While She Naps

Adding an Interactive Element to a Softie

Softies are fun no matter what, but they are even more fun when they're interactive. Yesterday I sewed one of my Squeaky Snakes from super-soft minky with a bright pink felt tongue. I love the coiled shape, but the pattern actually includes three snake shapes:

a basic straight snake

a curvy snake

and this coiled version. I sewed this one from giraffe fleece, but I think it actually looks convincingly like snake skin!

These are called Squeaky Snakes because they have squeakers in their heads! It's really fun to make the snake "talk" by squeaking it while you chase your kids around, threatening to gobble them up.

The baby stole my new Squeaky Snake and ran out into the garden with it. She made it squeak, refused to share it, and then laid down on the grass. Hard to blame her.

 

It's really easy, and fun, to add a noise element to your softies. Here are a few easy ways to do it:

• Insert a squeaker - Be sure it's near enough to the "skin" of the toy that a child can easily squeeze it. For the snake I used one of the squeakers I stock in my shop.

• Add a rattle - I like to pad the rattle insert so that you can't feel any hard edges when you hug the toy. Just push bits of stuffing all around it and stuff the toy firmly to hold the rattle in place. These are the most popular supply I sell in my shop!
• Insert a music button - Press the button and a short song plays. Toddlers can't get enough of this. Trust me! They'll press that button over and over and over. I'll have music buttons that play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in stock next week. I'm excited about them!
• Add a music box - Turn the key and hear the music play. These have a classic sound, but are a bit more complicated to insert. For a very special toy, though, I think it's worth it.
• Try a growler - Flip your toy upside down and hear it growl! These are traditionally used in teddy bears, but would be really cool in another sort of softie.
• Slip in some crinkly paper - Cut up a clean chip bag and slip it into your softie for that crinkly noise babies love.

Find more detailed instruction for using each of these in my new book, Stuffed Animals. Make a Squeaky Snake or add a noise maker to your own softie design. It's fun and you'll end up with a toy that your baby won't share, just like mine!

Photography Equipment for Crafters

When you negotiate a book deal part of the conversation revolves around what images will be in the book, how many there will be, and, perhaps most importantly, who will create the images.

There are a lot of different approaches to consider. Some craft books are text-heavy with just a few step-by-step images within the instructions supplemented by full-page beauty shots of the finished projects.  Others have computer drawn diagrams or hand-drawn illustrations showing key steps that are best represented visually. And still others rely on step-by-step photos to illustrate the text.

My first book has an opening chapter that explains all the basic techniques you'll need to know to make a fabric bird. My publisher flew me across the country to their studio and had a professional photographer take the photos that illustrate this section. Being in a real photo studio was fascinating. There were big rolls of backdrop paper, umbrella lights, and simple white foam core sheets to reflect light.

For the rest of the book they hired a professional illustrator to create watercolor drawings to illustrate key steps within particular patterns. I sent the illustrator photos and she drew these.

When I began planning Stuffed Animals I felt strongly that I needed step-by-step photos to illustrate the 16 patterns. I wanted additional photos to accompany the 52 lessons that break down how the patterns were created and really teach you how to design your own softies. We were looking at creating hundreds of photos for this book, in addition to those that would be taken by Cynthia Shaffer, the wonderful photographer in California who took the beauty shots of each project.

In order to make this happen I knew that I’d need to take the photos myself, in my studio, as I was working on each project. This was a pretty scary prospect for me. I had a digital SLR (a Nikon D-40), but I really didn't understand it very well. The last time I’d studied photography was in high school where I’d spent most of the time in class lusting after our handsome teacher, Mr. Foo. He drove a Harley to school and wore motorcycle boots. Mr. Foo, my love for you is still unrequited. Call me!

Needless to say I had a lot to learn.

After I signed the book contract I headed over to one of the last locally owned camera shops in the Boston area, Newtonville Camera, and asked for some help. I bought four things and with those four things I was able to take all of the step-by-step photos that you see in the book. Here is what I got:

1. A tripod. I bought a Benro tripod, but I think any sort of sturdy tripod will do. Play around with it when you get it home. I didn't realize at first how flexible it was. It can get seriously tall, lean forward, and swivel. I love it.

