chibi

DRAGON & UNICORN

plush
backpack
a free sewing pattern by
 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 2 free sewing tutorial

CHIBI DRAGON & UNICORN

plush backpack
Long-time fans of my patterns might recognize this backpack plush style. It's actually the
first draft of my free chibi backpack pattern, which eventually became a Night & Light Fury
duo! Due to popular demand, I've revived this first iteration.
The first version is actually a little smaller than the Toothless version, so be forewarned this
tiny backpack is better suited for holding a phone with a few small essentials.
Also unlike Toothless, this version has a tiny snout and big sparkling eyes, for an especially
babyish look. The cute horns, spikes, wings, and tail additions have also changed slightly, but
still make for a very detailed plush!
It has a zippered pocket in the back of the head, which travels all the way down the body.
The zipper is constructed flat for easier sewing. You also have your choice of quicker
non-adjustable straps or more time-consuming adjustable straps depending on how much
effort you want to invest in the project.

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You may not reproduce, share, freely distribute, or sell this pattern as your own in digital or printed form.
 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 3 free sewing tutorial

difficulty: makes:
One plush backpack: about 12" tall and 8"
wide in the body (not including ears and legs).
This plush is a little difficult because it's About 17" tall for full body including ears and
also a backpack, so it has both plush and legs.
bag-making techniques. But if you have a Zippered pocket is 6½" wide and 11" long.
bit of experience with both it will be a good
challenge.
Knowledge of zippers helps a lot as well as skills used:
sewing tiny pieces. Dragons and unicorns
have a lot of design elements so that can • Fusible web applique
take some time. • Curved sewing
Also, if you're not familiar with bag • Basting
hardware, it's best to stick with the • Zippers
non-adjustable straps. Doing the adjustable • Ladder stitch
version might bump this project up to a 6 if • Bag hardware
it's completely new to you. • Interfacing

materials & tools:

• ½ yd. of fabric for main body • for adjustable straps: 2-3 yds. of
• ¼ yd. of accent fabric for horns 1"-1½" wide strapping/webbing material
• ¼ yd. of accent fabric for spikes or hair (see page 23 for exact measurements)
• 1/3 yd. or one fat quarter of cotton • two tri-glides matching the width
fabric for pocket lining of your webbing
• one 7" long (at least) all-purpose zipper • two rectangular rings matching the
• optional, but highly recommended: width of your webbing
10" x 6" piece of lightweight fusible • applique supplies:
interfacing • dragon eyes: 5” x 5” piece of
• sewing thread to match main fabric and accent applique fabric (such as
applique fabrics cotton, felt, or flannel) for irises, 4"
• poly-fil stuffing x 4" piece of black applique fabric
• basic sewing tools (sewing machine, for pupils, and 3" x 3" piece of white
scissors, iron, needles, pins, fabric applique fabric for eye shines
marker, seam ripper) • unicorn eyes: 6” x 6” piece of
• for non-adjustable straps: 1½-2 black applique fabric (such as
yds. of 1"-1½" wide strapping/webbing cotton, felt, or flannel) for eyes
material (see page 22 for exact and 3" x 3" piece of white applique
measurements) fabric for eye shines
• 7" x 7" scrap of light or heavy duty
fusible web

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You may not reproduce, share, freely distribute, or sell this pattern as your own in digital or printed form.
 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 4 free sewing tutorial

webbing/strapping: tri-glides & rings:

The name for a thick, ribbon-like material used Tri-glides are a type of bag hardware used for
for backpack straps. It comes in both cotton and adjusting the length of straps. They can be found
polyester/nylon versions and varies between 1”-3” in either plastic or metal varieties. You can spot
wide. them by noting the 3 distinctive bars which give
The polyester/nylon versions come in more them their name.
colors. It has a large weave so it can fray easily For use in this project, they also need to be paired
after cutting. It can be purchased by the yard at with rings, which are a more basic shape for
fabric shops -- usually in the notions, with the looping strapping material. Rings can be circular,
elastic, or with the trims. Can also be found by the d-shaped, or rectangular (shown here).
roll online.

suggested fabrics:
Plush, stretchy fabrics such as fleece or minky
faux fur are suggested. The variations of fleece and minky
mentioned to the left would work well, but really
any plushy fabric with a bit of stretch on the
minky crosswise grain would be well-suited.
Stretch fabrics like fleece or minky will create
a more squat, round shape when stuffed.
cuddle fleece Non-stretchy fabrics, like felt or cotton, won’t
stretch when stuffed so the resulting plush will
look elongated as shown.
micro fleece
minky vs. felt
anti-pill fleece

fleece

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 5 free sewing tutorial

printing the pattern:

To print the pattern, set your computer to print pages 34-43. If you’re unfamiliar with printing
and assembling a .pdf pattern, read the steps below.

