Make a Baseball Player Squishy: A Felt Team-Mate to Sew

A small team makes a good team-mate

Gather your little player’s kit

Your measured cutting pattern

Print all five A4 sheets at actual size / 100% and measure both sides of every 20 mm check square. Reprint if the scale is wrong, and confirm the complete 200 mm body circle is visible. Sheet 1 gives the body and attachment marks; sheet 2 is the full-size front placement guide, not a cutting sheet. Sheets 3 and 4 hold the remaining cutting pieces. Sheet 5 shows assembly at 47% plus an enlarged root diagram; do not cut from either diagram. All 15 mm root tabs are included. The body is stitched 5 mm inside its cut edge, so add no seam allowances. There are 24 felt pieces: the eyes, lettering, numbers, sleeve stripes and laces are embroidery.

Open each full-resolution sheet below and save it before printing on A4 paper. Use actual size / 100% where available; print settings vary, so check both sides of the labelled calibration square. Do not trace from a screen or a scaled preview. Cut on the solid outlines and add no seam allowance. The body has an exposed blanket-stitched edge; all appendage tabs are included in the patterns.

Open printable sheet 1: Body & attachment marks

Open printable sheet 2: Face & jersey placement

Open printable sheet 3: Cap & decorative details

Open printable sheet 4: Arms, mitt & shoes

Open printable sheet 5: Assembly guide

Cutting list

Practise the little stitches first

Prepare a manageable length of thread

The adult prepares about 35–40 cm of thread and knots the starting end. Use matching polyester thread for appliqué and root anchors. Use three strands of good-quality floss, or suitable strong fine hand-sewing thread, for blanket stitching; two strands suit the embroidery. Practise through the thickest felt stack before starting.

Whip stitch for flat appliqué

Bring the needle up through the base just outside the felt detail. Take it down through both layers about 2 mm inside the detail’s edge. Repeat a little farther along with small slanting stitches about 2–3 mm apart. Sew the whole outline, drawing the thread snug without puckering.

Backstitch for lines, letters and hidden anchors

Bring the needle up on the guide. Go back one short stitch, then come up one stitch ahead of the first point. Return to the previous stitch’s end and repeat. Small stitches meet on the surface and overlap beneath. Use 2–3 mm stitches for anchors and shorten them around letter corners.

Fill an embroidered eye with short stitches

Use closely placed black stitches in small sections to cover the eye shape. Avoid long threads spanning the entire oval. Keep the felt relaxed and add a tiny white highlight. Secure the thread on the reverse, where the knot will later be hidden inside the body.

Blanket stitch for an exposed felt seam

Hide the knot between the layers and establish a loop at the edge. Move along, take the needle through both layers and leave a loose thread loop. Pass through that loop before drawing snug. The body stitches are 5 mm deep and about 4 mm apart; paired limbs and shoes use 3 mm depth and spacing.

Finish securely before putting the needle down

On open pieces, use small anchoring stitches and a close knot on the reverse. At the final body seam, make a small anchoring stitch, pass through its thread loop and draw a close knot; repeat once. Bury the tail between the layers into the filling, emerge a short distance away and trim under light tension. Count and park every needle.

Practise each stitch on scraps first, with the adult handling the needle. Use the written steps and pattern marks when assembling your baseball player.

Make Loggan in 22 illustrated steps

Build the cap and baseball face, stitch the jersey details, prepare the limbs and mitt, then assemble and gently fill your character.

1. 01 · Prepare your kit and check the pattern scale
2. 02 · Cut two matching cream body circles
3. 03 · Cut and sort all twenty-four felt pieces
4. 04 · Embroider the red baseball curves
5. 05 · Embroider the eyes and tiny glints
6. 06 · Build and attach the smiling mouth
7. 07 · Add two rosy cheeks
8. 08 · Stitch the jersey line, name and number
9. 09 · Sew the curved belt and soft buckle
10. 10 · Build the cap crown and star
11. 11 · Attach the cap and curved red brim
12. 12 · Make the small left arm
13. 13 · Sew the fixed baseball onto the mitt
14. 14 · Build the raised arm around its continuous backing
15. 15 · Decorate the two shoe fronts
16. 16 · Join the two empty shoe pairs
17. 17 · Arrange four roots on the inside back
18. 18 · Reinforce all four roots
19. 19 · Join the body with a blanket-stitched border
20. 20 · Fill the body a little at a time
21. 21 · Close the bottom and secure the thread
22. 22 · Inspect your team-mate and enjoy a gentle squeeze

Step 01

Prepare your kit and check the pattern scale

Child chooses colours · adult prepares

Set out the thicker cream body felt and the thinner colours for the details. Choose the faces you want to show and keep the felt relaxed. The adult tests a short seam through the thickest body-and-tab combination, then counts the needles and prepares a pincushion.

