Nose and Eyes OPTIONS

• Use the pattern markings on the pillow body to embroider the nose and eyes.
• OPTIONAL – Use fabric and iron-on adhesive. For this method, trace the pattern pieces onto your fabric. Apply the iron-on adhesive to your fabric pieces and cut out, making sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Iron these pieces onto the body in the positions indicated by the pattern markings.
• OPTIONAL – Use the cut files with a die cutting machine and iron-on adhesive the vinyl pieces using the pattern markings.

Place the inner ear right side up onto the right side of the outer ear. Pin. Topstitch around the inner ear.

NOTE – The edge of the inner ear may fray if just topstitched so we’ve listed other options.

OPTIONAL – Press the raw edges back ¼ inch to the wrong side first, then topstitch to outer ear.

OPTIONAL – Iron interfacing to inner ear. Use a quilting stitch around the inner ear, to stitch it to the outer ear, for a fun decorative option.

With right sides together, stitch the outer ears together.

Clip the top point. Turn the ear right sides out and press.

OPTIONAL – Topstitch around the ear.

Repeat steps 1.1 to 1.3 for the other ear.

Fold each ear in half lengthwise. Baste together at ¼ inch.

TIP – If you haven’t done basting before, it is just like normal stitching except the stitches need to be long and loose so that you can remove them later, if needed. The idea is that you stitch within the seam allowance, so you don’t see the basting stitch in the final pillow, but loose enough to pull out just in case they are visible. The purpose is to hold a piece of fabric in place until you get to the point of stitching that section properly. Set your machine to a long loose stitch. Test it on a piece of fabric first to make sure you can easily remove it later. Do not back stitch at either end. Leave the ends loose and leave approximately 1-inch of thread tails at either end of your stitching.

Find the center of your ear. Center it over the pattern marking, with the folded edge facing the neck. Pin and baste in place.

Repeat to add the second ear to the mirror body piece.

OPTIONAL – If you would like to add a trim to the mane, lay it on the right side of one piece on the long edge. Baste in place at ¼ inch.

Place the two mane pieces right sides together and pin along both short edges and one long edge. Stitch together.

NOTE – If you added a trim, check it is still in place correctly and hasn’t got caught in the side seams.

Clip the corners to create sharper corners to reduce bulk.

Turn the mane right way out and press.

OPTIONAL – Topstitch along all the sewn edges.

OPTIONAL – If you would like to add trim to the bottom of the mane, lay it on the open long edge approximately 1.5 inches/3.8cm from the edge. Wrap the trim around the mane meeting back up where you started. Pin as you go.

Place the end of the trim underneath the piece you started at. Fold the edge of the top trim under by approximately 0.4 inches/1cm, making sure that the pieces still overlap. Stitch down the folded edge and along the long edge.

NOTE – If you use a thicker trim here it may be difficult to sew the mane to the body piece. You could also sew running stitches by hand using embroidery thread to sew the trim to the mane.

We are going to stitch two rows of gathering stitches around the bottom of the mane from side seam to side seam.

Set your sewing machine to a gathering stitch. This will be the longest stitch length possible with no backstitch (also called a locking stitch) at the beginning or end and will have loose tension.  

Depending on your machine you may also need to loosen your bobbin tension.

Stitch your first row of gathering stitches close to the edge of the fabric (approximately ⅛ inch). Stitch your second row of gathering stitches approximately ¾ inch from the edge.

When doing rows of gathering stitches, I like to start at one side seam and sew to the next side seam. Cut your thread, leaving a long tail of thread hanging off. Then stitch again from side seam to side seam.

You should now have two rows of gathering stitches all the way around your mane, each of which run from side seam to side seam.

TIP – Stitch in the same direction for both rows of stitches (e.g. clockwise or counter clockwise). It doesn’t matter which direction so long as both lines of stitches go the same way. It’ll make gathering a lot easier.

TIP – Use a different colored top thread to your bobbin thread. That way you can differentiate them more easily later when you come to gather it. Plus, it’s a great way to use up all those left over bobbin threads I find I have!

Now we are going to attach the right side of the mane to the right side of the body fabric.

