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Sue & Fred Stuffies (In-the-Hoop)

Sue & Fred Stuffies (In-the-Hoop)

Sunbonnet Sue and Fisherman Fred get an adorable update with these sweet stuffies -- stitched entirely in the hoop! The classic quilting icons are fabulous gifts for your crafty friends, or display in your home to show off your sewing style.

Supplies & Materials:

Project Needs & Notes

- Small pieces of stiffened felt (for body; hats)
- Tear-away stabilizer
- Temporary spray adhesive (Gunold KK100)
- Polyester fiberfill
- 1/4" - 3/8" wide ribbon (for loop hanger)
- Masking tape
- Needle and thread for some hand sewing


The designs used in this tutorial include:

- X12253, Sunbonnet Sue (In-the-Hoop)

- X12255, Fisherman Fred (In-the-Hoop)

Gather Materials:

When you download the design, you will find multiple files. Some are embroidery files, and others are dieline files marked with the letters "DL". Dielines are used to cut the fabric to the correct shape and size. Open and print each dieline file using an embroidery software. If you do not have an embroidery software, take a look at our helpful video on using dielines.


We also recommend Wilcom's Hatch software which comes in different levels depending on what you'd like to use the software for. Hatch Organizer works well to view your designs, print dielines and templates, change design colors, and create basic design layouts. (This is an affiliate link. We may earn commission on purchases made with this link.)

Three sheets of printed sewing or embroidery patterns laid out on a wooden surface, each showing faint outlines of character shapes and technical information.

Spray the backside of the front piece dieline with temporary spray adhesive. Smooth it onto the felt.

A hand holds down a white paper with a faint pencil sketch of a mushroom on a piece of blue felt fabric, placed on a wooden surface.

Cut out the shape. Remove the paper.

Light blue fabric cut into a scalloped shape resembling a petal or a wing, next to a pair of silver metal scissors on a wooden surface.

Repeat this process for the other dieline pieces.

Three felt cutouts on a wooden surface include a large light blue silhouette of a character with a bonnet, a smaller light blue piece possibly for a wing or dress detail, and a pink piece shaped like a bonnet or hat.

Start Embroidering:

Now that the fabric pieces are cut to the proper shape and size, it's time to embroider the design.

Hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer.

Madeira E-Zee Tear 1.5 oz. or Floriani Tearaway Medium are good choices. Those brands are more fibrous, less paper-like, and will tear more cleanly.

Embroidery hoop with white stabilizer fabric stretched inside, placed on a wooden surface, with a detached green plastic frame part nearby.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the full embroidery file (not the dieline files).

Use a size 11 or 75/11 sharp sewing needle, rather than an embroidery needle. A sharp sewing needle has a smaller, finer point than an embroidery needle, so that will make smaller perforations in the stabilizer.

Embroider the design. The first thing to embroider will be a dieline, or outline stitch. This marks the area on the stabilizer where we'll place the front fabric piece.

Close-up of a sewing machine stitching the outline of a fish shape on white fabric hooped in an embroidery frame with stabilizer underneath.

Spray the back of the front fabric piece with a quick shot of adhesive.


Remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer. Place the fabric right inside the sewn dieline.

Embroidery hoop with white fabric tightly stretched, holding a piece of light blue felt cut into a shape resembling a bell or mushroom, on a wooden surface.

Reattach the hoop back onto the machine and continue with the design.

A running stitch tackdown will sew next. This holds the front fabric in place for the remainder of the design.

Blue felt fabric in the shape of a cartoon character is secured in an embroidery machine hoop, with the machine actively stitching its outline.

The inside elements will sew next.

On the color change sheet, look for the note that says "hat dieline."

When you get to this section, stop the machine and remove the hoop from the machine. Do not unhoop the stabilizer.

Close-up of a blue fabric gnome applique being stitched by a sewing machine on a white hoop, with details like a pink hat, brown shoes, and blue tassels visible.

Spray the backside of the hat fabric piece with temporary adhesive and place it inside the dieline.

Hand with a ring on ring finger holding a pink felt piece above a partially finished blue, gold, brown, and pink felt embroidered angel figure inside an embroidery hoop on a wooden surface.

Attach the hoop back onto the machine and continue with the design. A running stitch tack down will sew next.

Embroidery machine stitching a colorful felt design of a girl in a blue dress with pink hair, yellow hand, and brown shoes, on white fabric hooped in a frame.

Then, the inside elements of the hat will sew.
On the color change sheet, look for the note that says "hat finishing seam."


When you get to this section, stop the machine and remove the hoop from the machine but do not unhoop the stabilizer.

Close-up of an embroidery machine stitching a colorful design on white fabric. The design shows a blue dress with red, beige, and brown details and a separate pink piece with wavy blue lines. The fabric is secured in a hoop under the machine needle.

If you would like to add a ribbon hanger, cut a piece of ribbon to about 8" long.
Form the ribbon into a loop and tape it in place.


Light blue felt cutout shaped like an angel with a peach ribbon loop taped to the top, resting on a wooden surface next to a hand with a silver ring.

Turn the hoop over and spray just the edges of the backside of the back fabric piece with temporary adhesive.

Place the back piece right inside the shape on the backside of the embroidery.

If you've added a ribbon hanger, secure the ribbon loop in place onto the stabilizer with a piece of tape to prevent the loop from being sewn over later on.

Embroidery hoop with blue felt cutout of a cat shape secured on stabilizer fabric, placed on a wooden surface. Ribbon loop attached on left side.

Both sides of the stuffie will be seen. For the remaining steps, wind a bobbin with the same thread used in the needle.

Close-up of a hand holding a small red sewing machine bobbin near a white sewing machine on a light surface. The bobbin is empty.

Attach the hoop back onto the machine and continue with the design.

A running stitch tack down will sew around the outer edge of the hat. This binds all the layers together.

Embroidery machine stitching a colorful mitten applique with blue, pink, red, yellow, and brown thread on white fabric hooped in an embroidery frame.

On the color change sheet, look for the note that says "finishing seams."

When you get to this section, wind a bobbin with the same thread that is used in the top thread for last color.

Continue embroidering the design. Another finishing seam will sew around the body and foot. This also binds all the layers together.

Embroidery machine stitching a colorful felt figure of a person with a red head, blue dress with red details, brown shoes, and pink wings on a white fabric hoop.

Remove the hoop from the machine.

Unhoop the stabilizer, and carefully tear it away. The dieline will be removed along with the stabilizer.

Hand holds a small fabric ornament shaped like a blue dress with embroidery, a pink heart, and a stitched flower; beige ribbon attached for hanging.

Fill the stuffie with polyester fiberfill through the opening at the bottom.

Hand holding blue embroidered fabric Christmas tree ornament with a pink bow and brown trunk, white stuffing partially pulled out, on wooden surface.

Hand-stitch the opening closed. Sew along the original tackdown seam.

Hand holding a needle threading blue thread through a small stuffed angel ornament with pink wings, blue dress, yellow hands, and brown feet on a wooden surface.

These quilting and embroidery illustrations come to life in these in-the-hoop stuffies.

Hang them in a window, from a light fixture, or make ones for everyone in your crafty group!

Soft felt ornament shaped like a stylized person with a pink bonnet, blue dress with red and blue embroidery, and brown shoes, hanging by a peach ribbon.