So my long distance girlfriend and her family planned to come over to my country for a few days. And I decided to make a plushie for her. Cause she loves plushies and there was once when we were video chatting, that she mentions that she wished there was such a thing as a Moonkin Hatchling plushie. She loves Moonkin Hatchlings, a virtual pet from the MMORPG, World of Warcraft. Which was the video game where we met.

And I took the liberty of a few weeks to complete it, well before she comes over. I took a short while of designing and drawing cause I thought I wouldn't make it in time before she'd come over. And the thing is, I kept it a closely guarded secret. She had no idea I had been making it. I managed to finish it in about 2 weeks. Yeah I know I'm a noob. I had to work too hey, work 6 days a week, and most of the time i come home tired and didn't bother with it :P

Details
Cost : $16.50
Time Completed: 2 weeks
Difficulty : 6/10
Tools : 1x Needle
nx Pins
1x Scissors
1x Pen
Matching coloured Thread.
Materials : 1x Sheet of Black felt
1x Sheet of White felt
2x Sheets of Dark Grey felt
2x Sheets of Grey felt
2x Sheets of Dark Ink Blue felt
1x Sheet of Light Beige felt
1x Sheet of Light Brown felt
1x Sheet of Orange felt
One big bag of stuffings!

NOTE: Most of the tools used are sharp and dangerous for young children. Please have a responsible adult do it for you, or at least supervise you in the works.

Also. This is my first time sewing. I've never sewn anything in my entire life, so... I apologise if it looks horrible D:

Step 1: Drawing, Planning. Just a Pattern.

I started off with a really quick sketch of the original Moonkin. Then, I slowly eliminated the parts, body, arms, and feet. Also taking note of the colours to be used. As seen in the first figure, on the right, I sketched down all the colours I had, naming them, and taking note of the amount of parts the colours had to be used for. Which was kind of tricky. But I managed to pass.

On the second photo, I started out with the beak. I was thinking, safe. And because I had no time to waste, I quickly came up with a full mouthless beak. Only determined with shape, but retaining the actual look. Kinda :P I also noticed in some plush toys I've already owned, that stitchings could be used to make dimples. And then voilla, I made dimples on the beak to resemble a nostril. The arm parts were tricky, because I had to stitch them from the wrong side. and if I flipped them, they wouldn't look like what it should. Took me a long time to decide for this, but I decided to make the arm more linear on the edge part, to make it all easier :P

Step 2: Tracing, Cutting Out Patterns.

Started out measuring how the different parts and details would size. Then I drew them in card stock, also putting note of the amount I need of that particular pattern, and the colour I needed it to be so that I don't mess up. :P I traced them on with pen, cause well, I don't know, it just came into mind. I've tried other stuff but pen seems to work just nicely. I had a 0.7 pen so that I don't tear tiny bits off, cause it's more blunt.

As for the parts that were of dark coloured fabric, I had to pin them down, cause I couldn't use pen, obviously. I could, but it would be too much for my eyes.

Step 3: Body

I started off with the body. Because well, just... Well... Cause it's a body.

Okay, main stitching used here, is the backstitch. Thanks to jessyratfink!!! I learned how to make a backstitch. Which I find really strong and easy to do too! I stitched the first layer to the main body on both sides, then I stitched the white feather detail on one side only. Which is the front. I added a few stuffings in the white to make it pop, then added some detail, which was poopy, made a lot of mistakes.

If you want to learn how to do a backstitch, look at jessyratfink's sewing tuts. They're so easy to learn from! Basically, a backstitch, is when you stitch from the front, and loop to the back, then going ahead of the next stitch, and then going back again. See? Backstitch!

Step 4: Antlers and Ears

Making the antlers. I made so many mistakes then. On the first pic, stitched it, leaving the underside as an opening to fill in stuffings and to flip over. But as I was done stitching, flipping it inside-out was too much. It was impossible. Especially with this fabric. So then I stripped the stitches off and re-did it. Only stitching the side with the stud, and leaving the right side open. As shown in pictures 2 and 3. It was so much easier then. Stuffed it, and then sealed it. but back then I was unaware of an invisible stitch called, the ladder stitch. And oh well I was done already.

