Darcy the Deer

What a dapper darling Chloe Hailwood has created from four fabrics and a little felt – it adds up to around 50cm square in total. The trick is to use the reverse of some of the plains for coordinating colours! Remember that if you are gifting to a small child, embroider flat stitches or French knots for adorable eyes.

Essentials

Fabric: assorted, four
Safety eyes, two, 5mm
Fibre filling
Embroidery thread: red, black

5mm seam allowance used throughout, unless otherwise stated.

Sew Darcy the Deer

Download and print the templates from sewmag. co.uk, then cut out. Transfer the shapes for the front of the head, forehead, back of head and two body pieces from your chosen fabrics and trim out. Snip 5mm into the forehead and head as marked.
Place the forehead and front of head pieces, right sides facing. Stitch the first straight edge of the forehead to the corresponding straight edge of the head. Pivot at the snips and sew the next straight edges together.
Press the head piece gently, then insert the safety eyes, or create with French knots or other stitches. Embroider the eyelashes and mouth with separate strands of thread, and use satin stitch for the nose.
Create hooved limbs by stitching together contrasting fabrics: place two fabrics together with right sides facing and stitch down an edge. Press the seam open and use the arm and leg templates on the reverse of these two toned fabrics, taking care to position and match up the seam where the hoof is marked on the template.
Stitch over the marks leaving the tops open. Trim round, turn through and fill each limb with a little stuffing, depending on how stiff you would like the limbs to be. Trim two antlers from felt.
Mark and sew two ears from the fabrics, working in the same way as for the limbs; leave the bottom straight edge open. Trim round and turn through. For each ear, fold one side to the middle, repeat with the second side, and make a small stitch at the base to secure. Set the ears aside.
Lay the embroidered head flat, right side up. Position the ears on top, with the tips pointing inwards to the nose and right sides facing down. Ensure all the raw edges align, then add the antlers in the same way.
Pin and tack in place, then place the back of the head on top, with the right side down. Stitch together, leaving the straight edges open. Turn through and fill with stuffing. Add a running stitch 5mm up and all around the neck edge, then pull to gently to gather and close the opening. Tuck raw edges inside, pulling tightly and secure with double stitches.
Lay a body piece flat, right side up. Position the legs along the bottom edge, pointing vertically to the top of the body, with all raw edges aligning. Tack in place, adding large tacking stitches to hold the legs in place near the hooves, out of the way of the edges.
Add in the arms to the body in the same way. Lay the second body piece on top, right side down. Stitch all round the edge, leaving the neck open.
Turn through to the right side, fill with stuffing and close the opening in the same way as for the head. Attach the head securely to the body, ensuring raw edges are tucked in.

Stitch the Outfit

For the scarf, cut a rectangle, 5 x 40cm. Fold in half lengthways and stitch down the long edge, leaving a 10cm gap in the middle. Move this seam to the centre and stitch across both short ends, before turning right side out and closing the gap with whip stitch. Press to finish.
For the shorts, fold a piece of fabric in half, right sides facing. Use the template to trim out two pieces on the fold. Stitch 5mm hem along the top and bottom straight edges.
Place with right sides facing, and sew both sides from A to B as marked on the template. Bring these seams to the centre before stitching from B to C. Turn through to the right side.