A Sitting Instructables Robot

I have been busy taking care of 3 little boys all winter. I would get excited about an Instructables project and I never had the time nor the energy to get the project done. I have been wanting to make this cute Instructables Robot for quite some time, and finally this weekend, I had a whole day to myself and I made it happen. So this is how a made a Sitting Instructables Robot.

Supplies:

1/3 yard yellow cotton/poly blend fabric

1 yard ¾ inch wide elastic

Black thread

4- 1 inch (2.5cm) red buttons

Yellow thread

Polyester fiber fill

Plastic pellets for weight

A small scrap of white felt

Scissors

Sewing machine (not shown)

Needle

6” diameter paper circle (pattern)

5” diameter paper circle (pattern)

Black craft foam

3 – 5/8” brown buttons (not shown)

Safety pins

My first thing to say is “There are NO SEWING Police!” You may alter, change or there wise improve upon this project any way you want. Please have fun!

Lay out the material and cut out: 6 – 3”x3” squares (head), 1 – 6” circle. 1 – 5” circle, 1 – rhombus (16” long on the top and 19” long on the bottom, cut straight lines from the top corner to the bottom corner on each end), and 4 – 2½“x 6½“ rectangles (arms and legs).

All seams are ¼ inch wide.

To make the body, I first drew the lines on the body where I wanted them and the buttons to be.

I then sewed the lines with black thread, and sewed on the brown buttons.

Then I sewed the edges together, to create a lopsided tube. Pin the 6” circle to the larger end of the tube. Then I sewed the bottom onto the tube. I snip around the curve of the circle to help it lay flat. Repeat the process with the 5” circle on the top of the tube.

Don’t be afraid to gather the edge of the tube so that it will fit better.

When I sewed the top, I left a gap open for turning and stuffing.

I put a layer of plastic pellets in the bottom of the body so that it will stay sitting where ever I put it.

Then I stuffed the rest of the body with fiber fill. Then I used yellow thread to hand sew the gap closed with a running stitch.

I made the head too large (I used 5”x5” squares) the first time. When I realized that, I cut apart the head, cut the squares down to 3½”x3½“ squares and recreated the head. The smaller head looked so much better.

On one square I sewed 2 buttons for eyes and hand sewed on a smile.

On 2 different squares, I sewed a red button in the middle of the square for the ears.

Then I lined up the 4 squares that create the face, sides of the head and the back of the head, and sewed them together right sides facing each other,

leaving about a ¼ inch space at each end of the line of stitches. This makes it easier to sew on the top of the head and the bottom of the head.

To add the top of the head, I laid the top square long the edge of the first square, and started sewing ¼” away from the corner and sew a straight line to the seam, stopping with the needle down in the fabric.

I turned the fabric 90°, lined up the new edges and sewed a straight line to the next seam. I repeat this with the last two sides of the square. I had one side left open, I took, a moment and tacked down the two ends leaving the center open so that I could turn the head right side out. I then repeated the whole sequence with the bottom square.

Stuff the head full of fiber fill and I hand sewed it close like I did the body.

For the arms and legs, I folded each rectangle in half, length wise. I sewed a seam down the length.

I used a safety pin to turn each tube right side out.

Taking two to make the arms, I used a safety pin to thread the elastic through the tube.

I stuffed a small piece of white felt into one end. I tucked the ends of the yellow fabric into the center around the felt and the elastic.

Then sewed the end with the felt/elastic, down. Next I gathered up the tube so that it is gather around the elastic (at this point the elastic is 3½“ long).

I cut off the excess elastic and used the safety pin to hold the fabric and elastic in place. I then sewed it in place. Repeat with the other arm. I cut fingers into the felt

and whipped stitched the ends of the arms onto the top of the body.

For the legs, I used a safety pin to thread the elastic through the tube, using a safety pin to hold the end of the elastic to the end of the tube, gathering the tube along the 3½“ piece of elastic. And using another safety pin to hold that end in place. I hand whipped each end closed. Repeat with the other leg.

Now for the feet, which are wheels. I used a 1 inch circle to mark the back craft foam, I got the thickest foam available, and cut 2 circles per wheel (total 4 circles). I poked a hole in the center of each wheel and then glued the two wheels together.

I used multi layers of yellow thread to sew the wheel to the ends of the legs. So the thread, goes through the end of the elastic then down through the hole, then up through the elastic on the other side of the wheels back through the wheel, etc. 3 or more times. I tied off the thread and cut off the tails. I then repeated with the other leg.

Finally I whip stitched the legs to the bottom of the body.

Body is done.

One final step, I hand sewed the bottom of the head to the top of the body using a simple whip stitch.

I now officially have an Instructables Robot collection. When you have more than 3 things of an alike theme, you have a collection. Done. Enjoy!