1 2 3
At the print dialog box, check the box Print the pages needed for the file. You It’s likely your printer will have a
that says print at “Actual Size” or 100%. might have one or more. Either way, margin that ensures your image
Any other selection (such as “Fit to be sure you have the full collection by doesn’t print to the very edge.
page”) will distort the pattern so it’s noting the page numbers in the corner. Assembly will be easier if you trim off
slightly larger or smaller and we don’t this blank margin edge. This will give
want that. you pages that overlap slightly during
assembly. If you trim across the gray
outline boxes, this will give you pages
that don’t overlap but rather butt
against each other.

4 5
To line up the pattern pages, match up the corresponding You can trace the patterns onto a different paper, or you can
diamond shapes. Each diamond will have a letter, so it’s also just cut them straight from the printer paper -- be sure
simply a matter of matching A1 to A2, B3 to B4 and so on. that each piece is fully taped together along the joins so
The faint gray lines indicate the border of every page, you they don’t fall apart when you cut them.
should be able to line those up as well. When the diamond
goes together, tape it in place.
If you have many pages, it’s easier to tape up the pages into
rows first. Then tape the rows together into a full block.

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You may not reproduce, share, freely distribute, or sell this pattern as your own in digital or printed form.
 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 6 free sewing tutorial

cutting the fabric:

1 2 3 4
Place pattern on the fabric, Pin the pattern in place, use Using the paper as a For all fur fabrics, shake the
and make sure the stretch pattern weights, or trace the template, cut out the fabric. excess fuzz away.
line matches the stretch outline of the pattern with a Cut the required amount
of the fabric. The nap line washable marker. according to the pattern.
should go in the direction of
the fur.

cutting layout example: dragon

ST R E TCH
main fabric ½ yd.; 18” long pocket lining

1/3 yd.; 12” long

H H E E N2 N2 I2 I2
A A M M
G RAIN

H H E E
NAP

K I2 I2
J J

G G L O O 15" wide
C2 C2
interfacing
J J 6” long
45" wide
K
horns, muzzle, & belly
¼ yd.; 9” long

P2 R C2
spikes 10" wide
4½” long

D D D D
F
NAP

P2 Q D D D D
NAP

C2
21" wide
22" wide

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 7 free sewing tutorial

cutting layout example: unicorn

pocket lining

1/3 yd.; 12” long

ST RETCH
main fabric

½ yd.; 18” long

K M M

G RAIN
H H
A A F
H H C1 C1
NAP

15" wide
J J
interfacing
G G
L O O E E J J

6” long
E E K
36" wide
10" wide

mane & tail wings, horn, & inner ears

P1
¼ yd.; 9” long

¼ yd.; 9” long
I1 I1
N1 B N1 C1
NAP
NAP

B R I1 I1 C1 Q
20" wide 23" wide

before you begin:

• Briefly read the project instructions so you know what to expect.
• If desired, mark the cut fabric pieces with the markings and symbols from the pattern. Or
wait until the applicable step before transferring.
• Note that a ¼" seam allowance is used throughout the project unless otherwise mentioned.

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You may not reproduce, share, freely distribute, or sell this pattern as your own in digital or printed form.
 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 8 free sewing tutorial

trace onto
paper side hold applique
while pulling
paper away

eyes - black or accent

pupil/nostril - black
eye shine - white
1. prepare the face applique
a. Take your fusible web and trace all of the pieces you want onto the smooth (paper) side. You should
have at least two eyes, two eye shines, and two nostrils. The dragon also has two pupils. You can
add more eye shines based on your preference.
b. Fuse the bumpy (adhesive) side onto the wrong side of your applique fabric. The eyes should go on
an accent color or black, the nostrils also on black, and the eye shines on white.
c. Cut out the eyes and arrange them on the head front (A) piece. Set your paper pattern on top of
the fabric piece (right sides up). Align the eye piece on top where the placement markings are. Then
carefully pull the paper pattern away while holding the applique piece in place.

add smaller add nostrils

fuse eyes pieces next for muzzle
first

2. fuse the applique

a. Fuse the eyes in place with your iron. Use a press cloth (such as a scrap piece of cotton), if you have
fuzzy or polyester fabric. It will help prevent harming or melting the fabric.
b. Next, move onto the pupil and eye shine pieces. Fuse them the same way as you did the eyes, using
the paper pattern and photos as a guide. Repeat with the other eye and the other head front piece.
If you used heavy duty fusible web, you can keep the pieces fused without sewing, or you can sew
them in place a number of ways. I’ve used a zigzag stitch here.
→ Refer to the next step for some other applique options.
c. You can also take this time to add the nostrils to the muzzle piece (Q).