Take your mane and pin the edge you ran the gathering stitches on, at the markings on the top and bottom of one body piece. 

We are now going to gather the mane.  Starting at the side seam, find the pair of bobbin threads and gently pull on both equally to gather the mane.

Gather the mane until it fits the body.

You will need to spread the gathering out gently with your fingers, so it looks evenly gathered.

NOTE – You can gather as much or as little as you prefer.

Pin all along the gathered edge to keep the gathers in place. Baste to the body at ¼ inch.

Place the two fringe pieces right sides together. Stitch along the curved edge. 

Trim the seam allowance.

Turn right way out and press. 

OPTIONAL – Topstitch around the sewn edges.

Stitch two rows of gathering stitches along the open bottom edge. 

Find a pair of bobbin threads and very gently pull both equally to gather the fringe.

NOTE – You can gather as much or as little as you prefer.

Place the fringe at the marking on the same body piece you attached the mane to. Baste in place at ¼ inch.

If you are making a horse pillow skip to step 5.

With the horn piece facing right side up, place your trim over the “V” shape at the top of the horn. Stitch in place.

NOTE – If you use a thicker trim here it may be difficult to sew through layers.

Fold the horn in half, right sides together, matching the long straight edges. Stitch down the open side, checking your trim isn’t caught in this seam. 

Turn the horn right way out.

Move your trim out the way. Stuff the horn with your filling.

Pin along the open bottom edge. This will make it easier to sew your trim in place.

Wrap your trim around the outside of the horn in a spiral form, starting at the top and working around until you reach the bottom.

Hand stitch the trim in place.

NOTE – We have shown hand stitching from the bottom, but you may find this easier to do starting at the top.

Remove a pin from the bottom and tuck the end of the trim back inside the horn. Place the pin back in. 

Baste at ¼ inch along the bottom edge of the horn.

Position the horn over the fringe. Baste in place at ¼ inch.  

Place pillows right sides together and pin in place, leaving a 5-inch gap at the bottom for turning the pillow through.

At the mane, fringe, and horn, you will be sewing through multiple layers. Slowly stitch around the unicorn, using a ¼ inch seam allowance. Ensure all the layers are caught. Leave a 5-inch gap open at the bottom.

TIP – Use a walking foot to help feed all the layers while sewing. If you use thick trim, it will affect the ease as there are lots of layers to sew through.

OPTIONAL – If you find it difficult to sew through your layers you can use a wider seam allowance. However, this will change the proportions slightly, making the pillow slightly smaller and the head narrower.

Clip into the curve at the neck. Be careful not to cut into your stitches. 

Use pinking shears to trim the seam allowance all the way around the body.

Turn the unicorn through the gap. 

Add stuffing. If you would like a flatter unicorn for a pillow, stuff it flat. If you would like to use it as a toy, stuff it fuller.

Use a slip stitch (also called a ‘ladder stitch’) to stitch the bottom of the unicorn. 

Your fabric will be folded under by ¼ inch and you will be stitching along the folded edge.     

Thread your needle, tying the two thread tail ends together in a knot. This will provide added strength to your finished seam. 

Push your needle up and through one of the folded seams, from the inside of the pillow to the outside, pulling the thread tail completely through.

Your knotted end will now be nicely concealed within the seam on the inside.

Directly across from your starting point, push the needle down and then back up through the opposite seam fold to create a stitch that is between ⅛ – ¼ inch long. When you pull the thread through, you will notice that the stitch you just made is concealed within the seam crease, and there will be a horizontal stitch connecting the left and right sides of your opening.

Pull the thread through so that it is taut.

Repeat these steps, pinching both sides together as you sew (this will help keep your stitching even), until you reach the end of the opening.

To tighten the stitches, gently pull the thread. This will conceal the stitches in between the seams.

We’ve left the stitches loose in this picture to show you what the ladder stitch looks like. You will be pulling the thread through and taut after each stitch.

To end off you create a loop for your needle to pass through by picking up a tiny section of the opposite seam and passing your needle through the loop. Tighten to form a knot. If you need to reinforce the stitching repeat this step. Snip your threads. 

You will be hand stitching the fringe in place. Fold the fringe down and stitch the top of the fringe to the head of the unicorn.