keeping it all together in stitches

The basic types of skirts in Chinese Hanfu: ↑Po Qun破裙, also known as Jiaoyu Qun交窬裙, was one of the primary skirt styles worn by women in historical China. Its distinctive feature is that it is sewn together from multiple trapezoidal fabric panels, creating a unique patchwork effect. This style dates back to the Warring States period, with the earliest known example being a plain silk skirt unearthed from a Chu tomb at Mashan in Jiangling. It gained popularity starting from the Han Dynasty (202 BC–220 AD) and Jin Dynasty (266–420 AD) and continued to be worn into the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD). "Jiaoyu" refers to a cutting technique that uses right-angled trapezoidal panels. This method is documented in the Qin-era bamboo slip text Zhiyi ("Garment Making"), held by Peking University, which provides details for its reconstruction. Poqun bears some resemblance to a modern A-line skirt, making it easier to integrate into contemporary fashion. Many people now incorporate Poqun into their outfits by mixing it with modern clothing pieces.↑

↑Jianse Qun间色裙(Alternating-color Qun) is a type of Po Qun distinguished by its construction, which involves splicing together strips of fabric in two or more alternating colors. Jianse Qun originated in the Wei and Jin Dynasties (220–420 AD) and reached its peak during the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581–907 AD), becoming a popular garment for women at the time. It typically featured two alternating colors, though combinations of three or more were also used. The skirt was characterized by a wide hem, formed by joining multiple panels of fabric—the more panels (or "breaks," pò), the wider the skirt. During the Tang Dynasty, broad and long skirts were fashionable, with most skirts made from six panels of cloth. When worn, Jianse Qun was wrapped around the body with a certain amount of overlap. Common variations seen today include the Eight-Pò Skirt, Twelve-Pò Skirt, as well as more complex versions like the Thirty-Six-Pò Skirt and Forty-Eight-Pò Skirt.↑

↑Xuanqun旋裙 (Whirling Skirt) was a popular women's skirt style in the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD), also known as the "Two-Panel Skirt" or "Open-Hip Skirt." It is considered a classic example of Hanfu that balances functionality and aesthetics in historical China.

Structurally, the skirt is made by cutting and sewing four fabric pieces into two main panels. These panels are not sewn together along their length but instead overlap only at the waistband, creating front and back open sections known as the "overlapping hip panels."

Every two pieces are first sewn vertically into a block. Three such blocks are then arranged with the middle one wider than the two on the sides, overlapping vertically in an offset manner. The top edge is sewn together, while the hem remains unstitched, allowing the two skirt layers to move and separate freely. A separate waistband is added at the top, with ties attached at both ends for fastening.↑

↑Sanjian Qun三裥裙(Three-Pleat Skirt) rose to prominence during the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD). Its full name, "Four-Panel Three-Pleat Skirt" (四破三裥裙), refers to its construction from four square pieces of fabric skillfully joined together—hence the term "four-panel" (si po). The "three-pleat" element describes the three distinct pleats, each arranged in a box-pleat style and positioned at the top section of the skirt. These pleats could either be sewn down or left unstitched for movement.

This design has been verified through artifacts excavated from the tomb of Lady Zhou of the Song Dynasty in De'an, Jiangxi Province. ↑

↑Mamianqun马面裙 (Horse-Face Skirt), which evolved from the Whirling Skirt of the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD), became the dominant style of women's skirts during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 AD). The skirt consists of several components: the waistband, skirt panels, decorative borders, and patterned ornaments.

The waistband is typically made of white fabric and fastened with cords or buttons. Decorative motifs are primarily concentrated around the skirt's lower section, frequently depicting flora and fauna that convey auspicious wishes. The most distinctive feature of Mamian Qun is that it appears extremely narrow from the side, while the front and back have rectangular, flat panel sections.↑

↑Manzhe Qun满褶裙(Full-pleated skirts) had already appeared in the Tang Dynasty. A one-piece pleated skirt excavated from the Famen Temple existed alongside the Jiaoyu skirt. By Song Dynasty, the one-piece pleated skirt had become very popular, with increasingly diverse styles. Compared to Tang skirts, those of the Song Dynasty used more fabric panels and featured finer, denser pleats. The full-pleated skirt had no front panel and was entirely covered in uniform pleats. In the Ming Dynasty, Manzhe Qun was also highly popular and, like the Mamian Qun, became a basic style for daily wear.

