Spirit Squirrel Plush Sewing Pattern

spirit squirrel
plush
a sewing pattern by
in
conjunction
with: Armorbelle
spirit squirrel plush 2 sewing tutorial
spirit squirrel plush

Calling all magical girls! This sweet little
enchanted friend is here to grant you special
makes:
powers and help in your quest! Based on the One plush: 7" tall, 3" wide, and 4" long
Japanese dwarf flying squirrel, it features a
round little head and body, big fluffy tail, tiny
paws and feet, and an adorable accent jewel to skills used:
ward off evil!
• Fusible web applique
• Basting
difficulty: • Darts
• Sewing small pieces
• Gathering stitch, gathering
This plush has lots of tiny pieces and the faux • Ladder stitch
fur tail is a little tricky. But the hardest part is • Sewing curves
likely attaching the head, so take your time and • Sewing with faux fur
look at it from all angles as you go.
sew desu ne? Armborbelle

| www.cholyknight.com | | www.armorbelle.com |
// ©2017 Choly Knight & Armorbelle// Items made using this pattern may be sold. Credit to “Choly Knight” or “Sew Desu Ne?” is appreciated.
You may not reproduce, share, freely distribute, or sell this pattern as your own in digital or printed form.
materials & tools:

• ¼ yd. of fabric for main body
• 1/8 yd. of accent fabric for belly & inner ears
• 6" x 6" piece of faux fur for tail
• 3” x 3" piece of black applique fabric (felt, cotton,
etc.) for eyes and nose
• 1" x 1" piece of white applique fabric for eye shines
• 3" x 3" piece of accent applique fabric for eyebrows
• 5” x 5” piece of light or heavy duty fusible web
• 1" rhinestone jewel for forehead
• hot glue or heavy duty glue
• sewing thread to match main fabric and applique
fabrics
• poly-fil stuffing
• basic sewing tools (sewing machine, scissors, iron,
needles, pins, fabric marker, seam ripper)
suggested fabrics:
Plush, stretchy fabrics such as fleece or minky
faux fur are suggested. The variations of fleece and minky
mentioned to the left would work well, but really
any plushy fabric with a bit of stretch on the cross-
minky wise grain would be well-suited.
Stretch fabrics like fleece or minky will create
a more squat, round shape when stuffed.
Non-stretchy fabrics, like felt or cotton, won’t
cuddle fleece stretch when stuffed so the resulting plush will look
elongated as shown.
micro fleece minky vs. felt
anti-pill fleece
fleece

printing the pattern:

To print the pattern, set your computer to print pages 17-19. If you’re unfamiliar with printing
and assembling a .pdf pattern, read the steps below.
At the print dialog box, check the box that says

print at “Actual Size” or 100%. Any other selection
(such as “Fit to page”) will distort the pattern so it’s
slightly larger or smaller and we don’t want that.
1
Print the pages needed for the file. You might have
one or more. Either way, be sure you have the
full collection by noting the page numbers in the
corner.
2
You can trace the patterns onto a different paper,
or you can also just cut them straight from the
printer paper. They might be a little hard to pin
through, so you might want to use your longest
pins. But you could also use pattern weights or
trace the outlines onto the fabric with a washable
marker and cut them out from there.

cutting the fabric:
1 2 3 4
Place pattern on the fabric, Pin the pattern in place, use Using the paper as a For all fur fabrics, shake the
and make sure the stretch pattern weights, or trace the template, cut out the fabric. excess fuzz away.
line matches the stretch outline of the pattern with a Cut the required amount
of the fabric. The nap line washable marker. according to the pattern.
should go in the direction of
the fur.
cutting layout:
STRE TCH
main body fabric
¼ yd; 9" long

G G
A C C
NAP
I D D
H H H H B B
30” wide
accent fabric ST RETCH faux fur

6" long
1/8 yd.
B
F
NAP
E E
NAP
12” wide
6” wide
before you begin:

• Briefly read the project instructions so you know what to expect.
• If desired, mark the cut fabric pieces with the markings and symbols from the pattern. Or wait
until the applicable step before transferring.
• Note that the seam allowance used is ¼” throughout the project.

trace onto fuse onto hold applique

paper side applique fabric while pulling
paper away
1 . prepare the face applique

• Take your fusible web and trace all your applique pieces onto the smooth (paper) side. You should
have 2 eyes, 1 nose, 2 eye shines, and 2 eyebrows.
• Fuse the bumpy (adhesive) side onto the wrong side of your applique fabric. The eyes and nose go on
black, the eye shines on white, and the eyebrows on the accent color (white used here).
• Cut out the eye pieces and arrange them on the head front (A) piece. Set your paper pattern on top
of the fabric piece (right sides up), align the eye piece on top where the placement markings are, then
carefully pull the paper pattern away while holding the applique piece in place.
right side of zigzag

fuse eyes add eye shines, nose, lands just outside
first and eyebrows next applique shape
2. fuse the applique

