After designed, developed and shared several sock toy sewing patterns with you, here is another sock toy pattern which is more challenging to sew, Drake the sock dragon. If you have mastered the sock toy sewing skill from the previous sock toy pattern, then probably you will find this not as tough as it looks.
Drake the sock dragon is the evolution species from the Japanese famous reptilian sea monster, Godzilla. Unlike it’s ancestry, Drake is a kindhearted dragon who affectionates on peace and love. Drake no longer an amphibian, it can’t live in the water, instead, it develops a pair of wings for him to fly. However, Drake has inherited the furrowed brows, Spiky back and tail, and strong foot. Its feet and arms are shorter as it needs them just for walking and hugging. Drake has grown a bigger tummy which makes it a little clumsy to walk around. It prefers to sit down and relax by the river and fishing for its meal.
Drake is slightly difficult to sew as it has more parts to sew and attach. In order to ease the sewing a little, I have made the templates for the arms, feet, wings, and spikes. You can get all the detailed instruction and downloadable pdf template below.
Frankly, if you find that sewing all those little parts are so time-consuming, you may adapt the wings and spikes to using felt. Trace the spikes on a piece of felt in a continuous form, cut it out in 1 piece and sew it on the back.
“Gimme, gimme, gimme a BIG HUG!!!” Drake the sock dragon is asking for some TLC. It is also hoping to see and meet it’s relatives soon. Please sew the sock dragon and show us when it is done!!!
Sock Dragon
Difficulty: Advanced / Avid Intermediate
Finished size: approximately 8″ (W) x 8 1/2″ (H) x 11″ (L)
Materials:
Make: 1
1. Sock (crew length), adult size, solid color, 1 pair
2. Sock (crew length), toddler size, stripes in a contrasting color, 1 pair
3. Safety eye 5/8″ [15mm], black, 2; or button; or felt
4. Bead, 3/16″ [5mm], black
5. Felt, red, 1″ x 1 1/2″
6. Felt, yellow, 4″ x 4″
7. Poly-fill stuffing material
8. Embroidery floss, yellow
9. Sewing threads (matching colors)
10. Sock dragon templates
Tools:
1. Sewing machine (optional, you can hand-sew without a machine)
2. Sewing needle (prefer long, about 2″) and pins
3. Pen
4. Erasable fabric marker
5. Scissors
6. Blunt point tweezers
Seam Allowance: approx. 1/8 – 1/4″ (loose-knit and thinner sock material need to have bigger seam allowance as the loose-knit can be ripped off easily.)
Note:
Since the sock is stretched after stuffed, thick sock with close-knit yields better quality than a thin sock.
Gather all the tools and materials needed for sewing sock dragon.
Download and print out the sock dragon templates for the arm, foot, wing, and spikes. You might need to resize the templates so that they fit into your socks size.
Turn all socks wrong side out. Align 1 adult sock & 2 toddler socks on the side, 1 adult sock on the foot, make sure they are symmetrical on both layers. Lightly iron if necessary.
Place the solid color adult sock on a toddler stripe sock as shown in the picture.
Mark the seam line on the adult sock as indicated in yellow dash line.
Mark the seam line on the toddler sock as shown in white dash line in the picture.
This is the belly of the dragon.
Trace arm and foot template on the sock. Mark 1″ down from the corner on the toe part, this is the snout of the dragon.
Sew the arms and feet, remember to leave about 1″ opening for turning right side out and stuffing after sewn.
Cut all parts with at least 1/8″ seam allowance. Cut the snout on the marking line.
Trace the spikes (5 big, 2 medium and 2 small) and wings on the toddler socks.
Sew spikes and wings with opening allowance for the right side out and stuff.
Cut all parts with at least 1/8″ seam allowance.
The belly piece and the body piece of the sock dragon.
Pin the top and bottom of the belly piece to the dragon body.
Align the sides and pin.
Sew the belly piece to the body.
Then sew the tail part and leave about 1 1/2″ opening for turning right side out.
a.) Turn all parts right side out.
b.) Use a pair of blunt tip tweezers to turn the spikes. Place the tweezers on the tip of the spike.
c.) Pull and flip the sock right side out without moving the tweezers.
d.) The spike with a neat and nice tip. Repeat the same to 9 of them.
a.) All parts after being turned right side out.
b.) Stuff all parts firmly.
c.) Slip stitch the opening of the tail.
d.) Pull thread to shut the opening.
Sew to close the openings of the feet, arms, wings, and spikes.
