tweezers to remove from under the stitches, if needed.
9. Trace the mouth and whiskers onto water-soluble stabilizer and position on the face. Stitch over the lines using a zigzag stitch. Carefully remove the stabilizer.

Body Assembly

1. Apply basting spray to wrong side of white cuddle circle following manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Center the white cuddle circle on the right side of the pink cuddle circle.
3. Use sewing machine and a wide, open zigzag stitch to stitch the edges of the white circle in place.
4. Align each pink cuddle piece with its corresponding polka-dot piece, wrong sides together. Pin the pieces together at least 1 inch from the edge.
5. Serge the edges of each pair of pieces together. Pull the thread tails under the stitches on the polka-dot side and secure with a dab of fabric adhesive; trim. Press each piece on the polka-dot side.

Completing Mat

1. Place the pink cuddle side of circle right side up on a flat surface. Position the head at the top of the circle, overlapping the circle edge by 2 to 3 inches (Figure 1). Pin and sew in place using sewing machine.
2. To add an arm, position an arm/leg piece 4 1/2 inches from one side of the head with the circle overlapping the arm/leg piece by 1 inch (Figure 2). Pin in place to hold.
3. Repeat step 2 to add another arm to the opposite side of the head.
4. To add legs, position and pin a remaining arm/leg piece 17 inches from an arm with the circle overlapping the arm/leg piece by 1 inch, again referring to Figure 2. Repeat on opposite side.
5. Use sewing machine to stitch all overlapping edges in place as shown in Figure 3a and Figure 3b.

Credits: Shannon Fabrics Cuddle Fabric; Robert Kaufman cotton print fabric; YLI woolly nylon and Elite serger threads; Warm Company Steam-a-Seam 2® Fusible Web; Sulky® Solvy™ stabilizer; Beacon Adhesives™ Fabri-Tac® permanent fabric adhesive.

Copyright © 2003 Serger Savvy, House of White Birches. All rights reserved.