How to Make a Gusset for a Stuffed Animal

Bunny with tummy and head gussets

A gusset is a wedge of cloth inserted in a seam between one main piece of the work and another, widening the seam and allowing for freedom of movement in clothing or boxlike side edges on a pillow. A gusset is needed for a stuffed animal to make the figure three-dimensional. The gusset on a stuffed animal is the "tummy" piece and will represent the insides of the legs, tummy and chest. On some animals, the gusset can be extended to include the bottom of the tail and the underside of the chin. Alternately, a gusset could be used for the top of the head, stretching from the tip of the nose over the top to the neck in back, as on the traditional teddy bear.

Things You'll Need

• Pattern paper or cardstock paper
• Tracing paper
• Pencil or pen
• Scissors
• Fabric
• Thread
• Needles or sewing machine

Instructions

1. Draw your side view of the animal, right and left, on pattern paper.

2. Draw a dotted line from the midpoint of the chest to the midpoint of the hind end, above where the shoulder and hip joints would be on the animal. This will give you a simple gusset of tummy and insides of legs.

3. Trace the portion of the animal silhouette from the dotted line downward on clean pattern paper, both right and left sides. This will be your basic gusset pattern.

4. Adjust the basic pattern as needed, adding width halfway between the head and tail. The fatter the tummy you want, the more round you need to make the gusset, with the widest spot across the center of the tummy.

5. Cut the gusset as a single piece.

6. Sew the gusset to the side-view pieces. If you have two separate gusset pieces, sew these to each other along the center line first. Then sew to the side-view pieces.

Tips & Warnings

• Take into account the size of your animal's tummy when making the pattern for your gusset center. Pigs will have a larger, rounder tummy than horses, for example, and so pigs would need a wider gusset.

• Be careful what accessories you choose for eyes and noses when constructing a toy for a child under three years old.