Arrange the spikes in the order of 5 large, followed by 2 medium, then 2 small. The last small spike is going to attach on the tip of the tail.
a.) The body of the dragon after stuffing.
b.) Mark the brow lines on the head with an erasable fabric marker. Outer lines are about 1/2″ down from the seam corner of the sock’s toe part, horizontal. Inner lines are vertically down (follow the sock knit-grain) from the inner seam corner of the sock’s toe. Sew ladder stitches between these 2 lines. Pull thread to form the thick brow of the dragon. It is the same method as sewing the brows of the sock owl.
c.) Mark the snout position on the face.
d.) Pin the snout to the marking, top, bottom, left and right.
a.) Start from the center bottom, sew the snout to the face with a slip stitch. Stuff the snout 1″ just before completing. Continue to sew to complete the snout. Knot the thread but don’t cut. It is the same method as sewing the mouth for the sock monkey.
b.) Insert the needle into the snout and come out from the corner of the sock toe seam. Sew a bead there and make a few stitches. Insert the needle back to the snout and come out at the bottom again.
c.) Insert it back and this time to the corner of another toe seam. Pull the thread to sunken the first bead. Repeat the bead sewing here. Needle back to the bottom, pull to sunken the second bead. Knot, hide knot and thread.
d.) Sew eyes to the face. Pull the thread to sink the eyes a little.
a.) The look of the sock dragon after completing the brows, snout, nostril, and eyes.
b.) Align the spikes at the center back of the dragon with the last smallest spike on the tip of the tail. Space out a little towards the tail if you have enough space.
c.) Sew around each spike to the dragon, sew them close to each other. Make a few stitches between spikes so that they can align better. If you space out the spikes towards the tail end, sew and pull them closely, this will make the tip of the tail tilt up a little (compare the tail tip of picture b.).
a.) Sew the yellow footprint to the bottom of the foot. Position the feet to the dragon, it can be in sitting position or standing position, as long as the dragon can stay firm and won’t topple off. Pin.
b.) Sew around the feet to attach them to the dragon body.
c.) Position arms to the dragon, pin and sew around just like sewing the feet.
d.) After finish sewing the arms, make a few stitches between the arms and across the body, pull to set the arms into the body. It makes the dragon more hug inviting.
a.) Hand-sew the wings with tidy running stitch to resemble a batwing.
b.) Sew to attach them on the back of the dragon, about 1″ to 1 1/4″ from the spikes.
c.) Cut the red felt to make a snake tongue.
d.) Sew it on the snout. Embroidery branch stitch on the snout to make a smiley mouth.
This is how the snout looks like after completing all the components.
The sock dragon is completed. It is now waiting for the young owner to hug him and probably to spend the rest of its life with him or her.
“Gimme, gimme, gimme a BIG HUG!!!”
Joanne estou amando tudo que está no seu blog.Muito obrigada pelos graficos livres, seus bichos são cada um mais lindo do o outro.
Translation (by Google):
Joanne I’m loving everything that is on your blog. Thank you so much for the free graphics, your animals are each more beautiful than the other.
Thank you for loving my design and creation 🙂
Oh my god! This is so cute ❤
I love it! ❤
Thanks for sharing this tutorial craft passion
This is adorable!!! What a wonderful idea. Off to raid my sock drawer 🙂
Mine turned out like absolute garbage.. a video on how to make it would have been nice.
Ciao Joanne adoro i tuoi progetti con i calzini per questo ne ho selezionati qualcuno per la mia pagina facebook kreattiva li troverai li con il tuo nome
Ti seguo con interesse
buona creatività
Rosa
Translation (by Google):
Hello Joanne love your projects with socks for this I have selected someone for my kreattiva facebook page you’ll find them with your name them I’ll follow with interest good creativity Pink
Sorry if I missed it but what size socks do you recommend?
The socks info at the material list is :
1. Sock (crew length), adult size, solid color, 1 pair
2. Sock (crew length), toddler size, stripes in contrasting color, 1 pair
Have a nice day.
Is there a step by step video?
Sorry, I do not have a video on this.
Hi! Love this dragon! Do you think you could tell me where to buy thoughts sock?
Love it so much! Making one soon. Would you be ok with me selling one of these on my etsy shop? 🙂 thanks for all your hard work
j’adoooore!!!!
c’est craquant!
merci beaucoup!
Translation (by Google):
I love it !!!!
it’s cute!
thank you very much!
hola yo no tengo esos colores se puede hacer distinto y es hermoso publiquen mas peluches hechos con calcetines en linea
Translation (by Bing):
Hello I do not have those colors can be different and is beautiful to publish more stuffed animals made of socks online
I hope you can find some beautiful colored socks in your local shop. Otherwise, you may try to find them at Craft Passion Store.
I love dragons!
Iam brasilian e loved your job! Lino seus bichinhos!!! Kisses.
Translation (by Google):
Iam brasilian and loved your job! Lino their pets !!! Kisses.
I made one of these, and it turned out so well! Excellent tutorial! The cost of the materials was very low and even with low experience I was able to make a great dragon!
