6. Stuffing of a toy and filling needed
6. Stuffing of a toy and filling needed
For stuffing toys I suggest using polyester filling or synthetic fuzz as an equivalent. This is synthetic fiber formed like balls, spirals or curls. If piece of polyester is big, divide it into small pieces and fill details of a toy.
Slowly, in small portions fill turned out details of a toy with stuffed material. If you want the toy to have a pleasant touch, you can reduce the density of stuffing, by making, for example, a softer tummy. Paws can be stuffed completely, or just in the area of hands (palms) and feet. In the first case, the toy will be able to stand and in the second, it will be able to sit with funny hanging legs.
When stuffing, use tools for turning out - the blunt sides of sushi chopsticks, pencils, or barbecue skewers.
For stuffing toys I suggest using polyester filling or synthetic fuzz as an equivalent. This is synthetic fiber formed like balls, spirals or curls. If piece of polyester is big, divide it into small pieces and fill details of a toy.
Slowly, in small portions fill turned out details of a toy with stuffed material. If you want the toy to have a pleasant touch, you can reduce the density of stuffing, by making, for example, a softer tummy. Paws can be stuffed completely, or just in the area of hands (palms) and feet. In the first case, the toy will be able to stand and in the second, it will be able to sit with funny hanging legs.
When stuffing, use tools for turning out - the blunt sides of sushi chopsticks, pencils, or barbecue skewers.
7. Assembling
Before assembling, sew up all the holes for turning out and stuffing on details with a Ladder Stitch (you can watch a scheme in section 4 "Sewing toys. Basic stitches"). I will show the example of the bunny's head: sewing in two threads, start a little before than the hole, hiding a knot there. Stitches have to be 1/16 inch (2- 3 mm) long. For clarity, picture shows how stitches go:
Before assembling, sew up all the holes for turning out and stuffing on details with a Ladder Stitch (you can watch a scheme in section 4 "Sewing toys. Basic stitches"). I will show the example of the bunny's head: sewing in two threads, start a little before than the hole, hiding a knot there. Stitches have to be 1/16 inch (2- 3 mm) long. For clarity, picture shows how stitches go:
Pulling the end of the thread, you get a Ladder Stitch:
When assembling the elements of a toy, for convenience, pin them, and then sew them up with a Ladder Stitch (with a stitch length of 1/16 inch (2- 3 mm)). Also pins help modelling the position of toy's elements:
The attachment of the feet to the body can be made by sewing, when we just sew parts together with ladder stitch (along the line of joining the elements), or by the use of buttons or cotter pins (split pins):
To stitch the ears up to a toy, pin them first. Sew each ear from two sides - along the front and back part with a Ladder Stitch:
8. Toy's face decoration
Preparing the material for a nose
For some characters' noses we are going to use cotton fabric. Details of noses don't need allowances for stitching up. The material has to be processed first, so that the edges of the future nose don't fluff in the process of stitching it to the face.
Take a piece of Vlieseline (interfacing fabric), put on the wrong side of cotton and iron, let the fabric cool of. Now you can cut.
If you don't have Vlieseline (interfacing fabric), you can use PVA glue (PVA adhesive/white glue) for example Elmer's Liquid School Glue. Lubricate a piece of cotton with glue on the wrong side and let it dry. Thus, you can make a lot of blanks at once:
Preparing the material for a nose
For some characters' noses we are going to use cotton fabric. Details of noses don't need allowances for stitching up. The material has to be processed first, so that the edges of the future nose don't fluff in the process of stitching it to the face.
Take a piece of Vlieseline (interfacing fabric), put on the wrong side of cotton and iron, let the fabric cool of. Now you can cut.
If you don't have Vlieseline (interfacing fabric), you can use PVA glue (PVA adhesive/white glue) for example Elmer's Liquid School Glue. Lubricate a piece of cotton with glue on the wrong side and let it dry. Thus, you can make a lot of blanks at once:
Stitching up the nose
Take the pattern of the nose (the example of a cat) and put it on the prepared fabric. Cut the blank out without allowances on the outlined contour.
Pin the nose and sew it with Blanket Stitch, with a stitch height of 1/16-1/8 inch (2- 3 mm) and the same step length:
Take the pattern of the nose (the example of a cat) and put it on the prepared fabric. Cut the blank out without allowances on the outlined contour.
Pin the nose and sew it with Blanket Stitch, with a stitch height of 1/16-1/8 inch (2- 3 mm) and the same step length:
Before 3/8 inch ( 1 cm) till the edge of the nose contour, take a small piece of polyester and carefully fill the nose with it so that it becomes convex. For stuffing and compacting use the blunt side of a thin wooden stick:
Then stitch and fasten the thread at the end:
Mouth
Outline the contour of a smile, pinning it:
Outline the contour of a smile, pinning it:
Embroider a smile with running stitch, slowly making stitches 1/8-3/16 inch (3- 4 mm) long.
First embroider one part of a smile:
First embroider one part of a smile:
Then "go" in the opposite direction and stitch free areas (those left between the stitches):
Similarly, embroider the second part of the smile and then fasten the thread:
Eyes
For eyes I use black plastic beads with 4-5mm in diameter.
It is convenient modeling the location of eyes, using pins with ball on the end:
For eyes I use black plastic beads with 4-5mm in diameter.
It is convenient modeling the location of eyes, using pins with ball on the end:
Stitch beads with black threads. Thread the needle alternately into first and the second bead above and below (conditionally, the thread with needle goes along a rectangular contour), then we fix the thread:
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