The Artful Bird book launch and trunk show is this coming Saturday, February 5th, from 3:00 – 5:00 pm at Essentia, a beautiful boutique in downtown Wellesley, MA. All of the birds I made for the book (over 40!) will be for sale. We will be serving seed and nut inspired pastries and I will…
Archives for January 2011
Elements of Soft Toy Design #9: Gussets Part 2
Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ Head gussets have got to be one of the biggest challenges in soft toy design. You will remember from the post on underbody gussets that a gusset is a piece of fabric…
Coming Soon: An Artful Bird Giveaway!
I have had a thrilling week receiveding emails from people all over the country who have received my book from their Amazon pre-order. And next week, The Artful Bird: Feathered Friends to Make and Sew, officially debuts in bookstores everywhere. Oh my. What a wonderful feeling! Many years of experimentation and exploration of fabric bird-making…
Elements of Soft Toy Design #8: Turning a Long and Skinny Piece
Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ Like any medium, fabric and stuffing present certain design challenges. Fabric can tear during stuffing, shapes can get distorted when they go from two-dimensions to three, balance can become an issue if…
Elements of Soft Toy Design #7: A Simple Jointed Toy
Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ Jointed soft toys are a lot of fun because they have moving parts. And moving parts imply play. I like the retro look of a simple jointed toy, too. And they are…
Elements of Soft Toy Design #6: Turning
Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ One of the fussiest parts of the softie making process, and the part that can lead to the most frustration, is turning the sewn pieces right side out. This is especially true…
Elements of Soft Toy Design #5: Gussets Part 1
Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ When I first started this series I asked what topics in soft toy design you would like to explore. The most common answer? Gussets! So let's get started. First, what is a…
Elements of Soft Toy Design #4: Pattern Drafting for a Simple Outline Toy
Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ I'm so glad that you are as excited as I am to delve into the topic of soft toy design! I find this subject totally absorbing and I am always learning new…
Elements of Soft Toy Design #3: Using Freezer Paper
Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ Drafting an original softie pattern is a huge topic and we will break it down into many subtopics over the coming weeks. To get started, let's talk about the materials we use…
Elements of Soft Toy Design #2: Openings
Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ Today let's focus on openings. Most soft toys are sewn right sides together and are then turned right side out before being stuffed. In order to turn a softie, you need to…