• Fuse the eye pieces in place with your iron (use a press cloth -- such as a scrap piece of cotton -- if
you’re using a polyester or fur fabric like minky).
• Next, move onto the smaller eye shine, nose, and eyebrow pieces. Fuse them much the same way as
you did the eyes, using the paper pattern and photos as a guide.
• If you used heavy duty fusible web, you can keep the pieces fused without sewing, or you can sew
them in place a number of ways. I’ve used a zigzag stitch here.
→→ Refer to the next step for some other applique options.

4
2
straight stitch; applique 3
great for felt whipstitch 1
2a. other applique options

Other good options for applique include a straight stitch, which involves sewing around the edge of the
applique pieces with a straight stitch using matching thread -- about 1/8” in from the edge.
You can also applique by hand; I prefer a whipstitch. Thread a hand-sewing needle with some matching
thread and knot it. Bring the thread up from the back of the project; about 1/8” in from the edge of the
applique shape. Bring it down perpendicular from the curve, just outside of the applique shape. This
completes one stitch.
For the next stitch, bring the needle back up about 1/8” away from the previous stitch and 1/8” in from
the edge just as in the first stitch. Once again, bring it down just outside the applique shape. Continue
this way until you’ve sewn around the shape.
blend
seam into
fold
fold along point

of dart
3. sew the darts

• Locate the open wedge found at the top and bottom of the head front piece darts:
A wedge-shaped gap
-- these are the darts. To sew it, start by folding the front piece in half along found in a pattern. When
the point of the dart and match up the slanted lines that make the wedge sewn in fabric, it creates a tuck
shape. in the fabric and develops a 3D
shape. The diagonal sides of
• Sew the dart by starting at the opening and moving down to the point. When the wedge are the legs; these
sewing the point, try to blend the seam in with the fold so it makes a smooth are matched up and sewn
transition and a rounder finished plush. Repeat with the dart on the bottom. to the point of the dart.
• Once complete, the dart should blend nicely into the rest of the plush.

match up main
fabric to inner
ear fabric leave open turn right
for turning side out
4. sew the ears

• Grab your ear pieces (B). Take two of them; one in accent fabric and one in the main fabric. Align
them with right sides facing and raw edges matching up.
• Sew them together along the long curved edge. Leave the short straight edge free for turning right
side out.
• Repeat with the remaining two ear pieces for two complete ears total.
fold points to
ears are center
fold with inner mirrored pair
ear fabrics facing
5. baste the ears

• Refer to the ear paper pattern to find the fold line for the ears. Use this as a
guide to fold the ear with inner fabrics facing. Pin the ear together. basting:
A form of temporary
• Baste the ear along the bottom edge to hold the fold in place. Repeat with sewing meant to hold pieces
the remaining ear so you have a mirrored pair. in place. A long stitch length is
If you haven't already, locate the ear placement lines found on the head often used for this reason. The
finished result is not meant
front paper pattern. Transfer them over to the right side of the fabric. to be seen and sometimes
Place the open end of the ear within these placement lines. Be sure that the is even removed later
fold is pointing toward the middle of the front. Pin the ears in place. (depending on your
project).
• Baste the ears to the front within the seam allowances to hold them in
place for future steps.

leave match up darts with seam

opening for
turning
6. sew the head back

• Grab your two head back pieces (D). Align them together with right sides facing and edges matching
up.
• If you haven't already, locate the opening for turning markings found on the paper pattern. Transfer
them over to the wrong side of the fabric. Sew along this edge of the head back pieces only, but be
sure to leave the opening for turning that you marked.
• Open up your head back piece and grab the head front piece you have so far. Align them with right
sides facing. Be sure the top of the back pieces (marked with a circle symbol) are aligned with the top
of the front piece. The back seam should also match up with the top and bottom dart on the front.
stuff nose &

face first
7. sew the head front to the back

• Sew around the perimeter of the head completely.
• Turn the head right side out through the opening you left in the back.
• Stuff the head firmly with stuffing, pushing the stuffing towards the nose until it gets completely full,
then focus on the face area until it fills out. Finally work on the sides and center until they're full.

bring needle out

from inside opening ladder stitch
closed
2 1
4
3 seam allowance
(folded inside)
8. close up the plush

• Once the plush is stuffed, make sure the seam allowances in the opening are tucked inside and
prepare to ladder stitch it closed.
Thread a hand-sewing needle and knot it at the end. Insert the needle from the inside of the opening
and out of the plush near one edge of the opening. This will leave the knot inside the plush.
• Take a 1/8” stitch into the fold of one side of the opening, then go across and take another. Keep going
down the opening until you reach the end.
bring needle
out 1-2" away hold thread taut
while clipping
9. cut the threads

• When you’re finished, stitch a knot into the end of the seam. Then
insert the needle near the finished knot and out of the plush about
1-2” away.
• Pull the thread through and hold it taut while snipping the thread.
The excess thread should sink back inside the plush -- all hidden!

