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Based on a video by Ami Amour
Opens their YouTube channel
Steps written out by Crafting Step by Step · Published
Most amigurumi is made in pieces: a head, a body, arms, ears, a snout. How you sew those pieces together decides whether the finished toy looks homemade or polished. Ami of Ami Amour shows two joins on a red and white crochet mushroom. The whip stitch is quick and sturdy. The seamless stitch hides the yarn between the stitches so the join all but disappears.
A tapestry needle (a bent tip one makes it easier to scoop through stitches), the long yarn tail you left when you fastened off each piece, pins or locking stitch markers to hold parts in place, and small scissors. Leave tails of 12 inches or more on any piece you plan to sew on.
Placement matters more than stitch choice. Pin each part on, step back and look at the toy from the front and side. Ears that sit one round apart or arms at different heights are hard to unsee once they are sewn. Count rounds from the top and stitches from a center line so both sides match.
Pull each stitch snug, not tight. Too tight and the piece puckers or the edge curls under. Too loose and gaps open up when the toy is squeezed. For stuffed parts like arms, add the last bit of stuffing as you get close to the end of the seam so the joint stays firm.
Tie a small knot close to the surface, then push the needle into the toy right next to the knot and bring it out a few inches away. Give the tail a tug and the knot pops inside. Trim the tail flush with the surface and it sinks out of sight.
Pieces that are left open at the end, such as arms, legs and ears, are sewn on around their opening. Flatten an ear and sew through both layers at once. For a round arm, keep the opening round and stitch it on in a circle so it stands out from the body.
Toys for babies and small children take a lot of pulling. Use the whip stitch for limbs, go around twice, and tug hard on every part when you are done. Embroider eyes instead of using safety eyes for anyone under three.
Seam looks lumpy? You may be skipping stitches; work into every stitch along the edge. Part leans to one side? Re-pin and match stitch for stitch. Yarn showing on the seamless join? Push the needle a little further into the gap between stitches.
New to amigurumi? Start with the amigurumi basics, then practise these joins on a crochet mushroom or a crochet bear. Before you close the head, attach the safety eyes, and when you are done, weave in any loose ends.
Free, for this project
Sew amigurumi parts together with a sturdy whip stitch or a seamless invisible join. An easy project: about 15 minutes. You need 4 things, including tapestry needle, pins or locking stitch markers and small scissors. The 9 steps start with line Up the Amigurumi Pieces and the Long Yarn Tail, start the Whip Stitch Under the Amigurumi Stitches, whip Stitch Around the Amigurumi Seam, knot the Yarn to Finish the Whip Stitch Join and start the Seamless Join on the Amigurumi Applique.
9 steps, about 4 minutes. Tap a picture to jump to that step. Your progress saves automatically.
Tick each step off as you go.
Hold the two pieces together where they will join. Here the red mushroom cap sits on the white stem. Turn them until the stitches line up, so each stitch on one edge sits across from a stitch on the other. Use the long tail left on the cap when you fastened off. Thread it onto a tapestry needle.
Pin or clip the parts in place first so nothing shifts while you sew.
Push the needle under a stitch on the stem, then under the matching stitch on the edge of the cap. Pull the yarn all the way through. That is your first whip stitch. Catch both loops of each stitch so the seam is strong. A blunt tapestry needle slides through crochet without splitting the yarn.
Keep the tail on the same side of the work for every stitch.
Move to the next pair of stitches. Bring the yarn over the edge, then go under both stitches again and pull through. Repeat all the way around. You will see neat diagonal lines of yarn over the seam. That is normal for a whip stitch, and it is why this join works best when both pieces are the same color.
Snug each stitch as you go. Pulling hard at the end gathers the seam.
When you are back at the start, tie a small knot close to the surface so the stitches cannot work loose. Push the needle into the toy beside the knot and out somewhere else. Tug gently so the knot slips inside, then trim the tail. Ami uses this join for arms and legs, which take the most pulling.
Going around a second time makes limbs extra secure on toys for small children.
For an invisible join, hold the piece you are adding in place. Here it is a white spot on the red cap. Bring the needle up from under the cap at the very edge of the spot. This start point hides the first stitch. Pin flat pieces before you begin so they stay centered.
Locking stitch markers hold flat appliques in place without poking through the stuffing.
Instead of wrapping over the edge, push the needle down in between two stitches of the cap, right against the edge of the spot. Pull through. Then come back up through one of the holes at the edge of the spot. Because the yarn sits in the gaps between stitches, it gets hidden and the seam is very hard to see.
Use yarn the color of the piece you are sewing on so any yarn that shows blends in.
Keep going: down between the stitches of the base, up through the edge of the applique. Work around the whole circle. Check from the side as you go. If you can see yarn crossing the seam, push the needle a little deeper into the gap. Compare it with the whip stitch and the difference is clear.
Small stitches give a tighter edge on flat pieces like spots and muzzles.
Back at the start, tie a small knot. Push the needle into the toy right next to it and out the other side. Pull the tail until the knot pops inside, then cut the yarn close to the surface. The end gets drawn into the stuffing and disappears. No tail to weave, nothing to come undone.
Pull the tail gently while you cut so the end springs back in.
Look at the finished spot. The edge should sit flat on the cap with no stitches showing. Ami uses this join for appliques, for parts in a different color, and for pieces sewn onto a face, like a duck's bill. Use the whip stitch where strength matters most and the seamless join where looks matter most.
Most toys use both. Arms get the whip stitch, faces get the seamless join.
Keep going
How to Make a Fall Leaf Garland
How to Sew Amigurumi Pieces Together (Invisible Seam)
Clover
Clover Amour Crochet Hook Set (10 sizes)
Soft, easy-grip handles that warm to the touch and a full size range in one case. The set most crocheters upgrade to and never look back.
Lion Brand
Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton Yarn
Mercerized cotton with crisp stitch definition and a subtle sheen. Machine washable, and the go-to for amigurumi, bags, and dishcloths.
Clover
Clover Locking Stitch Markers (20-pack)
Lock onto stitches so they never slip while you mark rounds, increases, and repeats. A dollar-store fix that actually holds.
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