As recorded in the Song text Qingyi Lu: "During the Tongguang era, the emperor ascended the Xingping Pavilion at dusk, admired the charming colors of the sunset, and ordered the dyeing workshop to create gauze in sunset hues, which was then made into thousand-pleated skirts and bestowed upon palace ladies. From then on, the style became popular among the common people."↑

↑Baidie Qun百迭裙 (Hundred-Fold Skirt) was one of the most common skirts in the Song Dynasty, wearable by both men and women. Designed as a one-piece garment, it features pleats in the middle section and flat panels on both sides, with all pleats facing the same direction. It offers versatile styling—the flat panel can be worn at the front or the back. In contrast, the Mamian Qun is designed to be worn only with the flat panel positioned at the front and back. (cr 糖叔)↑

This is a simple demonstration include jiaoyuqun(poqun), manzhequn, jianse poqun, baidiequn, qixiong poqun, qixiong zhequn:

It may seem like it should be a pepper, since that would go better with the flavour of a tomato (and the mass produced modern ones are admittedly more pepper shaped), but it is and has always been a strawberry. Here are some antique emery strawberries, which are much more strawberry shaped, and some of them have seeds.

(source)

(source)

(Home Needlework Magazine, 1899)

And it's for cleaning needles, not sharpening them. I can't imagine how jamming a blunt needle point around in a bunch of loose grit could possibly sharpen it in any significant way, and all the historical sources I've seen only talk about cleaning.

"Every sewer's work basket or work box should contain an emery bag, as shown in Fig. 2, through which to push a needle when it becomes rough, squeaks, or sticks in the material. An emery bag is usually shaped like a strawberry and consists of a rough denim bag filled with emery powder, which is a very hard material used for polishing metals. Such a bag may be purchased for 5 or 10 cents in any store that sells sewing materials. Needles often become rusted from the perspiration of the hands or from being left in damp places. The beginner may use a small emery bag to remove rust; or, a small piece of emery paper may be used instead."

-Woman's Institute Reference Library, 1916.

"Use an emery whenever your needle does not slip through the cloth easily."

-The Improvement of Educational Administration in Massachusetts, 1916.

"An emery bag is inexpensive and is useful to keep needles polished and smooth. If the hands perspire and it is difficult to push the needle through the cloth, running the needle through the emery will relieve the condition."

-Boys' and Girls' Clothing Club, 1915.

"It was very hot to sit and sew. The needle would get sticky in spite of all the little emery strawberry could give it, and Beth's fingers had never felt so clumsy and uncomfortable."

-The Unitarian Register, 1908.

"She polished her needles to nothing, pushing them in and out of the emery strawberry, but they always squeaked."

-Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, 1910.

This patent from 1873 mentions an emery slab for sharpening pins, which is quite different from a cushion, and which sounds like it actually would work for sharpening.

"C is a slab of emery or other sharp and fine grit, for sharpening needles or pins"

Then later down the page it also says

"E is an emery cushion, secured in the body of the holder A, and is used for polishing needles and keeping them smooth."

So. Strawberry for cleaning. Not pepper for sharpening.

The closer I am to finishing and not wanting to undo 2h worth of work to change that one single into a double, the more likely I am to go "well. That's the demons stitch then isn't it", and leave it be.

Not only was I not freezing anymore, I was not sweating and overheating either. The horrible sensory nightmare of winter clothes disappeared.

In particular, I bought a pair of wool pants. They were a thrifted pair of fancy dress pants like you would wear at an important office job, and they were easily the most comfortable pair of winter-appropriate pants i'd ever worn. I wore them Every Single Day.

From that point on I realized a lot of my clothes were making me feel bad, and the common thread was polyester. Especially polyester blends.

It's a trap because the polyester clothes are the ones that always feel sooooo silky soft when they are in the store, whereas cotton, linen and wool can feel comparatively rough and scratchy. But when actually wearing them for hours throughout the day, it's the natural fibers that feel more comfortable.

Maybe the secret to sensory comfort is not about the presence of softness, but the absence of overloading sensations. Or maybe the sensory stress and agony is not triggered by texture of the fabric, but by how it breathes and regulates temperature.

Then there's the problem of clothing life span: polyester blends, no matter how soft they seem at first, become rough and scratchy and covered in hard, itchy pills after wearing them 10 or 20 times, whether or not they have been tumble-dried or even washed at all. (I tested it!) Linen and cotton become softer and more comfy the more you wear them, polyester but ESPECIALLY polyester blends become a constant stressor. Polyester blend t-shirts I used to love for their softness now feel bristly and irritating.

