Busy busy busy...

[badly_knitted]

While we had some good drying weather last week I decided it was time the soft toys I finally got back from storage last year had a good clean. They were stored in bags but were still dusty and looking bedraggled.

The certainly brighten the back garden up...

Comments

[evil_little_dog]

That looks like a lot of plush birdies.

[badly_knitted]

Yeah, the Dickie Byrds... Mum and I bought every one we saw in charity shops for years. There are 32 altogether, ranging in size from 4 to 12 inches, but only 31 are on the line. Dilwyn hasn't been washed yet because his little Welsh hat is glued on and would come off in the wash.

[evil_little_dog]

Hee hee!

[badly_knitted]

I keep telling myself 'no more stuffies', I even sent loads to the charity shops, but I still sometimes buy another...

[evil_little_dog]

I bought a new one for Valentine's day - a cute little Schnauzer holding a heart - and a friend sent me one for my birthday - a new Stitch to go with the collection! A lot of my plushies are in storage now and it makes me sad to not see them but there's no room in the house. I kept some of my favorites out - the Stitches, a few Schnauzers, my Eeyores and my big Tigger Mom found for me at a yard sale.

[badly_knitted]

It's always good to have favourites around. When we had to stick stuff in storage I kept some at home with me, one of my manatees, a donkey, my teddy bear Walter and a few others.

I have a collection of Totoros, they're recent additions, and I keep buying things for mum even though she's gone. I got her a cuddly sloth, because she always loved sloths, and several teddy bears.

I have two fresh washer loads out o the line. More ducks, dinosaurs, pigs, hedgehogs, fish, bees and ladybirds, and my cuddly tarantula Hairy Harry, one of the few spiders I don't mind having in the house because he stays where I put him, lol!

[evil_little_dog]

Awww, Totoro. One of my friends was nicknamed that. He kind of reminded a lot of us of him.

I gave Mom a little Schnauzer a few years ago for Yule. A little plush Schnauzer. :D The doggie sits on her dresser in her bedroom.

[badly_knitted]

LOL! Not sure how complimentary that is to your friend!

It's amazing what you can get in soft toys these days. Little cuddly Schnauzers sound adorable. My mum loved owls so I bought her a lot of those. some are out on the line now, washed another load of stuffies today and I'm planning another load for tomorrow, then I'll have to tale a break for a bit as next week is going to be wet according to the forecast. I still have another two or three loads after tomorrow's...

[evil_little_dog]

Well...he was a rather odd fellow. Tall-ish, kind of round-ish, kind of dangerous-ish.

I would like to learn how to make (nice) plush toys. I have ideas but no thoughts on how to bring them to fruition (much like my desire to make rag dolls to look like favorite characters).

[badly_knitted]

There are lots of good books on the subject out there. mum used to make some, but I'm useless when it comes to using sewing machines. I get bored with all the fiddliness. I've made some felt toys in the past, and will again, but plush toys are harder, you have to make sure the for goes in the right direction, and then there are joints and safety eyes and whiskers and noses... It's complicated.

[evil_little_dog]

Yeah, I have some books on doll-making - I even won a small batch of them at auction in February, along with fabric.

I have read some on making stuffed critters but not plush ones, just regular cotton.

[badly_knitted]

Hopefully you'll find time to play around with the doll-making.

I thing anyone reasonably competent at using a sewing machine can make plush animals with a bit of practice. I'm just not competent... You'd probably do better than I would!

[evil_little_dog]

It's on the list. Along with about a half-dozen other things. I really need to start weaving again...

How are you actually washing your stuffies, BTW? Because I have some that need it.

[badly_knitted]

Oooh, weaving... I have a couple of small looms. Never sure what to make though.

I'm being lazy, just shoving them in the washing machine on a short cycle, low temperature. Most are coming out just fine although mum's gorilla now has a grey face and hands instead of black... Some say machine washable, some specify hand wash but hand washing is so difficult because they end up so soap[y I can't rinse it all out and they're left waterlogged.

I have some bags made of fine mesh that I put the smallest and the most delicate stuffies in for protection. Seems to have done the job. One teddy bear is only 2 inches tall.

I

[evil_little_dog]

I have an inkle loom and the 150+ year old rug loom that needs some minor repairs done on it.

I was wondering if I put them in on delicate.

Re: I

[badly_knitted]

I have a very old circular loom that's probably best for table mats.

A long as they have suitable stuffing, polyester or something like that. If they're stuffed with straw (as one of my oldest teddies is), surface was only, and if they're filled with kapok I'd recommend changing the stuffing before washing because that stuff holds water like you wouldn't believe. Nylon pellets are fine in the washer too, on low temp (no higher than 40), and on a delicate cycle, then line dry. I wouldn't put them in a tumble drier, that gets too hot.