Here are the instructions for my Pony plushie! I am not the greatest at explaining things so if you get confused, leave a comment and I'll try my best to help.
Material (see below) General purpose thread in matching colors Small, sharp scissors Hand-sewing needles Polyester fiberfill (stuffing) Marker and cardstock
Supplies that aren't absolutely required, but make life easier
Beeswax - run the thread through it before sewing to prevent tangles Locking forceps - aka hemostats. Help with turning ears and legs Curved needle - good for finishing seams Plastic "beanie" pellets - weight down the legs to make the plushie stand better
Material
There are several choices for fabric, each with good and bad points.
Felt pros: Very cheap, comes in lots of colors, available in craft stores. cons: Shows stitching, hard to turn.
Fleece pros: Comes in lots of colors, easy to work with, widely available. cons: Shows seams, can stretch and distort the shape, can be expensive.
Minky pros: Decent range of colors, very soft finish, good for smaller plushies. cons: Hard to find in stores, very floppy so it requires interfacing, shows seams.
Faux Fur pros: Very cuddly, doesn't need interfacing to hold shape, seams barely show at all, good for big plushies. cons: Can be expensive, usually less colors available, slightly more difficult to work with.
If you're using felt, fleece or minky, I strongly recommend you use iron-on interfacing. This is a thin material which keeps the fabric from flopping around and stretching, which can make it hard to sew and distort the pattern. Interfacing also makes it much easier to trace the pattern onto the fabric. Cut the interfacing to fit and place it on the back of the fabric, rough-side down. The roughness is a heat-activated glue which melts when you iron it and adheres the interfacing to the fabric. Follow the instructions that come with the interfacing.
You'll also want to decide how you're going to finish your pony's mane & tail and facial features. Some choices for eyes and cutie marks are: iron-ons, embroidery, plastic safety eyes, felt, fabric paint. For mane, you can use yarn, embroidery floss, sewn shapes, cut felt or faux fur. I've included a generic tail pattern as a guideline, but there are so many different manes you are best off designing your own.
I used minky, but you could also use fleece, velboa, robe velour, or stretch velveteen. I'd stay away from felt, quilter's cotton or heavy material like corduroy.
Help! I am really having a tough time with the hooves. I am sort of an idiot when it comes down to reading instructions. do you have a more comprehensive detailed instructions. Thanks Ponygirl
Basically there are two sides to the leg, an inside (which is a seperate piece) and the outside, which is part of the body. Each leg will wrap around half the circumference of the hoof piece. You'll sew the hoof to half of the leg, then the other half when you're putting the whole thing together.
I love this! I just started making a Derpy plushie today using this pattern. It's my second plushie, and it will be my first time hand-sewing, so I hope it turns out well. My first plushie was a Pinkie Pie one that i'm super proud of. I also haven't really sewn anything in years, so it makes me happy to find that I have the skill to do so I still haven't added a smile or cutie mark yet, but now that I have yellow fleece, I can finish that off.
Anyways, thank you SO MUCH. This tutorial/pattern is a lot simpler than the one I used to make Pinkie Pie, so i'm excited to see how it turns out!
Cool! I learned how to sew in high school, then didn't touch a needle for years and years until I took it up again . . . it must be like riding a bike. Anyways, glad to hear the pattern is working out for you!
Thanks
Ponygirl
Anyways, thank you SO MUCH. This tutorial/pattern is a lot simpler than the one I used to make Pinkie Pie, so i'm excited to see how it turns out!
Anyways, glad to hear the pattern is working out for you!