Pattern Description:
The Wallace the Whale Plush Pattern is an adorable stuffed animal design by Camelot Fabrics, offering a cute friend with a whale tale and swimming fins.
This free sewing pattern is perfect for adding whimsy to home decor or for creating a toy for kids. It is suitable for those learning to make stuffed animals and can be crafted with any Camelot Fabric.
Materials Needed & Measurements:
- Fabric:
- 2/3 yard of The Design Studio quilting cotton (44” wide) from Camelot Fabrics in 2140504 #1 for Wallace’s Back.
- 1/2 yard of The Design Studio quilting cotton (44” wide) from Camelot Fabrics in 2140507 #2 for Wallace’s Belly.
- Stuffing: Fiber stuffing or fabric scraps.
- Printing: Paper printer.
- Eyes: Contrasting embroidery floss & an embroidery hoop.
- Hanging (optional): 2 yards of ribbon.
- Basic Sewing Supplies: Sewing machine, needle & coordinating thread, iron & pressing surface, scissors & fabric shears, straight pins, and a fabric marker.
- Template: Wallace the Whale Template PDF (downloadable).
- Seam Allowance: A 1/4” seam allowance should be used throughout the project.
Instructions for Making the Wallace The Whale Pattern:
Preparation for Sewing
Before you begin sewing, it is essential to prepare your fabric properly. Please wash, dry, and iron your fabric to prevent shrinkage and ensure a smooth working surface.
Throughout this project, a 1/4-inch seam allowance should be used for all seams. Additionally, remember that all seams are to be sewn with Right Sides of the fabric together.
Cutting Your Fabric Pieces
The first step in construction involves preparing your pattern pieces and cutting the fabric.
- Print and Assemble Template: Begin by printing the Wallace the Whale template PDF at 100% scale. Carefully cut out the pages along their marked borders, then join the pages according to their numbered triangles. Once assembled, cut out the template pieces.
- Trace and Cut Fabric: Next, trace or pin the template pieces to your chosen fabric as indicated on the pattern pieces. When cutting, take care to include all notches marked on the template.
- Identify Pieces: After cutting, you should have the following fabric pieces:
- Two Back pieces, which are mirror images of each other.
- Two Back fins, also mirror images of each other.
- One Belly piece, which should be cut on the fold line.
- Two Belly fins, which are mirror images of each other.
- Directional Fabric Note: If you are using a directional print fabric, trace the Back piece twice onto a single layer of fabric. This ensures that the fabric’s pattern runs consistently from the top of Wallace’s back toward his belly in both pieces.
- Non-Directional Fabric Note: For non-directional cottons, you can cut your pieces from folded double layers of fabric.
Embroidering the Eyes
Wallace’s eyes give him his charming attitude. Follow these steps to create them:
- Transfer Eye Marks: Transfer the Eye marks from the Back template to your Back fabric pieces. If you find it difficult to see the Eye mark through your fabric, you can use straight pins to mark either end and the center of the Eye curve, then carefully trace between the pin points to form the eye outline.
- Embroider Eyes: Using contrasting embroidery floss and an embroidery hoop, embroider a sleepy Eye on each Back piece. As an alternative, for older kids, you could sew on buttons for the eyes or even use a fabric marker to detail some features.
Assembly of Wallace the Whale
Now, it’s time to bring Wallace to life by assembling the cut and embroidered pieces.
- Sew the Fins: Sew the Fins to their matching body pieces, making sure to align the notches. The fins should be pointing toward the tail ends of the body pieces. Once sewn, press these seams toward the fins.
- Attach Optional Ribbon: If you wish to add a ribbon for hanging, baste the ends of your 2-yard ribbon to the Wrong Side of one Back piece. Position the ribbon at the notch in the top edge of the Back piece, with the raw ends pointing towards the fabric’s edge and the long loop pointing away from the edge.
- Join Back Pieces: Sew the two Back pieces together. Begin sewing from the center of the whale tail template cutout and continue all the way to the tip of the nose. After sewing, clip into your curves – this helps the seam lie flat and smooth. Press the seam open. Then, turn Wallace Right Side out and press the seam again, before turning him Wrong Side out once more.
- Attach Belly and Fins: Now, pin and sew the Belly piece and its Fins to the Back pieces and their Fins. Start by pinning the tails together, then pin the Fins where they join the bodies. Continue pinning around the remaining body, fin, and nose edges. Leave a 4-inch gap behind one Fin; this opening will be used for turning the whale right side out later. Remember to backstitch at the beginning and end of this seam for added security.
- Nose Sewing Note: When sewing around Wallace’s nose, ensure that the Back pieces are facing upward. It is crucial to keep them smooth as you sew to prevent any bunching or puckering in this curved area.
Finishing Touches
Wallace is almost complete! These final steps will give him his plush, finished form.
- Clip and Turn: Clip into the corners where the Fins join the body, and also clip around all your curves. This allows the fabric to lay smoothly when turned. Press the seam open. Now, turn the whale Right Side out through the 4-inch gap behind his Fin. A knitting needle or a length of dowel can be very helpful for inverting the tips of his Fins and tail, ensuring they are fully pushed out and well-defined.
- Stuff Wallace: Stuff Wallace firmly with fiber stuffing or fabric scraps, taking care to make sure that the stuffing reaches all the way into his tail and Fins to give them a good shape.
- Close the Gap: Once Wallace is stuffed to your liking, whipstitch the 4-inch gap closed.
- Stitch in the Ditch: To eliminate any bulging that might occur between the Fins, you can stitch in the ditch by hand. This involves sewing along the seam line between the top and bottom seams of each Fin, effectively closing any small gaps between them. You will want to use a doubled-up thread for this part to ensure durability.
You have now completed your adorable Wallace the Whale! This project is a great way to use up fabric scraps, and for a bit of fun, metallic fabric for the flippers can lend a nautical feel.