Alpaca- my all time favorite. It is both warmer and lighter than wool, and if you have allergic reactions to wool, as I do, this is a great substitute. Alpaca socks are so great.

Cotton- the common fabric. Good for shirts, underthings, socks, pants, you name it. Good at wicking moisture and letting skin breathe, but can also be woven into warmer items such as sweaters. Good all around fabric. Can be strong and used for heavy duty clothing as well as delicate clothes.

Linen- the original warm weather fabric. The more it is washed, the softer it gets. Fabulous in the heat. Use it for bed sheets in the summer and you will never be hot in bed again. It can be used to make shirts, pants, shorts, and underthings.

Silk- great for warm and cool weather. Cool in the heat, warm in the cold, and beautiful no matter what. Can be made as a washable fabric, but usually hand wash or dry clean. Will wear like iron. If you treat it right, you can have silk for 20 years or more. Gloves, socks, underthings, shirts, pants, dresses, jackets, you name it.

Hemp- less well known but a great fabric. Resists mold like you would not believe! Used to make sails for sailing ships, as well as ropes during the age of sail. It was stronger than cotton when wet and would last longer due to the no molding thing. Less water intensive to grow than cotton, with many of the same properties of both linen and cotton. Can be used to make bed sheets, bath towels, shirts, underthings, pants, socks, pretty much anything.

Cashmere- Super luxurious! It is the shed hair of the Cashmere and pashmina goats. Usually made into sweaters, scarves, hats, gloves , and shawls. Super warm and soft. Hand wash or dry clean.

Angora- Also super luxurious. The shed fur of the angora rabbit. Can be used to make sweaters, hats, gloves, shawls, socks, and shawls. Warm, soft, and fluffy.

Mohair- The fur/hair from angora or mohair goats. Used to make sweaters, socks, gloves, hats, scarves, and shawls. Soft and warm.

There are also natural blends. These include (but are not limited to, and are not a complete list): cotton/wool, cotton/linen, cotton/silk, linen/silk, wool/silk, alpaca/wool, cashmere/wool, mohair/wool, etc.

Other natural fibers can include camel, yak, and other animal hair that is shed or clipped and then spun into yarn. Some are more available in certain areas of the world than others. I did not include bamboo due to the massive amount of chemical processing that it takes to extract the fibers. I also did not include lotus silk, byssus silk (sea silk), or any other experimental animal silk (such as the golden orb weaver spider silk) that has been made/created.

Natural fibers cost more to harvest, process, spin, and weave. They can be more difficult to color evenly, because like any natural material they have flaws and variations. This makes them more expensive to work with, which makes the clothing more expensive to produce and sell. But the items produced will last longer (theoretically), will feel better against the skin, and will be better for you in the long run for both you and the planet than clothing yourself in plastic. Microplastics will rub off on your skin, washing away in the washing machines and getting into the water supply. As the fabrics break down, they will become not only rougher against the skin, but also more difficult to mend and patch, limiting their wear life. But because they are plastics, they won't decompose and break down, continuing to pollute the environment unless they can be recycled.

Natural fabrics, in comparison, will become softer over time. They can be repaired more easily as they get holes or tears because the fabric will not have pieces break off like plastic will. It can be easily recycled, and will eventually decompose (which is why archaeologists rarely find clothing and textiles at dig sites), causing little to no damage to the environment. Rarely will a person be allergic to a natural fabric (WOOL! Argh!!!), and when they are, there is usually a protein, emollient, or fabric composition which can be a factor and can (usually) be mitigated, unlike with a synthetic fiber.

Don't get me wrong, synthetic fibers have their place and they have become very useful for certain things. But, we live in a time of fast fashion and high consumerism fueled by synthetic fabrics and exploited labor. Being conscientious of what your clothing is made of, what natural fabrics can do, how long they can last, and why and when you should wear them is a good way to start cutting down on waste while helping your body feel better. And you may find that by limiting the amount of synthetic materials you put on or near your body, that certain things might start to clear up (acne, rashes, etc.).

Bast fibers like linen and hemp usually have a fair number of slubs and are usually woven for durability, because lightweight knits tend to unravel near the slubs just around the same time that the wear level starts to get Perfect.

If you're running through the racks and find a nice hand, remember that synthetics tend to absorb water poorly. Holding the fabric for just a moment and then rubbing the fingers together usually tells me if the moisture was absorbed, or if my hands are still sticky. Fabric softener and dry cleaning can fool me sometimes.