Print all five A4 sheets at actual size / 100%. Check both sides of every 20 mm calibration square and confirm the full body outline is visible. Correct print settings and reprint if necessary, without shrinking the pattern to fit. Keep small pieces in a tray and sharp tools in the adult’s area.

Ready to move on? The scale, complete outlines and practice seam are checked.

Step 02

Cut two matching cream body circles

Child traces · adult cuts

Use the full-size body pattern to trace two 200 mm circles onto the thicker cream felt. The adult cuts each separately, turning the material gradually for a smooth edge. Follow the outside cutting line, leaving the inner stitching guide untouched.

Lay the circles together and compare their outlines without stretching either one. Choose the front and plain back, then mark the top lightly on their future inside faces. Keep that orientation consistent throughout. The front will carry the cap, face and jersey details; the back remains plain apart from the hidden appendage anchors added later.

Ready to move on? Two matching 200 mm circles have clear front, back and top positions.

Step 03

Cut and sort all twenty-four felt pieces

Child sorts and counts · adult cuts

Follow the cutting list and labelled outlines to cut the remaining pieces. Keep every 15 mm insertion tab attached. The left and right arms are different: the raised right arm widens into one continuous large hand that will support the brown mitt.

Sort the cap pieces, face details, belt and buckle, arm pairs, mitt and ball, four shoe layers and two toe patches. With the body circles, count 24 pieces. Dry-arrange the character using the placement guide, then return the small parts to the tray. Lettering, numbers, eyes, sleeve stripes and laces will be stitched directly; they need no extra felt pieces.

Ready to move on? All 24 pieces are present and every root tab is intact.

Step 04

Embroider the red baseball curves

Adult stitches · child checks the pair

Lay the selected body FRONT outside-face up. Transfer the two red baseball-curve guides from the full-size placement sheet onto this front only. They sit to either side of the future face, with their ends clear of the cap and jersey details.

Backstitch the curves in red using short, smooth stitches. Add the marked short slanting stitches along each side to suggest baseball lacing. Keep these stitches about 3–5 mm long and flat against the felt. Check both curves together before fastening on the reverse. The familiar baseball pattern comes from thread rather than a separate cord or trim.

Ready to move on? Both red curves and their short lacing stitches are secure.

Step 05

Embroider the eyes and tiny glints

Adult stitches · child checks the expression

Transfer the two eye outlines from the front guide. Each oval measures 14 × 18 mm. Keep them in their marked positions so the cap brim, cheeks and smile have room around them.

Use two strands of black floss to fill each oval with short, closely placed stitches. Work in small sections rather than spanning the whole eye with long threads. Add a tiny white highlight, about 3 mm, at each marked upper-left position. Secure all ends on the reverse and check that no loose loop catches a fingertip. Keep the felt relaxed throughout so the expression stays smooth.

Ready to move on? Both eyes and their highlights are flat and securely stitched.

Step 06

Build and attach the smiling mouth

Child checks placement · adult sews

Take the separate black mouth and pink tongue. Position the 12 × 6 mm tongue inside the mouth using the guide, then whipstitch its complete edge to the black felt with matching pink thread. Keep both pieces flat.

Place the completed 26 × 18 mm smile below the eyes on the body front. The concave upper edge faces upwards and the rounded lower edge forms the open smile. Whipstitch the whole black outline with small matching stitches, catching the cream body beneath each one. Fasten on the reverse and check that neither the mouth nor tongue edge can lift.

Ready to move on? The tongue and entire mouth outline are securely attached.

Step 07

Add two rosy cheeks

Child arranges · adult sews

Place the two 14 mm pink circles at their marked positions below and outside the eyes. Check that the red baseball stitching and mouth remain clear. Use the guide to keep the cheeks balanced before sewing.

