Stuffies (In-the-Hoop)

When you download a Stuffie design, you'll find two or three files. One file will begin with the letter "X" followed by 4 numbers -- that's the embroidery file. Any other files will be marked with "_DL" -- those are the dielines.

The dielines are used to cut the fabric for the shapes of the stuffie, and any arms, wings, stems, or other appendages.

If you have embroidery software, open the "_DL" (dieline) files and print them at full size. Trim around the design to make templates.

If you don't have embroidery software, then hoop a piece of paper.

Embroider the "_DL" files onto the piece of paper.

Then cut the shapes from the paper. These will be your templates to use to prepare the fabric.

Next, give the back side of the templates a quick shot of spray adhesive.

Smooth them onto the felt and cut around the shape.

Cut out two pieces of felt for  the main shape (one piece for the front, one piece for the back). Use craft felt for the main portion of your stuffie.

Use the stiffened felt for the appendages (stem, legs, hat, etc.). Stiffened felt helps parts like stems, hats and ears of the stuffies stand up and keep a better shape.

Now we're ready to start embroidering the design. Hoop a piece of medium weight tear-away stabilizer.

Attach the hoop to the machine. Load the embroidery file -- the file that begins with the letter "X" followed by 4 numbers. This is the full embroidery design. This file includes a dieline which will sew first. In this example, the dieline traces the shape of the pumpkin.

Spray the edges of the back side of the pumpkin face piece with spray adhesive and.

...place it right inside the dieline.

Now continue embroidering. A tack down stitch will sew next. This stitch holds the felt in place so that when the face sews, the felt does not shift around.

The face will sew next.

After the face has finished sewing, stop the machine. Spray the wrong side of the felt for the stuffie's back side with adhesive.

Then, spray a bit of adhesive on the extra appendages -- in this example, we're spraying a bit of adhesive on the bottom edge of the stem (right side).

Lay the felt appendages onto the embroidery. We're going to stitch these and turn them inside out, so lay the felt so that the wrong side is facing up, the right side should be facing the embroidery, and the appendages are pointed inside.

This applies to all of the stuffie designs, whether you're working with the Halloween or Easter designs.

Align each appendage so that 1/4 inch of the bottom edge lies past the tack-down stitch. 

Make sure that the appendages overlap the tack-down stitch, and that everything is tucked over the embroidery so that nothing gets sewn that isn't supposed to. In this example to the left, we've taped the bats wings in so that the next stitch won't catch the felt.

Next, align the back piece, right side down, on top of the front piece.

Continue embroidering the design. The next -- and last -- thing that will sew is the "finishing" seam stitch. These stitches will sew all of the pieces together. 

When the finishing seam has finished, unhoop the stuffie and gently tear away the excess stabilizer.

If your stuffie has corners, like this robot, cut a slit in the seam allowance at the corner being careful to not cut the seam. You do not have to cut rounded corners.

Turn the Stuffie right side out.

Fill the Stuffie with polyester fiberfill.

Before closing up the stuffie, you can add pipe cleaner embellishments - like the antenna for this robot! Cut a small piece of pipe cleaner and bend one end into a loop using pliers. Fold the back side of the opening in and add a couple of drops of hot glue or fabric glue. Press the straight end of the antenna in place on top of the glue.

Hand sew the opening by folding in the felt and sewing it shut. 

You can also add more fun embellishments like this pompom. Sew or glue the pompom to the stuffie. 

Let your imagination run wild and make your stuffie unique!