A fun friend to hang around with – our Charlie the Chimp soft toy will be a hit with children of all ages. Enlarge your pattern pieces so each square represents 5cm: Click here for pattern 1 Click here for pattern 2 Materials 70cm x 150cm fur fabric 30cm x 150cm towelling fabric 10cm x 90cm iron-on interfacing 1kg polyester filling 2cm x 10cm Velcro Sew-on eyes or felt (for eyes) Embroidery thread (for nose) 20cm corded piping (for mouth) Cutting Enlarge the pattern pieces from the grid and transfer to light cardboard. Check that the pile of your fabric is running in the right direction, then cut pattern pieces from fur or towelling as indicated. Cut 2 strips, 20cm x 44cm for arms, and 2 strips, 20cm x 42cm for legs. Method Press interfacing to wrong side of face, nose and ear towelling pieces. Ears: With right sides together, pin and sew each pair of ear pieces together, leaving straight side unsewn. Turn out to right side and lightly pad. Topstitch 1cm from curved edge around ear. Stitch again inside ear as marked on pattern. Face: Place right sides of towelling top face pieces together and sew the centre front (CF) seam, matching arrows. Using zigzag-stitch, sew around the outside edge. Nose: With right sides together, pin and sew two nose pieces together matching double arrows. Repeat for other two nose pieces. Mouth: Pin piping along seamline, marked with single arrow, of one joined nose section. With right sides together, pin remaining nose section over the other, sandwiching the piping to form the mouth and sew. Trim and press seams open. Turn nose to right side. Using zigzag stitch sew outside edge. Head: With right sides of front and back head pieces together, pin and sew seams matching double arrows. Pin top face section over right side of front head where indicated on pattern, and sew with close zigzag stitch. Pad nose section. On right side of head front, pin and sew the nose, using zigzag stitch, as marked on pattern. Pin ears to head front where indicated. With right sides together, pin head front to head back. Keeping ears inside, sew seam to dots leaving neck opening as marked. Turn head out to right side. Pad then handstitch neck opening closed. Embroider nose and sew on eyes. Arms and legs: With right sides together sew along 44cm lengths to make two arms and sew along 42cm lengths to make two legs. Turn all four pieces out to right side. Body: With right sides together, pin and sew dart on front and back body pieces. Keeping arms and legs inside body and leaving seam open at neck pin and sew body back to body front. Turn right side out. Fill body with padding through neck opening. Handstitch neck opening closed. Scrunch tummy to form wrinkles as marked by gathering back and forth across the wrinkles. Loosely fill arms and legs. Hands and feet: With right sides together, pin and sew towelling sections to fur fabric sections leaving openings unsewn. Clip curves, turn out and fill with padding. Sew fingers or toes along lines marked on pattern pieces. Turn in arm and leg seam allowances and, using strong thread, handstitch over hands and feet to join. Note how ankle joins to foot on pattern piece. Stitch Velcro tabs to palms and soles. Pin head to shoulders and using strong thread, stitch in position. Pull fur out from seams using a needle. Credits: Sewing by Betty Smith Photography by Claver Carroll
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