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 9 free sewing tutorial

4
2
straight stitch; applique 3
great for felt whipstitch 1

2a. other applique options

a. Other good options for applique include a straight stitch, which involves sewing around the edge of
the applique pieces with a straight stitch using matching thread -- about 1/8” in from the edge.
b. You can also applique by hand; I prefer a whip stitch. Thread a hand-sewing needle with some
matching thread and knot it. Bring the thread up from the back of the project; about 1/8” in from the
edge of the applique shape. Bring it down perpendicular from the curve, just outside of the applique
shape. This completes one stitch.
c. For the next stitch, bring the needle back up about 1/8” away from the previous stitch and 1/8” in
from the edge just as in the first stitch. Once again, bring it down just outside the applique shape.
Continue this way until you’ve sewn around the shape.

spikes (D): mane (B):

leave open
for turning

leave open
for turning

3. sew the forehead spikes/mane

a. Grab your mane or spike pieces (B or D). Take two of them and align them with right sides facing
and raw edges matching up.
b. Sew them together along the curved edges. Leave the straight edge free for turning it right side out.

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You may not reproduce, share, freely distribute, or sell this pattern as your own in digital or printed form.
 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 10 free sewing tutorial

mane (B):
trim between
spikes 4 spikes
total

4. turn the spikes or bangs

a. Trim the excess seam allowance at the outer and inner corners to help reduce bulk and increase
flexibility when the piece is turned next.
b. for the dragon: Repeat steps 3-4 three more times until you have 4 sets of spikes total. We'll be
using them throughout the project.
c. for the unicorn: You only need one mane (B).

spikes (D): mane (B):

place
spikes on
forehead spike mane
tips point tip points
upward downward

5. baste the spikes or bangs

a. Grab your mane piece or one of your spikes (B or D).
If you haven't already, locate the mane or spike placement line
found on the paper pattern for the head front (A). Place one
end of the spikes or mane against this line so the raw edges
basting:
A form of temporary sewing
match up. meant to hold pieces in place.
b. For the dragon: baste the spikes to the head front. Note that A long stitch length is often
used for this reason. The
they're about 1¼" down from the top corner. Make sure the tips
finished result is not meant to
of the spikes are pointing upward. be seen and sometimes is even
c. For the unicorn: baste the mane to the head front. Note that removed later (depending on
the mane should be about ¼" down from the top corner. Make your project).
sure the tip of the mane is pointing downward.

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// ©2021 Choly Knight // Items sewn using this pattern may be sold. Credit to “Choly Knight” or “Sew Desu Ne?” is appreciated.
You may not reproduce, share, freely distribute, or sell this pattern as your own in digital or printed form.
 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 11 free sewing tutorial

sew
along
notched
edge

6. sew the head front

a. Grab your remaining head front piece (A). Align it over the first with right sides facing and raw
edges matching.
b. Sew the head front pieces together along the notched edge.
c. When complete, the mane or spikes (B or D) should be secured inside the seam.

a. Open up your head front

align spikes on spike tips
pieces (A). Grab two more of side of head point upward
your spike pieces (D).
(After this, there should be
one left, which we'll use on
the tail later).
If you haven't already, locate
the spike placement lines
found on the paper pattern
around the outside of the
head. Place the open end
of your spikes within these
placement lines so the edges
match up and the spike tips
7. baste the side spikes
point upward.
b. Baste the spikes to the
head front within the seam
allowance to hold them for
future steps.

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You may not reproduce, share, freely distribute, or sell this pattern as your own in digital or printed form.
 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 12 free sewing tutorial

a. Grab your ear pieces (C1/2).

Take one from outer ear
8. sew the ears
fabric and one from inner ear
fabric. Align them with right
sides facing and raw edges
matching up.
b. Sew the ear pieces together
along the long curved edge.
Leave the straight edges
align inner with leave open
along the bottom free for outer ear fabric for turning
turning the ears later.
c. Turn the ears right side out
a. b.
and repeat so you have a
matching pair.
fold
d. Fold the ear along the fold with
line following the guide from inner ear
the paper pattern. Fold the fabrics
facing
ear with the inner ear fabrics
facing inward. The raw edges
of the ear should match up
along the bottom. two ears
total

c. d.

folds point toward baste ears to

center of head top of head

baste along
bottom of ear

9. baste the ears

a. Baste the bottom edges of the ear together to hold the fold in place.
b. If you haven't already, locate the ear placement lines found on the paper pattern for the head front
(A). Transfer the lines to the right side of the fabric. Align your ears within these lines so the ear
folds point toward the center.
c. Flip the ears downward so now the inner ear fabric is facing down. Baste the raw edges of the ear to
the head front.

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You may not reproduce, share, freely distribute, or sell this pattern as your own in digital or printed form.
 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 13 free sewing tutorial

two complete
arms
leave open
for turning

10. sew the arms

a. Grab your arm pieces (E). Take two of them and align them with right sides facing and raw edges
matching up.
b. Sew the arm along the long rounded edge. Leave the slanted edge free for turning it right side out
later.
c. Turn the arm right side out and repeat with the remaining arm pieces for two arms total.

stuff
lightly

arms point
place arm against downward
edge of belly

11. baste the arms

a. Stuff the arms lightly with stuffing. Keep it especially light at the opening, as we'll be sewing it to
the belly next.
b. Grab your belly piece (F). If you haven't already, locate the arm placement lines found on the paper
pattern. Transfer them over to the right side of the fabric.
Align the open end of the arm within the lines. Match up the raw edges and have the arm point
down.
c. Baste both arms to the belly within the seam allowance to hold it securely for the next step.

