Making a cats head

I am testing a new pattern for a kitty. I do not often make cats so this is a new process for me. I decided to use a pattern where I tuck the gusset in to the side head pieces to sew it trapped between the side head, and to shorten the nose length of the gusset considerably.

cat head wrong side out

As you can see the "nose" is really short. I am also using really long fur which I plan to trim to help establish the cat cheek features.

 

Cat head turned right side out

The head looks like a fuzzy critter! But this is the head sewn and turned right side out.

Preferred polyfil for stuffing creations head only

I now stuff the head slowly, using small amounts at a time, and packing it from the nose back into the head. I will try get in as much stuffing in as I can. This does make the head very firm. I like to use this brand of fiberfil for the head as you really can get a lot more in than a silky type. I will always stuff the head of any creation first before I cut any fur to shape a face. That way I know what I am cutting rather than guessing. To make sure I do not loose any stuffing,  I now add in the neck joint. I use running stitch all around the opening and then put the joint in place. Pull the threads tight and backstitch all around the joint to make sure it really stays in place and does not pull out. You have to use really strong thread to be able to handle all that tugging, so I use upholstery thread made by Coates.

Placing joint in neck

Neck joint sewn in place

My next step is to trim the muzzle and a bit more up the nose section to help figure out where the eyes will go.

white nose tip trimmed and eyes in test eyes in place

side view of trimmed nose and test eye

The test eyes will help me figure out what size eyes to use and where I want to place them. They also help me to start the trimming of the face. I trim from the eye in a straight line down to the chin, I repeat that on the other side. I can now eyeball if I am even, or I will use a mirror to check. I hold the head up facing the mirror and I stand behind it. The mirror is great at showing if the eyes and trimming are symmetrical or not. I will now trim the one cheek and work at it until I know it is the shape I want. I go slowly and brush the fur often.

 



Left cheek done

One cheek cut facing front

 Time to cut the other cheek. I always make sure I have time to cut both cheeks at once. I will cut one and then straight away cut the other. I find that works better for me than putting it down and walking away for a bit.  Walking away seems to "disturb" my eye and I cannot cut the other cheek as well. I am in essence repeating on the other side what I have just done. I remember better- doing it right away.

Two puffy cheeks

Once I am happy with the face trimming I will sew the eyes in place. I love the look of glass eyes. I know the pupil is not truly cat shaped but the eye looks great when it is in place. I now purchase my eyes from Itercal Trading. The matching quality is better. I have had some interesting eyes show up from other suppliers that I will probably never be able to use.

Checking eyes quality- please note that these are not Intercal Trading supplied eyes

The first thing I do when I purchase a bag of eyes is pull them out and match them. When you are in the throws of creating you do not always want to stop that process to find a pair of eyes that match. As you can see from the one batch I got- the eye quality and pupil size is all over the place. They are handmade so we do allow for some discrepancy : ) Once I have my eyes picked I place them face down in a product called "sticky stuff". It is available in office supply places. It holds the eye still as I paint them.

Eyes facedown in sticky stuff

Depending on the detail and look of what I am wanting to achieve, it takes 3 layers of paint to get what I want. I will use nail polish to seal the eye when I am done.

Painting eyes

I let the eyes dry really well. There is nothing worse than setting an eye and it smudges the paint all over the fur because you did not wait long enough. I attach my eyes using sinew, waxed linen thread or sometimes on smaller eyes- dental floss.

Eye in place

My next step is to attach the ears. First though I will trim the ears to get the look I want.

Ear right side out

Ear trimmed showing back of ear

Ear trimmed showing front of ear



I sew the bottom of my ear shut before I attach it to the head. This way I know the ear will not shift and give me a strange shape as I am sewing it to the head. There is a lot of long fur I am working around and I like my ears to be symmetrically shaped.

Base of ear whip stitched shut
 

I use a long length of thread that once I have sewn the bottom of the ear shut the same length will attach the ear to the head. I attach the ear using ladder stitch. I do hold both ears up to the head to make sure I am happy with the placement and character they give before I sew them on.

Ladder stitch ear to head

I ladder stitch the front of the ear down and then the back. I make sure the corners are tucked and sewn on extra well to make sure the ear cannot be pulled off.

My cat head is not ready to be attached to the body.

 

I will finish the cat nose once the body is fully done. I will make a nose from polymer clay or needle felt one. That is a decision I make once the cat is almost done. Kind of the last thing I do besides feet/ paddy paws. Here are some other finished cat heads...