Introduction: Etsy Craft: PLUSHIES!
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About: Hi, we're Dara and Nash. Industrial designers, tinkers, and mayhem builders. Follow our travels.
Well, everyone knows that Plushies seem to be a fad right now. You can see them in sizes and shapes ranging from Avengers look-alikes, to anime, to the little Cthulhu squiddy things that people make in their spare time. Today we bring you a Make Robot plushie that you can make in a few minutes with only a few pricked fingers (remember your thimbles!).
You'll need:
Scissors
Thread
Hand-sewing needle
Fabric for outside of plushie
Padding for inside of plushie
Cookies! (Because my wife is amazing and baked some for me for taking pictures of her, that recipie comes later!)
JesseeSueM made the design that you'll see in these photos, if you want the printout, you can find it here.
You'll need:
Scissors
Thread
Hand-sewing needle
Fabric for outside of plushie
Padding for inside of plushie
Cookies! (Because my wife is amazing and baked some for me for taking pictures of her, that recipie comes later!)
JesseeSueM made the design that you'll see in these photos, if you want the printout, you can find it here.
Step 1: Cutting Out the Design.
Thankfully, the printed fabric design comes with a cut line included. An easy trick for the backing? Pin a similar-sized piece of fabric to the back of the robot so that you won't have to mess with lining up both pieces again. Trust me, it helps.
After you've pinned both pieces, cut along the dotted line. It doesn't have to be clean, just make sure you don't get too close to the 'bot.
After you've pinned both pieces, cut along the dotted line. It doesn't have to be clean, just make sure you don't get too close to the 'bot.
Step 2: Stitching!
Now that you've cut everything, un-pin your two pieces and flip them so the insides are facing one another. Align them again, and re-pin. This will make the stitching process much easier, and you can save yourself some time from dropping the pieces.
My wife has a little trick for this part (normally, it would be using a sewing machine). She used a fairly long hand-sewing needle and pushed it through several times in a line. It kind of looks like a train going through several consecutive hills by tunnels if you look closely. Pull the needle through and flatten out the fabric. Congratulations, you just did 5-7 stitches in the time it takes to do one, and no finger pricking! (Hopefully...)
If you have about half an inch between the design and the edge of the fabric, you should stitch halfway between them. That will leave enough space you to stitch it as well as leave room for the design to be seen.
Continue around the border, but leave a space about two fingers wide near the bottom of the 'bot. Tie off the thread. This involves making a single stitch, but looping the needle back on itself so it creates a stitch and a knot at the same time.
My wife has a little trick for this part (normally, it would be using a sewing machine). She used a fairly long hand-sewing needle and pushed it through several times in a line. It kind of looks like a train going through several consecutive hills by tunnels if you look closely. Pull the needle through and flatten out the fabric. Congratulations, you just did 5-7 stitches in the time it takes to do one, and no finger pricking! (Hopefully...)
If you have about half an inch between the design and the edge of the fabric, you should stitch halfway between them. That will leave enough space you to stitch it as well as leave room for the design to be seen.
Continue around the border, but leave a space about two fingers wide near the bottom of the 'bot. Tie off the thread. This involves making a single stitch, but looping the needle back on itself so it creates a stitch and a knot at the same time.
Step 3: Inverting and Stuffing!
The space you left down at the bottom is for turning the plushie inside out (or right-side out, in this case). Use a pencil to invert all the limbs and thin pieces (arms, head, antennae, etc). You'll notice that you won't be able to see your seam job from this way.
Now, take whatever padding you have (whether it be cotton puffs, scrap fabric, dog hair, saw dust) and stuff a reasonable amount in. This isn't the same thing as Build-a-Bear where they have a cotton blower that you just force inside all of your poor little Plushie's limbs...no, be gentle. After you have enough stuffing, it should have some 3D aspects to it now, and probably look a little like Rosie from The Jetsons.
Now, take whatever padding you have (whether it be cotton puffs, scrap fabric, dog hair, saw dust) and stuff a reasonable amount in. This isn't the same thing as Build-a-Bear where they have a cotton blower that you just force inside all of your poor little Plushie's limbs...no, be gentle. After you have enough stuffing, it should have some 3D aspects to it now, and probably look a little like Rosie from The Jetsons.
Step 4: Closing Seam
After this, it's the curtain call! You're almost done!
You'd have to ask my wife for the nitty gritties about this aspect of closing a seam, but I'll do my best to describe it.
She first rolled the edges of the fabric in and started the seam on the inside near where you began or ended the first seam.
Then you put one stitch through, just through the fold, then pull the string taut. Then alternate which side you're on and repeat. It's almost like you're doing the same thing as the first seam, but you're doing it from the opposite side. There's no fun trick like the train tunnel for this.
If you don't feel like trying your hand at that, just do a rolling loop. It would look kind of like a roller coaster's barrel rolls. Not as clean, but effective.
You'd have to ask my wife for the nitty gritties about this aspect of closing a seam, but I'll do my best to describe it.
She first rolled the edges of the fabric in and started the seam on the inside near where you began or ended the first seam.
Then you put one stitch through, just through the fold, then pull the string taut. Then alternate which side you're on and repeat. It's almost like you're doing the same thing as the first seam, but you're doing it from the opposite side. There's no fun trick like the train tunnel for this.
If you don't feel like trying your hand at that, just do a rolling loop. It would look kind of like a roller coaster's barrel rolls. Not as clean, but effective.
Step 5: Enjoy!
Hooray! You have a plushie!
Now, you can keep it and use it as a centerpiece for your cute craft art gallery, give it to someone as a gift, fill it with catnip for a feline friend, Or leave it somewhere like a bookshop for someone to wonder why there's a little robot plushie.
Now, you can keep it and use it as a centerpiece for your cute craft art gallery, give it to someone as a gift, fill it with catnip for a feline friend, Or leave it somewhere like a bookshop for someone to wonder why there's a little robot plushie.