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You may not reproduce, share, freely distribute, or sell this pattern as your own in digital or printed form.
 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 14 free sewing tutorial

a. Grab your side pieces (G).

If you haven't already, note
12. sew the sides
the notch markings found
flip side
on both the belly and side to match
paper patterns. These edges with belly
will be sewn together next.
b. Flip the side so the notched
edge matches with the belly
and right sides are facing. Pin
the fabrics together. match up
notched edges
c. Sew the side to the belly
along this notched edge.
a. b.
Repeat with the other side
piece. arms are secured
between belly and sides
d. When complete, open up the sew
front so far. The arms should sides to
be securely sewn between belly
the belly and side.

c. d.

two
leave open complete
for turning legs

13. sew the legs

a. Grab your leg pieces (H). Take two of them and align them with right sides facing and raw edges
matching up.
b. Sew the leg along the long rounded edge. Leave the slanted edge free for turning it right side out
later.
c. Turn the leg right side out and repeat with the remaining leg pieces for two legs total.

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You may not reproduce, share, freely distribute, or sell this pattern as your own in digital or printed form.
 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 15 free sewing tutorial

stuff
lightly

place legs along legs will point

bottom of body inward when basted
14. baste the legs
a. Stuff the legs lightly with stuffing. Keep it especially light at the opening, as we'll be sewing it to the
front next.
b. Grab your front piece so far. If you haven't already, locate the leg placement lines found on the paper
pattern for both the belly (F) and the side (G). Transfer them over to the right side of the fabric.
Align the open end of the leg within the lines. They should be about centered over the belly seam.
Flip the legs inward so the open edges match up with the raw edges of the body.
c. Baste the leg to the body within the seam allowance to hold it securely for the next step.
Note that the legs point inward when basted so they'll point straight down when flipped later.

unicorn wing (I1): dragon wing (I2):

leave open
for turning
leave open
for turning

trim seam allowance

at corners and curves
15. sew the wings
a. Grab your wing pieces (I1/2). Take two of them and align them with right sides facing and raw edges
matching up.
b. Sew them together along the long pointed edge. Leave the short straight edge free for turning the
wing right side out later.
c. Trim the excess seam allowance near the tight corners and curves. This will decrease bulk and
increase flexibility when the wing is turned later.

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You may not reproduce, share, freely distribute, or sell this pattern as your own in digital or printed form.
 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 16 free sewing tutorial

align edge of
wing along side baste wings
to sides
two
wings

16. baste the wings

a. Turn the wings right side out through the opening you left.
b. Grab your body pieces so far. If you haven't already, locate the wing placement lines found on the
paper pattern for the side (G). Align the open end of the wing within these lines so the raw edges
match up.
c. Flip the wings to the inside and baste the edges within the seam allowance to hold it for future steps.

align head sew head

over body to body
head
front
aligns
with body
front at
neck

17. sew the neck

a. Grab your head front (A) and body piece so far. The curved edges at the bottom of the head and
the top of the body will be sewn together next as the neck.
b. Flip the head so the neck edge lines up with the body. Pin the fabrics together.
c. Sew the head to the body along the neck edge.
Congrats! You just completed the front half of the backpack. Next up is the back half, so now would
be a great time for a break.

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 17 free sewing tutorial

fuse to the fuse one strip

head back top to the head fuse to each
back bottom zipper tab

18. fuse the interfacing

a. If you have fusible interfacing, take this opportunity to fuse it to your fabrics now. Follow the
manufacturer's instructions to secure it to the wrong side of your fabric.
First, fuse it to the wrong side of your head back (top) piece (K).
b. Cut out a 2" strip of the interfacing and fuse it against the straight edge of your head back
(bottom) piece (L).
c. And lastly fuse two bits to the back of your zipper tab pieces (J).

trim zipper to
match pocket align zipper tab sew a tab to
lining over zipper ends each end of
zipper

19. sew the zipper tabs

a. If you have a longer zipper, take this opportunity to trim the ends of it so it matches the short side of
your pouch pocket (M). Make sure not to accidentally cut off the zipper slider.
b. Take one of your zipper tabs (J) and align the short end with the cut end of your zipper with right
sides facing.
c. Sew the tab to the zipper along this edge. Sew very slowly and carefully over the zipper teeth (use
just the hand wheel if necessary to avoid a broken or bent needle). Repeat with the other zipper tab
on the other side of the zipper.
When complete, press the tabs away from the zipper.

