---
title: 'Hi the shark'
sidebar_label: Hi the shark
---
<DesignInfo design="hi" />
## Designer Notes {#notes}
Hi! This has quite a story behind it.
A while ago rumours started swirling that IKEA would discontinue it's Blåhaj
stuffed shark, which is a universally beloved toy. The FreeSewing community was
quite agitated by this prospect. No one wanted to see the worlds friendliest
shark becoming extinct. And neither did I.
It turned out that no one in the community had ever taken a Blåhaj apart, and
no one had the courage to do so. The only Blåhaj in my household was my
daughter's, and I couldn't touch that one.
This seemed like a great project to work on, and the lack of a Blåhaj was not
an insurmountable obstacle. So one day I made a trip to Ikea, and bought me my
own shark. I took the seam ripper to the poor animal, and transferred it's
innards to a sterile bag. The individual pieces were traced, scanned, and used
in InkScape to generate a fully functional shark pattern.
It can be scaled up and down between 50 cm and 5 meter. So there is a shark for
everyone.
:::tip
Ikea did not discontinue Blåhaj, and you can still get the blue shark. But if
you want one in a different colour, you're at the right spot.
:::
## What You Need {#needs}
To make Hi, you will need the following:
- [Basic sewing supplies](/docs/sewing/basic-sewing-supplies)
- About 1 meter (1.1 yards) of a suitable fabric (Upper body) (see [Fabric
options](#fabric))
- About 0.5 meters (0.6 yards) of a suitable fabric (Belly) ([see [Fabric
options](#fabric))
- Small piece for the mouth
- Small piece of fabric for eyes
- Suitable, unraveling, fabric for the teeth
- Stuffing
- Topstiching thread (thick thread) for gills
:::note
This list is based on a default Hi and you may need less or more fabric
dependant on the [size you are making Hi](/docs/designs/hi/options/size/).
For instance a 500% Hi will need 5 meters (1 meter x 500% = 5 meters) and a 50%
Hi will need 0.5 meters (1 meter x 50% = 0.5 meters).
:::
## Fabric Options {#fabric}
### Main and Contrast Body Fabrics (Upper body, belly and mouth)
This plush toy is intended to have three different coloured fabrics, one for
the upper body, one for the belly, and a smaller piece for the mouth. If you
don't wish to purchase additional fabric just for the mouth, it's a small
enough piece that you can likely use a scrap from the upper body or belly
fabric.
Hi is designed for faux fur fabric, which most plush toys are made from, but
you could also use polar fleece, felt, denim, corduroy, or anything moderately
heavy. Lightweight or drapey fabrics may not hold Hi's shape well when stuffed.
Fabrics with a two-way stretch will work better than wovens, the stretch should
be perpendicular to the grainline.
### Teeth Fabric
The teeth edges are left raw, so should be made from a fabric that does not
unravel such as felt.
### Stuffing
Since this is a plush toy, it will need to be stuffed with material. Most of
the time you'll want to use polyester fiberfill (polyfill), but if you have a
lot of fabric scraps, you can use shredded scrap fabric. However this may be
heavier and less soft than fiberfill. It's also worth thinking about whether
your Hi may be at risk of getting dirty, or want to go for a swim, as not all
stuffing options are washable.
## Cutting Instructions {#cutting}
- **Color 1 (Upper body; Traditionally blue)**
- Cut **2 Body**
- Cut **2 Tail**
- Cut **2 Top Fin**
- Cut **2 Bottom Fin**
- **Color 2 (Belly; Traditionally white)**
- Cut **1 Belly**
- Cut **2 Above Mouth**
- **Color 3 (Mouth; Traditionally pink)**
- Cut **1 Mouth**
- **Color 4 (Teeth; Traditionally white)**
- Cut **1 Upper Teeth**
- Cut **1 Lower Teeth**
