How close to the original drawing do you want the plushy to be?
If you're just making a 'pillow' plush then you shouldn't have to much trouble using jersey. If you want your little guy to be more three-dimensional fleeces might be a better option.
I want him to have a more stuffed animal feel. Want to be able to cuddle and carry him around (lol) :) Thank you so much for your help, I'll look into the fleece.
I've been enjoying using minky, you might look into that. It's slightly fuzzy and very soft.
As far as sewing goes, hand-sewing is a perfectly fine option, you just have to be willing to take the time to do a good, tight stitch. I hand sew all my plushes.
If you do buy a machine you do not need anything fancy! I mean really, who needs 48 different sorts of decorative stitch? I bought a 1940's Singer second hand for about $50 and it's been the best purchase of my life. I suggest you take a look at second hand machines. Ones from the 40s and 50s particularly were made to last FOREVER. But for casual, once-in-a-while use pretty much anything at all should work just fine!
I've never heard of minky before, but I'll look into it. And that's what I was thinking when it comes to sewing machine..I'll just buy a simple one for big projects, cause I prefer big plushies to small.
seconding the suggestion for minky above. if you're going to be hand-stitching fleece, you have to be sure to get the stitches as tight and even as possible, which can be kind of hard. minky is more forgiving, ime.
and i find sewing larger plushies is easier on a machine! likewise, small plushies are easier done by hand. it all depends on what you'll be making most often. :D
Hmmm...I'm so good at hand-sewing, pretty new at this and I want my Cat in the Hat to be huge, preferably cuddle size! lol So maybe I will into buying a machine sooner rather than later (been thinking of getting one for a while now). Thanks so much for your help!
Fleece and minky are my two main recommendations. The main differences is that fleece is soft to touch but not silky; minky is very silky (basically, think beanie babies) BUT makes rather a mess when you're cutting it! Also, fleece you should be able to find at any local fabric store, but I've only been able to buy minky online, myself.
As for the second, I don't have a lot of experience with a sewing machine, I mostly hand-sew. I like hand-sewing because it's very portable (I can take my sewing outside, in front of the tv, whatever) and easier to control, but it also makes me feel limited on the size of things I can do, because sewing a huge plush by hand seems...daunting.
Hmm..since minky seems hard to get, I might go with fleece, at elast I'd be able to actually feel the fabric. But I'll check out my neighborhood fabric stores first.
And I get what you're saying about hand-sewing. It's what I love about crocheting! And I started thinking bout this because I've been making small plushies so far, but I want to make a big one, but I'm one of those who gets really impatient when super excited bout a project I'm working on, lol, I just want it to be finished so I can see the end project.
how experienced are you? I'm still a n00b myself, and find felt to be a much more forgiving fabric than fleece. However, it is less soft.
I like sewing by hand. Sewing by machine is a little daunting to me, but I have very little experience on a machine. I feel like I have more control with hand sewing, though if you make a mistake or realize later that the pattern you made was a disaster, it is a lot of time wasted.
When you create your pattern, be sure to include seam allowances! Even with felt, unless you are sewing everything on the outside, this is important!
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If you're just making a 'pillow' plush then you shouldn't have to much trouble using jersey. If you want your little guy to be more three-dimensional fleeces might be a better option.
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As far as sewing goes, hand-sewing is a perfectly fine option, you just have to be willing to take the time to do a good, tight stitch. I hand sew all my plushes.
If you do buy a machine you do not need anything fancy! I mean really, who needs 48 different sorts of decorative stitch? I bought a 1940's Singer second hand for about $50 and it's been the best purchase of my life. I suggest you take a look at second hand machines. Ones from the 40s and 50s particularly were made to last FOREVER. But for casual, once-in-a-while use pretty much anything at all should work just fine!
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Thanks for your help!
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and i find sewing larger plushies is easier on a machine! likewise, small plushies are easier done by hand. it all depends on what you'll be making most often. :D
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As for the second, I don't have a lot of experience with a sewing machine, I mostly hand-sew. I like hand-sewing because it's very portable (I can take my sewing outside, in front of the tv, whatever) and easier to control, but it also makes me feel limited on the size of things I can do, because sewing a huge plush by hand seems...daunting.
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And I get what you're saying about hand-sewing. It's what I love about crocheting! And I started thinking bout this because I've been making small plushies so far, but I want to make a big one, but I'm one of those who gets really impatient when super excited bout a project I'm working on, lol, I just want it to be finished so I can see the end project.
Thanks so much for your help!
Reply
I like sewing by hand. Sewing by machine is a little daunting to me, but I have very little experience on a machine. I feel like I have more control with hand sewing, though if you make a mistake or realize later that the pattern you made was a disaster, it is a lot of time wasted.
When you create your pattern, be sure to include seam allowances! Even with felt, unless you are sewing everything on the outside, this is important!
Reply
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