Echidna (Spiny Anteater)

As it is made for a car wash mitt, this could either be a plaything or wash mitt for the tub. This creation was inspired by the hedgehog over at Darling Petunia http://darlingpetunia.blogspot.com/2009/05/introducing-eftim-and-eamon.html and the book "Jungle Jack's The Wackiest, Wildest, Weirdest Animals on the Planet". I adapted it to be an Echidna, which is one of only two mammals to lay eggs. Items used for this project:

• 1 Car Wash Mitt Glove (for the Dollar Three - $1)
• Fabric paing (white, black, and blue)
• 1 piece blue felt
• Polyfil or batting (to stuff the body)
• Needle and thread
• Scissors
• Sewing machine (optional)

Start with a Car Wash Mitt

Cut the elastic cuff off the bottom and most of thumb.

Turn inside out and stitch across the bottom (leave the thumb opening open)

Turn right side out, then stuff with fiberfill or batting to fill up the lower edges and belly, but just lightly stuff the head, through the thumb opening then stitch the opening shut. Also take in a bit on the other side and stitch it together so that both sides are basically the same diagional shape.

Use the fabric paints to paint on the eyes and nose. For the nose I used two black dots and for the eyes started with white, allowed it to dry, then a bit of blue in the center and allowed it to dry, then a dab of black for the pupil of each eye.

For the claws, I referred to the following coloring page and cut out squares of blue felt into similar shapes:http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/echidna/Echidnaprintout.shtml

I then used a needle and thread and stitched the felt to the body. As the creature only had a 4 inch tail and the shape is sort of like a pear shaped diamond and comes to a point at the bottom, that will suffice as the tail. This is what it looks like from the back (and what the one at our local zoo looked like every time we went as it is very skittish). As they curl up into a ball when they are scared, his feet can tuck underneath him.

As his head is only lighly stuffed, his head can be tucked underneath also.