How to make a plush poncho

1. Materials & tools

Materials (one outfit for a 20 cm plush)

• Main fabric (felt or lightweight wool) — about 20 × 20 cm (scraps are fine)
• 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 poncho” 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. Mark the neck opening

1. Lay the neck template in the center of the fabric and mark it.
2. Check the plush's head goes through before cutting. Rolling a strip of paper into a ring and trying it is the reliable test.
3. Only then cut.

4-2. Finish the neck opening

1. Felt can be left raw.
2. In woven fabric, clip the allowance, turn it to the inside and stitch all round.
3. A narrow bias binding also looks good.

4-3. Finish the outer edge

1. In felt, you are done.
2. In woven fabric, turn all four edges under 5 mm and stitch.
3. Fold each corner diagonally first to keep the bulk down.

✏️ Check the head goes through before you cut the neck opening. Plush heads are large relative to the body, and even the calculated size sometimes will not pass. A paper ring tried on the head takes ten seconds and prevents the one mistake you cannot undo.

5. Tips & variations

• Ten minutes in felt: no hemming at all, so it is the quickest thing here.
• Add fringe: snipping into the hem makes a fringe.
• A button for interest: one small button at the center front is enough.
• 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.