Same as the above, synthetics tend to reflect heat. If a fabric feels soft to the hand, hold onto it a moment. Silk and wool warm up slowly, but synthetics feel "warm" almost immediately. Plant fibers also warm pretty quickly in the hand, but will still absorb water.

Silk and wool are HEAVY on the thread level. A tightly woven silk jacket is way heavier than a poly or nylon one of similar thread gauge.

And although your assessments are largely excellent, pyroteknich, I have a few nits to pick:

Cotton gets WET and holds 36x its own weight in water, compared to ~6x for bast fibers and a little more for wool and silk. When it's wet, the water clogs the gaps in the clothes and prevents airflow. I mention this because I live in a humid subtropical area and sweat basically doesn't evaporate. Cotton means a swampy underside, or all-over-side if you're working hard enough or get caught in the rain. A notable exception to this is very loose and billowy clothing like gauzy skirts. I generally avoid cotton entirely because of its water-holding capacity.

Silk does wear like iron unless it gets wet, then it's very weak and abrades easily. Normal activities in my area will cause sweat to build up and that moisture will shred silks. Again, the solution is loose and billowy, and being choosy about which fabrics during particular times of year. I tend toward bast fibers in the warmer months and silks in the cooler ones. Reconstituted cellulose fibers like "bamboo", ramie, rayon, and so on have similarly poor durability when wet. Silk also stains very easily and HATES being in the sun to dry or for too long period, as UV light breaks it down, just something to be aware of.

And also unsolicited, I would like to share a few tips I've picked up for keeping natural fibers in good shape so they can get to that delightful broken-in level. We have very, very soft water in my area, so your mileage may vary.

If not handwashing, a top-loading washer, filled up completely with cold water, is pretty close to handwashing, on delicate settings.

Most of the time, "dry clean only" is a bunch of nonsense, except with suits or dresses made with water-soluble interfacing. People washed these pieces for how many centuries before dry cleaning existed? Yeah. Unfortunately, I don't know an easy way to find out if interfacings are water-soluble, except to give the piece a wash. I've restored dozens of stinky natural-fiber pieces that were discarded because the original owner's dry cleaning didn't remove the water-soluble odors, and I "restored" them just by giving them a nice wash. Sometimes a pair of suit pants or a jacket will start poking out the plastic interfacing after the wash, so yknow. Caveat washor.

Even if handwashing, strongly alkaline detergents or high heat will cause protein-based fibers like wools and silks to denature and degrade rapidly during the abrasion of washing. Vinegar will help, and mild curd soaps are best. If only washing wools, a little liquid lanolin mixed well with hot water and curd soap prior to adding to the wash water will help restore the fibers, making the garment more water-repellent, stronger, and more durable. Small amounts of detergents can be used to boost the efficacy of the wash if there is a lot of oil in the laundry soils.

Inversely, plant fibers prefer hot water and can withstand alkaline detergents well, making washing soda and borax viable additions, but hot water will often cause stains to set. I like to help remove the alkalines from the fabric by using vinegar in the rinse. Machine drying, even on "air dry" settings, will still cause static buildup in the fibers, making them slightly water-repellent and for myself, an extremely unpleasant sensory experience. I try to line-dry everything, which is difficult when showers and storms are unpredictable and frequent, and the humidity is 70%+ most days during the hottest part of the day. Still worth it, and indoor line-dry is an option.

Wools and silks are magnets for carpet beetles and clothes moths. When I'm storing clothes for the season, I wash them, gently lanolize the wools, make sure they're 100% dry, then heat up an oven with a baking stone to 200F (90C), line a metal sheet pan with parchment paper, cut the oven, and then leave the clothes in the oven for 30min to kill any eggs. Then I wrap them tightly with plastic bags and put them in plastic bins for storage, and I've never had a problem with insects since. I got the idea from bedbug treatments.

i tried my best to translate it into digital so that people get a bit more accurate look at them. Tho bear with me I've never done an actual pattern design sheet before!

so basically my hope is that anyone could print these out to any size of their choosing and get the same result, but ive never tried anything larger than approx. 3 inches with these sooo idk if you try it tag me!

