Pocket Week - What if a Frog had a Pocket?

Didn’t you just love Staci’s post? I can’t wait to make myself a great passport wallet like hers!

And, have you checked out Sweetabee’s Etsy shop? She’s today’s Pocket Week Sponsor, and I get to give away TWO of her wonderful mirrors at midnight tonight to followers of this blog. What are you waiting for? Go over to the sidebar and become a follower! : )

When I was creating my ideas for Pocket Week, I knew I wanted to do a softie. When I think of Animals and Pockets, I think of Kangaroos. But, making a Kangaroo was going to be a complex process (especially for someone {like me} with limited softie-making experience). This saying started going through my head… “If a frog had a pocket…” My brother had a teacher who, when asked one two many “what ifs” by his students, would say, “What if a frog had a pocket… he could pack a pistol to shoot snakes with!” I know, crazy, huh? I’ve never heard it from anyone else before or since, but I still remember this strange little saying!

These little frogs aren’t packing any pistols… but they could carry any number of cute little things! To make yours…

Start by downloading the patterns:

Frog Top

Frog Belly

Cut your pieces – one top, one bottom, one pocket (cut on the fold). If you’re making multiple frogs, you can stack several layers of fabric, and cut out a couple tops and a couple bottoms, a couple pockets – all at the same time. My pictures in this tutorial will swap colors every now and then – because I was working on a couple of these guys at the same time.

You can make your frog with a big pocket or small pocket, and the pockets can be on the belly (kangaroo style) or on the back (backpack style). Lots of options… because if a frog had a pocket… where would it go? How big would it be?

Sew the “head halves” together on the top piece, using a 1/8″ seam allowance (everywhere else you’ll be using a 1/4″ seam allowance).

Pin the pocket onto one piece… I pinned mine to the bottom piece, but it won’t really matter in the end.

Then pin the top onto the bottom, right sides together, sandwiching your pocket piece between the pieces.
I might have gone a little overboard on the pinning here… just a little. Maybe I was afraid he was going to hop away?

Stitch around all the edges, leaving a hole for turning and stuffing.

Clip the curves, then turn your frog right side out.

Stuff the bottom legs only. Use a chopstick to get the stuffing down there.

With sharp scissors, clip the pocket near the seams at the legs, then turn in the raw edge, and pin.

Top stitch the pocket down. Do the same with the other leg, then stuff the rest of the frog.

Stitch the hole closed.

Add buttons for eyes. You’ll want to play with this part, to see how tight you want your buttons sewn in, or if you want them to pop out more. You could also embroider cute features – eyes, mouth – on your frog, if you prefer.