10. sew the body back

• Grab your two body back pieces (D). Align them both with right
sides facing and raw edges matching up.
• Sew the back pieces together along one of the longer curved
edges. Set aside while we work on the tail.
tuck fur
inside tail
leave
open for
turning
11. sew the tail

• Grab your two tail pieces (E). Align them both with right sides facing and raw edges matching up.
• If you are using faux fur with long hairs, try to push the fur inside so it doesn't peek out of the edge of
the tail. This is easier to do with longer fur. So if your fur is short, don't worry if it's not exactly right.
• Sew the tail pieces together around the long curved edge. Leave the short straight edge free to turn
the tail right side out later.

center along
back seam
12. attach the tail

• Turn the tail right side out through the opening you left.
• Open up the two body back pieces (D) you sewed earlier. Align the open end of the tail along the
bottom edge of the body back. It should be centered along the seam, against the longer edge.
• Baste the end of the tail to the body back to hold it in place for later steps. Set aside the body back
while we work on the front and sides.
align side arm

with front stitch along
use paper arm and side
pattern to trace
stitching lines
13. sew the body side to the front

• Grab your body side and front pieces (F & G). Take one of the side pieces and align it with the front
so the paw area matches up. The slightly curved edges above and below the paw should line up as
well (with a little bit of bending).
• To get the detailed little fingers for the paws, trim away the seam allowance from the paper pattern
and use it as a template to trace the stitching lines on the fabric.
• Sew the body side to the front along this edge with the arm and the sides above and below it.

repeat with trim between

other side fingers & at corners
turn right side out
14. trim and turn the body front

• Repeat step 13 with the remaining body side piece on the other side of the body front.
• Once both pieces are sewn, trim the excess seam allowance near the fingers to reduce bulk and
increase flexibility. Clip into the corners where the arm meets the side as well.
• Turn the body front right side out so the arms stick out. Poke out the fingers with a chopstick or
similar turning tool.
leave open
for turning
trim between
toes
15. sew the feet
• Grab all of your feet pieces (H). Take two of them and align them with right sides facing and raw
edges matching up. Repeat step 13 to trace the little toe lines from the paper pattern so your finished
feet have all those tiny details.
• Sew the feet together along the curved edge you traced. Leave the straight edge free for turning right
side out.
• Trim the excess seam allowance along the toes to reduce bulk and increase flexibility. Repeat with the
remaining two feet pieces for two complete feet total.

two toes on
front, one
toe on side baste within
seam allowance bottom edges
16. attach the feet match up
• Turn both feet right side out through the opening and poke out the toes with a chopstick.
Align the open end of the feet along the bottom edge of the body front (opposite the arms). Two
toes should overlap the front, with one toe on the side.
OR, you can transfer the foot placement lines from the paper pattern to get the placement just right.
• Baste the feet to the body within the seam allowance to hold them in place for later.
• Take your body back from before and align it over the body front, matching up the curved edges
on the sides. Be sure the bottoms are both pointing the same way (the bottom edge of the tail on the
back and the feet on the front).
match up
sew along bottom notches
sides only sew around
to body bottom
17. attach the bottom

• Sew the body back to the front along the curved sides. Leave the bottom and top edge free.
• Grab your bottom piece (I). If you haven't already, locate the front and back center notches located
on the paper pattern. Transfer them over to the wrong side of the fabric. The body front piece has a
center front notch as well.
Align the notch on the bottom with the center front of the body. Align the remaining notch on the
bottom with the center back seam on the body.
• Once everything is all aligned and pinned, sew the bottom to the body all the way around the circle.

turn right side out stuff arms lightly, stitch around

then fill up body opening of body
18. stuff the body

• Turn the body right side out through the opening in the top. gathering:
The process of shortening the
• Stuff each arm lightly with stuffing, then fill up the body until it length of a piece of fabric by sewing
takes shape. long stitches through it. When the
thread is pulled, it forms small folds that
• Thread a hand sewing needle with thread and knot the end. ruffle the fabric.
Sew a long gathering stitch around the opening of the body,
about ¼” away from the edge. gathering stitch:
A long version of the running stitch, which
is a stitch done by weaving the needle
in and out of a length of fabric going
along a line. The long stitches (about
¼”-½” long) gather the fabric
when pulled later.
line up side and
pull at thread back seams
to cinch closed
ladder stitch
19. attach the head 1½-2" from center
• Once finished, pull at the thread to gather the fabric and cinch up the opening in the body. Sew a few
knots at this opening to hold it closed. If you have a lot of thread left, consider leaving it attached for
adding to the head.
• Take your finished head from before and align it over the body. Match up the side seams from the
head and body as well as the back seams. The face should point in the same direction as the arms.
• Sew the head to the body with a ladder stitch, similar to back in step 8. Sew about 1½-2" away from
the center for a wider neck.

