Sock Lion Sewing Pattern

Instructions

HOW TO SEW SHIMBA SOCK LION

1. PREPARATION:
   Gather all the materials and tools needed to sew a sock lion.
   Cut 2 ellipse from white felt for the white of the eyes, about 7/8″ x 1 1/4″.
   Cut 1 trapezoid from brown felt for the nose, about 1/2″ x 1 1/4″ x 1 1/4″.
   Turn your sock with the right-side in. Align sock as shown in the picture.
   Press them flat with a warm iron.
   Mark the pattern with an erasable marker or pen:
   Solid yellow-line – sewing lines.
   Dash yellow-line – running stitch line.
   Blue-line – cutting line for the snout of the lion.
   The cutting lines for overall are not shown but you can see them on the 3rd step by step pictures.
   
2. PIN, SEW & CUT:
   Align the stripes of the sock on both layers, pin.
   Sew with a sewing machine or hand sew if you prefer.
   
   Cut near the sewing lines, about 1/8″ to 1/4″ away.
   Left sock: body.
   Right sock: arms (top), snout (center), tail (left) and ears (right).
   After cutting the body, there will be a small opening between the legs, this is the stuffing opening.
   Turn all parts right side out except the tail.
   Please refer to sock monkey’s tutorial for more detail, especially the body side.
   
3. STUFF & ASSEMBLY:
   Head, Body & Arms:
   a.) Roll a big ball of poly-stuffing material and stuff it into the toe area of the sock. Sew running stitch around the neck, pull to tighten, knot, and cut sewing thread. This is the head of the Sock Lion. Roll the head with your hand to make it rounder.
   b.) Stuff the legs and body until the firmness you like. Adjust the poly-fill so that the body can sit properly.
   c.) Close up the opening by sewing the stuffing hole between the legs.
   d.) Stuff the arms and close the openings.
   e.) Attach the arms to the body.
   
   Tail:
   a.) Roll some yarns about 1″ – 2″ longer than the stretched sock tail. Tie one side with yarn.
   b.) Insert 1″ of yarn into the sock tail (with wrong side facing out).
   c.) Stitch up to close the opening while securing the yarn in place.
   d.) Turn the sock right side out. Remove the tying yarn, you can cut the yarn to have a straight tail tassel or leave it in the loop shape.
   
   Fold the raw edges of the tail inwards and sew it to the body by slip stitching around.
   
4. SEW FACE FEATURES:
   a.) Mark snout shape on the face with an erasable fabric marker
   b.) Turn the raw end inside the snout and sew it on the face with a slip stitch.
   c.) Leave an adequate opening for stuffing
   d.) Stuffed and shaped the snout, sew to close the opening.
   
   Snout:
   a.) Pin the brown felt (nose) on the snout.
   b.) Sew it on with matching color thread or embroidery floss (2 or 3-strand).
   c.) Stuff in a small amount of poly-fill to make the nose to boost the shape. Continue to sew to close the opening.
   d.) To make the philtrum of the mouth, knot your embroidery floss (6-strand) at the bottom center of the snout securely, insert your needle at the center of the bottom edge of the nose felt, into the snout and come out from the same place where you knot your floss.
   e.) Pull to make a dent that resembles the philtrum. Repeat again if necessary to add another secure stitch.
   f.) Make a french knot to resemble the vibrissa or whisker of the lion. The needle should cross the snout and come out to the other side, pull lightly so that the french knot is indented a little into the snout. Make another french knot on the other side of the snout.
   
   Repeat to make 3 vibrissae at each side of the snout.
   Position the 2 white ellipses felt on the face as the whites of the eyes. Sew around with white thread.
   Sew to attach the safety eyes at the position you like.
   
   
5. SEW EARS & MANE:
   a.) Stuff the ears and stitch up the openings. Fold the ear in half vertically, stitch the bottom together to make a cup ear.
   b.) Sew them on the head of the Sock Lion. Without the mane, it looks like a lioness.
   c.) Roll the red and yellow yarns around the 2″ cardboard. Gather and stitch every 10 of them. Catch yarn into a needle as you pass through them, loop 2 to 3 times, pull tight, and make a knot before proceed to the next 10 of yarn.
   d.) Measure the length needed to wrap the head of the stuffed lion. Make extra length if you want to have a dense mane. Stitch the mane to the sock lion. For an even mane distribution, divide the mane into 2 parts, pin it at the neck and top of the head. Sub-divide the mane again and pin it in the middle of the side head.

I hope you can find the perfect socks to sew Shimba the sock lion - he’s every bit as cute as the much-loved Marcho sock monkey. Make a whole family for Shimba for your children, grandchildren, or even your neighbor's children. They are all sure to love this cuddly lion plush.

Don’t forget to let me know your experience in sewing this child-friendly sock lion stuffed toy.

Another lion craft you can try is here.