How to Assemble An In-the-Hoop Bobblin Stuffie

The bobblins are becoming 3D! Learn how to make your own in-the-hoop stuffed bobblin, then make multiple bobblins to keep you company while you work in your sewing room. Project instructions below will walk you through the process.

When you download the in-the-hoop bobblin stuffie design, you will find multiple files. Some are the embroidery files, and the 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 embroidery software. If you do not have embroidery software, take a look at our helpful video on using dielines without software. 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, learn more about affiliate links here)

Spray the backside of the printed dieline pieces with temporary adhesive, and smooth them onto the right side of the fabric.

The square dielines should be adhered to the body fabric and the small pieces to the felt ear fabric.

Cut the dieline shapes out of the fabric and remove the paper.

Hoop a piece of tear-away stabilizer firmly. Make sure it is nice and taut with no wrinkles.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the embroidery "a" file (not the dieline files) for the back side of the stuffie first.

Use a 75/11 sharp sewing needle instead of an embroidery needle. The sharp sewing needle has a finer point, and it will make smaller perforations in the stabilizer.

Embroider the design. The first thing to embroider will be the dieline (or outline stitch) for the front fabric piece. This marks the area on the stabilizer where the fabric piece will be placed.

After the dieline has sewn, remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer.

Spray the wrong side of the back fabric piece with temporary adhesive.

Smooth the back fabric piece onto the stabilizer inside of the sewn dieline.

To prevent the embroidery from sinking into the fluffy fabric, cut out a piece of light weight water-soluble stabilizer that is larger than the design (we used Sulky Solvy).

Lay it over the front fabric piece and tape the edges down onto the hoop or stabilizer around the design.

Place the hoop back onto the machine and embroider the tackdown for the front fabric piece. The tackdown will hold the fabric piece in place for the remainder of the design. The outer line will then stitch that will be the cut line to reference later on in the design.

Then embroider the inner details of the design onto the back piece. 

Once all the inner details are done embroidering, remove the hoop from the machine and unhoop the stabilizer. Carefully remove as much of the water-soluble stabilizer from the front side as possible. For Sulky Solvy water soluble stabilizer, it is quite easy to gently tear it off the design.

Then, gently remove as much tearaway stabilizer from the back side of the fabric as you can.

Set the back side of the stuffie to the side for now and hoop another piece of tear-away stabilizer firmly. Make sure it is nice and taut with no wrinkles.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load the front embroidery file (not the dieline files). Follow the same steps to stitch the dieline, place the front piece of fabric, and add the water soluble stabilizer to the top of the design. In this design file when the "tackdown" step sews out there will be "guidelines" that also stitch out along with the "cut line", these will help with placement for the stiff felt pieces later.

Once all the inner details are done embroidering, remove the hoop from the machine, but do not unhoop the stabilizer.

Carefully remove as much of the water-soluble stabilizer as you can.

The felt ears will need to be placed facing inwards, so they end up correctly in place when the whole design is turned right side out.

Place them so they slightly overlap the outer edge of the front piece, so the final seam can sew over them, and hold them in place. Use masking or painters tape to ensure that the pieces stay.

Next, spray the right side of the back fabric piece, stitched earlier, with temporary adhesive.

Smooth the back fabric place on top of the front piece with right sides together. Make sure to line up the edges of the two fabric pieces carefully on the front of the hoop.

For added stability to ensure the pieces stay in place, a piece of water soluble stabilizer can be added on top prior to the tackdown stitch.

Place the hoop back onto the machine and embroider the back piece tackdown. This will adhere the front and back pieces together. It will also leave a small opening along the edge for turning. After the embroidering is done, tear away the excess tearaway stabilizer from around the piece and the water soluble stabilizer from the front of the piece. If desired, rip off any large areas of tearaway stabilizer from the wrong side of the front piece where it is not sewn under the embroidery. Removing this extra stabilizer will help the shape turn and stuff nicely.

Cut along the cut line stitched slightly farther out from the tackdown around the shape of the bobblin, leaving some seam allowance. 

To help the shape of the design look nice once turned, also clip the seams around any curved or pointed edges in the design.

Then turn the design right side out through the small opening.

Also remove all the tape remaining that was holding down the felt ear pieces.

Fill the bobblin with stuffing (such as polyester fiberfill) through the opening left along the edges of the design.

Finally, use a hand sewing needle and thread to sew the opening closed.

Your stuffed in-the-hoop bobblin is now complete! Be careful not to leave him unsupervised, otherwise he may cause mischief in your sewing room.