I have been keeping this project a secret for far too long, and now that it is up on Buzz Feed I can finally share the reveal with you all! You may remember when I asked you all to vote on whether I should make a Narwhal Whale or a Loch Ness monster. Guess which one won by popular vote?
The sewing process for Nessie was interesting… I guess it’s natural for a two year old’s gut reaction to be to jump on the super cool stuffed animal mommy is sewing, and then proceed to use it as a rocking horse… I had to work in a room all by myself to make any progress on this stuffed animal!
To make your own Nessie, you will need:
A bag of stuffing, 1.5 yards of Felt for the Body (you can make it with just 1 yard, but it never hurts to get a little more than you need), a small sheet of Pink Felt for the patches (you know the small sheets they sell for like 30 cents), a small sheet of Black felt for the eyes & the mouth, and threads to match.
Please, don’t redistribute or sell this pattern and/or items made from this pattern and tutorial. I reserve all rights to my patterns.
Print and cut all the pages out and then attach all of the pieces together, as shown above.
Using 1.5 yards of felt, cut out 8 flippers (they are stacked in pairs of two in the photo above), 1 belly piece, and 2 body pieces.
Stitch all of the 8 flippers together in pairs of two. Make sure to leave a small opening on the curved edge of the flipper so you can turn it inside out and stuff it.
Felt is super easy to hand stitch with, so if you don’t have a sewing machine, that’s totally ok.
Turn them inside out. Pull it through the opening you left open.
This is what it should look like after you’ve turned it inside out. All the hem work is on the inside now.
Place both of your body pieces on top of each other, and lift up the bottom part, as shown above.
Now lay the belly piece evenly on top of both half’s of the body piece.
Sew the belly piece onto the body pieces.
Once you’re done, it should look like the above photo.Continue sewing the rest of the body up, and leave an opening at the neck for turning inside out and stuffing.
Now turn the body inside out by pulling it through the hole.
The above photo shows how the body looks turned inside out.
A great cheap alternative to buying an expensive bag of poly fill is buying a cheap pillow (the ones they sell for $3) and using the fluff in the pillow. Fill the neck and tail first. You want to make sure to REALLY stuff the neck super good so that it will stand up straight and be supported.
If you want extra support in the back just in case you have a feeling that Nessie is going to be used as a rocking horse (and yes, that was my daughter’s first reaction was) you can use the 200+ plastic grocery bags you have been hording as extra support for the back. Now you finally have a use for them!Once you are done stuffing it, sew up the opening.
Fill your flippers with stuffing, and then position them on Nessie’s body. Position the two flippers on each side of the body facing away from each other, pointing out. Pin them in place and hand stitch them on.
Now for the smile and the eyes. Cut out two rectangles for the eyes, and one long strip of fabric for the smile.
Roll the rectangles into ball shapes and sew the ball in place until it is a complete sphere. Next, position them symmetrically on the face and pin in place.
Sew the eyes onto the face.
Pin the strip of felt you cut for the smile on. Then determine how wide a grin you want Nessie top have on her face. Cut the corners so that the edges are tilted.
Now Nessie has a cute grin!
This part is optional. Cut out patches and sew them on Nessie.
All done! Now for the reveal!
She LOVES her stuffed “duck” as she calls it. She drags it everywhere she goes, pets it’s neck tenderly, and rides it ferociously. I am honestly not sure how long this monster will withstand the hard playing from my little monster!
After dancing for joy at the sight of her new toy, she ran out of the room and came back dragging her horsey so they could meet.
This Loch Ness Monster Stuffed Animal Toy is a serious contender for my favorite sewing pattern!
I have lots of Scottish blood in my veins… But my husband’s family is originally from England. He doesn’t really care about heritage other than being American… but he does like to rub it in that his people (the English) conquered my people (the Scotts)
With all that said, I have always had a thing for the Loch Ness Monster and I just HAD to make one for my little girl! I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. And it was so easy to sew. I mean, I did it all by hand… not that I’m bragging… because in reality my sewing machine is broken, lol!