Thanks, Izzy. Hope I get a chance to see your dragon. 🙂
They were old (clean!) socks so a little bobbled!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6ve3eqkz4dxn83p/IMG_20150527_112413.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pze2rguvrovvsu6/IMG_20150527_112349.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/g3xxzfghedy9b9l/IMG_20150527_112338.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/q29nu57hm0kp1wa/IMG_20150527_112304.jpg?dl=0
OMG!!! The sock dragon is amazing and you did a very good job. I will share you picture in Craft Passion Facebook Page soon. Thanks for showing us 🙂
Great tutorial! I tackled this before any of your other sock toys and adapted it slightly to make flared nostrils and dragon eyes from buttons!
This is sooo cool! I love the color combination, especially the rainbow colored belly and tail! love it so I featured it in my own blog: http://www.plushiepatterns.com/sew-sock-dragon/ thanks again for this dragon tutorial..it’s cheap, fun, and so easy to make!
It sure is cheaper to sew your own toy from socks! Thanks for featuring 🙂
I am having trouble on drakes wings….you said to use a running stitch to make his wings look like bat wings. Well mine aren’t getting the definition to them that yours have…? Can you help me?
Hi Chantel, would love to help. Do you mind send me a photo via the contact form for me to have a look? Thanks.
I kinda just did them my own way…lol…but for my next drake, which im making now, I would like help with the wings. I’ll see if i can explain what I am needing help with….ok, the wings, you say to stuff them then use a running stitch to go over and around to make them look like bat wings, some definition! Ok, well, when I did that it didn’t look like yours, it didnt have the definition to separate the areas of the wings. I dont know how you got that without stitching to the other side of the wing, to get the tension needed to make the thread tight enough to get the definition. Thats the issue I’m having …hope you can help, thank you, Chantel
Hi Chantel, the stitches have to go to the other side of the wing. Hope this explained.
Thank you
Hej, just want to say thank you for your wonderful and easy to follow sock-animal-tutorials! I finished the dragon today, and my son loves it!
Last year I made one of the bunnies and the sock monkey, it is really fun to make them!
Hi Maryam, this is great to know!!! Mind to share a photo to show us?
Hey, I’m making this dragon now and I’m stuck with the brows. I can’t understand how the stitch is going. I looked at the owl tutorial but it’s not helping me. Can anyone help me understand this stitch?
Hi Linda, sorry about the the brows. Let me try to explain here, as you can see from the picture b, there are dashed lines indicated on the head. Sew a ladder stitch from left to right, then from right to left on the dashed lines. After you have finished with the sewing, pull the thread to make the brow bumps up. Hope this helps.
Absolutely lovely and fabulous! Thank you for sharing 🙂
I just wanted to say that your patterns are amazing, and that you are very creative and inspiring! Thank you for sharing your talent with us!
I love this tutorial! I’ve only done a few projects before, and my sock dragon turned out great! It was fairly easy and took less than a day! I’m probably going to make another for a friend…
That’s great feedback, Izzy C, so glad that you told us how you think about this tutorial 🙂
awww this chap is TOO cute! perfect for my Nieces christmas present this year! thank you!
Thanks for the wonderful pattern.
I put some of your patterns on my website and linked back, hope you dont mind.
so cute!!! lovely
Hi! I am making this as I am living you a comment. I love this creation of yours and so is my soon to be 4 year old son. It was suppose to be a surprise gift for his b-day but hard to do with a boy who’s constantly over my shoulder asking what I am doing ha! ha! ha! now he wants me to finish it today. I want to say how grateful I am to you for sharing all your creativity and work of arts. Than you a million times over!
Maria
Maria, I can feel your joyful moment 🙂 Your son is lucky to have you sewed for him !!!!
Hi
I noticed that on the template it said not for sale, is that the pattern or does it mean that any cute little drakes I make I can’t sell?
Kind regards
The template, pattern and tutorial is not for sale but I won’t stop you from selling your handmade 🙂
Thank you! I was about to ask if it’s okay to sell the finished dragon, but I see you’ve answered that question already. Several of my friends saw the photo when it came up in Facebook Memories and want to pay me to make them. I will be sure to credit you with a link back to your blog when I make the gift tags for them. 🙂
Yes, I am fine with it 🙂
I had fun with this project using tie dyed adult socks.
OMG this is adorable! I have an overabundance of white socks and didn’t want to make plain white dragons – I’ll have to give tie dye a try!
I’m expecting my first child and I’ve been trying to practice my sewing. This looks like it will be a fun challenge for me, and an adorable toy for my child once he’s a bit older.
Congratulations, Lindsay N., I am sure your kid ill love the sock dragon personally sewn by his mother 🙂
Just love your sock animals! Will you be creating any more?