For the ears, it was just basics, stitched the bottom lobe, sealed it, put stuffing in upper lobe, sealed. To make it more poppy :P

Step 5: Body, Meet Antlers and Ears. Nice to Meet You All ^^e

Now, the tricky part. I had to sit the antlers and ears on the inside of the right-side in body, and carefully positioning them. And I also had to put them in place too. BUT, it was infuriating how it popped up because of the filling in the antlers. And so holding them in place was the hardest of all.

I took note of how the antlers and ears would look like once it's being flipped. So, be cautious about this and try not to blindly speculate. Do trial and error, and keep folding. You'll find out which side suits better.

Step 6: I Believe I Can Fly... Jk Moonkins Can't Fly. Wait. But Hatchlings Can?

Arms!

I starting off by sewing the details onto the arms. This is crucial. Any sorts of detail has to be done before the main limb is stitched. You can still do it, though, but it's always easier to stitched details in first, and finish off later.

Taking note, in picture 3, that's how you'd normally align the outer dangling detail from the inside out. But eh, you're gonna stitch the thing onto your arm! A mistake that I carelessly did. I quickly stripped all the stitches off and redid it. Now, considering where to clip the dangling part aside, as seen in picture 4. I stitched up everything but the end where you'd attach to the body. Then I flip it inside out in the manner of picture 6.

Step 7: Talons!

Same thing over. Just no added detail patterns. But I had something special in mind. I remember seeing the thread overlaps to make mouths on some plush toys in my childhood. They were also used to make dimples. So once I was done stitching and stuffing the two pairs, stuffed them, and sealed the end. I began to start the thread from the underside of the feet, going through upwards, and using a few overhands to the bottom again where i started. And voilla! Toes :P

Step 8: Beak, Brow, Googley Eyes!

As written before, instead of making the beak separate and include a mouth, I made the beak whole. Well, because I had not much time left, and thought it wouldn't be as tedious as giving it a mouth. So basically, I cut out the pattern, considering the right sides up etc. Stitched it together leaving the back part open to stuff the fillings. After I was done stuffing, I sealed it, and went for the dimple that would act as a nose.

The dimple is pretty easy to do. Just start the thread from one end, exiting at the other end, considering the symmetry. Then give a centimetre more, before you get over to the other side. Continue for about 3 times and you're about done.

Then comes the brow. Same as any other, just narrower ends. So I had to consider where I should leave an opening to flip inside out and put in stuffings. Took a few trial and errors before I finally got the corner to leave open. Once it was done, I flip it over and it doesn't look sharp at all. It's too curved. That wasn't the plan. So I kept exploring and found out there were excess on the inside, simply because the seam allowance was blocking the way, sort of. And so I flipped it back and did a little adjustments; cutting off the narrow edges to give it more space. And then it was done. Sharp-ish edge. Then stuffed and sealed with a ladder stitch.

Eyes. I had a socket placed to guide where my eyes should be. If not my eyes would be DERP.... umm I mean, would be asymmetrical. And I don't want that. I stitched the white reflection detail with the black pupil first. Then I stitched that, to the orange. And then finally to the big white piece. I used matching thread for this. Then I sew the eyes to the socket guide.

Step 9: Attaching the Parts Togetha!!!!! :P

First, I stitched the eye socket guide and the eyes to the body. Carefully aligning them to make it all symmetrical. Then comes beak. This was very very very very tricky and stressful, because i had no idea how to sew it on. I just did a basic stitch, an overhand sort of. And eh, it turned out okay because of the excess I gave between one side and the other. Only now, that the face has been stitched on, I could stuff the body. I put as many stuffing as I could, but slowly got lower and put more stuffings on the bottom, so that it looks fat on it's belly. Sealed it up with a ladder stitch.

I then connected the talons to the body with overhand stitches. Made it thin so it would fold and allow the plushie to sit. Then I did the arms. Made it a bit thin, to allow the flap. The original thing flaps. Haha.

And I'm all done.

Step 10: Moonkin Hatchling Complete!

Finished within 2 weeks, job time, lazy time and game time included. Pretty impressed by how quickly I did it. But still, it was kinda rushed. Heh. Finished 2 days before my girlfriend came over.

So we met in person for the first time at the airport. I saw this beautiful girl exiting the airport belt hall. I yelled out her name and ran off to her, hugging her so tightly. I presented the Moonkin Hatchling plushie to her, jaw dropped in awe, she turned to me and hugged me. It was the best gift anyone could ever have. This Moonkin Hatchling is a New Year's and Pre-Engagement gift for my girlfriend. Which would mean we're engaged to be engaged... :P