And we’re back!! No excuses for the prolonged absence. Let’s just get stuck back into it!
Check out this excellent time-lapse video on the process of making a plush toy by Love and Sandwich. Nothing solves the mystery of bringing a plush toy to life like seeing it in action. Enjoy!
Melly & Me have started a fantastic little series on their blog called “Tips & Tricks Tuesday“.
Their first tip/trick addresses one common softie-making question: “How do you sew and turn out those small softie parts?“. This includes parts like ears, little arms or legs, feet, horns, etc. that are easy enough to sew up but can drive one to instant insanity when it comes to turning them right-side out.
Melly provides a very clear tutorial accompanied by excellent pics.
{image credit: Melly & Me}
Find it here: Tips & Tricks Tuesday: Turning Small Parts by Melly and Me
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 )When I started making softies a few years ago, I found it fairly easy to cut them out, sew them up and stuff them. What really stumped me was the the bit at the end when the instructions would say: “Use a ladder stitch to sew up the opening” (that was used for stuffing).
I had no idea what a ladder stitch was. I searched the internet and found lots of diagrams and as great as they were, I just didn’t get it!
Finally, someone had to show me how to do it. And wow - it is the perfect stitch for closing up softies as it ends up being invisible (hence also known as the “Invisible stitch” :-)). I’ve found, in my own experience, that the trick is to keep spaces between each ‘rung’ small and even, and to pull each stitch through tight.
If it is a complete mystery to you too, just watch this clip and hopefully it will make sense!
Via Craftzine.
Make a Comment ( 4 so far )I received an email a few weeks ago from Ginny who wanted some guidance on sewing up fleece for softies. Fleece is a fairly inexpensive material, comes in many different colours, is stretchy and flexible, and has a soft/fluffy texture well-suited for softie-making.
I have used sherpa fleece, polar fleece, chenille fleece and terry fleece (amongst others) to make many softies for kids. Here are a few examples: Shmerpi, Springbean, Bunnito, Doddi-Bears. However, sewing it up can be a real challenge - some machines ‘eat up‘ the fleece and/or stretch it out disproportionately.
I pointed Ginny to an excellent step-by-step guide on Burda Style on how to sew fleece.
The How-To addresses sewing up a garment but all of the tips can also apply to softie-making, particularly how to transfer the pattern pieces; suitable machine needle, thread, and stitch; and finishing.
Go here: How to Sew Fleece Fabric by Burda Style
Make a Comment ( None so far )Seriously, this must be the biggest collection of doll-making techniques by one person on the internet: Mimi’s Doll Making Techniques
The author, Mimi, is clearly a very experienced doll-maker and it is very generous of her to collate and share all of these fantastic tips on making dolls. You can easily spend an hour or so reading through the content. Topics are arranged alphabetically. Though the focus in on doll making, I believe the following are just a few of the topics that you can apply to softie-making in general:
> Stuffing Technique: Excerpt - “Think of it this way: if you put a bunch of tennis balls into a sock, you’d have a lumpy sock. But if you cut the tennis balls in half and then stacked them inside one another, the surface would be smooth and strong.”
> Fabric: Includes finding the right side of knit fabrics, determining the stretch, avoiding distortion and precision sewing
> Glossary: Comprehensive list of relevant terms you may come across when making dolls/softies
Make a Comment ( None so far )One of the obvious things you will notice about softie-making is that felt plays a popular role in being a base material. Felt is very versatile, comes in a huge amount of colours and has enough flexibility and durability (at least in the good quality felt) to maintain shape and form.
{image credit: Futuregirl}
If you are hand sewing felt pieces together for a softie, it is important to use the right stitch and to sew the stitch correctly. Doing so will avoid having your softie suddenly burst open at the most inappropriate of times e.g. handing it over to the person you made it for, whilst explaining how much effort you put into it and that you think it is the best thing you ever made.
The amazing Futuregirl has posted these excellent step-by-step tutorials (with pictures) on two stitches that are used widely in softie-making:
1) How to hand sew a whip-stitch
2) How to hand sew a blanket-sticth
3) And how to know which of the two stitches to use on a project
So please read the above links, apply them, and hand over your next handsewn softie with a lot more confidence!
Make a Comment ( None so far )Seriously this little guy by Nina Cuneo is IRRESISTABLE!
{image credit: Nina Cuneo}
Now, you don’t actually get the actual pattern for him but you do get detailed steps and excellent accompanying images on how he was put together.
{image credit: Nina Cuneo}
Again, this tutorial has many tips in each step of the process and will be very helpful for those who want to start making softies with the right-sides on the inside during assembly. This tutorial is definitely one to bookmark and read from beginning to end.
Find it here: Stuffed Felt Monster Tutorial by Nina Cuneo
Make a Comment ( 1 so far )
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