Rice Babies provides a great tip on how to use animal silhouettes to make forest-themed stuffies/softies from felt. She used these as giveaways for her child’s birthday party:
{image credit: Rice Babies}
Find it here: Forest Friend Stuffies by Rice Babies
Found via Whip Up
Make a Comment ( None so far )Following on from the previous post on process, Holly from Two Cheese Please (a talented softie-maker from Melbourne, Australia too!) recently challenged herself to start and finish a doll (from sketch to finished product) in 24 hours.
Due to other priorities, she didn’t quite meet her deadline but this is the final doll (how CUTE is she?!):
{image credit: Two Cheese Please}
Holly shares the process/behind-the-scenes (decisions, obstacles, frustration, rework - who said softie-making was a walk in the park? 
) here (listed in order):
>> 1. Now Taking All Bets - A Craft Challenge
>> 2. Extreme Craft Challenge! 3, 2, 1, Go!
>> 5. A New Week and Time for a New Do
Make a Comment ( None so far )I think the process of making something can be just as important as the final result - many lessons are learnt for the next challenge. I find it fascinating to see how others approach the process of making, especially how they turn a sketch on a piece of paper into a 3D object. So I hope you will find the next two posts helpful.
Jodie (of Ric-Rac) is from Melbourne, Australia, and makes beautiful softies (amongst other crafty things). More importantly though, she is kind, generous and has an infectious positive spirit. It is no surprise then that she took the time to share over a number of posts the process for making this little guy, Milton:
{image credit: Ric-Rac}
Who soon had this little lady friend (though Jodie admits that she is not completely happy with her and is still working on her):
{image credit: Ric-Rac}
Here are posts so you can follow along:
>> Step 1: But Where Does It Come From?
>> Step 2: Fantasy vs Reality or Will It Really Work?
More recently, she also posted some progress photos for making these elephants:
{image credit: Ric-Rac}
You can view them here: Pachyderm Evolution
Make a Comment ( None so far )Softie artist, Serena Kuhl, recently launched the “Plush It” show at the Ruban Rat Gallery in Sydney, Australia (all participants were given the same softie template and were asked to customise according to their own style).
Serena also recently posted very helpful articles on the plush making process based on her own experience and the experiences shared by the show’s participants on the Plush-It blog.
It is always of great value to see how other artists create ‘behind the scenes‘ - you will notice that the artists featured each had their own method and means of problem-solving and working through their initial concepts. I also thought Serena’s article on characterisation was insightful and the exercise included is a good one to use if you find yourself hitting a wall when it comes to designing your softie character.
I will add the remaining steps to the list below as they become available.
>> 1. Plush Making Process: Drawing
>> 2. Plush Making Process: Characterisation
>> 3. Plush Making Process: Sewing
Talented softie-maker, Michal, takes us behind the scenes once again and shows us the steps she goes through to transfer a monster softie sketch in to a pattern pieces and then putting the softie together:
{image credit: Yarn and Coffee}
To view the steps in order, start with this picture and then click the next picture in the top right-hand menu.
A very good tip from this series is to keep all your pattern pieces for a softie in a clearly marked, transparent pocket for easy storage in a 2 or 3-ring binder. I only started organising my large amount of softie patterns this way a few months ago and it has made a huge difference as I am no longer wasting time looking for lost pattern pieces
Related post:
>> The Process of Designing a Softie by Yarn & Coffee
Amy from LuckyKate Crafts has begun a three-step series on how to design a softie.
{image credit: LuckyKate Crafts}
Her first post of the series provides some great links and ideas on developing and defining your softie character. I’ll update this post with steps two and three when they are available also. In the meantime, check out step one on Ideas, Inspiration and Resources.
How to Design a Softie Series by LuckyKate Crafts
>> Step One: Ideas, Inspiration and Resources
>> Step Two: From Pattern to Prototype (added 24/11/2008)
This is not so much one tip but many tips that can be found in this excellent step-by-step presentation posted by Yarn and Coffee (aka Michal) on her softie-design process.
{image credit: Yarn & Coffee}
Each step has a detailed description and photo. It’s always fascinating to see the process that others go through when designing softies because there are opportunities to learn new techniques or methods.
Check it out here: Designing a Softie by Yarn & Coffee
Make a Comment ( 1 so far )Rhelynn of Knit Owl is a very experienced softie-maker. Her creations are endearingly sweet and charming and her blog provides fantastic insights into the process of softie-making. If you’re interested in designing your own softies, make sure you read through her article on the importance of prototyping your designs.
{image credit: KnitOwl}
Turning 2D drawings into 3D softies can be a tricky process and requires the ability to visualise the drawing as the sum of different component/shapes/panels. This article provides clear steps to guide you through the process.
Find her article here: Designing Your Own Toys by Knit Owl
Make a Comment ( None so far )
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