Make Liz the Stuffed Jackson Chameleon

Here’s what you’ll need to get started.

Materials and Tools

• Fabric
  • Lime Green Fleece - 1/3 yard
  • Yellow Fleece - 20” x 8”
  • Dark Green Fleece - 4” x 6”
• Thread
  • Lime Green
  • Yellow (optional)
• Craft Paint
  • Orange
  • Black
  • White
• Sewing Machine (recommended)
• Sewing Needle
• Sewing Scissors
• Sewing Pins
• 4 Safety Pins (optional)

Instructions

Step 1: Print sewing pattern

Print the PDF pattern at 100% scale.

Step 2: Cut out pattern

Cut along the solid lines to prepare the pattern. Assemble larger pattern pieces by lining up the dashed lines and taping the pieces together.

Step 3: Lay out pattern

Place each pattern piece on the fabric and trace the outline with a fabric marking or chalk pencil*. Each pattern is marked with the intended fabric color and quantity of pieces, if more than one.

*You can use just about anything, really, but make sure it won’t bleed through your fabric or smudge onto everything else. You can also just pin the pattern to your fabric while you cut, but it’s harder to keep track of lines.

Step 4: Cut fabric to pattern

Cut around each pattern piece leaving about half an inch of fabric around each edge. (This will go in the seams.)

Step 5: Sew

Once everything is cut out, it’s time to assemble! Start with the dorsal crest, horns, arms, and legs.

5.1 Dorsal Crest (yellow)

Line up and pin the two pieces together. Sew the zig-zagged side together, stitching as close to the edge as possible. (This can be tricky on a machine, so you may prefer hand stitching this with a simple whipstitch.)

5.2 Horns (yellow)

Fold each piece in half and stitch up the side. Use a pen or chopstick to turn right side out with the seams inside. Set aside for painting.

5.3 Arms (lime green)

Line up and pin these pieces together in pairs and stitch together to the dotted line, leaving the shoulder open. Use a pen or chopstick to turn right side out with the seams inside.

5.4 Legs (lime green)

Line up and pin these pieces together in pairs. Keeping the feet even, slide one side of each pair down to create a bulge where the ankle would be. This will make the foot turn out instead of lying flat. Pin in place and stitch together to the dotted line, leaving the hip area open. Use a pen or chopstick to turn right side out with the seams inside.

5.5 Belly (dark green)

Next, attach the belly to the underbody. With the unmarked sides of the fabric facing upward, line up the top of the oval about 1 inch below the notches of the jaw. Pin in place and stitch around the circumference of the belly, then stitch five seams across the stomach equally spaced across the length of the belly.

5.6 Back (lime green)

Line up the two sides and find your dorsal crest. Carefully insert the crest between the two sides. The finished (zig-zagged) side should be hidden between the two sides leaving enough space for the seam along the neck. Pin in place and stitch along the full length of the seam.

5.7 Head and Lobe (lime green)

Line up the two face pieces and sew along the curviest line. Open with the seam facing upward and line up the longer end on top of the outer edge of the crest. Pin in place and stitch together.

5.8 Attach Head to Back

Line up the inner edge of the crest with the top of the back, making sure the dorsal crest points out in between the two pieces. Stitch.

5.9 Complete Body

Line up one side of the back and head with the underbelly. Carefully insert one arm and leg into the seams approximately 1.5 inches and 7 inches from the neck, respectively. Make sure the arm and leg lie flat between the two body pieces and are facing the correct direction. One flap should go into the seam (on the belly side) and the other should fold back outside of the seam. This will be attached to the outside of the body later. 

Pin in place and stitch down the length of the body. Repeat with the other side, leaving a three-inch gap unstitched just behind the back leg. Turn the entire creature inside out.

Step 6: Stuff

Begin by filling the extremities and small features with fiber fill, pushing it in with a pencil or chopstick if necessary. Work your way outward, squishing the plush from the outside to even out the filling. Once you’re happy with the feel, stitch up the remaining openings with a needle and thread. 

Use an overcast stitch to sew the arms and legs to the body at the hip and shoulder. Use a slip stitch or invisible stitch to sew up the main opening behind the leg.

Step 7: Paint details

7.1 Horn

Place your horns in a stable location. (I suggest inserting three chopsticks into a cup or a piece of floral foam, then placing a horn on the end of each.) Paint the base of each horn orange (about 20-25% up) then paint a stripe halfway up the remaining space.

7.2 Face

Place your assembled plush in a stable location. Paint two white circles on the face. Let dry, then paint to smaller black circles inside to form the irises. 

Step 8: Attach horns

Once the paint is completely dry, attach the three horns to Liz’s face using a simple overcast or whip stitch.

Ta da! You’ve got a new friend. High five, y’all.

Show us how you did by tagging us @themaddollar and #makeitmad (Just make sure your post is public so we can see it.)