Project: Chickie Nuggets

Ever wonder where chicken nuggets come from?  If these cute, little guys have anything to do with it, you probably don't want to know!

Today's project is a little silly and frivolous, but I've been making little chickies like this since I made a giant batch with my friend Annie in grade school.  They are great practice for new sewers and a fun little diversion for experienced hand-stitchers. And even though a cute little chickie isn't very practical in my life, sometimes it's nice to have a fuzzy little friend to sit on your computer and keep you company in your cubicle or to cheer you up after a miserable day at the dentist.

Supplies:

• Yellow Fleece
• Light Orange Felt
• Pink Felt
• Yellow Thread
• Black Embroidery Floss
• Polyfil or cotton balls
• Scissors
• Needles (One regular and one with a large eye)

Instructions:

1. Cut two round, nugget shaped pieces from the fleece, around 2.5 to 3 inches tall. We aren't going to worry about perfection here, oddness = personality.
2. Cut a small triangle from the orange felt.
3. Cut a small heart from the pink felt.
4. Sew the small heart to the bottom corner of one piece of fleece and sew the triangle in the upper center of the other, but only attaching it at the top. Sew small stitches and take your time so it looks neat.
5. Using the black floss, embroider on eyes using a french knot. Hint: If you've never done a french knot before, practice on some scraps first.
6. Put the right sides of your chickie together and stitch around the outside leaving a 1.5 inch gap at the bottom. I've used whip stitch or straight stitch, you can do whatever you find easiest/looks the best.
7. Turn the chickie right side out and stuff with fluff.
8. Close the seam with a ladder stitch.
9. Squish and giggle with delight.

p.s. The background is the quilt I made this summer for my new apt.  It may or may not make an appearance later on in this blog...