2. Studio lights. I bought two Smith Victor KT400 photoflood umbrella lights. First, I will tell you that the day I set them up was the day we went from feeling like my studio was in our bedroom to feeling like we were sleeping in my studio.

This is what you don't see in the shots of me working in my studio: the bed that's right behind me. Glamorous! This is also why we shot the trailer at Gather Here instead of where I really work.

Umbrella lights in your bedroom will do that. But, these puppies are amazing. That’s two 500 watt bulbs. I can take photos after dark and on cloudy days with no trouble. It's tempting to leave them on while I'm working because they flood the room with light and I love light. But, alas, that wouldn't be good for the electric bill. Natural light is still best, of course, but I love my umbrellas.

3. A lens. My camera came with a standard 18-55 mm lens that I still use all the time. In fact, I took the photos for the book with that lens because it hooks in with the autofocus on my camera so I could feel confident that my shots were in focus. But I bought a nifty 50 mm lens while at the camera store and ended up using it to take all the beauty shots for my self-published patterns. You can dial it down really low and get wonderful depth of field that really highlights the details in a handmade toy while gently blurring the background.

This plush rubber duck is one of my two dozen self-published patterns.

4. A lesson. I’m a thrifty DIYer and tend to always feel like I have to learn everything on my own. "Pay someone to help me? Oh, no, I'll just figure it out." You know what? This last piece ended up being the most important on the list. While at the camera shop I asked if they knew of a photographer who might be able to give me a one-on-one lesson in my home studio. Sure enough, the guy who helped me choose all the equipment said he'd be happy to do it. We set a time and he came over and it was incredibly valuable! Why? Because we were in my space, with my light, my camera and lenses, and my softie parts. I took tons of notes. I asked every single stupid question I ever had. When he left I knew I was all set. I had this thing under control.

I have a permanent photo studio set up on my workspace in our bedroom. It's a low table with a big piece of fabric taped to the wall so that it drapes down to create a seamless backdrop. I have a brick I wrapped in white fabric and taped up with surgical tape that props up a piece of white foam core to reflect light. Sometimes I change the backdrop to a piece of white poster board or various other big sheets of paper.

Do you need to go out and buy the exact equipment I use? No, of course not. In fact, I'm sure there's other, better equipment to be had. But if you're serious about creating craft tutorials, whether for your own blog, as a guest blogger, for magazine work, or to write a book, I think it’s worth saving up for some quality equipment and some know-how. There are great online tutorials, books, and online classes for taking better photos. Start there and play a lot, then get yourself a one-on-one lesson. It's worth it.

2 Great Sources of Supplies for Making Stuffed Animals

I realize that designing and sewing a stuffed animal may be a new sort of project for many people. If you sew at all you probably already have much of what you'll need to get started and, as I point out in the trailer, you can make beautiful softies from humble materials. But there are a few speciality supplies, like fur and eyes, that you might enjoy trying out. Here are some recommendations for where to find them.

In Stuffed Animals there's a fun pattern for a furry puppy:

When you make this guy you'll see how to design a toy with a turned head, which is a pretty cool technique, and you'll get to experiment with sewing with fur.

Check out Luxury Faux Fur, a shop on Etsy with a great selection of fur fabrics. Here you can buy just a 1/2 yard or 1/3 yard cut so you're not buying and storing more fabric than you need, and you can find fun, funky colors unavailable in big box fabric stores. For the puppy you could use some gray and chocolate brown shag, for example.

If you've never made a classic teddy bear, give it a try. The teddy bear was literally the very first stuffed animal that gained commercial popularity and it retains it's classic appeal today. Use the pattern in Stuffed Animals to see how the pieces come together, and then design your own unique bear using those basic building blocks.

I like safety eyes for teddy bears and there's a whole section in Stuffed Animals that explains how to use them. Most fabric stores carry only a limited selection of safety eyes, usually just 12 mm black and brown. Don't feel limited, though! Find every kind of eye size, shape and color you could hope for at 6060 on Etsy.

