Soft Toy Techniques

Abby Glassenberg is posting some really helpful technical information about sewing plush and soft toys. Check out the ongoing series, Elements of Soft Toy Design, at her blog.

Sharktopus is a hit

Apparently my cute little sharktopus is a hit!

Not only did I get an email from the Editor-in-Chief of Rue Morgue Magazine telling me that Declan O'Brien, the director of Sharktopus wanted to know how he could get a sharktopus plush, but SyFy tweeted about my plush too!

I could just explode!
*twirls*

Sharktopus Plush

UPDATE:  SyFy tweeted about my plush!  Tweet Tweet.

So I've had to keep quiet about a recent commission for a while now. Its been killing me because its so cute and I'm really happy with how it turned out.  Luckily its finally been delivered to the person it was made for so I can finally now share.  Share what, you say? ...

SHARKTOPUS!!! Half shark, half octopus!



He's actually not that bad of a guy. He just wants to take a tiny nibble of your leg is all....




Here he is watching tv with my boyfriend. See, friendly as can be!





This is his skin suit, and what he looked like before being stuffed and sewn shut.


A friend of mine asked me if I could make a plush for his girlfriend.  He's a fan of "bad" science fiction movies, and apparently had made her watch the SyFy's masterpiece Sharktopus. He wanted to reward her for being a good sport by having a cute plush version of the creature made.

I had never attempted anything like this before, and it involved drafting a pattern and trying to fit 8 legs nicely around the base of the shark. I had to come up with some new techniques for things, like using a stabilizer inside the dorsal fin to help make it rigid. Also, the tentacles aren't stuffed. Instead I used a cotton batting to plump them up a bit, but to keep them flat and flexible. Perfect for grabbing prey, or hugging unsuspecting girlfriends....

I'm really happy with how he turned out. I'm absolutely in love with his little tentacles and now need to think of even more things to add tentacles too.  I hear he is also a big hit with the unsuspecting girlfriend which makes me super happy.  :D

Marshmallows

One of my favorite things to make in the winter is homemade marshmallows. They actually aren't that difficult to make, and are SUPER delicious.  So much better than store bought versions.  I use a basic recipe (below) but I may make some adaptations to it for my specific needs. As I experiment I'll let you know the outcomes.