Stuffies are fun and adorable projects to create, with 95% of the work being done in your embroidery hoop! Here’s a general step list for creating an ITH stuffed project. Keep in mind that detail steps vary based on the particular design you’re using. Steps may also vary by digitizer; this is how I order my designs at designsbylittlebee.etsy.com.
*~* Big thanks to my friend Shea from Thread Heads (www.facebook.com/ThreadHeads1) for taking these photos for me.
1. Hoop a medium to heavy weight stabilizer. I like to use tearaway.
2. Run the first step, which will be a placement for the stuffie.
3. Place your fabric for the FRONT of your stuffie to cover the placement stitches, as if you were doing an applique. Run the tackdown over the fabric.
4. Now you will stitch all of the design elements for your particular design – eyes, applique details, bean stitches, whatever. Below is Shea’s progress on my heart eyes emoji stuffie.
5. The final step of your stuffie will be a finishing bean stitch. When you get to that last step, place the fabric for the BACK of your stuffie on TOP of your design. You will be turning the project INSIDE OUT, so make sure to place your fabric RIGHT SIDE DOWN (right sides together).
*~* NOTE: If you have a design element like a ribbon, like my camera stuffie has, you want to stitch those objects INTO your design. That is, they will be sealed up inside your project in your hoop. When you turn your project inside out, everything will pop out, like a Popple doll. (Remember those?) Any elements that should be “popping” out of your stuffie should be taped or pinned down INSIDE the design before you stitch the final step, so they will POP out when you turn it inside out.
Here is Shea’s final step, with the backing fabric face down and a final bean stitch. Notice there is a small gap in the stitching; this is what you will use to carefully turn your project inside out.
6. Take your project off your machine and unhoop. Carefully cut around the edge of your stuffie. I like to leave about ¾”-1” of fabric at the gap for turning inside out.
7. Turn the project inside out through the gap in the final stitch. For projects with corners, this is where a chopstick, pencil, or stylus come in handy for pushing out those edges!Some people tear off the stabilizer before turning; some do not. For me, it depends on the design – how stiff I want/need the front to be.
8. Stuff your project with the filler of your choice.
9. Gently push the fabric at the hole inside your stuffie and hand-sew a whip stitch to close it up (there are lots of tutorials on stitches online; the point of this step is to seal up the hole, without a visible seam showing. If you don’t care that a seam shows, feel free to slap this on your sewing machine and sew up the small hole.)
ALL DONE! Wasn’t that easy? Wasn’t that fun?
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