How to make a plush kigurumi

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one outfit for a 20 cm plush)

• Main fabric (fleece, boa or light jersey) — about 30 × 25 cm
• Hook-and-loop tape, 1 cm — about 7 cm
• 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 kigurumi” 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 ears

1. Place two ear pieces right sides together and sew the curved edge, leaving the base open.
2. Turn and shape. Make two pairs.
3. Boa is thick — using boa on one side and cotton on the other makes them far easier to turn.

4-2. Make the hood and catch the ears

1. Sew the two hood pieces together along the back curve.
2. Baste the ears in place, pointing inwards.
3. Turn the face opening under 5 mm and stitch, catching the ear roots.

4-3. Sew the body

1. Place the two fronts right sides together and sew the crotch curve. Same for the backs.
2. Place front and back right sides together and sew the shoulders.
3. Sew the hood to the neckline.

4-4. Sides, inseam and front opening

1. Turn the sleeve and leg openings under 5 mm and stitch first.
2. Sew from the sleeve down the side and along the inseam in one run.
3. Open the center front for about 80% of the length, turn the edges and add hook-and-loop.

✏️ Boa and fleece stretch. Pins alone let the layers creep as you sew, so run one line of basting first. The hood's back seam matters most — if it shifts, the two ears end up at different heights and it shows.

5. Tips & variations

• Boa on one side only: two layers of boa are too thick to turn. Line it with light cotton.
• Change the ear shape: rounded for a bear, pointed for a cat.
• Add a tail: a small stuffed tube at the back finishes it.
• 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.