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 18 free sewing tutorial

a. Grab your head back 20. sew the zipper to the head bottom
bottom piece (L) and
your zipper with tabs (J) baste zipper to
align zipper over straight
attached. Align the zipper edge of head bottom head bottom
(right side down) over the
straight edge of the head
bottom so the edge of the
tape matches up and the
right sides are facing.
b. Baste the zipper to the head
bottom within the seam
allowance to hold it securely a. b.
for the next step.
c. Align the pouch pocket (M) align pocket
over the zipper tape edge as over zipper
well. Center it over the zipper.
d. Sew the pocket to the zipper
sew through
with a regular ¼" seam all 3 layers
allowance. Sew through all
three layers to secure the
zipper inside.
Press the pocket away from
the zipper.
c. d.
align head back layer another
over head top lining piece on top

sew
through all
3 layers

21. sew the zipper to the head top

a. Grab your head back top piece (K). Take your head back bottom (with pocket attached) and align
the other side of the zipper over the straight edge of the head top. Just like with the bottom, line up
the edges with the right sides of the zipper and backpack fabrics facing.
If desired, baste the zipper in place like in step 20.
b. Take your remaining pouch pocket piece (M) and align a short end along the zipper edge, just like
before in step 19. The right sides of the pocket fabric should be facing.
c. Sew through all three layers of fabric, just like at the end of step 20.

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 19 free sewing tutorial

a. Grab the raw edges of both of

your pouch pocket pieces
(M) and match them up with
right sides facing.
b. Sew the pouch pocket pieces match
together along the sides up the
and bottom. Get as close pocket sew
edges right up
as possible to the zipper to zipper
without actually sewing over teeth
it. Back stitch several times
near the zipper for extra
strength.
This completes the head 22. sew the pocket pouch
back!
→ Note: you could leave an opening in the pouch here for both turning and stuffing the
backpack. However, I find it difficult to get the stuffing smooth and even this way, and prefer
to leave an opening in the back of the neck (step 27) for more control. So it's your choice.

a. Grab your last spike piece

(D). If you haven't already,
locate the spike placement baste last of
lines found on the paper spikes to tail
pattern for the dragon tail
(N2). Transfer them over to
the right side of the fabric.
Align the open end of the
spike within these lines so
the edges match up.
b. Baste the spike to the tail
within the seam allowance to
hold it securely for the next 23. baste the tail spikes
step.

sew desu ne?

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You may not reproduce, share, freely distribute, or sell this pattern as your own in digital or printed form.
 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 20 free sewing tutorial

a. Grab your two tail pieces

(N1/2). Take them both
24. sew the tail dragon tail (N2):

leave
and align them with right open for
sides facing and raw edges turning
aligning.
b. Sew the tail pieces together
along the long curved edge.
Leave the straight edge free
for turning the tail later.
c. Clip the seam allowances at
a. b.
the inner corners and curves unicorn tail (N1):
around the tail piece.
d. Turn the tail right side out leave open
for turning
through the opening at the
base of the tail.

c. d.

stuff lightly
(keep stuffing
mostly in the tip)
align over
body back baste tail
to body

25. baste the tail

a. Stuff the tail lightly with stuffing. Don't go too full here, as the tail will be against your back when
wearing the backpack and you don't want it to be too bulky. Keep most of the stuffing in the tip.
b. Grab one of your body back pieces (O). If you haven't already, locate the tail placement lines found
on the paper pattern. Transfer them over to the right side of the fabric. Align the open end of the
tail (N1/2) between the placement lines. The tip of the tail should point up.
c. Baste the tail to the body back to hold it securely for the next step.

sew desu ne?

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 21 free sewing tutorial

sandwich tail sew through tail is secured

between body pieces all layers inside

26. sew the back

a. Grab your remaining body back piece (O). Layer it over the first so right sides are facing and the raw
edges match up.
b. Sew the body back pieces together along the straight edge (with the tail attached).
c. Open up the back pieces when complete. The tail should be fully secured inside the seam.

leave
head open for
back turning
aligns
with body
back at
neck
align head
over body

27. sew the back neck

a. Grab your head back (K-L) and body back piece so far. The curved edges at the bottom of the head
and the top of the body will be sewn together next as the neck.
b. Flip the head so the neck edge lines up with the body. Pin the fabrics together.
c. If you haven't already, locate the opening for turning markings found on the paper pattern for the
head back bottom (L). Transfer them over to the wrong side of the fabric.
Sew the head to the body along the neck edge, but leave an opening where you marked.
Open up the pieces when complete.
Next up is to add the straps!

sew desu ne?

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 22 free sewing tutorial

steps 27-29: non-adjustable straps

The next 3 steps go over how to make non-adjustable straps. It's a lot easier and faster than the
adjustable version. But if you'd like to try making adjustable straps, skip ahead to step 31.

