I have had my eye on cactus lately. So, I thought it would be fun to get the stitch lab to do some too. I wanted to make one that was fun for them. Here is the pattern so you can make one too.

Project Cactus Pillow

Supplies

• fleece
• embroidery floss
• embroidery needle
• fiber fill
• regular thread

Directions
1. Draw out your pattern for your cactus.

Mine is 20″ tall and 8″ across. Cut two of these from the fleece.

2. Take the piece that is going to be the top and sew on the “cactus needles”. Thread the needle with a long piece of embroidery floss. (do not tie a knot) Take a tiny stitch and pull the thread through until about 1.5 inches are left. While the needle is still threaded, tie a knot in the two ends. Then cut the two ends off equally.
This picture is the moment before the knot is tied.

Scatter the “needles” around the front face of the cactus randomly.

3. Lay the two fleece pieces so that you have right sides together (the needles are facing in). Sew together on three sides leaving the bottom open.

4. Cut a circle to fit the bottom of your cactus (don’t forget seam allowance) For this size, the bottom circle is 5.5 inches across. Pin the bottom into place and sew 3/4 of the way around. Turn the whole operation inside out and stuff with fiber fill. Stick lots of stuffing into the arms to make them full so that they stand up and do not fall over.
When you have enough stuffing in it, you will just tuck the flat bottom in, pin it in place, and sew with the invisible stitch. (the fleece is friendly, so the stitches will absorb into the fluff.)

This pillow is super easy. It is a GREAT beginner project. Have fun!