QUESBO CRAFTING TECHNIQUES · SQUISHIES & SLIME
Sew a little rainbow celebration: a soft donkey with tall ears, a smiling muzzle and layer upon layer of touchable felt fringe.
Meet Olly Piñata Squishy. This detailed sewing project turns the colourful Quesbo character into a small, three-dimensional textile companion, complete with four softly padded feet and a rainbow mane and tail. You will learn how to sew a gusset, catch flat attachment tabs in a seam, add neat felt appliqué and build beautifully overlapping fringe.
This is a fleece-and-felt, fibre-filled adaptation of Olly. Its satisfying squeeze comes from light dry filling and flexible layers, with an ordinary cushion-like rebound. It does not reproduce the slow recovery of commercial foam or gel squishies. The whole centre is sewn fabric and toy stuffing.
Gather a soft, colourful sewing kit
Choose short-pile purple fleece for Olly’s body, ears and feet, with thin, flexible felt for the colourful fringe. A felt strip should bend easily around your finger: stiff craft felt makes a much firmer surface. Lay your colours together before cutting, and use matching sewing thread wherever it will show.
- Purple fleece: approximately 60 × 70 cm. This provides the front, back, long side strip, four feet and two ears.
- Felt: one 30 × 20 cm sheet each of purple, pink, orange, yellow, green and blue. Add a 10 × 10 cm cream scrap for the muzzle and a 5 × 5 cm black scrap for the eyes.
- Filling: a 60–100 g bag of dry polyester toy stuffing. Prepare the bag, but use only the amount that gives your shell a comfortable, easily compressed feel.
- Thread: matching all-purpose sewing thread, plus white, purple and black embroidery thread for the small face details.
- Tools: paper, a ruler, a flexible tape measure, fabric scissors, small scissors, fabric clips, suitable hand-sewing needles and a fabric marker tested on an offcut. A blunt turning tool and a thimble are helpful.
How the three-dimensional body is built
Olly is an upright, front-facing donkey cushion. Two matching pear-shaped panels form the front and back. A continuous side strip, called a gusset, joins their edges and creates the body’s depth. Two feet enter the front bottom seam and two enter the back bottom seam. The ears enter the front top seam; they are separate pieces, not part of the body outline.
The body, gusset, feet and outer-ear templates already include a 6 mm seam allowance. Do not add another allowance. Felt appliqués are cut to their finished outline. All position measurements refer to the flat body’s 18 × 20 cm bounding box, with its top-left corner as the starting point.
| Piece | Cut or prepare |
|---|---|
| Pear-shaped body | 2 purple fleece panels, each 18 cm wide × 20 cm high, with a 12 cm flat bottom. |
| Side gusset | 1 purple fleece strip, 60.4 × 9 cm. Joining its short ends with a 6 mm seam creates the loop. |
| Four feet | 8 purple fleece pieces, each 4 × 6 cm, with a straight top and rounded bottom. |
| Two ears | 4 purple fleece outer ears, each 4 × 8.5 cm; 2 pink felt inner ears, each 1.6 × 5.5 cm. |
| Face | 1 cream felt muzzle, 5.5 × 3.8 cm; 2 black eyes, 1.5 cm diameter; 2 pink cheeks, 1.4 cm diameter. Embroider the nostrils, smile and eye highlights. |
| Tail | 1 purple felt rectangle, 4 × 7.5 cm. Its 1.5 cm uncut header holds five tassels together. Optional coloured overlays are five 5 mm × 5.5 cm strips. |
| Body fringe | Five rings of felt fringe, each 2.5 cm high. Measure the filled body for each ring’s length. Keep an 8 mm uncut header above the 1.7 cm fringe. |
| Mane | 6 felt strips, each 7 mm × 4.5 cm, in purple, pink, orange, yellow, green and blue. |
The pattern’s seam perimeter is approximately 59.16 cm. The gusset’s cut length adds 1.2 cm for its two short-end seam allowances. Match the printed registration marks rather than stretching the strip around the body. Expect a finished body around 17–18 cm wide, 19 cm high and 8–10 cm deep, with an overall height of roughly 29–31 cm including the ears and feet.
The templates have been digitally drafted and checked, but have not been physically prototyped. A plain-fabric trial shell is a useful way to practise the gusset before cutting special fabric. Photorealistic illustrations show the intended appearance; use the measured patterns and written instructions for construction.