28. cut the straps

a. Grab your webbing/strapping
material. Cut two straps from it approximate strap length
using the chart as a guide for the size height (cut 2)
length.
child 50"-60" 26"
b. Since the straps are not adjustable,
it's difficult to predict the exact teenager/
60"-64" 30"
size, so it's highly recommended small adult
that you test the fit before moving
past step 30. medium adult 65"-69" 34"
c. If you or the recipient are larger large adult 70"-75" 38"
than the average person of the
suggested height, consider going a
size up.

trace the strap

placement squares

fold end of strap and sew around

align over square folded area

29. attach the straps at the top

a. If you haven't already, locate the strap placement squares found on the paper pattern for the head
back top (K). Transfer them over to the right side of the fabric. An easy way to do this is to cut out
the squares and trace the outlines using a fabric marker.
b. Grab one end of one of your strap pieces and fold it under by about 1"-1½". Take this folded end and
layer it over the placement square with the fold pointing downward.
c. Sew over the folded edge in a square shape to secure it in place. Repeat with the other strap piece
and the other placement square.

sew desu ne?

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 23 free sewing tutorial

a. If you haven't already, locate

the strap placement lines
30. attach the straps at the bottom
found on the body back
paper pattern (O). Transfer
them over to the right side of extend strap
the fabric. about ½" past
Take the other end of one of fabric
your strap pieces and align
it between the placement
lines. Extend it beyond the ½"
body fabric by about ½" for test straps first,
extra strength and security. then sew several
times

b. Baste the strap to the body fabric within the seam allowance. Repeat with the other strap on the
other side for two complete straps. If desired, take this time to test the fit of your straps. You can
undo the basting stitches at the bottom of the strap to make them shorter if desired.
If everything fits all right, go back and stitch over the straps several more times so the hold is very
strong and secure.
Skip ahead to step 38 to continue finishing the backpack.

steps 31-37: adjustable straps

The next 7 steps go over how to make adjustable straps. This version is more difficult and involved
than non-adjustable straps, but in the end the backpack is more adaptable.

31. cut the straps

a. Grab your webbing/strapping approximate lower upper
material. Cut two lower loops and size height loop strap
two upper straps following the (cut 2) (cut 2)
measurement for your size. child 50"-60" 4" 29"
b. Since the straps are adjustable,
teenager/
there's some leeway in the sizing, 60"-64" 4" 35"
but you can always shorten the small adult
straps later. medium adult 65"-69" 4" 39"
c. If you or the recipient are larger
than the average person of the large adult 70"-75" 4" 43"
suggested height, consider going a
size up.

sew desu ne?

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 24 free sewing tutorial

strap assembly: at-a-glance

a. The next 6 steps go over how to assemble the straps into your strap hardware. This illustration
shows an at-a-glance view of what we’ll be doing in more detail next.

guide
strap through
tri-glide again 4

loop upper
strap through
ring

3 wrap upper strap

2 around middle bar
of tri-glide; fold
over and sew

fold under
end of strap 5
wrap the lower and sew to bag
1 loop around your
ring; secure to bag

loop strap
through ring

extend strap
by about ½"

32. loop the rings

a. Grab one of your lower loop strap pieces and your rectangular ring.
b. Wrap the loop around the ring and bring the short ends of the loop together.
c. If you haven't already, locate the strap placement lines found on the paper pattern for the body
back (O). Transfer them over to the right side of the fabric.
Place the ends of the lower loop between these placement lines. Make the strap extend about ½"
beyond the fabric for extra stability.
Baste the strap to the fabric within the seam allowance. Stitch over the area several times for a very
strong hold.

sew desu ne?

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 25 free sewing tutorial

a. Grab one of your upper strap

pieces and your tri-glide.
33. loop the middle bar
feed through
b. Take one end of your upper one slot
strap and insert it into one of
the slots of the tri-glide from
the bottom up.
c. Feed the strap into the
remaining slot of the tri-glide
from the top down.
d. Fold over the strap so it
overlaps by about 1½".
a. b.
feed down through
second slot
overlap
the end

c. d.

trace the placement

squares
OR:
stitch clip the
the overlap
overlap & stitch
later

34. secure the middle bar

a. Stitch the strap where it overlaps with itself in a square around the edges.
b. alternatively: you could also clip the strap here to temporarily hold it in case you want to try on
the backpack first and stitch it later.
c. If you haven't already, locate the strap placement squares found on the paper pattern for the head
back top (K). Transfer them over to the right side of the fabric. An easy way to do this is to cut out
the squares and trace the outlines using a fabric marker.

sew desu ne?

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 26 free sewing tutorial

a. Take your back piece so far

and place it on your work
35. loop the upper strap
table with right sides facing
place
up. Place your upper strap back and feed
on top with the folded end strap end
facing down. right through
side up ring
b. Grab the other end of your
strap and feed it through
the other side of your
rectangular ring.
c. Take that same end and
feed it through one slot of
a. b.
the tri-glide again, from the
bottom up. feed strap
→ Push the other end of down through
feed strap second slot
the strap out of the way through one
to make room. slot

d. Feed it through the

remaining slot of the
tri-glide, from the top down.

c. d.

flip entire strap so

fold over fold faces down
end of strap

36. align the upper strap

a. Pull the upper strap through the tri-glide and it should look as shown. All the looping is complete!
b. Fold over the end of the strap by about 1½".
c. Flip the strap so the folded end is facing down onto the placement square you marked before.

