I collect vintage soft toy books. I have about two dozen titles and I acquire new ones when I find them. A new-to-me softie book is like a new-to-me sewing blog. First I spend some time doing background research. Who is this author and how did she get into designing toys? Then I read the acknowledgments and the introduction (like the "about" page on a blog). Reading technical instructions is relaxing to me so I usually read the patterns in bed just before falling asleep, and then sew one or two in the weeks that follow.
I kind of love the peek into a softie-maker's life that a book allows. Here is what this woman made, the materials she used, the type of tips and suggestions she had for us readers. All of this took place in the days before the internet, when we weren't easily connected to one another worldwide via our hobbies and obsessions.
Today I want to show you three soft toy books I've been exploring recently.
1. Making Soft Toys for Children by Pamela Peake
This is a British book originally published in 1988. Pamela Peake has published many excellent soft toy books and she is truly a skillful designer. Her patterns are sophisticated and clever. If you'd like to stretch your skills while sewing professional and lovable softies, her books are terrific.
(By the way, wouldn't it be amazing if I could interview Pamela Peake? Anyone know her?)
This book includes 40 (!) patterns with helpful colored pencil illustrations of the tricky steps. You have to enlarge the templates, but fortunately we have copy machines and don't have to use the graph paper grid!
My favorite patterns from this book include a wonderful giant panda, a owlet, and this sweet penguin. All are clever and cute. You can find Pamela's books for a dollar or two on Alibris, although I don't see this particular title there. Copies come up on eBay and Amazon fairly often. I'd like to get Making Your Own Toys next. Looks neat!
2. 101 Soft Toys: Fun to Make Toys for Children and Babies
These old softie books really pack a punch. 101 patterns! This book dates from 1984 and was published in the U.S. by Arco. There's no author(s) listed so it's impossible to know who designed these which is truly too bad because there are some gems in here (along with some ridiculousness). Although sewn softies make up the majority of the book, there are a few knitted, crocheted, rug hook, and needlepoint toys and a few of the patterns are for costumes.
Among the gems here is a great basic hippo pattern, a family of ducks that were the inspiration my Lily and Luke Duck pattern, and another great panda. Among this ridiculousness is this giant spider. You can find this book on Amazon and Alibris for .25-$1.
3. Soft Toys to Stitch and Stuff by Jean Mandrell Benson
Originally published in 1983 this book is part of the Farm Journal Craft Book series of which I also have Scrap Saver's Stitchery and More Scrap Saver's Stitchery (those two are by Sandra Lounsbury Foose, another terrific designer of this era that I'd love to talk with. Anyone know Sandra?).
As far as I can tell, this is the only book Jean Mandrell Benson wrote and while I still find it interesting, it's not as strong as it could be. There are no underbody darts so we end up with lots of animals with splayed legs that need hand tacking after stuffing. There's a rather hunched over squirrel, an oddly porportioned mouse, and some sorta awkward bears. That being said, Ms. Benson is very enthusiastic and her toys are still quite charming.
Here's the back cover.
My favorites include the wonderful fox puppet you see on the cover, a swimming mallard, and a very charming lamb.
++++++
For me these books are evidence of the creative careers of women who shared my enthusiasm for designing stuffed animals. Every time I find an old soft toy book my excitement for designing and sewing softies grows stronger. I learned to sew from books like these and continue to feel that these authors are my teachers. I cherish my book collection.
Do you own any of these three books? Any favorite vintage soft toy books to recommend?
http://www.amazon.com/Soft-Animals-Carolyn-Vosburg-Hall/dp/0873495799
I have this book and I have loved it. I think I’ve made about 10 of these different dolls for various birthday presents.
These are great! I don’t have any of these three, but I have several that are in the stack above plus a bunch more. I have a handful that you’ve recommended over the years, as well as many that I’ve run across at thrift stores. I love passing an hour perusing old soft toy books! Fabulous inspiration. And that spider is horrifying!
I vaguely remember some of these books. My favorite (ok knitting) pattern books I have inherited are from the 1980s. Why yes, I’ll knit myself some shoulder pads!
I’ve been on the hunt for this tiny felt softies book that my sister had back in the late 80s/early 90s. It was a Japanese book and I remember the little bats, vampires and bunnies she made from them. I wonder if she still has them… In high school, I made a bunch of small felt Hello Kitty plushies. I brought in my “work bag” (a ziplock) and would make them at lunch time or while ditching gym. Yes, I would ditch gym to go sew in the library. I was a total rebel. I did have a mohawk at this time so I guess was a slight rebel?
I found it! Loveable Mini Dolls! http://www.amazon.com/Lovable-Mini-Dolls-Terumi-Otaka/dp/0870405187/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378429404&sr=1-1
I wonder if my sister still has it since I’m not paying $30 for a used copy.
I love that book, Jess! Here’s the pig I made: http://whileshenaps.typepad.com/whileshenaps/2009/11/sewing-through-more-patterns.html
That’s the first thing I look for at the thrift store or used bookstore. It’s so exciting to find one, and little booklets, too.
I love it and had never heard of it! Thank you. Tiny felt mascots. Perfect. I have added it to my wishlist and will search for it at a better price.
It never occurred to me that I could use a copy machine instead of re-tracing the grid!
Without wishing to sound too braggy, I have a soft toy making book from Mills & Boon.No really!! “Toys From The Tales Of Beatrix Potter”. Bought it my local Oxfam aaaages ago. Lovely full size patterns to trace, relatively clear instructions but (like so many others of its era) made with really manky fabric.