Practise three useful stitches
Try each stitch on offcuts first. Work with about 40 cm of thread so it remains manageable, and keep your stitches snug without gathering the fabric. At the end, make two small securing stitches, pass the needle through the final loop and hide the thread end beneath nearby stitches before trimming.
- Backstitch: use small 2–3 mm stitches for structural seams. Bring the needle up ahead of the previous stitch, take it back into that stitch’s endpoint, then bring it up ahead again. This makes a continuous, strong line.
- Whipstitch: use small diagonal stitches over the edge of felt appliqués, catching the fleece underneath. Stitch the entire outline so corners and edges cannot lift.
- Ladder stitch: use this for the turning opening. Fold both raw edges inward, take alternating small stitches inside the two folds, then draw the thread gently until the folds meet.
For the small embroidered features, use two strands of embroidery thread and a needle that passes through the layers without force. Check the back of the work regularly for knots or loops.
Make Olly, one careful step at a time
STEP 01
Print and check the pattern
Print the A4 pattern at 100% or Actual Size, with “Fit to page” switched off. Measure the 50 mm scale check with a ruler before cutting any fabric. Assemble any marked paper joins as directed in the PDF. Keep the front, back and gusset marks clearly labelled; the turning opening belongs to the back seam only.
Check: the complete body outline is 18 cm wide and 20 cm high. Cut lines and sewing lines are different: you will sew 6 mm inside the cut edge.
STEP 02
Prepare the fabric gently
Find the fleece’s right side and note its pile direction. Keep that direction consistent on the front and back, and smooth the fabric without pulling it. Test your fabric marker on a scrap and follow its removal instructions. Arrange the long gusset before the smaller pieces so you preserve enough continuous fabric for its 60.4 cm length. Use clips or pattern weights to hold the paper steady.
Check: there are no hidden folds underneath. Avoid a hot iron on fleece; finger-smoothing is sufficient for these pieces.
STEP 03
Cut and sort the fabric pieces
Cut two pear-shaped body panels, one gusset strip, eight feet and four outer ears from the purple fleece. Cut the pink inner ears and the felt face pieces separately. Use smooth scissor strokes around each curve, keeping the blades perpendicular to the fabric. Label the body panels “front” and “back” on their wrong sides. Set aside the fringe sheets until the body is filled, because their final lengths will be measured around the actual shell.
Check: there are eight flat foot pieces to make four feet, and four outer-ear pieces to make two ears.
STEP 04
Transfer every guide before sewing
Mark the body’s top and bottom centres, registration notches, ear and foot positions, and the back turning-gap endpoints. Transfer the face centres and five fringe guide heights lightly onto the appropriate right sides. On the gusset, copy the seam, centre and quarter marks from the measured pattern. Use small marks rather than long dark lines, and never snip deeply into a seam allowance to create a notch.
Check: you can distinguish the front from the back and identify the full 6 cm opening on the upper-left back seam.
STEP 05
Arrange the smiling face
Lay the front right side up. Centre the cream muzzle 9 cm across and 9.4 cm down from the bounding box’s top-left corner. Place the eyes at 6.3 and 11.7 cm across, both 6.5 cm down. Place the cheeks at 4.3 and 13.7 cm across, both 9.1 cm down. The muzzle is a flat oval appliqué; it does not need separate stuffing. Step back from the table to judge the expression before stitching.
Check: the face is balanced, and its lowest edge ends at 11.3 cm, just above the pink fringe guide.
STEP 06
Sew the face and embroider the details
Whipstitch all the way around each eye, cheek and muzzle with matching thread. Add a small white embroidered highlight to each eye. On the muzzle, embroider purple nostril dots at 8 and 10 cm across, both 9 cm down. Sew the curved black smile along the printed guide. Keep stitches short and flat, and secure the thread ends on the back. Optional small eyebrows can add expression without extra pieces.
Check: no felt edge lifts when brushed lightly with a finger, and no long embroidery loop remains on either side.
STEP 07
Add the pink inner ears
Choose two purple outer-ear pieces as the fronts. Centre one pink inner ear on each, keeping its lower edge 1.5 cm above the outer ear’s straight base. Sew around the pink felt with small matching stitches. Keep the surrounding purple fabric flat and ensure the appliqué stays clear of the 6 mm outer seam. The two remaining purple pieces become the plain ear backs.
Check: both pink pieces sit at the same height and leave a visible purple border.