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 27 free sewing tutorial

sew strap to a. Stitch the folded end of

back around the strap to the placement
overlap square in a rectangle.
repeat
with b. Repeat steps 31-37 with your
other remaining strap, ring, and
strap
pieces tri-glide pieces so the other
side of the backpack now
also has a strap.
Now would be a good time
to do a test fit of the strap
length if that's a concern.

37. secure the upper strap

a. Grab your body front and

body back so far. Next we'll
38. sew the body front to the back
be sewing this front and back
together, but first make sure
all the extra bits are tucked sew
inside -- the arms, legs, line up all the
wings, spikes, straps, and notches way
with around
tail. seams
Line up the front to the back,
matching the seams at the
neck. The notch on the head
back top (K) matches with
the seam on the head front
a. b.
(A). The notch on the belly
(F) matches with the seam the
on the body back (O) completed
clip body!
b. Sew the body front to the corner at
back all the way around. neck

c. Before turning, make small

clips into the seam allowance
at the corners of the neck.
d. Turn the body right side out.

c. d.

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 28 free sewing tutorial

pull out
lining for
easier
stuffing stuff stuff
body; focus head; focus
on edges on edges

39. stuff the body

a. For best results while stuffing, pull the lining out so it's not inside the body.
b. Stuff the bottom half of the body lightly with stuffing. Keep most of the stuffing near the edges so
the finished plush can develop its shape. Keep the stuffing light in the middle since that's where your
belongings will go.
c. Flip the plush over and stuff the head next. Once again, focus most of the stuffing on the outer edges
of the plush so the head gets defined.

bring needle out

fill any from edge of opening
extra areas
shove
lining
back into
body

40. adjust the pocket

a. Once the stuffing is to your satisfaction, shove the lining back inside the body and smooth it out
with your hands.
b. Double check any areas that need more stuffing before closing up the plush. The back of the body
and the head can sometimes look a little hollow. The 'cheek' area just above the neck typically needs
a lot to look full too.
c. Make sure the seam allowances in the opening are tucked inside and prepare to ladder stitch it
closed. Thread a hand-sewing needle and knot it at the end. Insert the needle from the inside of the
opening and out of the plush near one edge of the opening. This will leave the knot inside the plush.

sew desu ne?

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 29 free sewing tutorial

ladder bring pull at

stitch needle thread
closed out 1-2" while
away clipping

41. close up the opening

a. Close up the back of the head with a ladder stitch. Take a 1/8”
stitch into the fold of one side of the opening, then go across and
take another. (See illustration at the right). Keep going down the
opening until you reach the end. 2 1
b. When you’re finished, stitch a knot into the end of the seam. Then
insert the needle near the finished knot and out of the plush about
1-2” away. 4
3 seam allowance
c. Pull the thread through and hold it taut while snipping the thread. (folded inside)

The excess thread should sink back inside the plush -- all hidden!

fold along
point of dart blend seam
into fold

42. sew the muzzle darts

a. Grab your muzzle piece (Q).
b. Note all the small wedges found around the shape. These darts:
are darts. To sew them, begin by matching up the short A wedge-shaped gap found in a
slanted edges with right sides facing. pattern. When sewn in fabric, it creates
a tuck in the fabric and develops a 3D
c. Sew from the opening of the dart down to the point. Try shape. The diagonal sides of the wedge
to blend your seam into the fold of the fabric for a smooth are the legs; these are matched up and
transition and a rounder finish. sewn to the point of the dart.

sew desu ne?

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 30 free sewing tutorial

line up notches
and markings
four darts total

sew around
entire muzzle

43. sew the muzzle

a. Repeat step 42 three more times for four darts total around the muzzle.
b. Grab your muzzle base piece (R). Take your muzzle so far and align it around the muzzle base. For
help with alignment, there is a notch marking at the top and a circle marking at the bottom of both
pieces. Pin the fabrics together.
c. Sew the muzzle to the base all around the shape.

stuff
cut semi-firmly
through
base fabric
only

44. stuff the muzzle

a. To turn the muzzle right side out, make a small clip in the muzzle base fabric only (R).
b. Turn the muzzle right side out through the opening you've cut.
c. Stuff the muzzle semi-firmly with stuffing, just enough so it takes shape and there are no wrinkles in
the fabric.

sew desu ne?

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 31 free sewing tutorial

a. Place the muzzle cut side center muzzle

down on the face of your between eyes ladder stitch
dragon or unicorn. Center to face
the muzzle between the eyes
so it just barely covers the
corners of the eyes.
b. Attach the muzzle to the
front of your dragon or
unicorn around the base of
the muzzle. Use a ladder
stitch as shown in step 41.

45. attach the muzzle

unicorn horn (P1): dragon horn (P2):

fold horn
in half

leave open
leave open for turning
for turning
46. sew the horns
a. Grab your horn pieces (P1/2). Fold the shape in half with right sides facing so the raw edges match
up and it makes an even skinnier triangle shape.
b. Sew the horn along the straight edge and leave the curved edge along the bottom open for turning
the horn later.

sew desu ne?