I love when you do book reviews- especially of older books! I have several books by Pamela Peake which I like a lot- the “Dinosaurs and Dragons” one is quite fun. I also enjoy Valerie Janitch, who has written lots of toy books featuring a variety of materials (e.g. she has a couple of fun paper books too). I particularly like the rag dolls with outfits books about “Alice and Daisy” (patterns for the dolls themselves are only in the first one), but she does also do some animal toys.
However, my real recommendation for you is Jean Greenhowe. She is MUCH better known for her knitting patterns now, but in the 70s and 80s she wrote nineteen sewing/craft titles, and they are BRILLIANT and very inventive. She has a website for her knitting at http://www.jeangreenhowe.com and it also features copies of her newsletters, two of which are particularly about designing toys- part one is: http://www.jeangreenhowe.com/newsletter12.html- so maybe you could interview her? I’d be very excited if you did! I have most of these books (and love them all), but if you haven’t seen them already and want to try one or two, “Teddy Bears, Toys and Tales” has a good range, and then maybe “Presents and Playthings”. It may not be of such interest to you, but she also has instructions throughout her titles for the nicest peg and wire wrapped dolls that I’ve ever seen- some of the wrapping technique is a bit like Salley Mavor’s in “Felt Wee Folk”- which is also a great newer book (http://weefolkstudio.com). Some of the books were re-released under different titles, and some of them contain sections of overlapping material (but with such nice separate projects that you have to have both!), and I get an enormous amount of information from them. If you are interested I could email you a list of what overlaps/ is the same book under a different title- I am trying to do the same for Pamela Peake at the moment!
Sorry to go on and please show us more of your book collection!
Sorry, the links in my post are:
http://www.jeangreenhowe.com/index.html
http://www.jeangreenhowe.com/newsletter12.html
http://weefolkstudio.com/
It’s not vintage, but I have ‘How to make enchanting teddy bears’ by Debbie Kesling (1997), and it’s adorable!
The bears are very tiny (2″ or so) and she illustrates in such detail! It’s fabulous!
Hi my suggestion like your previous person who commented in Jean Greenhowe. Growing up I loved her patterns, she did a great deal more than just the knitted ones, a lot were released as patterns in magazines and I used to collect the toy patterns she did in my Mum’s Woman’s Weekly magazine. I particularly loved the small toys that sat in your hand and were really appealing little teddies, bunnies and animals with lovely faces. the patterns were always really good and well thought out and went together well. I learned to sew making one of her cloth dolls and all the huge range of clothes for her including a brownie outfit. In fact I still have it now!
looked up the Jean Greenhowe patterns on amazon and the tiny patterns I recall from the magazines were in one of her books, link attached
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0713432713/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It’s a shame the Atlantic separates us as I have a few vintage toy pattern books that someone gave me that I never use, including Teddy Bears, Toys & Tales. I’d like to pass them on to someone who would appreciate them – perhaps having ready the encouraging comments here I had better get them out and look through them again!
Hi Caroline, not sure where you are, I am in the UK, would be very interested in your books if you would like to pass them on, very happy to refund postage.
Hi Jane, I’m in the UK too – get in touch via my blog http://www.uniqart.blogspot.com and we’ll sort it out.
No way! Of course! I love my copy machine 🙂
Jean Greenhowe. Next on my list! I had never heard of her! I’m very excited about this. Thank you s much.
I actually really love teddy bear sewing books. Somehow teddy bear books seem to really focus on the technical aspects of sewing toys, more so than regular soft toy books. I think I’ve learned the most from my teddy books!
Thanks, Jane. I’m going to get some Jean Greenhowe books ASAP!
How awesome is that you guys found one another! Yay!
Yes thanks Abby, an exchange has been arranged! Thanks Caroline. Small world, via a blog other side of the world.
I found that Jean Mandrell Benson book in my middle school (6-8 grade) library and made up the pony you could sit on. out of black cotton, which bled everywhere! it was terrible, not because of the pattern but because of my skills and choices. I need to go hunt that book down and remake “Blackie” for my daughter.
Oh, that’s so awesome. I had a Sunset soft toy book at that age and tried to make stuff from it, and failed miserably because had such poor skills. But it planted the toy making seed!
I found Peake’s book in a charity shop in New Brighton for £1 and I love the style of the animals, especially Oliver Ocelot. I just made the Panda using some white and black fleece that I bought for a project and never used. 🙂 It’s my first time making a soft toy, so some parts are a little wonky and he’s overstuffed in some areas and understuffed in others, but I think he turned out rather adorable!
http://www.mrdictionary.net/stuff/2017/panda/pics/IMG_3269.JPG
If you’d like to see more pics of the fleece panda, try my links. 🙂
I found this page by searching for more information the book, wondering if there are any more toy books in the same style from the publisher. I’ve just ordered the 101 book online from your recommendation.
– matt c.
http://www.mrdictionary.net/stuff/2017/panda/
http://www.beexcellenttoeachother.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10933&p=937772#p937772
Hello Abby, I have been buying some of these books so that it can help me be a Toy Designer when I grow up, I love your blog and its so helpful and detailed! Just last year I started doing research on what job I wanted before I get out of high school and I finally found it! Being a Toy Designer looks extremely fun and challenging but very creative. I would like to thank you for helping me find my future career, you inspired me to become a toy designer so that I can revolutionize the toy industry and that means a lot to me that you are very passionate about your job as well.
– Sincerely, Kimberly