Wednesday Craft Group - Kangaroo Tutorial

Kangaroos this week... I made this big grey one who looks so huge next to the original (now safely on her way to the US).

I promised you all the pattern for this project ~ you can find it here, sorry it is a bit scribbly and there is no scale on it but i don't think it matters too much ~ remember tho the smaller you make it the more fiddly it is.

~Now how to put it together~

The Joey and the mother are made in basically the same way, start with the Joey because you will need to put it in the pouch and sew it in (to make sure it fits) before you finish the adult.

Start with your two front sections and sew (I blanket stitched) the centre seam from neck to tail - top to bottom.

(this is me sewing in the car while i wait for the big girl to finish her piano lesson)

Join in the first main body section starting at the base of the tail. Turn your front panel centre seam stitching to the inside (so you won't see the stitching, just a seam). sew up around the legs and arms toward the neck. When you reach the neck join in the second main body piece and sticth through all three layers and then sew back down toward the tail.

From the base of the tail, sew along the length and keep going up and round its back ~ remember to leave a decent opening for stuffing.

Come back to where you left off at the neck and sew up the face until you reach halfway round the nose; join in the head panel (point to the back, rounded end to the nose) sew one side then come back and sew around the other - stitch a little way down the back but leave your stuffing opening.

I stuffed some fleece into about the first inch of the tail section to give it a nice full shape then i filled the rest of the tail and the feet with riversand - poke it about a bit with a chopstick or some other long pointy thing to pack it in well. then check it stands...

(notice the change of outfit? now i am sitting in the car waiting for my big girl to finish zumba)

when you are happy stuff the legs really firmy with fleece and keep on stuffing not quite so firmly into the belly then really firmly again for the head and neck - don't sew your opening closed just yet.

Get your pouch section and Joey and try them on for size (day three...now in the bathroom supervising bath time). Happy with where it will all sit? start stiching the pouch on; stop about halfway, pop the Joey in and finish yor stitching with him sitting inside ~ this ensures that the Joey will fit nicely and you can get it in and out easily.

Adjust stuffing if you need to and then sew up your back section.

Add your ears and eyes and bouce off down the road! (finished! and just in time for craft too).

Said the kind Kangaroo, Oh what shall I do?

If I had a cradle I'd rock it,

But my baby is small, So I think afterall,

I'll carry her round in my pocket.