STEP 08
Sew and turn the two ears
Pair each decorated ear front with a plain back, right sides together. Sew 6 mm from the curved sides and rounded tip, leaving the straight base open. Make tiny clips in the curved seam allowance only where needed, stopping well before the stitching. Turn gently through the base with a blunt tool and smooth the edge with your fingers. Leave the ears unfilled so they remain soft.
Check: the lower 1 cm of each ear is flat, and the pink faces are visible on matching sides.
STEP 09
Sew four rounded feet
Pair the eight foot pieces right sides together. Sew around both sides and the rounded bottom of each pair with a 6 mm seam, leaving the straight top open. Reinforce the start and finish with a few backstitches. Turn each foot through its top opening, easing out the rounded end without forcing a point into the fabric. The symmetrical shape needs no separate sole.
Check: you have four feet of similar size, with intact seams around every rounded end.
STEP 10
Fill the feet and flatten their tabs
Add a small wisp of dry stuffing to each foot’s rounded end. Use your fingertips to spread it evenly, then stop while the foot still compresses easily. Keep the final 1 cm beneath the open raw top completely empty. Flatten that area and baste the two layers together about 3 mm from the raw edge. This flat attachment tab is what the body seam will hold.
Check: no stuffing enters a tab. The four feet should feel softly padded rather than tightly packed.
STEP 11
Make and attach the short rainbow tail
Cut the purple felt tail rectangle, 4 × 7.5 cm. Mark a 1.5 cm header across its top. From the lower edge, cut four 6 cm slits to form five connected 8 mm-wide tassels; stop at the header and round the tips. For rainbow detail, sew a 5 mm × 5.5 cm coloured strip down each tassel, keeping its ends below the header and above the tip. Centre the header on the back panel at 9 cm across, with its top 11.5 cm down. Sew two secure rows through the header.
Check: the tail remains one continuous felt piece. Lift it upward and hold it clear for assembly.
STEP 12
Baste the front feet and ears inward
Lay the decorated front right side up. Centre two foot tabs at 5.8 and 12.2 cm across its flat bottom edge. Align each raw tab top with the body’s raw edge, with the padded toes pointing inward towards the face. Position the ear tabs at the printed curved-top marks, centred at 6.5 and 11.5 cm across. Angle their tabs to follow that curve; their tips point inward and their pink faces touch the decorated front. Baste all four tabs within the 3 mm seam-allowance edge.
Check: the final 6 mm body seam will cross the full width of each tab.
STEP 13
Join the gusset into a loop
Bring the gusset’s short ends together, right sides facing, and sew a straight 6 mm seam. Open the seam allowances with your fingers. Mark this join as the bottom centre of the loop. Its top centre is halfway around, approximately 29.58 cm from the join; the quarter marks are approximately 14.79 and 44.37 cm along the loop’s seam line. The pattern labels these A at the bottom join, B at the first quarter, C at the top and D at the last quarter. Use the printed guides to confirm the positions.
Check: the strip forms a plain untwisted loop, with both long edges free and the right side consistently outside.
STEP 14
Sew the gusset to the front
Place one long gusset edge against the front panel, right sides together. Match the gusset join to the bottom centre and its opposite mark to the top centre, then match the remaining registration marks. Clip each section without stretching either layer. Sew the entire perimeter 6 mm from the raw edges. Keep the padded feet and ear tips inside and away from the needle; only their flat tabs should enter the seam. Reinforce across each tab along the same sewing line.
Check: the gusset fits evenly, with no pleat, twist or accidentally trapped ear tip.
STEP 15
Inspect the first seam before adding the back
Look along the entire sewn perimeter. At tight curves, make a few tiny clips in the seam allowance if the fabric will not relax, keeping the scissor tips clear of the stitches. Do not cut across an attachment tab or the reinforced stitching. Briefly ease the front right side out to inspect the ears and front feet, then return the shell inside out for the next seam.
Check: the ears face forward, the two front feet emerge below the body, and the gusset’s free edge remains unsewn.
STEP 16
Place the two back feet
Lay the back panel right side up, with the tail lifted away from its edges. Baste the remaining two foot tabs to the back’s flat bottom edge, centred at 5.8 and 12.2 cm across. Their rounded toes point inward while you work. Check that their orientation matches the front pair. These feet belong in the back-to-gusset seam, giving Olly two feet towards the front and two towards the back.
Check: all four feet are accounted for, and the back turning-gap marks remain unobstructed.
