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Skully

About Skully

A FreeSewing pattern for skully, our logo, a plushy toy.

Designer Notes​

Version 3 of FreeSewing needed something special. We've had the Skully logo on all sorts of goodies. From measuring tapes to buttons, to cards. And Skully is all over the web site.

But they are just a logo. There is no Skully you can pick up and hold. That is, until now.

I wanted to make a Skully in 3D and give it to Joost for all of his work on the new site. And I couldn't do that without making a sewing pattern for it too. So this was the goal.

I bought a plastic skull, a skull plushy (which I hated once I started looking at it more), and found a pattern for a skull. And I didn't like that pattern either.

So what I ended up doing was taking paper, cutting it into pieces that were taped onto the plastic skull, and manipulated with darts and seams until I had something that looked somewhat like a skull. And with enough tweaking, I ended up with something that can be stuffed and maintain a shape that is a reasonable representation of Skully in 3D.

The first real version that was not made for testing got decorated with hair, and together with a large needle was send to Belgium. After sitting at a Belgium customs office for 4 weeks, and some phone calls from me, urging them that it was not a thread to national security, it was delivered to Joost.

And now you too can make a Skully.

Wouter.

What You Need​

To make Skully, you will need the following:

note

This list is based on a default Skully and you may need less or more fabric dependant on the size you are making Skully.

For instance a 300% Skully will need 1.5 meters (0.5 meter x 300% = 1.5 meters) and a 50% skully will need 0.25 meters (0.5 meter x 50% = 0.25 meters).

Fabric Options​

Main Fabric​

This plush toy is best made from a felt type of fabric. This will provide extra rigidity to keep the shape correct, while still allowing it to be a plush toy. Thin and stretchy fabrics are not well suited, because the shape will change considerably due to tensions from the stuffing.

Hair​

Skully needs hair. Embroidery floss works very well, and can be had in all colors.

Stuffing​

Since this is a plush toy, it will need to be stuffed with material. Most of the time you'll want to use polyester fiberfill (polyfill), but if you have a lot of fabric scraps, you can use shredded scrap fabric. However this may be heavier and less soft than fiberfill. It's also worth thinking about whether your Hi may be at risk of getting dirty, or want to go for a swim, as not all stuffing options are washable.

Needle​

Skully has traded his sword for a needle. A needle this size is mostly sold as upholstery needles. This will come in handy when doing some of the touch-ups at the end of the construction.

Cutting Instructions​

  • Main Fabric
    • Cut 2 Cheek
    • Cut 2 Forehead
    • Cut 2 Head part 1
    • Cut 2 Head part 2
    • Cut 2 Head part 3
    • Cut 2 Cheekbone
    • Cut 1 Upper Mouth
    • Cut 1 Jaw Floor
    • Cut **2 Eye **
    • Cut **1 Lower Mouth **
    • Cut **2 Lower Jaw **