So, what are you waiting for? This is one monster you won’t mind seeing everyday!
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Thanks SO MUCH for the Nessie pattern … 3 little Granddaughters will be getting one for Christmas Thanks to You!!! Maybe my Grandson as well .. he's a little older tho! 😀 HUGS A BUNCH!!!
That made my day! I'm sure they will love it! 🙂
thanks so much! This is so cute! I'm so excited! I'm still rooting on team narwhal though 😉 someday, right? 🙂
▼Nicole▼
http://www.hausofharnois.blogspot.com
You betcha Nicole! 😉
I'm going to attempt to make this on the weekend as a xmas gift! Thank you for the inspiration!
I am so glad you like it! I'm sure it will turn out great! 🙂
It's adorable!
Thanks! 🙂
SO ADORABLE. I want one.
Thanks Linda! <3
Ooooooooo!!!! I'm going to do a blue one with stars on his back for my toddler boy! He's gonna LOVE it!!
That's one of the cutest things I ever saw! it looks so easy and fast! I'll definitively make 10 small versions of them to use as keyrings or pendants for my preadolescent daughter!
Serena
I can't wait until I try this! Would you be please tell me where you got your felt? I went to Michaels and Joann today to look for one, but couldn't find it 🙁
Joann's does sell felt by the yard, but I bought mine from wooly hearts, an etsy shop that sells felt. Hope that helps! 🙂
Thank you so much! I can't tell if your nessie is either in Blue Spruce or Ocean kelp, but I think it'll look cute either way 🙂 I will definitely let you know and thank you again when I make it!
It's ocean kelp <3
FYI: I know these posts are several months old, but I just purchased felt from Walmart….multi-colored pack of 12 (9" x 12") sheets for about $3.98 and single (9" x 12") sheets for around .20 each!
Awesome, thank you so much, Hannah! Did you choose to sew by hand for a reason, e.g. because it's more solid?
Yeah- my sewing machine is broken. I do recommend sticking to machine stitching if you can though.
Loving Nessie!!! I might go for a mini one rather than a rocking horse size.
Hmmm, you might want to let your husband know that no-one has ever 'conquered' the Scots and it was the Scottish king that became the first ruler of the United Kingdom but who really cares when there are soft toys at hand.
Haha! Very true. I like to think that I conquered the English by marrying him! 😉
Have fun with your Nessie!
Awwww, what a cute monster (the nessie and your daughter 🙂 )
And thank you for sharing the pattern! It's super easy! I was thinking of making it in a smaller scale as a plushie? What do you think? 🙂
Greetings from a jewelry designer and blogger in Denmark 🙂
Aysha @ http://www.thecreativemuslimah.blogspot.com
Thank you for your sweet comment Aysha!
Oh my gosh!! This is so cute!!!
I'll definitely make one for my babes & maybe for my young nieces too.. 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing the pattern!
So glad you like it! 🙂
This was the most fun I've had using my new sewing machine, so thank you for creating this tutorial! I just made one using regular felt from Joann Fabrics but it came out much stiffer than I expected. I really like the felt blend you bought so I think I'll make more using those instead…I can't wait to send them off to my nephew and niece 🙂
Aww, I am sure they will love them! Feel free to send me pictures! 🙂
About the fabric- you can use fleece or flannel too for a softer version.
This is adorable!
I've never stitched with felt but definitely trying this for my niece, who'll be coming next month. Thank you for such a detailed tutorial ^_^
You're welcome! I am sure it will turn out great- what a special gift for your niece! 🙂
Such a great idea! I love your page!!
If I'll ever have children, I'll try this one, soo coooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool 🙂
Aww- thanks! Or you could just make one for yourself! 😉
So this is my first craft project… ever… I am almost finished and am pretty sure my daughter is going to love it. As a single dad – you have helped make this Christmas pretty amazing!
You just made my day! I am sure your daughter will love it! Please send me pictures or post them on my Facebook page! 🙂
Hi Hannah!
I have a question to you, how long did you do this cute Nessie? I would like do the same for my little cousin for Christmas.