Whipstitch around each entire cheek with matching pink thread, making small stitches about 2–3 mm apart. Catch the cream base beneath without pulling it into a dent. Secure the thread on the reverse and compare the finished face. Tiny handmade differences are welcome; the essential check is that each circle lies flat with every edge attached.

Ready to move on? Both cheeks lie flat with fully sewn edges.

Step 08

Stitch the jersey line, name and number

Child checks the spelling · adult embroiders

Transfer the curved navy jersey line, LOGGAN lettering and red 01 from the full-size guide onto the lower cream body. The jersey is suggested directly with embroidery; there is no separate garment panel. Check the six letters before sewing: L, O, G, G, A, N. The number is zero followed by one.

Use short navy backstitches for the curved line and 12 mm-high block letters. Shorten stitches at corners; a second close row can make strokes more visible. Embroider the 13 mm-high digits in red, keeping them clear of the belt area. Secure each colour on the reverse.

Ready to move on? The name reads LOGGAN and the number reads 01, with clear spacing.

Step 09

Sew the curved belt and soft buckle

Child checks alignment · adult sews

Place the red curved belt with its gently tapered ends on the guide near the lower front. Follow its shaped outline instead of replacing it with a straight strip. Its 116 × 15 mm bounding box describes the pattern’s overall size, not a rectangular cutting shape.

Whipstitch the full belt edge with matching red thread. Centre the 18 × 12 mm navy buckle over it and sew that whole outline too. Embroider the small 8 × 4 mm red inner rectangle on the buckle. Keep every layer flat and knots on the reverse. The belt and buckle are soft decorative appliqué, with no opening or hard fitting.

Ready to move on? Belt and buckle are flat, centred and sewn around every edge.

Step 10

Build the cap crown and star

Adult sews · child arranges the colours

Work on the separate navy cap crown. Centre the cream curved panel on it using the guide, matching its direction and lower edge. The navy dome measures 160 × 60 mm, and the cream panel fits within a 62 × 55 mm box.

Whipstitch the complete cream outline to the navy crown. Position the 26 mm navy star on the cream panel, then attach its whole edge with small red stitches that also create the bright outline. Take care at the star’s points and inner corners. Keep the pieces flat and secure all thread ends on the crown’s reverse before it joins the body.

Ready to move on? The cream panel and star are fully attached to the separate crown.

Step 11

Attach the cap and curved red brim

Child checks the top · adult sews

Place the completed crown at the top of the cream body front using the measured placement guide. Check that it stays within the body outline and leaves the perimeter seam clear. Whipstitch its complete edge to the body, including the base.

Lay the red curved brim over the crown’s lower edge at its marked position. Sew around the whole brim through the underlying felt, keeping it flat. This brim is a shaped appliqué band rather than a projecting visor. Check the eye area remains clear and the cap looks centred. Secure the ends on the reverse, then put the decorated front aside.

Ready to move on? Crown and brim are securely sewn flat within the body outline.

Step 12

Make the small left arm

Adult stitches · child identifies the pair

Choose one of the smaller cream arm pieces as the front. Transfer and embroider its two navy sleeve lines and red accent near the root, keeping the stitches short and flat. Leave the 16 × 15 mm insertion tab clear.

Pair it with the matching plain arm piece, with chosen outside faces outward. Blanket-stitch the exposed arm contour approximately 3 mm deep and 3 mm apart, stopping at the tab shoulders. Leave the tab edges unsewn. The visible arm is 42 × 28 mm; its full length including the tab is 57 mm. Keep it empty, with no turning or stuffing.

Ready to move on? One flat left arm is stitched, with its complete tab still open.

Step 13

Sew the fixed baseball onto the mitt

Adult embroiders and sews

Work on the separate 26 mm cream baseball circle. Transfer its two small curved seams, then embroider them in red with short backstitches and tiny slanting marks. Keep the circle flat and secure the ends on its reverse.

Place the ball centrally on the separate brown mitt as shown by the guide. Whipstitch its entire circumference to the brown felt. Add the marked mitt details: short red or tan rim bars and a few brown finger-division lines, all stitched flat. Do not cut finger slots. The ball becomes a permanent appliqué, so there is no loose ball to insert later.