STEP 17
Close the back seam, leaving the marked gap
Bring the back and the gusset’s free edge together, right sides facing. Match bottom centre A, top centre C and the two quarter marks, checking that the tail lies inside the shell and stays clear of the sewing line. Seen from outside, B is on the front’s left but the back’s right; D is on the front’s right but the back’s left. Follow the labelled pattern rather than twisting the loop to make the views look identical. Clip around the perimeter. Sew 6 mm from the edge, starting at one upper-left back gap mark and stopping at the other. Backstitch at both ends of the 6 cm opening, and reinforce the two back foot tabs.
Check: only the marked back opening remains. The ears are caught in the front seam only, and no tail tassel is trapped.
STEP 18
Turn the complete shell
Remove every clip and temporary pin. Ease the shell through the back opening in small sections, supporting the fabric close to the gap. Do not pull on an ear, foot or tail. Smooth the seams with your fingers and release any fleece fibres caught in the stitching. Inspect all six main attachments while the body is still empty, and correct a missed tab or twisted seam now.
Check: the face is at the front, the tail is at the back, two ears point up and four feet hang underneath.
STEP 19
Fill for a comfortable squeeze
Tease the dry stuffing into small loose wisps. Feed them through the opening, placing some around the top and lower corners before filling the middle. Massage gently to distribute the fibres. Press the body between both palms several times as you work: it should give easily and recover with an ordinary plush, cushion-like rebound. Stop before the shell becomes taut. A rounded outline does not require hard packing.
Check: the opening’s edges meet without force, and the face and gusset seams are smooth rather than stretched.
STEP 20
Close the opening neatly
Tuck stray filling inside and fold the raw edges inward by 6 mm, continuing the existing seam line. Ladder stitch between the two folds with small alternating stitches. Draw the thread gently every few stitches so the edges meet without puckering. Continue slightly into the already closed seam, secure the thread and hide its end. Shape the body by softly redistributing the filling with your hands.
Check: no filling shows, the closure has no large loops, and the shell remains easy to compress.
STEP 21
Measure the five fringe rings
Use the transferred guides as approximate level lines on the filled body. From the original body top, the strip’s upper edges sit at 17.5 cm for blue, 16 cm for green, 14.5 cm for yellow, 13 cm for orange and 11.5 cm for pink. Measure around the body at each height with a flexible tape held gently against the surface. Record each circumference separately; the narrowing shape means they will differ. Add 1 cm for a back overlap to each length.
Check: the tape does not compress the body, and the top pink row stays below the muzzle.
STEP 22
Cut fringe with a strong uncut header
Cut 2.5 cm-high felt strips for each measured ring. Mark a line 8 mm below their top edges. From the lower edge, snip upwards at roughly 7 mm intervals, stopping at that line to leave a continuous header. Round the fringe tips if you like. Two 30 cm strips can provide a ring: overlap and sew their headers by 1 cm, then trim the assembled strip to its required length. Lift the free fringe away from each header join so it is not sewn into a stiff lump.
Check: every cut stops before the header; the fringe remains one connected strip.
STEP 23
Sew on the lowest blue row
Wrap the blue strip at the lowest guide with its fringe pointing down. Let it follow the body’s shape without pulling tight; the ends overlap at the back. Hand-sew about 3 mm below the header’s top edge with small backstitches, taking shallow bites into the outer fleece only. Work in short thread lengths and move your supporting hand away from the needle’s path. Keep the feet free and avoid catching fringe tips in the stitching.
Check: the blue ring sits level, its header is secure and the body still compresses easily.
STEP 24
Layer green, yellow, orange and pink upwards
Add the green ring with its top edge 1.5 cm above the blue header, then repeat for yellow, orange and pink. Each new row overlaps the row below by 1 cm, covering its header while leaving the coloured fringe visible. Stagger the small joins around the back to avoid a stack of thick felt. Lift the tail while sewing beneath it, then let it fall over the completed rows. Keep the pink fringe clear of the muzzle and cheeks.
Check: the order from bottom to top is blue, green, yellow, orange, pink, and each row is individually attached.
STEP 25
Add the soft mane and optional head fringe
Round the lower ends of six 7 mm × 4.5 cm felt mane strips. Fan them gently between the ears and sew the top 1.2 cm of each securely with two short rows of stitches. Their approximately 3.3 cm free ends should fall above the eyes. For extra piñata texture, add short purple fringe sections around the back and outer sides of the head, using the same uncut-header method. Leave the central face region completely clear.