You're fantastic, yours ideas are great! You're very beautifull family.
Have a nice day,
Dorota
Well, I made it in parts over a few days because I was hand sewing it, but if you did it in one setting I would say under 2 hours, especially if you are using a machine! 🙂
Oh, thank you 🙂 Yes, I have a sewing machine, so I hope that everything will be OK. If I sew the Nessie I will send you a photo 🙂
Greetings from Poland 🙂
Wonderful- send me pictures! 🙂
Oh My Goshhh… I love it a lot! My baby will love it too!
I'll make as soon as possible 🙂 Tanks for share.
I'm thinking about most models of dinossaur S2
Kisses
Nina and Theo
http://www.maternizando.blogspot.com (Brasil)
I was wondering why you did all that by hand. I'm going to try the sewing machine myself lol I'll post a picture for you if it comes out well.
Haha, yep, my machine just got fixed the other day! Please send me a picture, or even better yet, post it on my Facebook page! 🙂
You are a genius! What a great project! I'm actually making one for my teenage sister in law who is an amateur photographer. I think she'll get a kick out of having the elusive Nessie come to her!
That's awesome! 🙂
GAH! I want to make this but the pattern isn't downloading for me! The pages just come up blank! I've tried it on a couple different internet browsers but it's still not working. Any ideas?? Thanks! :]
Well I checks it and it is fine on my side. It could be because your screen brightness is dark- the pattern is in light gray, so sometimes when shown in a dark computer it looks white. Try printing it out. If that doesn't work for whatever reason, email me and I will send you the pattern.
Hi! I'm making this for my son for Christmas. She is almost done, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to sew on the flippers. My hand sewing isn't that good, so anything that I do looks uneven and sloppy. Do you have any suggestions on technique? Thank you so much!
I was trying to download the pattern as I think this is gorgeous…could you possibly email it to me please? beckjanejenkins@gmail.com 🙂 Cheers!
So cute! I'll try to make one for my little girl soon.
Thanks for the pattern!
So glad you like it! <3
This is absolutely amazing!! Gonna try it for my 4 yr old son right away!! Thank you so much for this awesome tutorial!!
So glad you like it! Feel free to send me pictures after you are done! <3
This is amazing! Gonna give it a shot after my exams are done.
Thanks! Have fun! 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing this pattern and tutorial! I am sure my son will just love it! 🙂
My pleasure! I hope he likes it too! 🙂
Hi Hannah,
I made this for my niece-to-be (due March 7) but I'm so in love that I kept it! I felt bad until I realised that I had used materials that aren't safe for under-3s anyway. Oh well. Now she sits on our couch in our lounge. Thanks so much for the pattern. It was fun, relatively easy and she is gorgeous. Maybe niece will get it when she is 3…!
Claire (Auckland, New Zealand)
What a sweet idea Claire! I am sure your niece will love her (eventually!) 🙂
Feel free to send me a picture!
<3 Hannah
I love Nessie! Thanks for sharing your ideas and the pattern, I'm gonna make one soon! How much stuffing does it require? It only says "one bag", but they come in different sizes and weights. Do you remember how much you used?
So glad you like her! 🙂
I don't know the exact size I got, but sometimes I just buy the cheap $3 pillows from Walmart and use those instead, and I would say that two of those should work. I did use grocery bags in the back to make it more solid too.
Hope that helps!
Thank you! I'm almost finished now, it took me about 3 small pillows (not from Walmart)! 🙂
I am totally making this- but now can you do a narwhal? 😉
Haha! Yes! I'll go out and get the material soon! 🙂
I love this, but when I print it the pattern is so pale it doesnt show (it shows as light gray on the screen). Is there any way I can make it darker? Thank you so much for sharing!
Hmm, does your printer have an option to make things darker? Check your settings, because it should be dark enough to show up. You could always bring it in to a printer if yours is having issues. Send me an email if you can't get it to work & I will send you a darker version. welivedhappilyeveraftertheblog@gmail.com
Hope that helps!