I just ordered 10 pairs of 12 mm safety eyes in a rainbow of colors. Aren't they pretty! Makes me want to sew. I'm thrilled that a package of eyes from 6060 will be included in the book release giveaway on May 7! 

It's fun to experiment with new fabrics and try out some new techniques. Supplies from these Etsy shops will get you started on your stuffed animal making journey. It's a fun one!

Where to Buy Wool Felt for Softies and Some Studio Glimpses

As copies of my book are beginning to make their way out into the world I'm going to periodically share some of my favorite sources for the fabrics and supplies you might want to play with while working your way through the projects. First up, a material I used every single day: wool felt. I love wool felt, and it's more reasonably priced cousin wool-blend felt. It's vibrantly colored, it's sturdy, and it doesn't fray. I wrote a guest post for Craftsy a few months ago about how I cut felt shapes accurately if that interests you.

My local big box fabric store has a very limited selection of wool-blend felt, and doesn't carry 100% wool felt at all, so I source my felt elsewhere. All of the felt I've used for the past few years was manufactured by National Nonwovens. This company is based here in Massachusetts and many of the retail stores, both brick-and-mortar and online, that sell wool felt get it from National Nonwovens. The colors are lusious and the quality impeccable. Buy it retail at Wool Felt Central. They seem to have every color and the prices are pretty darn good.

National Nonwovens provided all the felt I used in the projects in Stuffed Animals. Way back when I was just starting to plan the project they sent me all of their sample cards in the mail. I spent a wonderful few days figuring out what I wanted. This was one of the most exciting activities ever and it was the beginning of a great relationship, too.

I've been sewing samples for National Nonwovens' Quilt Market booth ever since. I made butterflies when they did a spring theme and then I made hibiscus flowers for an island theme. This year Stuffed Animals' official release date is just before spring Market and I'm really excited that the book will be displayed in their booth! I won't be there, but my toys will hang out and represent me.This week I'm sewing projects from the book using National Nonwovens wool felt including:

the bumblebee, which is a toy I designed to demonstrate what you can do with just basic shapes (two spheres):

some fish, which are very simple softies that begin with just a coloring-book style outline and become the most basic sewing pattern:

and the elephant, a toy that demonstrates how to draw a great underbody gusset (I love a great underbody gusset!). This elephant is going to be pink! I'm super excited about him.

I'm putting together some amazing giveaway prizes to celebrate the book's official release date, May 7, and you can bet they'll be some National Nonwovens' felt in the mix, along with some other awesome goodies. The prize piles are growing so you might want to mark your calendar!

That's a peek into my studio right now. Today I'm putting the eyes on all the toys and then they'll go into the mail. I'm hoping to spot a few photos of them on display at Market on Twitter.

A Go-To Baby Gift

I remember so clearly opening the pink and yellow blankie my aunt crocheted for Stella, our middle daughter, when she was born. Knowing how much work went into selecting the yarn and stitching that blanket made us feel so loved.

Babies end up getting tons of gifts in their first year and it can end up being kind of a blur, but those handmade presents stand out and fill us with love even years later. We would never give them away. They get packed up to be saved for grandchildren.

I try to create sewing patterns to make these kinds of gifts. Nothing is better than that pattern you pull out to make as your go-to baby gift. I like a pattern that comes together easily, but includes enough variations that you can make a custom version for each new arrival.

I designed the Lovey Dovey patterns (the first and second sets) and the Animal Rattles (the first and second sets) to fit this description. A rattle and a lovey together makes a really nice pair. I recently made a gift that included one of each for a little baby boy named Garrett.
I like to add one of these nifty rattle inserts inside the Animal Rattles' heads. The rattles are machine washable and they make a really pleasing sound. The toy becomes interactive for the baby this way and a little more fun for mom and dad, too.

If you'd like to have all the materials on hand to whip up a rattle on an afternoon, I've put together kits to make super soft ducky rattles. The fabrics are super soft cuddle fleece! 

I love that people are using the patterns to create special gifts for new babies. Here are some beautiful Lovey Dovies made recently by:

1. Jody's Crafty Creations

2. Bright Life Toys

3. Stitch/Craft

4. Lots of Pink Here

Make something special for your next baby shower. A handmade baby gift is infused with your love and that means so much to family who receives it. All of these patterns, and the inserts, are available in my shop on Etsy.

