Robo Sweatshirt (a Robot Pillow)

This is a robot pillow! This Instructable takes you through the steps of making the patterns and sewing the pieces together to make your very own robot pillow out of a sweatshirt. You can adjust the sizes to make it bigger or smaller, but the directions given are just big enough to cuddle with! You can also change the material you use, but for these instructions I used a XL sweatshirt.

Step 1: Materials

Materials:
• Scissors
• Thread
• Needles (more than 7)
• XL Sweatshirt (Walmart has them for $5)
• 12" Ruler
• Poly-fil
• Pen or Permanent Marker

Step 2: Preparing and Cutting Your Sweatshirt

To cut the sweatshirt, cut in half up each side to underneath the arms, but do not cut on the top part of the arms or the neck. It should be opened up so the whole sweatshirt it still intact. This will allow you to utilize as much as the material as possible.

Step 3: Drawing the Head

It is best to make all your patterns and cut them out before you get to sewing them.

**refer to pictures for clarification for each of the following steps**

1. Near an edge of the material, with your ruler draw a 3” x 3” square, making sure to leave 3” of material on two sides of the square (look at picture 1).

2. Connected to the square, directly on top, draw a rectangle of 3” x 1 ½” (refer to the 2nd picture to the left).

3. Connected to that rectangle, directly on top, in a stacking formation, draw another 3” x 3" square (refer to the 3rd picture to the left)

4. Following that square draw another 3” x 1 ½” rectangle, directly on top (refer to the 4th picture to the left).

5. On each side of the rectangle located between the two squares, draw a 3” x 1 ½” rectangle (refer to the last picture).

Step 4: Cut the Head

Cut around the border of the figure that was sketched out.

Step 5: Drawing the Body

**refer to pictures for clarification for each of the following steps**

1. Near another edge of material, with a ruler draw a 4” x 4” square, making sure to leave 4” of material on two sides of the square (refer to the first picture).

2. Connected to the square, directly on top, draw a rectangle of 4” x 2” (refer to the 2nd picture to the left).

3. Connected to that rectangle, directly on top in a stacking formation, draw another 4” x 4" square (refer to the 3rd picture from the left).

4. Following that square, draw another 4” x 2” rectangle, directly on top (refer to the 4th picture from the left).

5. On each side of the rectangle located between the two squares, draw a 4” x 2” rectangle (refer to the last picture).

Step 6: Cutting the Body

Cut around the border of the figure that was sketched out.

Step 7: Drawing the Arms

**refer to pictures for clarification for each of the following steps**

1. Near an edge of the material, with your ruler draw a 2 ½” x 1 ½” rectangle, making sure to leave 1 ½” of material on two sides of the rectangle (look at picture 1).

2. Connected to that rectangle, directly on top, draw another rectangle of 2 ½” x 1 ½” (refer to the 2nd picture to the left).

3. Connected to that rectangle, directly on top, in a stacking formation, draw another 2 ½” x 1 ½" rectangle (refer to the 3rd picture to the left).

4. Following that square draw another 2 ½” x 1 ½” rectangle, directly on top (refer to the 4th picture to the left).

5. On each side of one of the middle rectangles, draw a 1 ½” x 1 ½” square (refer to the last picture).

**repeat these steps to make the other arm for a total of two**

Step 8: Cutting the Arms

Cut around the border of the figure that was sketched out.

Step 9: Drawing the Legs

**refer to pictures for clarification for each of the following steps**

1. Near an edge of the material, with your ruler draw a 3 ½” x 1 ½” rectangle, making sure to leave 1 ½” of material on two sides of the rectangle (look at picture 1).

2. Connected to that rectangle, directly on top, draw another rectangle of 3 ½” x 1 ½” (refer to the 2nd picture to the left).

3. Connected to that rectangle, directly on top, in a stacking formation, draw another 3 ½” x 1 ½" rectangle (refer to the 3rd picture to the left).

4. Following that square draw another 3 ½” x 1 ½” rectangle, directly on top (refer to the 4th picture to the left).

5. On each side of one of the middle rectangles, draw a 1 ½” x 1 ½” square (refer to the last picture).

**repeat these steps to make the other arm for a total of two**

Step 10: Cutting the Legs

Cut around the border of the figure that was sketched out.