the goal is to sew the backs together to the lines at the tip of the head to the middle of the butt. then leaving a space along the belly piece near the butt end and sewing from one side of the butt including all the legs and the "mouth" to the other side with its legs to get back to the butt. if that makes sense

i usually pause sewing up the body once the head is fully sewn together,, usually after ive sewn both arms and ill yank it inside out where ill start sewing on the little poofball eyes so i know theyre in a good place, then resuming the body, and then pulling the whole thing inside out and pushing out the tips of the limbs with a skinny blunt object like a dull pencil until i can see the stitches. if you attempt this piece definitely make sure you stitch up the arm and leg crevices very well!!!!

then just stuff the lad and sew up his back end and its done :)

one suggestion for fabric is always try to use a stretchy soft fleecy fabric with these because its much easier if mistakes are made during sewing and to hold the ROUND shape better

I carried my phone, a large butterfly clip, and a full sewing kit around in my pocket the entire day and still had tons of room. I am now convinced these are gods gift to man. LOOK HOW BIG THEY CAN GET

You can carry books, kittens, shoes, snacks, everything in there all at once!!! And they come in all different styles!

And you can wear them under your skirts too, as long as you have pockets slits, like this

And the best part is, they’re really easy to make!!! Here are some links to different videos on how to make them if you so desire. You can also give them fun embroidery, as was fashion

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Ooh, I love capes!

Making capes

Types of capes:

There are different types of capes. Let's take a look at a few options.

Rectangle cape: the type of cape American superheroes wear. They consist out of a simple rectangle that can be tied or clasped at the neck. Use gathered fabric for extra fullness. This type of cape won't give you a lot of warmth as it will only cover your back.

Quarter circle cape: slightly more flared than a rectangle cape, but will still only cover your back.

Half circle cape: will cover both your back and shoulders and some of your body, which will give you extra warmth. Great for drama!

Fitted half circle cape: similar to a half circle cape, but made out of three separate pieces to fit around your body better. It won't cover you completely, but it will cover your back, shoulders, and more of your body than a normal half circle cape would.

Full circle cape: this cloak will cover your full body and keep you nice and warm.

Savvy sewists will notice these cape types are similar to circle skirts. The idea's basically the same. Instead of making a skirt, you leave your circle open in the front, and cut a hole that fits your neck rather than your waist.

(Image source) [ID: drawing showing five types of coats: rectangle, quarter circle, half circle, half fitted circle, full circle. Text: "Capes and cloaks. www.facebook.com/aliceincosplayland".]

Aside of volume, you can also play around with length. A floor-length cape has a very different effect and function than a cape that reaches your hips, or even a capelet.

(Image source) [ID: a pattern diagram showing four different cape lengths: floor length, hip length, waist length, and a capelet. Text: "6535 Front and back views. Newlook."]

Details like a hood or armholes can make your cape extra comfortable, and you've got a wide range of options when it comes to fasteners, too.

(Image source) [ID: back view of a long gray half circle cape that's been pleated at the shoulders.]

(Image source) [ID: a purple capelet with a hood, frills, cat ears, and lace, tied with a bow at the front. Text: "Gray. Alice and the Pirates."]

(Image source) [ID: a person wearing a brown monogrammed hip-length cape with front pockets and arm slits at the sides.]

(Image source) [ID: a person wearing a long gray hooded cape, standing in a forest and holding a sword.]

Materials:

Before deciding what fabrics to make your cloak or cape out of, ask yourself what you're trying to achieve first.

Warmth, drape, fabric price, comfort, aesthetic, wearing context,... are some examples of things that can influence your decision.

Some examples:

A cosplay cloak has to look good but doesn't necessarily have to be warm. Choose a fabric that's suitable for your character's outfit, but also keep the circumstances in which you plan to wear your outfit in mind. For example, a warm cloak might pose issues if you do a lot of indoor photo shoots, but convention halls can be pretty chilly.

A fashion cloak intended for winter really does need to be warm! Wool, tweed, and velvet are good options.

A cloak intended for historical re-enactment preferably uses period-accurate materials and therefore won't be lined with fabrics like polyester and such. Which fabric to use depends on the period and region you're working in.

Tutorials and patterns:

Here's a few tutorials/patterns to get you started:

Fitted cloak: winterberry cape (Mood)

How to draft your own hooded cape (The Spruce Crafts)

Pleated half circle cape (Gilian Conahan)

Half circle capelet (Buzzfeed)

Long hooded cloak (Fleece Fun)

Full circle capelet (Project Run and Play)

Four ways to make a cape (WikiHow)

Eight types of capes (Sew Guide)

Half circle fashion cape (Indoor Shannon)

21 free cape sewing patterns (Love Sewing)

Hooded cloak with lining (Online Fabric Store)

Conclusion:

Capes and cloaks make for fun sewing projects. They're pretty easy to make: if you know how to draw circles, you know how to draft a cape pattern.