Ready to move on? The ball and mitt embroidery are secure, flat and complete.

Step 14

Build the raised arm around its continuous backing

Adult stitches · child checks the front

Take the larger cream right-arm FRONT. Its forearm expands smoothly into a broad hand: keep this as one continuous piece. Place the completed brown mitt on that enlarged area, leaving the narrow cream border shown by the guide, and whipstitch its entire outline to the backing.

Embroider the navy and red sleeve stripes across the forearm. Pair the decorated front with its matching cream back, outside faces outward, and blanket-stitch the whole exposed contour 3 mm deep and 3 mm apart. Leave the 18 × 15 mm tab open. The arm remains empty; the mitt is supported by the continuous cream backing.

Ready to move on? The mitt is fully attached and the flat arm pair has an intact open tab.

Step 15

Decorate the two shoe fronts

Child matches the pair · adult sews

Choose two navy shoe pieces as the fronts and leave their matching backs plain. Position a 28 × 16 mm cream toe patch on each front using the guide, keeping the rounded end towards the shoe toe.

Whipstitch the entire cream outlines. Add three short cream lace bars to each front at the marked positions, followed by the small red accent near the root. Every lace is an embroidered line that lies against the felt; there are no loose laces or bows. Compare the two decorated fronts before fastening the threads on their reverse sides.

Ready to move on? Both toe patches and all embroidered lace bars are secure.

Step 16

Join the two empty shoe pairs

Adult stitches · child sorts fronts and backs

Pair each decorated shoe front with a plain navy back, outside faces outward. Align the visible rounded parts and their complete 18 × 15 mm tabs. Each visible shoe measures 40 × 38 mm, with a total length of 55 mm including its tab.

Blanket-stitch around the exposed contour approximately 3 mm deep and 3 mm apart. Stop at the tab shoulders and leave its edges unsewn. Repeat for the second shoe. Keep both flat and unstuffed; the same pattern will be rotated at the two lower body roots. They are soft decorative feet rather than rigid soles for standing.

Ready to move on? Two flat shoes are joined, with both insertion tabs open.

Step 17

Arrange four roots on the inside back

Child helps arrange · adult checks the marks

Lay the plain body BACK with its inside face up. Transfer the four tab positions from the full-size body pattern onto this inside face only. Keep the top mark aligned with the front’s orientation.

Arrange the small arm at half past eight, pointing outward and slightly down. Place the larger arm’s root at three o’clock, with its insertion tab horizontal: the shaped forearm already rises towards the mitt, so do not rotate the tab upwards. Turn the shoes down and outward near five and seven o’clock. Every finished front faces you, and each two-layer tab extends 15 mm inside the body at its marked root centre. Keep the bottom filling area clear.

Ready to move on? All four appendages point correctly, with 15 mm of each tab inside.

Step 18

Reinforce all four roots

Adult measures, marks and stitches

Keep the decorated front separate. The adult measures and lightly marks one reinforcement rectangle on each root. Every rectangle is 6 mm deep, extending from 7 to 13 mm inside the body edge, with 2 mm clear at each side of the tab.

The small left-arm rectangle is 12 × 6 mm; the raised-arm and both shoe rectangles are 14 × 6 mm. Backstitch around each with 2–3 mm stitches, catching both tab layers and the back felt. Keep knots on the inside and avoid catching other pieces beneath. Gently check each attachment while supporting the body, and correct missed layers before covering the back.

Ready to move on? Four anchors catch both root layers and the back panel.

Step 19

Join the body with a blanket-stitched border

Adult aligns, stitches and parks the needles

Place the decorated front over the anchored back, with both finished outside faces outward. Tabs and knots are hidden inside; the limbs remain outside. Match top marks and edges, then clip. Mark the 60 mm opening centred at six o’clock, measured along the curved cut edge between the shoes.

Start at one opening mark and blanket-stitch the long way around, 5 mm deep and about 4 mm apart. At each root, catch front, both tab layers and back. Stop and fasten at the other mark, leaving the whole gap. Detach the working thread, count and park every needle, and clear sharp tools before filling.

Ready to move on? The seam catches all roots, the bottom gap is open and needles are parked.

