Grumpy Cat AKA “Tardar Sauce” The Real Cat – FREE Patterns and Tutorial.

Grumpy Cat Pillow and Wall Hanging.

I loved Grumpy cat the moment I saw her for the first time on Facebook. I found many patterns and decided I had to make several projects with them! I made a pillow cover, a wall hanging and another smaller project which I will have a story on it soon.

I added a border around the Grumpy Cat part of the pillow because the size of the finished Grumpy cat was smaller than the pillow form.

The Ecru color Aida cloth is size 7 of half cross stitch design. Half cross stitched design is one diagonal stitch rather than the two that one uses in Embroidery floss for cross stitching patterns. This is also the same as used for Needlepoint and Plastic Canvas designs.

I made the envelope style pillow case without a zipper so the friend I made it for can remove the pillow to wash the pillow case separately. Viola! Grumpy Cat pillow!

Will the real Grumpy Cat raise her paw?

Tardar Sauce colors

Tardar Sauce does not have any yellow type of color in her. She seems to be browns and light beige color with a lot of white or silver colors. The real Grumpy Cat, Tardar Sauce story can be found here.

Back of Grumpy Cat pillow case

After completing the first Grumpy cat, I decided to make a second one as a pillowcase for my friend. My youngest daughter had scored a large trunk of 4 garbage bags full of fleece material that someone donated to her. I made a nine patch piece and a three patch piece for the pillow back.

When you assemble the the three pieces: the nine patch, the three patch and the project, you layer them so the right sides are facing inwards.

The three pieces sewn all around the edge ends up an envelope or pillow slip. You then open the envelope and insert the pillow form. You need to hem the three piece patch first before adding it to the layers before sewing the three pieces together. It is a checkerboard pattern. I love the checkerboard patterns!

Here are some free tutorials on how to construct an envelope pillow slip.

• Envelope pattern text here: Melanie K. Ham’s blog
• Melanie K. Ham’s Video Tutorial

Two Grumpy Cats

Constructing Grumpy Cat

I found several patterns for Grumpy Cat online and I chose the one shown below. The first one I made with the white colored Aida cloth the second one I made with the from Amazon I bought in bulk in 2013.

The reason I bought such a large supply of size 7 Monk’s cloth in a 10 yard – 60 inch Adia or Monk’s cloth package was because Amazon [# B0019CWSVC] price was under $25.00 USD at the time. It now costs over $75.00. A square yard of one piece costs about $4 or $5 USD.

Also I am going to make a duvet cover for my plain white comforter that is filled with Nikken Far-Infrared Technology© ceramic fiber filing. I Monk’s cloth for the back and the front is plain cotton material in pinks and purples in a extended 9 patch checkerboard pattern. I promise a story on that, too!

I was fortunate to get what I got at the time! This brand is soft and not firm or does not have the sizing on it to keep it stiff. So I will have to make my own stiffener for the wall hangings.

Eyes only!

Grumpy Cat on white Aida cloth

Here is the beginnings of the Grumpy cat on the size 5 Aida cloth. That is five holes per inch. I started this project before I got the Ecru Monk’s cloth. The grid is large and your pattern must be small to start with. The pattern I used was actually for the plastic Perler© beads which are 1/8th of an inch in width.

Grumpy Cat pattern I used

Pattern for the three Grumpy Cats

I found several patterns online and at Pinterest. This is the one I used for my Grumpy Cat wall hangings and Grumpy cat my pillow. Perler beads work well for plastic canvas as well as cross stitching and Aida cloth. Chart for adapting patterns is below. I have collected Grumpy Cat patterns at my Pinterest account.

Colors for Grumpy Cat Pattern

Colors for Gray Grumpy Cat

I have asked the author of the pattern for her colors of the Gray Grumpy cat. Here is what Tootlec Deluxe Bracelets© had to say about the colors for the Gray and the Brown Grumpy Cats:

“To answer your question about the Grumpy Cat pattern – I only used grays because the pattern generator didn’t offer enough shades of brown (and Grumpy is brownish in reality).”

“I don’t really know the American/international brands of materials (I’m from Croatia and 99% of time use our local brand of yarn), but I based the shades on DMC embroidery floss, if it helps you any way. In gray version I based it on these shades: #413 (the darkest gray), #844, #646 and #648, plus the white one as the lightest shade.”

“If you wanted brown shade numbers, they would be #3781 (the darkest brown on the pattern), #840, #3864, #822 and then as the lightest color on the pattern – #712 or #543. These two are really light, milky shades which work well for the lightest part of Grumpy’s fur.”

She makes awesome bracelets with these patterns with DMC floss! She is from Croatia! Her FaceBook page Tootlec Deluxe Bracelets© is here.

