I am a passionate quilter, but sometimes I branch out into other sewing projects. And because there was another baby born last month, another cuddly toy was needed. This time I chose to make a dragon stuffie. As some of you might know, I have always had a soft spot for these magical creatures, so the choice was an easy one.
The dragon stuffie
On my hunt for some extra cuddly materials, I went through my fleece and jersey remnants and found some green and navy scraps from previous kids hat projects.
And just as I was about to start sketching some design ideas, I came across this adorable red and white striped pacifier holder by von Lange Hand on Pinterest (you can find the pattern here).
I am not very good at following instructions though, so I made my own version. Since I don’t know the dimensions of the pattern I am not sure how close I got to the original in terms of size, but I’d say the proportions are VERY similar, especially the head. I changed up a few details though.
Firstly, I went for knotted paws. I have used them in another stuffie project not too long ago (Pepe’s little bear) and find them just so cute! As I learned from last time it is easy to underestimate the length of material that goes into the knot, so this time I made sure they were long enough for easy knotting… 😋 I also used the same striped jersey for the belly as for Pepe’s little bear.
The second modification I went for was to replace the ribbons by a row of pointy spikes. Because I didn’t want to deal with a bunch of individual pieces, I measured the required length from head to tail and drafted a zig zag line with larger spikes in the middle and smaller spikes towards the ends. I sewed two pieces of fleece right sides together, then flipped the unit right sides out and sewed it between the two halves of the dragon back. I LOVE how the spine turned out but it was a pretty finnicky endeavour. So next time I would maybe simply cut that same shape out of a piece of thick felt.
And finally, I added a nice pair of wings. Because duh! Same approach: two pieces sewn right sides together with a little opening to flip. Turned. Closed. Then I top-stitched two curved lines to create the wing segments.
Then I assembled all the pieces of my dragon stuffie. The head got a little bit of padding, the rest of the dragon’s body stayed empty, so overall it’s a really flabby fellow. But a cute one, isn’t he?! 🤗 So, sweet little Jakob, I hope you’ll like your new friend!
Some more goodies
The initial idea to sew a dragon stuffie came from these two fabrics that my husband Paul found a few months ago. Beer-drinking knights might not be the first thing that comes to your mind when thinking of babies, but I think they’re a great motif for a bib – so that’s what I made as well to go into the little welcome package. 😉
And an apron for Jakob’s sister
I also wanted to add something for Victoria, Jakob’s older sister, before sending the parcel. Pre-Christmas season in Germany is also Plätzchen season and assuming that the 5-year-old lady enjoys baking I chose to make a little apron. The dimensions are mostly identical to Yannick’s apron plus some extra length of course. The tiny strawberry print is maybe not exactly a winter theme but I just liked the pattern so much. For an extra girly touch I also added some pink scallops to the front pocket and I find they also make for a really charming detail!
Congratulations to the whole family again to the arrival of the youngest one!! 💛
Thank you for the beautiful pics and the clues for completing this absolutely beautiful project. You are a truly a perfectionist!
Thank you for the compliment! <3
Hey, can I have a question? I see that you’ve made one more alteration – the head and the bodice is made from one piece together – but still only head is stuffed. Did you somehow ‘blocked’ stuffing inside the head? I think your version is a lot prittier too, more dragon realistic in shape. I hope i will manage to make something simillar.
Oh, thank you so much! Honestly, I’m not sure if I remember correctly. I believe I stuffed the head with a few layers of quilt batting (cut to the shape of the head), rather than loose fluff. And I may also have secured it to the seam allowance inside with a few stitches to prevent it from moving around. Not sure, that’s how I would approach it now 🙂
Thanks, that’s very helpful!
I loved your dragon! I made my version yesterday adding a tail. You are very talented
I am glad you had fun with it, thank you! 🙂
Bonjour, je découvre votre dragon qui me plaît beaucoup, avez vous fait un patron ? Si oui peut on vous l’acheter ?
Merci pour votre retour Dominique
Le patron n’est pas le mien, mais vous pouvez le trouver ici: https://www.makerist.com/patterns/pacifier-dragon-tutorial-with-pattern
Will there be a dragon pattern soon please!
I am not sure… I partially copied something I saw on Pinterest and I think making a pattern could be problematic. If I can find the original I’ll send you the link!
I agree! I just found out that I’m going to be a Nana for the very first time & my daughter & son-in-law are wanting to do an “enchanted” DnD nursery! I want this pattern! Lol!
Hi Syrie,
Please follow the link above the photo with the red striped dragon to get to the pattern 🙂
I did purchase the pattern from Makerist, but I would really like to add the wings you did & know how long to make the legs, so that they can also be knotted. We just found out this week that our new little is going to have some birth-defects, only three fingers on each hand & one leg is 30% the length of his “normal” leg. I want to make this a dragon that will reflect his physique, (one leg shorter than the other) but I would like to know the length that you made the others, so that THEY can be knotted. Also, DO you have a template or pattern for the wings? Thank you!
Hi Syrie,
I am so sorry to hear! Unfortunately I do no longer have any sketches from that project. It was a one-time make, gifted a few years ago. I also do not know how my dimensions would compare to the pattern you purchased. What I do remember: the legs I made were similar to fingers of an adult glove. The knot takes up more length then you might expect, so I recommend making them extra-long. Then make the knot and wait with trimming until you sew them into the side seams of your dragon. For the wings, I sewed the top and bottom layer together, leaving an opening to turn. After flipping I top stitched along the edge all the way around and added those two curved seams across. I attached them to the dragon with a few hand stitches after the rest of the body was complete.
I hope that helps!!
All the best and good luck!
Astrid
Would you give your dragon pattern to me? It’s so beautiful and I want to sew it as a birth present. That would be so nice! It’s so cute an I like it much more than the original one 🙈
Hi Mary,
Thank you so much for your compliments! Unfortunately, I did not keep my sketches from a few years ago. And even if I still had them I wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing them since the design is so similar to my inspiration from von Lange Hand. I would suggest you get her pattern and customize it with your own details 🙂
Thank you soooo much, Astrid. You are exceptionally talented.
Victoria loves her new apron already, and, I am certain, Jakob will fall in love with his dragon friend once he starts exploring the world around him. 🙂
Truly four very special, unique and wonderful pieces.
Awe, you guys are so welcome!! 🤗 It is always a pleasure to make little things for special people!