Check: both eyes, cheeks and the entire muzzle remain visible; every mane strip is individually secured.
STEP 26
Inspect, gently squeeze and arrange Olly
Count your needles and tools, remove any remaining clips, and inspect every seam, felt edge and attachment. Support the body in both hands and press gently, releasing without tugging the fringe. Repair loose thread or lifted headers before further handling. Smooth the fringe down, arrange the ears and lay the tail over the back rows. For display, use a cushion or other stable support if needed; four soft feet do not guarantee that Olly will stand alone.
Finished: a colourful, softly stuffed donkey with a smiling face, flexible fringe and your own handmade character.
Three beautiful ways to colour your Olly
Use the same pattern and sewing order for each version. Keep a clear contrast between the muzzle, eyes and head, and choose fringe felts of similar thickness so one row does not dominate the others.
Original rainbow fiesta
Rich purple fleece frames the cream muzzle and pink cheeks. Build the fringe from blue at the bottom through green, yellow and orange to pink at the top. Repeat these bright colours in the little mane and tail for the cheerful look of the reference design.
Soft pastel celebration
Choose lilac fleece and a gentle collection of pastel blue, mint, pale yellow, peach and blush felt. Keep the eyes dark and the muzzle cream so the expression remains clear. Pale matching thread gives the layered fringe a particularly delicate finish.
Turquoise and sunshine
Try a turquoise body with blue, teal, mint, saffron and coral fringe, working from the bottom upwards. Carry the same shades into the mane and tail. The warm coral and yellow accents give the cool body a bright, lively contrast.
Before committing to a palette, stack five short felt samples in the intended order. View them beside the fleece in natural light and photograph the combination. This makes it easier to spot two neighbouring colours that blend together too closely.
Small adjustments that improve the finish
| What you notice | What to try |
|---|---|
| The gusset seems too long or too short | Check the print scale, the 6 mm seam and the registration marks. Compare seam lines, not cut-edge lengths. Reposition clips and ease the layers gently; do not stretch one piece to force a fit. |
| The body feels hard | Remove some filling before closing the gap. Tease the remainder into loose wisps. A tightly filled shell cannot gain softness from extra fringe. |
| A foot points sideways or an ear faces backwards | Correct the attachment before filling. Open the short affected seam section, reposition the tab and resew securely. Stuffing will not correct a twisted tab. |
| A fringe row forms a tight belt | Unpick that header, remeasure the relaxed body and add length if needed. The felt should rest on the surface without squeezing the filling. |
| The fringe looks bulky at the back | Stagger the header joins and keep only the header layers stitched together. Separate any fringe tips caught in a join. |
| The top row hides part of the smile | Reposition the pink ring a little lower before securing it. Preserve a clear gap beneath the muzzle, even if the overlap with orange becomes slightly greater. |
| The tail disappears into the rows | Lift the free tassels over the fringe. Only the tail’s sewn header should be hidden beneath the top pink row. |
| Olly leans during display | Redistribute the filling gently and arrange all four feet. Use a stable backing support instead of adding heavy weights or hard inserts. |
Care for your handmade piñata friend
Enjoy Olly with gentle presses through the body, keeping your hands around the main shell. Avoid pulling the ears, tail, mane, feet or fringe. This is a decorative piñata-inspired craft: do not fill it with sweets, suspend it for striking or use it as a break-open party piñata.
Inspect the seams and attachments regularly. If a stitch breaks, a header lifts or filling becomes visible, stop handling the character and repair it. Keep the finished craft and any loose components away from babies, children under three and pets. Adult-supported crafting does not make the result a safety-tested toy.
For routine cleaning, follow the most restrictive care guidance supplied with your fleece, felt, thread and filling. Test a hidden area first, then spot clean gently with a barely damp cloth and allow it to dry completely. Avoid soaking, vigorous rubbing, tumble drying and direct heat; felt colours and hand-sewn layers may react differently from the filling alone.
The satisfying texture comes from flexible fabric, light filling and soft, individually secured fringe. Keeping those layers relaxed is the best way to preserve Olly’s comfortable cushion-like squeeze.
Further sewing guidance
For general technique support, see BERNINA’s tips for sewing fleece, the Sewing & Craft Alliance hand-stitch guide and Fairfield’s filling and care FAQs. The Olly design, measurements and assembly sequence above are Quesbo’s original craft adaptation.