I got it working! Thank you! going to make it tonight 🙂
THANK YOU! My mom is hosting her Family Reunion and celebrating our Scottish heritage. She is going to have a scavenger hunt to find "Nessie". I'm going to make this for her as their prize.
That is an adorable idea! How fun! So glad you like the pattern! Send me pictures! 🙂
Would you mind sharing the link to the etsy shop that you purchased the felt at? My mom's group is going to be doing this as a craft project and we'd love to know!
Of course! Here is the link: Originally, the felt was called Ocean Kelp, but I didn't see that listed, but this one is either the same felt with a new name, or a very similar color. If you want the exact color, I would just send her a quick convo to verify that it is the same one.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/95952742/blue-spruce-wool-felt-blend-fabric?ref=shop_home_active_21
Send me pictures once you are done! XOXO!
Hannah,
Your designs are so cute! I really want to start sewing things like this, and your tutorials are really easy to follow and so simple for something so complicated. I now have a use for all the left over t-shirts/fabrics/anything that I have lying about. I can just turn them into miniature toys! Aw!
Thanks again!
Alice xx
That is exactly how I started out too, just using what I had on hand! Haha! 🙂
So glad you like it & that it looks simple- I do my best to make things easy!
XOXO Hannah
Olá!
Hannah tu vendes eses muñecos no Etsy ó DaWanda ó en algun otro site de ventas online? gustaria de saber precios….São encantadores…precioso……besos
Not right now- but that may change in the future! 🙂
Thank you so much for this! My son is obsessed with all things Nessie, so I think I'm going to have to make him one. It will make his year! LOL
It's really nice to see a hand-stitched project. As a girl without a machine, I'm enjoying mooching through your pictures without wondering how to adapt the instructions! Lovely creature.
Yes, when technology fails you, the good old fashioned ways work just as good- just a little slower! Lol! 🙂
Thanks for your sweet comment! Xoxo
Thank you so much for sharing! I made this for my 9 month old daughter yesterday and she loves it! I'd share a photo but sadly I don't know how.
Aww! That makes me so happy! Feel free to post a photo on my facebook page. xoxo
This is inspiration for my boys new room colour palette (ages 10 and 8, so it works for any age!). You can check it out on Pinterest (Charish Bishop… Boys room ideas).
I will definitely be making this. I'm thinking about adding gill-wings and some antennae to make her a sea-dragon. 🙂
This is so cute! My Moms group has an event planned for this weekend and there are 12 of us making Nessie's! We will try to send you a picture. Also, can you tell me how much stuffing we need per Nessie? I have no idea how much to buy. Thanks!!
I used Walmart pillows- the cheap ones for $3- and about three or four of those would work. I would suggest getting several of the large $10 bags of poly fill from Walmart and taking back whatever you don't use. It's better to over fill your Nessie than to under stuff! Send me pictures! 🙂
this is too cute!! i'm so gonna make one for my dorm room!
I'm not crafty with sewing at all, but this looks doable to me! And my 4 month old son's room is underwater themed so it would go perfectly! I have the fabric; I just need to get the stuffing, and I'll be making this! Thank you so much for the awesome tutorial!
No problem! 🙂
I'm definitely a crafter but have never learned how to sew. This project looks like a good place to start! What do you think, Hannah? Is this a good project for a beginner? Also, do you know about how long it took you to hand-stitch the whole thing? I want to make sure I can have it done by my niece's birthday party 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Brooke, This would be a great beginners sewing project, as it is really straight forward. It took me several hours, spanned out between two days (mainly because I had to photograph all the steps 🙂
Hope that helps!
XOXO Hannah
I made this for my sons first birthday, IT came out so adorable Thank you!
Hi Hannah,
Nessie is adorable! I'm teaching myself how to hand stitch – do you know what the type of stitch you used is called?
Thank you!
That's wonderful! The type of stitch I used for this project is called an "overcast stitch" which basically loops around the edges of the fabric.
Hope that helps!
