Yip yip!
Appa was high on my request list for this year, and being the last month of the year I knew I finally had to tackle him! Hopefully most of you recognize this cuddly bison <3 For those that don't, Appa is a flying sky bison and the lifelong companion to Aang, the main character of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Sky bison appear throughout the sequel series, The Legend of Korra as well. I think part of the reason why Appa got pushed to the end of the year is because I really wanted to make this version like the big festival prize Korra wins in season 2, episode 1. It was a big undertaking but I knew I wouldn’t be satisfied until I tried it!

Obviously not everyone needs a huge Appa, so I designed it in 3 sizes. The middle size is the most ideal, and the smallest size was created mostly so people with 4″ x 4″ embroidery hoops could still join in the fun.
In general, this plush is constructed with a separate front and back with most of the extremities — like legs, tail, and ears, being sewn into the seam around the outer edge. This does make that outer edge seam a little crowded, since there are so many extra bits to stuff inside. For that reason I rated it a 4/10, though it might feel closer to a 5 if you tackle the larger Appa, just for the extra work due to the bigger size.
Appa looks amazing sewn in faux fur or long-pile minky, which I had plenty leftover after the Puppy plush from Thanksgiving. But it is tricky to sew, so to make Appa in smooth fabric but still keep the cute head fringe, I created a bangs piece that drapes over his forehead and eyes.

As always, the pattern comes with applique templates to make the details, which works great if you’re sewing with faux fur since that’s harder to embroider. These will work if you’re sewing the details by regular machine or by hand. If you have an embroidery machine, there are files for the 3 sizes as well — the small is best for 4″ x 4″ hoops, the medium for 5″ x 7″ hoops, and the large size needs a really big hoop: 8″ x 14″.
I hope you all like it!