Yes, I will sure design more in future but I am busy with other sewing now 🙂
Are you selling this little guy? My daughter would LOVE this one. The colors are perfect.
Hi Kristal, sorry, this is not for sale but I don’t mind if you paid someone to do it for you.
It’s so cute, and I can’t wait to do it! I have all the materials already except for the most important one- the SOCKS. Do you mind if you could give me a recommendation of online and offline shops to get the socks from? 🙂 Thank you!!!!
I bought my sock from a local shop called Sox World. Heard that they import most of their sock from Taiwan. As far as I know, they don’t have online store yet.
Thank you for posting this awesome pattern!! I had a blast making a dragon this weekend. Here’s my results 🙂
Dragon
Dragon 2
Wow, Amanda, well-done on your dragon!!! Love it and thanks for showing it to us!!!
Hi, I love this page and all the sock projects 🙂 I tried making the dragon but only had those socks with the toes so my dragon ended up looking like a platypus medusa haha. Thank you for this tutorial!
LOL he is a CUTE one!!!
Hi Joanne, Thank you so much for sharing your fabulous patterns but also for introducing me to Print Friendly! As Imke I didn’t know anything about Print Friendly but I have just used it to download this fab pattern and wow! super easy! Thanks again, Sharon xx
That’s good to know, Sharon. 🙂
Sooo lovely! You are so talented… thank you for sharing!
Can I adapt this pattern to make a slug, a snail and a seal? 🙂
This is SO ADORABLE!! I need to go make one! Thank you for sharing the tutorial and pattern!
Olá são muitos fofos esses seus bichinhos, vc me ajudou muito pois precisava confeccionar bichinhos para minhas bonecas segurarem nas mãos, a sua idéia era tudo que eu precisava
Abraços
Translation (by Google):
Hello these are very cute their pets, u helped me a lot because I needed to fabricate pets to my dolls hold hands, his idea was all I needed
hugs
Too cute, could you make a sock Yeti next?
Cool, just googled what is Yeti…. You may adapt the sock monkey pattern to make it. Give it a try, Rachel!
Hi there,
I am a big fan of all your paterns. I tried to save the tutorial as a PDF file, like I did earlier with other paterns, but it doesn’t work. Did something change or do you have any tips on how download the tutorials? Thanks a lot!
Kind regards a fan from Holland
Hi Imke,
The new print button is not working well (just get to know it few hours ago). I am asking the team to look into it. Meanwhile, please use the old print button which I have just installed back (just below that stretch of buttons) to print and save it.
Sorry for any inconvenient caused.
He is the cutest thing ever!! I’ve got a Craft Gossip post scheduled for later this morning that links to your tutorial:
http://sewing.craftgossip.com/free-pattern-sock-dragon-softie/2014/05/01/
–Anne
Thank you very much, Anne!!!!
Joanne, I have to say that you have a wonderful design perspective. The things that you can do with socks is unbelievable. I thought your owl was the best…but now Drake has got to be the cutest dragon any little child would ever want. Thank God for the insight to give you the abilities that you have. And Thank You for sharing them with us.
Thank you, Desertrat, for your sweet and encouraging comment, you have made my day!!!
Can’t believe this cutie is made with just 2 pairs of socks!! Thank you so much!! This is a great tutorial!!
So cute, can’t wait to try this. Thank you.
Drake is so cute! One of these days I’ll be ready to tackle a project like this. Thank you for the detailed tutorial.
Hi! This little dragon is DARLING!
But I can’t get PDF version of the tutorial to display.
All I get is the three-page version, not the version with the directions and all the photos of it being assembled.
Can you help? I’d love to make one of these.
Thank you!
Hi DeAnna, I am not sure what’d happened to your computer, may I know which browser were you using when open this document? Anyway, here is the direct link to template, hope it works.
http://www.craftpassion.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/sock-dragon-template.pdf
Thanks for the response. I didn’t have trouble getting the template, just the PDF of the TUTORIAL. I can get the PDF of the 3-pages that talk about the dragon, but I’m trying to print off the actual instructions. I can’t get that PDF to download.
Any suggestions?
Thanks. 🙂
Now I understand after trying out the PrintFriendly button. The print button can’t recognize the second page so it only generate the first page. Let me try to fix it, otherwise, will have to contact the developer of the button.
Thanks for informing and I will get it fix.
For the moment, you can go to http://www.printfriendly.com/, copy and paste the link http://www.craftpassion.com/2014/04/how-to-sew-sock-dragon.html/2 into the box to generate the pdf document manually.
Sorry for the inconvenient caused.
Okay,that worked great! I didn’t know about PrintFriendly until now either, so thanks for the heads up! 😀
Ahh, Joanne! Your sock critters just keep getting cuter all the time!!!
Thank you, Grandma G. Can you believe that I made 5 test pieces of dragon and finally settled with Drake? 🙂