Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ One good way to create a round head for a softie is to sew pattern pieces that come together like the seams on a baseball. The pieces are simple and create a…
Elements of Soft Toy Design #15: Triangular Darts
Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ Right up there with gussets, darts are one of the most important aspects of creating a truly three-dimensional toy. A dart is a fold sewn into the fabric to create a three-dimensional…
Elements of Soft Toy Design #14: An Animal in Motion
Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ With just a little extra effort you can take a pattern for a standing animal and transform it into a pattern for a walking, stalking or prowling animal. Motion gives the animal…
Elements of Soft Toy Design #13: Attaching a Part by Cutting a Hole
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 challenges in designing a soft toy is figuring out how to attach parts like limbs or wings so that the attachment is really strong and won't come apart during…
Elements of Soft Toy Design #12: Gusseted Button Joints
Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ I love jointed soft toys because they have moving parts. Any place on a toy where two parts are making contact could have a joint. Hips, shoulders, elbows, knees, and claws are…
Elements of Soft Toy Design #11: Pointed Ovals
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 have an idea for a new soft toy, going from a sketch to a set of pattern pieces can be a daunting task. How do I make those shapes in…
Elements of Soft Toy Design #10: Stuffing
Stuffing is a really important step in softie making. When it is done well, the finished toy is firm and smooth and completely filled out, from its tiniest extremity to its widest part. When it is done poorly, the finished toy is lumpy in some parts and deflated in others and it may not stand…
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…
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…