fold the arms stitch arms to

toward the center body front fold tail up
against back
20. secure the arms

• Take the arms and fold them against the front of the body.
• Thread a hand sewing needle and use a ladder stitch to sew the arms to the body front so they're held
in place.
• Take the tail and fold it up so it's flush against the back of the squirrel.
stitch tip of press rhinestone

tail in place to forehead
apply glue to
rhinestone
21. attach the head jewel

• Stitch the tip of the tail to the back of the head with a ladder stitch
(similar to the arms) so the tail stays propped against the back.
• Take your hot glue or heavy duty glue and apply some to the back of
your rhinestone. congrats!
• Adhere it to the center of your squirrel's forehead where desired. Use this completes
the seam from the top dart to help get it centered. Press for at least 30 your plush! Now
seconds then allow to dry (according to your manufacturer's instruc- give it a big
tions). hug!

PG. 1/3
¼” seam allowance
Cut 1 from main fabric
HEAD FRONT (A)
armorbelle.com
cholyknight.com &
P A T T E R N
Spirit Squirrel Plush STRETCH
placement
applique
NAP
ea
nt
eme
r pla
plac
cem
e
a r
nt
e
NAP
STRETCH
Spirit Squirrel Plush

P A T T E R N
cholyknight.com &
armorbelle.com
BODY FRONT (E)
Cut 1 from accent fabric
t foot p
cemen lacemen
foot pla t
NAP
TAIL (E)
STRETCH
Cut 2 from faux fur
P A T T E R N
armorbelle.com
cholyknight.com &

P A T T E R N
cholyknight.com &
STRETCH
armorbelle.com
BODY BACK (D)
NAP
NAP
H
ing
turn
for
FEET (H)
ning
ope
STRETCH
NAP ¼” seam allowance
P A T T E R N
armorbelle.com
HEAD BACK (C)
cholyknight.com &

PG. 2/3
PG. 3/3
BODY SIDE (G)

P A T T E R N
cholyknight.com &
armorbelle.com STRETCH
BOTTOM (I)
NAP
Cut 2 from accent fabric
EAR (B)
fold line
NAP
pla foo
cem t
ent
EYES
applique
trace & cut
1 each from black
EYE SPARKLE
applique
trace & cut
2 from white
NOSE
applique
trace & cut
EYEBROWS 1 from black
applique
trace & cut
1 each from accent color

Spirit Squirrel Plush Sewing Pattern

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Spirit Squirrel Plush Sewing Pattern

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spirit squirrel

spirit squirrel plush

sew desu ne? Armborbelle

materials & tools:

micro fleece minky vs. felt

sew desu ne? Armborbelle

printing the pattern:

At the print dialog box, check the box that says

sew desu ne? Armborbelle

cutting the fabric:

¼ yd; 9" long

accent fabric ST RETCH faux fur

before you begin:

sew desu ne? Armborbelle

trace onto fuse onto hold applique

1 . prepare the face applique

right side of zigzag

2. fuse the applique

sew desu ne? Armborbelle

2a. other applique options

fold along point

3. sew the darts

sew desu ne? Armborbelle

4. sew the ears

5. baste the ears

sew desu ne? Armborbelle

leave match up darts with seam

6. sew the head back

stuff nose &

7. sew the head front to the back

sew desu ne? Armborbelle

bring needle out

8. close up the plush

9. cut the threads

sew desu ne? Armborbelle

10. sew the body back

11. sew the tail

sew desu ne? Armborbelle

12. attach the tail

align side arm

13. sew the body side to the front

sew desu ne? Armborbelle

repeat with trim between

14. trim and turn the body front

sew desu ne? Armborbelle

17. attach the bottom

sew desu ne? Armborbelle

turn right side out stuff arms lightly, stitch around

18. stuff the body

sew desu ne? Armborbelle

fold the arms stitch arms to

20. secure the arms

stitch tip of press rhinestone

21. attach the head jewel

sew desu ne? Armborbelle

Spirit Squirrel Plush

Spirit Squirrel Plush

Spirit Squirrel Plush

BODY SIDE (G)

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