I made this photo tutorial so you can see how to sew my Gorilla Sewing Pattern ~> scroll down for step-by-step photos!
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*** PLEASE NOTE – this is ONLY a PHOTO TUTORIAL ***
The FULL PATTERN IS NOT included here.It is NOT A FREE PATTERN!
I have made this photo tutorial so people who have purchased my Gorilla Sewing Pattern can SEE how to sew a gorilla soft toy! (I wanted to explain this so you are not disappointed if you have found this page via a search engine and not from the link in my Gregory Gorilla Sewing Pattern)
NOSTRILS & MUZZLE:
STEP 1
Sew the NOSTRIL PIECES together from C – D.
STEP 2
Trim the seam allowance to 3mm(⅛inch) and turn the NOSTRILS right sides out.
TIP: I like to use my wooden chopstick to turn this seam very well.
STEP 3a
Fold the NOSTRILS along the middle seam and…
STEP 3b
pin the NOSTRILS to one of the the MUZZLE PIECES, matching point A and point C/D.
STEP 4
Sew the MUZZLE PIECES together from A – B.
TIP: The NOSTRIL PIECES must be pinned in between the MUZZLE PIECES.
STEP 5a
Fold the NOSTRIL PIECES along the side seams to form the Gorilla’s nostrils, using the NOSTRIL SEWING DIAGRAM below, to guide you.
STEP 5b
Sew the NOSTRILS down in the middle from A – C/D.
TIP: I like to “turn around” and sew back to A – so I don’t end up with cut threads at C/D (which could look like hairs sticking out of the Gorilla’s nostrils!!!!)
FACE & CHIN:
STEP 6
Pin and sew the FACE PIECE to the MUZZLE PIECES, with the NOSTRILS in between.
STEP 7
Pin and sew the CHIN PIECE to the MUZZLE PIECES. Sew from F – B – F.
HEAD:
STEP 8
Sew the HEAD PIECES together from G – J.
STEP 9a
Pin the FACE, NOSTRIL, MUZZLE & CHIN to the HEAD PIECES, matching points H, F, E and G.
TIP: This is a probably the hardest part of Gregory and you want his face to look good, so take it slow and use LOTS of pins!
STEP 9b
Sew the FACE, NOSTRIL, MUZZLE & CHIN to the HEAD PIECES. Sew from H – F – E – G – E – F – H.
STEP 10
Fold the HEAD PIECES at the neck darts, with the fabric right sides together, and sew the darts closed (1 dart on each side).
EARS:
STEP 11a
Sew the EAR PIECES together in pairs, leaving the straight edges open.
STEP 11b
Trim the seam allowance of the EAR PIECES to 3mm(⅛inch) and turn the EARS right sides out.
TIP: I like to use a wooden chopstick to help turn the seams nicely. Run the end of the stick back and forth along the stitching inside until the seam is nice and smooth.
STEP 11c
Stuff the EARS with a little bit of toy stuffing and pin them to the HEAD PIECES using the pattern markings to guide you.
STEP 12
Sew the EARS to the HEAD PIECES with a 3mm(⅛inch) seam allowance to hold them in place – crooked ears will make your toy look wonky.
CRAFT EYES:
STEP 13
If you are using craft eyes insert these now.
TIP: If the toy is for a young child use embroidery thread to sew a French knot instead of craft eyes. I have a post about toy safety on my blog with more toy safety tips and guidelines.
BACK HEAD:
STEP 14
Sew the BACK HEAD PIECES together from J – K.
STEP 15
Sew the BACK HEAD PIECES to the FACE PIECES from V – J – V, with the EARS in between.
STEP 16
Pin the HEAD PIECES together at the front between L and H and pin the chin dart closed between H and U (on the CHIN PIECE). Sew the Gorilla’s head closed from L – H – U.
CHEST & TUMMY:
STEP 17
Sew the CHEST PIECES together from L – M.
STEP 18
Sew the TUMMY PIECES together from M – N.
STEP 19
Sew the CHEST PIECES to the TUMMY PIECES from Y – M – Y.
LEGS:
STEP 204a
Sew the LEG PIECES together in pairs, along the front seam from P – Q.
STEP 20b
Sew along the back seam of the LEG PIECES from R – S, leaving the stuffing gap open at the back.
STEP 20c
Sew the FOOTPAD PIECES to the LEG PIECES, matching point Q and S.
STEP 20d
Turn the LEGS right side out. ***Do NOT stuff the LEGS or they won’t fit inside the Gorilla’s body when you sew him together!
BACK:
STEP 21
Sew the BACK PIECES together from N – O, leaving the gap open for stuffing.
STEP 22
Pin and sew the LEGS to the BACK PIECES, with a 3mm(⅛ inch) seam allowance, matching the dot pattern markings.
STEP 23
Pin the BACK PIECES to the CHEST & TUMMY PIECES. (with the LEGS in between) and sew them together from T – P -R – N – R – P – T.
ARMS:
STEP 24a
Sew the ARM PIECES to the HAND PIECES in pairs (1 arm and 1 hand) matching the dot pattern marking.
STEP 24b
Sew the ARM & HAND PIECES together, leaving them open at the top for turning. Clip the seams well and turn the ARMS right sides out.
TIP: Use a wooden chopstick to turn the HANDS seams nicely.
STEP 24c
Stuff the ARMS, leaving the top 25mm(1inch) unstuffed and pin them closed at the top. (If you stuff the top of the ARMS too much it will make it hard to fit the ‘inside the body’ when you sew the Gorilla together later!)
STEP 25a
Pin the ARMS to the CHEST & BACK PIECES, using the star pattern markings to guide you, making sure that the ‘thumbs’ face the middle front (towards the TUMMY PIECE).
STEP 25b
Sew the ARMS the CHEST & BACK PIECES with a 3mm(⅛inch) seam allowance.
NECK SEAM:
STEP 26
Pin the FACE & BACK HEAD PIECES to the CHEST & BACK PIECES at the neck seam. Sew the neck seam from X – V – T – L – T – L – V – X.
TIP: I find the easiest way to do this is to turn the head right sides out and position it inside the CHEST,TUMMY & BACK PIECES so you can pin the pieces with the fabric right sides together.
STEP 27
Pull the head back out of the body. Pin and sew the Gorilla closed at the back from K – X, on the BACK HEAD PIECES and from X – O, on the BACK PIECES.
ASSEMBLY:
STEP 28
Turn the Gorilla right sides out through the stuffing gap. Stuff the head and body very well with toy stuffing, you want a nice full, chubby Gorilla!
TIP: Stuff the head really well at the top, Gorillas have a very elongated almost pointy head shape.
MOUTH:
STEP 29
Use black embroidery thread and a satin (or stem stitch – I googled this!) to sew a thin line over the seam where you sewed the CHIN and MUZZLE PIECES together. (I call this the ‘smile line’).
STEP 30
Lastly stuff the Gorilla’s LEGS. Use a ladder stitch to close the opening on the LEGS and BACK PIECES.
Your Gorilla is ready to LOVE!
Come join the fun on Facebook!
I LOVE to see how your Funky Friends toys turn out!
When you’ve made your own stuffed toy Gorilla you can come show it off ~>
Post a photo on my Funky Friends Factory Facebook page for me to see and YOU could win a FREE PATTERN!
Till next time,
Happy Sewing,
Pauline
