How to make a plush futon set

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one outfit for a 20 cm plush)

• Main fabric (light cotton or double gauze) — about 40 × 30 cm
• Lining (light cotton) — about 40 × 30 cm
• Thin wadding — about 35 × 25 cm
• Toy stuffing — a small amount for the pillow
• Size 9 needle and fine thread

Tools

• Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
• Fabric marker or pencil
• Ruler and scissors
• Iron
• Pins or clips

2. Make the pattern (auto-generated in Katagami)

With the Katagami pattern tool, you just enter the finished size and it drafts a seam-allowance-included pattern, tiled to print at actual size on Letter or A4.

1. Open the tool
   Open the pattern tool and choose “Fandom” → “Plush futon set” from the tabs at the top.
2. Enter the size
   Enter the chest, length and the rest. Presets cover 10, 15 and 20 cm plushies and a 27 cm doll.
3. Set the seam allowance
   Use the slider at the bottom (beginners: 1.0–1.5 cm / about 3/8–5/8 in).
4. Print
   Press “Print (actual size)”, then in the print dialog set Scale = 100% and turn “Fit to page” OFF. Check the 50 mm calibration box on the first guide sheet with a ruler.

3. Cutting the fabric

1. Measure the plush
   Chest at its widest, and the length you want from the shoulder. Two plushies both sold as "20 cm" can be quite different, so measure yours.
2. Trace the pattern
   Lay the pattern on the wrong side and trace both lines. At this scale a fine chalk pencil works better than a marker.
3. Cut the pieces
   If the fabric frays, seal the edges or zigzag them straight away.
4. Transfer the notches
   The smaller the garment, the more the notches matter. Do not skip them.

4. Sewing

4-1. Make the base

1. Stack outer, wadding and lining and sew around.
2. Leave about 5 cm open along the bottom.
3. Turn, shape and topstitch all round.

4-2. Quilt it

1. Stitch a grid or lines from the right side, about 3 cm apart.
2. You can skip it, but quilting keeps the wadding from shifting and it looks more like bedding.

4-3. Make the cover

1. Same method as the base.
2. The cover is cut smaller than the base. The same size and it hangs over the edges.

4-4. Make the pillow

1. Place the two pillow pieces right sides together and sew around, leaving 3 cm open.
2. Turn and add a little stuffing. Not too much.
3. Close the opening with ladder stitch.

✏️ The cover is deliberately a size smaller than the base. Cut them the same and the cover hangs over both edges and stops reading as bedding. Use the drawn measurements.

5. Tips & variations

• It works as a display base: somewhere for the plush to sit.
• Three pieces make a scene: base, cover and pillow together are enough to stage a photograph.
• Match the sleeping bag: the same fabric ties the set together.
• Seam allowance is 5 mm: at 1 cm the allowances collide and the garment will not turn out cleanly.
• Size 9 needle, fine thread: a heavy needle leaves holes in the fabric.
• Mock it up in paper: assembling it once in interfacing or copy paper shows up any problem with length or ease.