Thank you! Is there any reason you chose the overcast stitch over a backstitch? Do you think either stitch would work well or do you think the overcast stitch is the most appropriate/durable for the project?
Honestly, it's up to you. Use whatever stitch you think holds up best for the type of fabric you use. I liked how it held up for me. XO
Thanks for doing this tutorial! I'm definitely trying it 🙂 I was just wondering if you think it's possible to do this using regular cotton/polyester fabric instead of felt? Is there a particular reason why you chose to do so with felt?
Hi Michelle, Yes! It is totally possible to use fabrics other than felt for this pattern. The main reason I used felt, was because I was asked to do this tutorial to be highlighted in BuzzFeed for av"felt animal" collection they were doing.
I did like working with this particular felt, as it was very easy to hand stitch with, (and forgiving where my sewing wasn't perfect) but the felt itself ages quicker with vigorous play than regular fabric does.
Hope that helps!
XO
This tutorial was great! I've never made a stuffed toy before so I was worried it wouldn't turn out well…but it looks awesome! Thanks, my newborn cousin will love it!
I am in the middle of making one myself, and I am currently sewing the flippers onto the body!!! She looks great, thanks so much for the pattern and clear instructions!!
Just wanted to drop you a line and say thanks for the inspiration! I had all these plans to print out the patterns and all that and then I just went crazy and decided to do the massive Pokémon version of a sea monster. My girls are just nuts about him. Thanks for the idea!
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/548102217122422749/
MIL gracias por este hermoso DIY!!! me salió muy lindo!!! gracias, gracias, gracias!!!
Wow, this Nessie is just perfect! I made one for my son for his second birthday and he instanly sat on i, as he's never done anything else in his life. And at one point he took it under his arm and strolled away!
Today he is also finding new and different ways to sit and lay on it. I think the shape is genius, it really stimulates the childs sense of imagination. Well done and thank you for sharing!
I'd love to do this for my new neice, but I've never sewn before! It seems pretty simple, and I looked up a tutorial on how to sew a pillow closed for the back seam. But I'm not sure how to sew on the flippers or the hearts. Do you have any more details about that?
It is really easy, believe me! Try out your stitching before hand if you like. That way you will be able to know how secure your stitches are.
For the hearts, look up how to sew on patches.
For the flippers, you just pre-sew them as shown, and then stitch them on by hand after.
Hope that helps! XO
Love little Nessie! I am having trouble trying to print out the pattern however. It is only printing our half of the pattern. What am I missing?
Is it printing the size wrong? If that's the case, then make sure your printer is scaled to "fit to page."
The link for downloading the pattern isn't working. Am I missing the link?
It should be… here it is in case:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/vkyeywtwzh3a66c/Loch%20Ness%20Monster%20PDF%20Pattern%20(2).pdf?dl=0
Let me know if you are still having problems! 🙂
Hi! I'm so excited to make this for my niece but I was wondering; what width is the fabric (that you recommend 1-1.5yards)? I only ask because whilst I'm sure it's standard width I'm in the UK so worried sizes might be different and I'm going to order the fabric online probably.
Also, is it a particular type of felt? The kind of felt I'm imaging might not withstand jumping on? I'm wondering whether to make it out of a different type of fabric to be more sturdy (and also a little cheaper as felt in large is kinda expensive here)
Sorry for all the questions!
I didn't measure the width- sorry! And the girl I bought it from isn't in business anymore. It should all be standard though. (The width of a bolt is usually 45 or 60 inches)
If you are expecting heavy play, I would recommend using upholstery fabric, as it is way more durable. Honestly, the felt didn't last very long with my daughter's vigorous use. Which is why I plan to use a heavy duty fabric when I re-do it for her.
Hope that helps!
Yes very much! I got some 45" chunky cotton corduroy which I think will work well. I did consider buying some wool felt but I figured the cotton corduroy would be easier to wash/maintain if it did last. The metre was more than enough (although I think if you wanted to do it quicker to be able to cut it doubled up so the lines were perfectly lined up on the corduroy the 1.5yards would probably make it much quicker and easier). Going to dig my overlocker (!) out of the cupboard so I added 1/2" to the pattern for seam allowance, will let you know how it goes!