Capes are a versatile garment, and can range from a great last-minute Halloween costume to an every-day winter cloak. Play around with materials, lengths, shapes, design elements, decoration,... to achieve different effects.

Sometimes you're stuck with a sweater you just don't wear any more. Maybe it shrunk or became felted in the wash, or maybe you outgrew it. When this happens, there's a variety of ways you could upcycle your sweater into something new.

Knitting:

Do you like knitting? One way to recycle your sweater is to unravel it into a skein of yarn. This way, you can reknit your sweater into a garment you actually wear. This process takes a lot of patience, but if you particularly like the material your sweater's made from, it's well worth it.

Refashioning:

If your sweater has become too small, you could try to upsize it by adding in extra pieces of fabric. You could knit your own, use scrap fabric, or sacrifice a second sweater to cut out panels or gores from.

(Image source) [ID: a gray knit cabled sweater with gores made of floral pink fabric sewn to the bottom, starting at the waist.]

Sweaters that are too big are pretty easy to downsize, too. If your sweater's made of a natural fibre, you could try shrinking it in the wash. Otherwise you'll have to tailor it. Add in darts with the ladder stitch, or resize the sides by using a fitted sweater as a template.

Your sweater doesn't have to stay a sweater! If the shoulders bother you, then remove the sleeves and turn it into a sweater vest. Chest too tight? Cut open the front and turn it into a cardigan. Top not fitting right? Cut off the bottom and make yourself a skirt or a pencil skirt.

(Image source) [ID: a before and after picture of a gray sweater being turned into a cardigan.]

Reusing:

There are many ways to upcycle a sweater. In the end, your sweater is just fabric/yarn in a sweater-shape. You can reuse it however you want. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Sweater mittens

Cozy hat

Scarves, mittens, arm warmers, hats

Pillow case

Basket

Blanket

Socks

Leg warmers

Infinity scarf

Gift bags

Tote bag

Slouchy boots

Sweater rug

Pet bed

Plushies

Pot holders

Basket with handles

Box bag

Jewellery

Cat ears hat

Hot water bottle cozy

(Image source) [ID: three sweater diagrams showing how to turn a sweater into an ear warmer, fingerless gloves, infinity scarf, arm warmer, slouch hat, cowl scarf, traditional scarf mittens, and a beanie hat. Text: "© Jenuinemom.com".]

Conclusion:

There's no need to throw away a sweater if you don't wear it any more or if it doesn't fit you any longer. You can always resize, alter, or upcycle it into something new.

Caption: [Okay, I look like trash but you gotta see this thing that I found at the thrift store. Look at this thing. Look at it! Do you know what this is? Do you know!? Look, these things all spin. Its got all of its spindles. Beautiful wood. Look at that grain.

I was gonna paint it but like, I don't think I can paint over this. It's so pretty. Needs a little bit of clean up, but like, and its missing the drawer pull, but look little drawer. So cute. Do you know what it is? Do you know what it is?

This website is full of free sewing patterns that will automatically alter to ur measurements

Sewing Kits / Patterns

i tried my best to translate it into digital so that people get a bit more accurate look at them. Tho bear with me I’ve never done an actual pattern design sheet before!

so basically my hope is that anyone could print these out to any size of their choosing and get the same result, but ive never tried anything larger than approx. 3 inches with these sooo idk if you try it tag me!

the goal is to sew the backs together to the lines at the tip of the head to the middle of the butt. then leaving a space along the belly piece near the butt end and sewing from one side of the butt including all the legs and the “mouth” to the other side with its legs to get back to the butt. if that makes sense

i usually pause sewing up the body once the head is fully sewn together,, usually after ive sewn both arms and ill yank it inside out where ill start sewing on the little poofball eyes so i know theyre in a good place, then resuming the body, and then pulling the whole thing inside out and pushing out the tips of the limbs with a skinny blunt object like a dull pencil until i can see the stitches. if you attempt this piece definitely make sure you stitch up the arm and leg crevices very well!!!!

then just stuff the lad and sew up his back end and its done :)

one suggestion for fabric is always try to use a stretchy soft fleecy fabric with these because its much easier if mistakes are made during sewing and to hold the ROUND shape better

Absolutely incredible.