Sewing “In the Hoop” Plushies with an Embroidery Machine

“In the Hoop” Embroidery projects – ITH for short – are three dimensional objects that are made entirely (or almost entirely) using the embroidery function of a machine. They involve loading a series of stitching files, hooping fabric, trimming, and assembling until you’re left with a finished object. The first time I read about an ITH plushie, I really didn’t believe it was possible, so obviously I had to give it a try!

I do rather like to jump off the deep end when I try a new technique, so the first one I made was this dragon (and a bit later, the raccoon) for my cat Theo, all the way back when he was just a kitten.

It was such a fun process that I’ve made a few more (especially the small ones, which make better toys for the cats!) – both on my bernette 79 as well as my current BERNINA 570 QE (NEW). No matter how many I make, I still find the construction process absolutely magical! Since I’ve made a few now, I thought I’d pass along some of the techniques in case you, like me before I made that dragon, didn’t think it was possible to make plushies with an embroidery machine!

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Overview

The basic process of sewing an ITH plushie really isn’t all that different from traditional critter making – you assemble body parts (arms, legs, ears, dragon spines, wings..) and then attach those smaller parts to the main body. What differs is the method in which these things are constructed.

I (for now, at least) start with purchased embroidery files. Your download should come with a set of embroidery files, and ideally also an instruction sheet to explain the order of assembly.

You’ll also need fabric for your plushy and some embroidery stabiliser. I prefer to use tearaway stabiliser, but some patterns may have different recommendations. My plushies so far have all used a fabric called Minky, which is a super soft, plush fabric with a little bit of stretch – this (unlike something like felt) helps the plushy achieve a nice rounded shape when it’s stuffed. Of course, speaking of stuffing, that’s also a necessary part of the process!

Most of the plushies I’ve made come with multiple finished sizes, which are determined by hoop size. Make sure you choose the correct set of files for the size hoop you plan to use! Once you have the files selected, you can transfer them to your Bernina machine via a USB stick or the Wifi device, if you have it. From there, the instructions will tell you which file to select first.

Stitching and Construction

Each file is then broken down into color changes, so that your machine knows when to stop. The first “color” is usually a guideline, stitched only on the stabilizer in the hoop.

Then you’ll be able to place a piece of fabric down so it covers that first stitching line. A few pieces of masking tape work well to secure it. Depending on the steps, this could be one layer of fabric (like the belly piece of my dragon) or multiple layers (like the nearly-completed raccoon front piece) with the machine pausing at each point as you add, trim, or manipulate fabric.

In the raccoon’s front piece (above), the ears are added facing in with their raw edges outside the stitching line. The next step is to cover the whole thing with the back part of the raccoon and stitch the final outline. Below, the back piece has been stitched in place – it’s broken into two pieces across the raccoon’s rump, where the tail is stitched in place.

Tips and Tricks for good results

Duckbill scissors:

Appliqué sections are common in ITH plushies – especially when it comes to their faces. My small raccoon’s black cheeks are a good example of this. First, the machine stitches a guide line, then I place my fabric so that it covers the line. Next, a tacking stitch runs around the outer edge. Then I trim the excess fabric from the edges of these sections (a pair of duckbill scissors is incredibly handy for this!) and then the final pass adds a satin stitch to cover the raw edge.

Water soluble topper:

You may also find fill-stitched areas used for features like eyes on your plushie pattern. This cat I made (Also for my cats, you may be sensing a pattern here) has embroidered eyes, and I kept things neat by covering the stitch-out area with a layer of water soluble topper. This helps the threads lay neatly on top of the Minky fabric, rather than disappearing into the pile, and can just be torn away after the stitching is complete.

Pins, tape and fingers:

As your plushie gets closer to the finish line, you may end up with a lot of small parts that need to be held in place – like those ears on my raccoon. Tape is the safest option for this. If you accidentally tape through a stitching path, your needle may get a bit sticky but you won’t break anything. I sometimes use pins instead of tape to hold pieces of fabric in place – this can be a bit risky, you should only attempt it if you’re absolutely 100% positive that they’re very far away from any stitching.

Whatever you do, don’t hold anything in place with your fingers while your machine is stitching! You can get a lot closer to a moving needle in sewing mode than you can in embroidery mode without it being dangerous – when you’re in embroidery mode, the computer controls the stitching direction and it could suddenly start stitching in a direction that surprises you and your fingers!

Finishing and Ideas for ITH Plushies

Once you’ve made your way through all the embroidery files that came with your pattern, you’ll either have a completed plushie, or some body parts in need of assembly. My raccoon project was a simple one – he came out of the hoop all in one piece, and I finished him by trimming closely around the stitching line and removing the excess tearaway stabilizer.

The final stitching path left a small hole through which he could be turned right side out, so I did that, stuffed him with polyfill, and stitched the opening closed by hand.

I like a ladder stitch (some folks call this a mattress stitch) for sewing plushies closed since it’s pretty darn close to invisible, especially when disguised by the fuzzy Minky fabric! You can see it coming together here on the back of the Kitty plush’s head:

If you’ve made a more complex plushie like my Dragon, there are a few extra steps involved. The arms, legs, wings, and head are attached with doll safety joints. This means they can move around – these are attached first. In the photo below, you can see some circles stitched in to the dragon’s arms, legs, and wings. These are placement markers for the doll joints. Finally, each piece is stuffed individually and stitched closed with the same ladder stitch. Finally, your plushie is ready for a good cuddle!

Finding ITH Patterns

So. Now you have to make one too, right? Watching the magic of my embroidery machine creating a three dimensional object never gets old! Here are a few resources to get you started on your own ITH plushy journey.

So far, I’ve had great results with every Planet Appliqué plushie I’ve made, and the instructions are very beginner friendly. All the projects featured in this post are from them. Here are the Dragon, the cat, and the Raccoon.
KrosMB on Etsy has a huge assortment of ITH dolls, teddies, and other critters https://www.etsy.com/shop/KrosMB
A few of the marketplace-type embroidery design websites have ITH sections as well. Spoiler alert: there’s a lot more than just plushies that you can use ITH techniques for, I’ve only scratched the surface here!

What do you think, will you try an ITH project? I’ve made quite a collection for my cats now, and I think they’d make excellent baby gifts too. I definitely see some more in my future. I also think the challenge of digitising my own ITH plushy in the Bernina Software would be really fun! If I do that, I’ll be sure to keep you updated here on the blog!