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 32 free sewing tutorial

trim excess stuff lightly

seam allowance

47. stuff the horns

a. Trim the excess seam allowance at the tip of the horn to reduce bulk.
b. Turn the horn right side out.
For a dragon: repeat with the remaining horn piece for two horns total.
c. Stuff the horns lightly with stuffing when complete. Be sure to get small bits into the tip off the horn.

stitch around
opening of horn
gathering:
pull at thread to The process of shortening the
cinch horn closed length of a piece of fabric by
sewing long stitches through
it. When the thread is pulled,
it forms small folds that ruffle
the fabric.
gathering
stitch:
A long version of the running
stitch, which is a stitch done
48. cinch up the horns by weaving the needle in and
out of a length of fabric going
a. Hand sew a gathering stitch around the opening of the horn. along a line. The long stitches
(about ¼”-½” long) gather the
b. Pull at the thread of the gathering stitch to cinch the horn fabric when pulled later.
completely closed. Sew a few knots into the opening to hold it
shut. If you have thread leftover, keep it attached for joining the
horn to the head next.

sew desu ne?

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 chibi dragon & unicorn
plush backpack 33 free sewing tutorial

dragon horn (P2): unicorn horn (P1):

ladder stitch
place around base
beside ears center
beneath mane

49. attach the horns

a. Place the cinched end of the horn on the top of the head. The cinched end should be facing the main
fabric.
for a dragon: the horns are placed right beside the ears.
b. for a unicorn: place the horn right beneath the mane. The shape of the mane should swerve
around the horn.
c. Hold the horn in place by sticking pins down into the base of the horn and through the head. Stitch
the horn to the head with a ladder stitch around the base.

place tail flush

against body
ladder stitch
tail to body
congrats!
This completes
your backpack!
Now go try it
on!
50. secure the tail
a. Since the back of the dragon will be flat against your back when
worn, it's helpful to secure the tail so it doesn't move. Flip the
tail so it lies flush against one side of the body or the other as
you prefer.
b. Ladder stitch the inside of the tail to the body. Go back and forth
once or twice to secure it strongly for all the wear it will endure.

sew desu ne?

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 pg. 1/10

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 zipper guide zipper guide
pg. 2/10

NAP
DRAGON & UNICORN
Plush Backpack
P A T T E R N
www.cholyknight.com
HEAD BACK BOTTOM (L)
Cut 1 from main fabric
¼” seam allowance
STRETCH
opening for turning
Cut 2 from fusible interfacing
ZIPPER TAB (J)
Cut 2 from main fabric

¼” seam allowance

NAP
strap
placeme
nt strap
placeme
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A1 A2
HEA

10
 t
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¼” seam allowance
Cut 2 from main fabric
SIDE (G)

DRAGON & UNICORN

strap placement

NAP

Plush Backpack
P A T T E R N
www.cholyknight.com STRETCH

NAP
POUCH POCKET (M)
Cut 2 from cotton fabric
¼” seam allowance
wing place

STRETCH
ment
pg. 3/10

B1 B2
pg. 4/10

NAP
NAP
¼” seam allowan ic
fabr
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LEGS (H)
STRETCH

Cut 4 from main

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MUZZLE (Q)
Cut 1 from accent fabric
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pg. 5/10

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Cut 2 from main fabric
¼” seam allowance
DRAGON & UNICORN
STRETCH
Plush Backpack
P A T T E R N
NAP www.cholyknight.com
BELLY (F)

tail placement
Cut 1 from accent fabric
¼” seam allowance

NAP
leg placemen ent
t leg placem
 pg. 6/10

DRAGON HORN (P2)

& UNICORN
Cut 2 from accent fabric

DRAGON
¼” seam allowance

Plush Backpack
P A T T E R N
STRETCH

www.cholyknight.com
DRAGON TAIL (N2)
Cut 2 from main fabric
¼” seam allowance

NAP

STRETCH

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 pg. 7/10

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NAP
accent fabric
Cut 8 from

allowance
¼” seam

STRETCH

DRAGON WING
(I2)
SPIKES (D)

Cut 4 from main fabric

¼” seam allowance

DRAGON EAR
(C2)
NAP

Cut 2 from main fabric

Cut 2 from accent fabric
fold line

¼” seam allowance

STRETCH
pg. 8/10

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 pg. 9/10

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P A T T E R N
www.cholyknight.com
UNICORN TAIL (N1)
Cut 2 from accent fabric
¼” seam allowance

STRETCH
NAP
 pg. 10/10

DRAGON EYE
SHINES
applique
trace & cut DRAGON EYE
2 each of applique
white trace & cut
DRAGON IRIS 2 of accent
applique color
trace & cut
2 of black

UNICORN EYE SHINES

applique
trace & cut
2 each of white NOSTRIL
applique
trace & cut
2 of black

UNICORN EYES
applique
trace & cut
1 each of black