Muchísimas gracias por compartir ideas tan maravillosas, es el regalo perfecto para navidad, lo haré tenlo por seguro
desde Colombia thankss!!
It's the best handmade toy ever i seen. It's so nice,i will follow this tutorial and make one like this as Christmas gift for my kid. Thank you so much for nice tutorial.
Hi there, I use a sewing machine and do not hand sew, can I make the item this way? I love it by the way x
Of course you can make it with a sewing machine! Have fun! 🙂
Your Nessie is adorable!!! I have been trying to download & print the pattern for my grandson's 1st birthday present but it will only print the first page!!! Can you email the pattern to me? loisgig@yahoo.com. His birthday is February 9th! I know he will love it!!! Thanks!!
Yeah I'm gonna make a gigantic one for my bedroom! I'm thinking about using about 3 yards instead of 1.5, and try to make it twice the size because I'm older. I'm so excited!
That's awesome! Send me a picture when you are done! XO
This is adorable! I've seen it a few times around the web! So cute!
Aww! Thanks! <3
Hi Hannah I love this project and I really want to make one for my daughter. Is there anyway you can send me the pattern in black and white? The color you use is too light and my printer won't work. I would really appreciate it. 🙂 kjv08@hotmail.com
Thank you, I am looking forward to making this. Is there a reason why you used a blanket stitch rather than a ruing back stitch?
I apologize if this has been asked and answered, but has anyone tried different fabric, perhaps minky or fleece? My family is from Scotland so kilts and Nessie are favorites of my preschooler, but she has sensory issues and I wondered if a softer fabric would work for this? It is an adorable project.
I'm sure you could use an alternative fabric. 🙂
I made this with fleece, because I happened to have several yards of seafoam green fleece. Came out fantastic and is really soft.
Made this over a year ago and my daughter still loves it and plays with it all the time, she and her brother ride it. Its had a few repairs overtime, but overall has held up well! Thank you for the pattern! It has brought a lot of joy to my children. Next up, the dinosaur!
That's great to hear! So glad your kids love it! XO
I love the idea of a softie that is large enough for kids to ride on – so clever!!
Hello! I just made the lochness and the pink baby dino that you have up. I used polar fleece for both of them, since it was on sale a while ago. I also cut out little spikes for the dino, I got a cool spotted pattern for nessie. Mine are boy colors though for my little man. He is 15 months now, I know when he wakes up in the morning and sees them he is going to lose his mind! His room is going to be hunting/camo themed and I'm so excited to make the head mounts that you have. Your tutorials are written so well and are so easy to follow. Thank you for doing what you do, and thank you to your husband for his service. <3
That's awesome! I would love to see pictures! 🙂
I'm making a little tiny black one for my brother to have on his desk. :3
I love it! I'll make one for my god daughter! Thanks for sharing!
hi! I have all the materials for this project and was since I am machine sewing, should I add seam allowance?
Sure. 🙂
Thank you so much for posting this! I love the sweet little face, and the round, plushy body! Making one for myself (I do not have kids yet) to snuggle on those down days, or any day! I think everyone needs a Loch Ness Hug!
Do check out my blog! quirkyadeventures.blogspot.ca
OMG Hannah,
das ist soooo schön. Leider kann ich nicht so gut englisch, aber mit dieser tollen Foto Anleitung werde ich klar kommen. Vielen Dank für diese Möglichkeit. Meine Kinder sind schon erwachsen und ich warte nun darauf für kommende Enkel nähen zu können.
Liebe Grüße,
Almut
Great pattern! Do you know the dimensions by chance? I'm wondering if it is the same size as the long neck dinosaur. Thanks!
Great pattern! Do you know the final dimensions? I'm guessing it is the same size as your long neck dino, but just wanted to check. Thanks!