Next part of the eyes and the word ‘No.’

Working by colors

I measured how many holes for the pattern and cut out the Aida cloth first. I added length and width per project. I added a lot more space around the cat for the pillow. I measured a standard square pillow form and added the length and width to accommodate that pillow.

After cutting the material from the large bolt of cloth. I added it to my stretcher frame that is made from PVC or polyvinyl chloride. There are several kinds of PVC for pipes for your water works in your house.

I wanted to work by colors. The best way, normally, to start is with the center of the pattern. I wanted to start with the outline of Grumpy Cat first. I measured how many holes for the pattern and cut out the Aida cloth first. I counted the stitches and marked the cloth with a small dot of Sharpie pen in black for the center of the material or where I wanted to place the pattern. I was ready for stitching. I started to add the outline of the cat and ears and head with the dark brown acrylic yarn.

Grumpy Cat – adding ears

Third Grumpy Cat – Calculating stitches for size of material

The area that Grumpy cat takes up:

For size 5 Aida cloth:

• I have worked this white Aida cloth is 8 inches by 8 inches.
• The total fabric is 12 ½ height and 15 inches wide. That does not account for the hem. The material was bonded on one edge so I only had to hem three sides. Each hem was 5/8 ths of an inch so total material unhemmed would be 13¾ high by 16 ¼ wide.

For size 7 Aida cloth:

1. The stitched area will be 6 ¾ inches wide and 7 inches high
2. The fabric should be 15 inches wide by 15 ½ inches high. That includes a 2 inch hem for all sides – or 1 inch on one side times 4.

For size 10 Aida cloth:

The area it takes up is calculated to be:

• The stitched area will be 4 ¾ inches wide and 4 3/8 inches high
• The fabric should be 13 inches wide by 13 ½ inches high.
• That includes a 2 inch hem for all sides – or 1 inch on one side times 4.

For size 14 Aida cloth:

The area it takes up is calculated to be:

• The stitched area will be 3 3/8 inches wide and 3 ½ inches high
• The fabric should be 12 inches wide by 12 inches high. That includes a 2 inch hem for all sides – or 1 inch on one side times 4.

My White Aida cloth size 5:

The white Aida cloth if from a kit I got 30 years ago and saved for use for other projects.

I saved the floss and the cloth and somehow I lost the pattern. It was a Christmas Tree skirt with 5 Kittens in various shades of Gray. It was so cute!

For calculations I used this Stitching Calculator.

Start of her fur

After working the dark brown, light brown and beige, last was the maze color I used. Lastly I added the white. Outside of the brown outline of Grumpy cat I did not stitch the material. I only added the border in yarns. I used standard acrylic yarn with is the right size for size 5, 7, and 10 Aida cloth. When you go to size 11 and up to size 28, the holes are so small you need the thinner wool yarns and embroidery floss for those delicate patterns. I actually worked with a small project with size 10 plastic canvas which is the same as size 10 Aida cloth and it was so hard for me to get standard yarn through the homes.

Wall Hanging versus the Pillow slip

They are very close in how they look. It was the ears that were different and the top of the head.

Pillow forms – measurements

• Pillow forms are called: 12″, 13″, 14”, 16”, 18” and 20” sizes. Also you can get 12 ” by 18″ form as well.
• A 12 inch pillow form is 10.5 x 3.5 x 11.1 inches. That measurement is adjusting for the pillow slip.
• So if your instructions call for a 12 inch pillow. The measurement of your final material must be slightly bigger than that.
• The pillow is 3 ½ inches thick so you have to add 3 ½ inches to your final material to accommodate for that thickness.
• So for a 12 inch pillow form, make your material with the thickness of the pillow form in line. I would cut my material slightly larger than the suggestions. You can always make your hem larger. I would lay your finished project on top of a regular pillow and see how if lays across that pillow. It is suggested to add three inches around each pillow to figure the size of the material for your project.
• It is ok for your pillow slip or final project to be loose over the pillow.
• Several times I have taken my unfinished project with me to the pillow vendor shop and measure it against an actual pillow to see how it covers the pillow.
• You can always add material to the four sides of your Aida cloth. I have done that as well when making pillow slips. I made a lot of pillow slips for my son.

Let me know in the comments section if you are planning on making Grumpy Cat! I would love to see your final project!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sherry Atbutterfly enjoys crafting with Plastic Canvas and yarn to make all kinds of decorations and fun items for the home. Many of her craft articles feature detailed tutorials and lengthy instructions. This is what she loves to do, She is a teacher. She is also involved with Early American History, Family History and genealogy. Sherry is legally blind.