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Free fox sewing pattern – How to sew a fox plush toy

Quick, quilted and totally huggable – make your own fox plush toy from fabric with our step by step guide

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Published: August 2, 2021 at 9:06 pm

Make your very own fox plush toy with our free sewing pattern – complete with a sweet embroidered face and quilted finish. It's the perfect Autumnal woodland craft project to curl up with and sew –make him as a gift, to decorate a nursery or play room, or just because he's cute. Add a white tip to make a fox's distinctive tail. The ears and tail are attached by being sewn into the seams – to limit the chances of them being pulled out, it's important to over-sew the joins as you do this bit.

We've got together with Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine to bring you this fab fox sewing pattern. This DIY fox plush toy was designed by Jo Carter – see more of Jo's brilliant toy designs on her website twoowlsdesign.co.uk. If you're new to sewing, you might find some of our starter guides useful – head over to our sewing for beginners article or step by step tutorial – how to use a sewing machine.

For more fun making your own toys, head to our favourite free toy sewing patterns, including our personal favourite – this free rabbit sewing pattern.

Materials used

Free fox stuffed animal pattern

  • Before you begin, download our free fox sewing pattern templates (PDF) – note these were first published in our sister magazine, Love Patchwork & Quilting. You'll need to use all the templates for the fox but please ignore the stray bear ear! You won't need that here, but if you'd like to sew a bear, you might like our free teddy bear sewing pattern!

Finished size

9in tall x 9in wide approx

quilts

How to make a DIY Fox Plush

You will need:

  • Fabric ((orange and white))
  • Wadding
  • Polyester toy stuffing
  • Embroidery Thread ((black))
  • Needle
  • Sewing machine
  • Thread
  • Scissors

Cutting out

Step 1

From the orange fabric cut:

  • One (1) Fox Front Body.
  • Two (2) Back Body – you will need to cut one as the template and one mirrored piece.
  • One (1) Fox Upper Face.
  • Two (2) Fox Ear – you will need to cut one as the template and one mirrored piece.
  • One (1) Fox Lower Tail.

Step 2

From the white fabric cut:

  • Two (2) Fox Lower Face – you will need to cut one as the template and one mirrored piece.
  • Two (2) Fox Ear – you will need to cut one as the template and one mirrored piece.
  • One (1) Fox Tail Tip.

Making the fox's head

Step 1

Right sides together, sew a lower face piece to the corresponding side of the upper face (Fig 1).

Fabric fox plush pattern figure 1
Figure 1

Repeat for the other side. Sew the two lower face pieces together where they meet in the middle of the face and then finger press this seam open.

Step 2

Sew the face to the top of the front body RST and press the seam open (Fig 2). 

Fabric fox plush pattern figure 2
Figure 2

Quilt the body pieces together as follows: Right side up, place the front body on top of a piece of wadding that is larger on all sides. Quilt as desired to join the layers together, avoiding the areas indicated (Fig 3) – clipping at a later stage may damage any quilting stitches made there. Trim away the excess wadding. Quilt the two back body pieces in the same way

Fabric fox plush pattern Figure 3
Figure 3

Step 3

Select an orange ear piece for the back and a white one for the front, ready to make the ears. Place two mirror-image ear pieces one on top of the other (right sides together) and then place both on top of a piece of wadding that is larger on all sides. Sew all three layers together around the sides and then trim away the excess wadding.

Clip the seam allowance at the tip of the ear, taking care not to clip any stitching (Fig 4).

Fabric fox plush pattern Fig 4
Figure 4

Turn the right way out and quilt the ear as desired (Fig 5). Repeat to make the remaining ear.

Fabric fox plush pattern Figure 5
Figure 5

Make the tail

Step 1

Right sides together, sew the tail tip to the lower tail (Fig 6)

Fabric fox plush pattern Figure 6
Figure 6

Right side up, place the tail on top of a piece of wadding that is larger on all sides. Quilt as desired and then trim away the excess wadding. Fold the tail in half, RST, and sew together leaving the bottom end open (Fig 7).

Fabric fox plush pattern 7
Figure 7

Clip ‘V’ shape notches around the curve and then turn the right way out. clipping the seam allowance at the tip of the tail before turning the right way out (Fig 8).

Fabric fox plush pattern Figure 7
Figure 8

Make the face

Step 1

Using a removable fabric marker, draw out the eyes, nose and mouth as a guide on to your fox's face and use this as a guide to embroider the facial features, using black embroidery thread.

Assemble your fox plush toy

Step 1

With the white fronts of the ears against the right side of the upper face, baste the ears in place between the marker and the side corner of the upper face just inside the seam allowance (Fig 9).

Fabric fox plush pattern Figure 8
Figure 9

Step 2

Baste the tail to the right side of one of the back body pieces in between the corresponding markers. Place one back body piece on top of the other RST and starting at the top, sew together along the straight edge for approximately 3in, pause to increase the stitch length to the longest setting and then continue for a further 2in before returning to the normal stitch length to complete the rest of the seam (Fig 10).

Figure 10
Figure 10

Step 3

Right sides together, sew the front and back body together taking care to move the tail out of the way of the seam. Clip the seam allowance at the internal corners and clip ‘V’ shaped notches in the curves taking care to avoid the stitching (Fig 11).

Fabric fox plush pattern Figure 11
Figure 11

Step 4

Open the longer stitches in the back body to allow for turning and then turn the right way out and stuff. Close the opening in the back using ladder stitch or similar.

Fox stuffed toy pattern

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