Step 20

Fill the body a little at a time

Child helps fill · adult supervises

Confirm that all needles are detached and parked before the child begins. Pull the polyester filling into small airy tufts in the tray. Add a little through the bottom opening and guide it gently towards the upper body with fingertips.

Continue gradually through the centre, smoothing the outside between additions. Fill only the round body: the arms, mitt, ball and shoes remain flat. Aim for a soft centre about 40–50 mm thick. Stop while the opening edges meet easily. If the player feels hard, distorts or strains its seams, remove some filling before the adult resumes sewing.

Ready to move on? The body is evenly cushioned and the opening edges meet naturally.

Step 21

Close the bottom and secure the thread

Adult stitches and finishes

The child sets the player down before the adult threads a parked needle with fresh matching thread. Tuck filling away from the opening and align the two cut felt edges without folding them inward.

Continue the same exposed blanket stitch, 5 mm deep and about 4 mm apart, until the gap is completely closed. Join neatly to the existing seam without pulling the bottom into a pinch. Secure the end with small anchoring stitches and close knots, then bury and trim the tail as described in the stitch guide. Check for missed layers or exposed filling, then count and park the needle.

Ready to move on? The gap is closed and the thread is secured and hidden.

Step 22

Inspect your team-mate and enjoy a gentle squeeze

Adult checks · child enjoys

The adult checks the complete perimeter, four roots, fixed ball, mitt outline and every appliqué edge. Look for loose thread, missed layers or felt starting to tear at a stitch. Support the body while giving each attachment a light controlled check, and repair anything doubtful before handing it over.

Count and store all tools. Smooth the filling with a gentle body squeeze and admire the stitched uniform. The flat mitt arm may bend naturally; let the player lean against a cushion or lie down instead of forcing a rigid pose. Pick it up by its body, and set it aside whenever repair is needed.

Ready to move on? Sewing is checked, needles are accounted for and the player is ready for gentle handling.

Three beautiful team colours to try

Keep the same pattern, stitched face and fixed mitt-and-ball arrangement, then change the main felt colours. Each example keeps the cream face, brown mitt, cream ball, black stitched eyes and pink cheeks.

A little help if something feels tricky

The body circles do not line up

Remove clips and lay both panels flat. Check the print scale, top marks and outlines. Ease small differences evenly without stretching. Correct a badly cut panel before sewing the body.

The letters are crowded or the name is misspelt

Check LOGGAN on the guide before stitching. Keep its six letters within the marked area and use short stitches at corners. An adult can carefully unpick an affected letter while the front is still separate.

A cap or belt edge lifts

Sew around the complete appliqué outline with small stitches through the base felt. Remove any stretched or puckered section and resew it with gentler tension before joining the body.

The mitt looks twisted or the wrong way round

Check the completed mitt is on the chosen front of the large continuous cream arm, facing the viewer when positioned on the inside back. Correct its orientation before anchoring. A soft bend is normal; the arm contains no rigid support.

A root is too short or an anchor missed a layer

Do not rely on a shortened tab or surface-only stitching. Replace a cut-off appendage pair before assembly. If an anchor missed a layer, the adult unpicks and resews it through both root layers and the back.

The needle is hard to push through

Stop rather than forcing it. Test a suitable needle through matching scraps and use the thinner felt specified for details and roots. An adult may find a thimble useful, but unsuitable bulky felt should be replaced.

The player feels hard or lumpy

Before closing, take out some filling and tease the remaining tufts apart. Spread them gently through the round body. Keep the limbs empty and leave enough softness for the opening to meet without strain.

The final seam is pinched or shows filling

The adult can reopen the affected section, clear tufts from the edge and remove excess filling if necessary. Bring the cut edges together without folding and resew with even blanket stitches.

Keep your felt player match-ready

Pick the player up by supporting the body, and keep squeezes gentle. Do not pull on the cap, mitt, ball, limbs or clothing details. Store it somewhere clean and dry, away from pets and children who may mouth it.

Test a barely damp cloth on an inconspicuous patch before dabbing a mark. Follow the care guidance for your felt, threads and filling; do not assume the finished combination is machine-washable. Let it dry thoroughly before storage.

An adult should check the seams, fixed ball, mitt attachment and decorative details regularly. Stop use if thread loosens, felt tears or filling appears. Keep the patterns and a few matching scraps for adult repairs.