Welcome back to the 'Sewing a Plushie Christmas Tree' tutorial series! In Part 1, we chose the size of the tree, gathered materials, and drafted the pattern pieces directly onto fabric.
Now, it’s time to start bringing this project to life! In this part, we’ll sew the giant, soft cone that forms the heart of the tree—the cushion. Get ready to stitch, stuff, and shape your way to the coziest Christmas decoration yet!
Preparing the Pieces
Here are a couple of steps to make sewing easier after cutting out the pieces:
- Staystitching: Since our woven fabric is mostly cut on the bias, it’s best to staystitch to prevent it from stretching out of shape when we passionately stuff the cushion.
- Notches: Notches help align long seams or indicate where to start and stop stitching. For the Side piece (shaped like an oversized slice of pizza), be sure to subtract the seam allowance before folding or dividing. This ensures the finished notches divide the curved edge evenly.
Sewing Up
Here are some extra explanations for each step:
1. You can skip backstitching at the opening to leave room for enlarging it when turning or stuffing the tree. Afterward, press the seams open.
2. The Bottom needs to be stiffened a bit to avoid bulging/rounding down. Fuse interfacing or fleece onto Bottom, and/or quilt another fabric onto it, until the Bottom is sturdy. Just use whatever materials you have on hand. In my case, I used both interfacing and batting quilted together. Like this:
Since there are many layers, trim any excess fabric around the circle to help better define the edge in the next step.
Optional: you can add weights by wrapping them in a fabric pouch, and securely tacking the pouch directly onto the Bottom. This ensures the weights stay in place and don’t shift.
3. Use the notches to properly align the Side piece with the Bottom.
4. Before turning, trim the seam allowance as close to the stitch line as possible to prevent the stiffened Bottom from interfering with the Side piece when it’s turned out. If the Bottom is stiff or has weights attached, be careful around the hole—you may need to enlarge it to fit the Bottom through.
5. Stuffing time — as you stuff, periodically push down and squeeze the stuffing to compress it. Pack the stuffing as tightly as possible, paying extra attention to the tip of the cone to ensure it’s firm enough to support the star. If you haven’t added weights yet, now is the time to place them near the Bottom.
6. You’ve got this!
Final Notes
- As you can see, my version of the cone turned out a bit slanted toward the center seam, so I gave it a good shake and a deep pat massage. Oh well! 😃
- Just like pillow manufacturers don’t recommend washing the inner pillow, the tree cushion shouldn’t be washed. Instead, simply remove the exterior and wash that.
And there you have it! Admire your work and imagine how squishy the cushion will be once it’s covered in a fluffy blanket… Onward to the Cover!
Comments ()