Confessions of a Dude who sleeps with Stuffed Animals
I have this problem. See, I'm a grown man, and every night I curl up with a stuffed animal when I sleep. This is pretty freaky, right? Well, yeah, I admit it is, and I'm totally OK with that. While I wouldn't exactly want my co-workers to know about it, I'm just fine and dandy with the fact myself.
The stuffed animal in question is a plush Meeko (the raccoon character from the otherwise totally forgettable 1995 Disney film "Pocahontas"). Back when "Pocahontas" came out, Mattel released a line of really awesome Meeko plush toys. They were BIG, and soft, and very huggable. For those not in the know, this is what they look like (not mine in the picture):
Between 1995 and 1997, I ended up buying ten of these guys. That's right. I was a Meekaholic.
That was 15 years ago, of course. Over that time, I've given several away as gifts, accidentally destroyed one in a dryer (oh no!), and "used up" all but two of the remaining ones. Used up? Yeah, it's probably TMI, but basically they get pretty matted and nasty from sweat and body oils after a few years, even with proper brushing and cleaning. They're still soft, but they're not anything close to brand-new-soft. So now I have only two left in pristine, untouched state.
So here's my dilemma: There is no supply of new Meekos! They're done for. You can find them on eBay sometimes, but not reliably. I don't dare sleep with the remaining two. That doesn't leave much in the way of options.
But how about this? What if I made my own? It can't be that hard, right? I've never thrown any of mine out, so I have several that I would be willing to sacrifice in taking apart to make a pattern. There are about six types of fur used on them, and they all seem like standard shades of grey and black, so getting materials shouldn't be too difficult. The hardest part will be the custom eyes. And sewing, of course.
What say you, fursuit-making friends? Making a plush toy doesn't seem too different from making a fursuit, except smaller. Do you have any sage advice for me? Anything from "That's stupid" to "That's easy!" would be helpful feedback!
The stuffed animal in question is a plush Meeko (the raccoon character from the otherwise totally forgettable 1995 Disney film "Pocahontas"). Back when "Pocahontas" came out, Mattel released a line of really awesome Meeko plush toys. They were BIG, and soft, and very huggable. For those not in the know, this is what they look like (not mine in the picture):
Between 1995 and 1997, I ended up buying ten of these guys. That's right. I was a Meekaholic.
That was 15 years ago, of course. Over that time, I've given several away as gifts, accidentally destroyed one in a dryer (oh no!), and "used up" all but two of the remaining ones. Used up? Yeah, it's probably TMI, but basically they get pretty matted and nasty from sweat and body oils after a few years, even with proper brushing and cleaning. They're still soft, but they're not anything close to brand-new-soft. So now I have only two left in pristine, untouched state.
So here's my dilemma: There is no supply of new Meekos! They're done for. You can find them on eBay sometimes, but not reliably. I don't dare sleep with the remaining two. That doesn't leave much in the way of options.
But how about this? What if I made my own? It can't be that hard, right? I've never thrown any of mine out, so I have several that I would be willing to sacrifice in taking apart to make a pattern. There are about six types of fur used on them, and they all seem like standard shades of grey and black, so getting materials shouldn't be too difficult. The hardest part will be the custom eyes. And sewing, of course.
What say you, fursuit-making friends? Making a plush toy doesn't seem too different from making a fursuit, except smaller. Do you have any sage advice for me? Anything from "That's stupid" to "That's easy!" would be helpful feedback!