Yep- they are the same! 🙂
This was my first major sewing project. I barely know how to sew and I had never worked with a pattern but I gave it a shot. It was a great pattern to work with and I was able to hand sew it. It really didn't take that long. I made Nessie purple because it's my little boy's favorite color. He's nine months and loves to climb on Nessie. Thank you for the pattern/tutorial!
I'm so happy to have found your site. This is a beautiful tutorial. I'm drafting the pattern this evening and will hopefully finish the project in time for my son's 1st birthday on Tuesday. Thanks so much for sharing. I love it!
what color felt did you use? im trying to match it, but i cant seem to get quite spot on
I linked to your tutorial on my "Baby DIYs you can do BEFORE you find out the gender" Round up: https://aredheadmarriedageek.wordpress.com/2016/02/13/roundup-baby-diys-you-can-do-before-you-find-out-the-gender/. Let me know if this isn't okay.
I'm excited to make a Nessie for my little one soon!
Hello, i know this post is super old but this is literally the cutest thing i've ever seen and will attempt to make one for a friend who is expecting a little monster of her own soon. I had a question though. would it work to sew and stuff the flippers first and then place them between the belly and sides as you are sewing them together so they are sewn into the body and dont have to be attached seperately? i dont own a machine and my sewing skills are -meh- so i would feel safer sewing them into the body. but i wondered if there was a reason you chose to attach them seperately
Hey Amanda! Thanks! 🙂
I don't see any reason why that wouldn't work. Go for it! 🙂
XO Hannah
Should the felt be washed before cutting and sewing?
If your felt can be washed- sure. 🙂
I love this project, it's almost done. I'm having trouble sewing on the flippers, any helpful suggestions? I sew and sew and sew, but I know they're gonna take some heavy use and they just don't seem all that secure. HELP, want to send this to my grandson soon.
Great fun pattern! I had some difficulty "securely" sewing on the flippers at the end of the project, they just didn't seem like they'd take a lot of usage. I performed surgery on the Nessie, unstitched belly, unstuffed and then sewed the flippers into the belly/side seams, restuffed and sewed her back up. It worked great! I even showed "surgery" of it all to my friends on Facebook. Your pattern got great raves! Can't wait for my grandson to get it and start pouncing!!!
My bestfriends started calling me Nessie/Ness more than a year ago and it stuck with me. I'm having a god-daughter in a couple month and couldn't be happier with this idea!! I'm soooo gonna start sewing and this is going to be one of my first projects 🙂 Thanks!!
Hi Hannah, I thought that this was such a cute idea, although, I am using cotton instead of felt, and I was wondering if you think that using interfacing would be greatly beneficial.
thanks x
I'm making this for my nephews first birthday 🙂 I can't wait to make it and I can't wait to give it to him!!! Thanks so much!!!!!
Hi Anonymous: I used a lightweight upholstery fabric and sewed in that triple special stitch that's on my sewing machine. I can see that, with use, the material is starting to give already. I would be leary of using cotton, even with interfacing, it may not be sturdy enough, I believe that's why Hannah suggests felt. The little Nessy gets a lot of use! My grandson absolutely loves it!!! I may have to make another if it falls apart – and I will definitely use felt or another very sturdy fabric. Best of luck, it's a fantastic project!
is there a trick to getting the pattern to print? it just prints out blank pages and i would love to make this!
Hey! Make sure your printer is printing it to fit on your paper… that's the only thing I can think of that would be going on from my side. Hope that helps!
I'll be trying this out as a Christmas pattern! I'm very excited about your pattern! 🙂
Do you think fleece would be more durable than felt?
Ok this might seem like a silly question but you said to "attach the pieces as shown above". Did you leave a space like you did in the photo or are do the colored parts of the pattern butt up against each other? Btw, I love this pattern and so does my daughter-in-law. She's the one who directed me to it, so I could make it for her, lol.
The lines are just there to show you how they attach. 🙂
Hope that helps!
Thanks so much! I used your post as inspiration for my mini Nessie for #sewasoftie and we think she’s adorable! Finished her up just in time to accompany our family to the Flagstaff Highland Games and Celtic Festival this coming weekend!
