Bring a picture of your favorite animal and I will show you how to easily create a 3D huggable version. We will use string, muslin, and stuffing to soft sculpt the shapes you need to make your finished piece. Then we'll hand stitch fabric scraps to your new animal, making it the sweetest whimsical creature ever! Whatever your style, choosing fabric scraps to enhance the little creature’s features and markings is a delightful exercise in seeing and feeling 3D form.
Note -- Depending on the intricacy of your patchwork, and the size of your stitches, there is a chance you'll take your animal home unfinished, since so much hand stitching is required -- but if you work large and loose, you’ll get it done in one day.
Workshop bonus: The materials list is short and inexpensive (recession-friendly). You probably have this stuff already!