A Pseudo-tutorial

So here's my first attempt ata tutorial. I'm calling it a pseudo-tutorial because I'm not going through everything step-by-step, and I'm not giving away my pattern (yet - I may in the future). But I thought I'd give it a go!

The background story: I'm doing a trade with TheMidnightOrange. I did a plush chinchilla for her, and she's doing a sculpture of my icky dog Zan! My tute is my chinchilla.

I have never done a chinchilla and of course didn't have a pattern. So I set to work on drawing one up! I looked up pics of chins and made a rough sketch/pattern:

Then I cut out pattern pieces in my cheap fabric I use for making prototypes.

I started by sewing the front part of the head (before the ear gap) and then the back (after the ear gap)

Then I placed the ears in the gap and pinned in place:

Here's how the ears look sewn in place:

Then I sewed the gusset (belly). Here's the chin without stuffing:

And stuffed!

My first gusset was way too wide - making the chin crazy fat! I re-did the gusset for my finished chin and it looks much better! And here's the finished chinchilla!

I think he came out darn cute!!! And I'll post pics of my sculpture as well! I'm so excited to get it! And just so you know, please don't copy my pattern. It's pretty simple, but it's mine :)