What are the sizes for the pattern?
This one is so cute <3
I'm so gonna make this for a friend's birthday, she loves Nessi.
Btw, would you be cool with it, if I post the results on Instagram? Are you on there by any chance so I can send people your way? If not imma link this blog so they can find you <3
Of course! Post away! I would love to see it- tag me @welivedhappilyeverafter
Hi Hannah .. Thank you for share. I have done for my son . He love it . Do you have any tips to keep the neck firm ? Thanks
So glad you like it! You can always put something like a dowel or pint stick up the neck and stuff around it- that way it will stand upright.
Thanks for this awesome pattern! I made one for my own boy, and it gets lots of love. Friends have requested them… I am making my third one!
Fleece works great as the main body. I like to used a pattern belly and a pool noodle for the neck.
🙂
This is so cute! I was just wondering if this could be done on a machine owoukd it hold up better if it was hand stitched?
Thanks so much for the pattern and the tutorial. I made my first stuffed toys ever (made 2, for my nephews -smaller versions, of course) and they look amazing!
Whats the code? It is mot sending to my email
I see you got the email with the password. Enjoy!
Hi there. I’m making this for my own almost 2 yr old for this weekend – I have all the felt but cant seem to open the pattern to print. I’m so sorry to bother but looks like you offered to send to some others – could I also ask for a copy? I tried to email but it was returned to me.
many many thanks!!!
I figured out what I was doing wrong! thank you so much!
Trying to download the cute Nessie pattern but when I click on the .pdf icon, the screen goes blank. I’ve tried it 4 times now & it’s blank each time. Not sure what’s going on. Is there another way to download the pattern?
Hi there,
I loved the Nessie Loch Ness Monster!
I am so loving this little monster. Making it for grown daughter and my soon to be born little grandson… thank you so much for providing this patterm, it’s just awesome. As mentioned before already, I’m sewing the flippers between the belly and the body, as I do with most plushies that I’m marking. Again, loving this!
I enjoyed your Loch Ness Dino for my great granson, he loved it and dragged it all around during Christmas visit… would love to send photo but I don’t see a place to attach it… thank you for helping put a smile on my one and only great grandson…
With this shape you can also make it into a graff! Last year my sister in law had her son, 3 months later I had a son of my own. THEN 9 days later another sister in law had her daughter! Lots of babys :). This patter will be a great present for all 3. I might even make a pink one. Thanks for the pattern!!!
I adore it !! I will probably try it for my nephew
Thank you so much 🙂
What a lovely creation
I made Nessie about 5 years ago when my son was only 1 (this review is so long overdue) but it was such a hit!! The instructions were so easy to follow – thank you!
This is sooo cute! Thanks for sharing! It’s nice and simple, too, perfect for a beginner like myself! I was wondering though, if it’s not too much trouble, could you share slightly smaller version of the pattern or tell me how I might shrink it? I believe it would be too big for my nephews (by which I mean my buzz-kill brother and sister-in-law probably wouldn’t approve.) Thanks again!
This is the cutes I will make in for my younger sister I think just I need lots of fabric!
Shopping time! Thank you so much for this idea!
This is the cutest! I think I’ll make one for my younger sister! Thank you for the idea!
❤️Sylivia
Hi Hannah, I was just wondering what size the patterns are, I wanted to make one for my sister for secret Santa.
Thanks.
Hi Hannah a was just wondering what the exact sizes are for the patterns. Thank you. Soooooo cute.
Thank you for the Nessie pattern – is it possible to print instructions, as I will not have my computer to watch the screen at every step. I’m new here, I signed up for your newsletter.
My daughter-in-law just sent me the link to Nessie. Our grandson is due in February and Nessie will be waiting for him in his bedroom when he arrives 😍.
My preschooler read a book about Nessie and recently announced Santa would be bringing him a real Nessie stuffed animal. With no time to get one online and no real good options anyway I’m so grateful for your tutorial! Due to size I didn’t use the pattern but it really helped to envision how to put it all together! Thank you!!!