Step 11: Pinning the Body Parts

Each body part follows the same steps in pinning the pieces together to prepare you for sewing them together. But just in case there is any confusing I will describe the head and body together, and then the arms and legs together. Your main objection for each one is to have a pinned together 3-dimensional figure.

**make sure when pinning, the material is inside out (lines showing on the outside) with about a ½ centimeter of room from the pin to the top area. (that will leave you enough room for sewing)**

Head and Body
Use the two side rectangles as bases, and the lines for forming the 3-dimensional shape. Pin the sides together around each base. (Look at picture 1 and picture notes for numbering of sides to connect.) Pin side 1 to 1, side 2 to 2,  side 3 to 3, and side 4 to 4. Pin side A to A, B to B, and leave sides C open. 


Arms and Legs
Use the two small squares as bases, and the lines for forming the 3-dimensional shape. Pin the side together around each base. (Look at the 2nd picture from the left and picture notes for numbering of sides to connect.) Pin side 1 to 1, side 2 to 2, side 3 to 3, and side 4 to 4. Pin side A to A, B to B, and leave sides C open.

Step 12: Sewing the Body Parts

** This is your basic whip stitch. If you need help understanding this stitch better you can refer to my pictures below or search how to sew a whip stitch online**

Threading
Use the ½ centimeter of room left between the end of the fabric and the needle as your sewing space. First thread your needle using about an arms lengths worth of thread. Next stick it through the hole and pull the thread through until the needle sits half way on the thread. Once you have that, tie three knots at the end of the thread so it does not go through the material.

Sewing
Start at one of the corners. First put the needle through one corner and pull the string though, next swing the needle back around and insert it through the fabric on the same side you started on. Keep doing this until each side except side C is sewn up. Don’t fret if you run out of thread when sewing, just tie it in a knot and start a new thread and begin sewing again. 

Step 13: Turning Right-side In

Once you have finished sewing the material together leaving one hole open, is it time to turn the fabric right-side in from its inside out stage. Through the hole, push the material through with your thumbs so each piece has the sweatshirt material showing and the stitching and lines are on the inside.

Step 14: Stuffing the Pieces

**Stuff all the body parts except for the body**

In each opening, stuff the pieces with poly-fil until they are filled or with the desired amounts.

Step 15: Sewing the Open Holes

**sew all of the open holes on all the pieces except for the body**

Hold the open parts together with your fingers and pin them together leaving a ½ centimeter of room to work with between the edge of the material and the pin. Start from one corner and work your way to the other. When you are finished tie the thread off with a knot.

Step 16: Sewing the Pieces to the Body

** This step is a little trickier to do than the other because of the small amount of room there is to work with, but the sewing for this part does not have to be perfect  because no one will see your stitches, there just needs to be a lot of stitches to hold the parts together on the body. **

First you will connect the head. (you can pin the head to the body where the head should be placed, which is on the stop part near the opening) Stick the needle in the hole of the body without connecting it to anything. Next push the needle through the material where the head should go and pull it through. Following that step, push the needle in and out of the material of the head one time (basic running stitch; refer to pictures for detail). Then do the same stitch on the body, and then repeat around the material of the head and body until the head is completely sewn on.

Complete each of the steps with the different body parts in the designated areas in this order: head, arms(2), legs(2). (Refer to pictures for placement of body parts.)

Step 17: Stuffing the Body

Now that you have completed sewing all the pieces to the body, it is time to stuff the body through the empty hole left open. Take the poly-fil and fill the body until it is full or has reached the desired amount.

Step 18: Sewing the Open Hole

Like step 15, hold the open parts together with your fingers and pin them together leaving a ½ centimeter of room to work with between the edge of the material and the pin. Start from one corner and work your way to the other. When you are finished tie the thread off with a knot.

Step 19: Drawing the Eyes(optional) and Finishing

With a permanent marker, draw some eyes and if you want other robot like characteristics.

Now you are finished and it is time to do the robot dance!