Favorite Tools: The Ball Point Awl

Sometimes success is all about having the right tool for the job. A ball point awl is one of my favorite softie-making tools. Here's how I use it:

To free fur from seams. When you sew with faux fur, bits of the fur pile will get caught in the seams. Freeing the fur from the seams will give your softie a fluffy, nearly seamless look.

If you've ever tried to use a needle for this job you know that the needles bend. They just aren't strong enough for the job. But a ball point awl is perfect for freeing fur from seams. It's strong, and its small tip lets you slide right under the fur bits. Give a good tug and they'll come free.

Work your way all around the toy to give a fur softie a professional finish.

To insert safety eyes. Often you'll read pattern instructions that say, "Cut a small hole to insert the post of the safety eye." Please don't!  Cutting a hole weakens the fabric irreparably. Over time that hole may grow larger, especially after multiple washings, and compromise the whole toy.

Instead, use a ball point awl to poke a hole between the fibers of the fabric. The awl is tiny at its tip so you can start very small and slowly push it in further, stretching the fibers apart, to form an opening large enough to accept the post of the safety eye without cutting the fibers apart.

Ball point awls are available at many fabric stores, or online right here.

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All About Polyfil: An Interview with Judy Novella of Fairfield Processing

Some craft supplies are, well, kinda sexy. A pack of vibrant Aurifil thread, an Amy Butler jelly roll, or a display of Martha Stewart irridescent glitter: these are the eye candy of crafters. Poly-Fil? Not so much. It's white and fluffy and comes in a big plastic bag.

It may not be the most exciting item at the craft store, but Poly-Fil is a hugely important component of softies. If you make softies, even just occasionally, I'm betting you've got a bag of this stuff stashed somewhere:

I actually love Poly-Fil. In fact I'd proudly describe myself as a stuffing nerd. I recently ordered a giant bag of stuffing and when it arrived I was happy as a clam.Think of all the toys I can stuff!

I'm interested in all facets of stuffing. I want to know how it's made and best way to wash a stuffed toy. I'm interested in the specific properties of different stuffing materials. Poly-Fil is a vital component of every single thing I make. I want to know all about it!

I've been known to make every member of my family help me hold bags of Fairfield stuffing so that I can get out of the store in one trip.

So I called the folks at Fairfield, a leading manufacturer of Poly-Fil, to get the inside scoop. Today I'm really pleased to share with you an interview with Judy Novella, the Marketing Manager at Fairfield Processing.

Judy Novella, Marking Manager at Fairfiled Processing

In our 20 minute chat you'll hear about:

• How Fairfield went from a fur processing company that served the hatting industry in Connecticut to becoming a leading stuffing manufacturer. 

• What makes some stuffing "squishy" and some stuffing "crunchy" and whether there's a middle ground.

• What kind of eco-friendly stuffings are on the market now and how they behave

• How Fairfield created an incredibly creative award-winning booth at Quilt Market this fall

Waterfall of quilt batting in the Fairfield booth.

A tree with batting bark and batting flowers at the base in the Fairfield Booth at Quilt Market.

Did you know that Fairfield is a third-generation family-owned company? And that their products are made in the United States?

It was great talking with Judy because she clearly shares my devotion to quality stuffing materials. This stuff may not be sexy, but it sure is important!

I hope you enjoy our interview. (Forgive the echo at the start of our recording, it goes away after a few minutes.) If you have any stuffing questions, please ask them in the comments and either Judy or I will respond. Thank you!

Find Fairfield Processing online here:

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Top 5 Most Useful Thread Types for Sewing Softies

When I sit down to sew a stuffed animal I like to have all the best tools and materials right at my fingertips. Sewing softies isn’t an expensive craft and most of what you need is pretty humble and easy to find: some soft fabrics, a needle and thread, scissors, a marking pen, and some stuffing. If you really enjoy sewing softies, though, I think it’s worth it to invest in a few high-quality supplies that will make the process easier and will give the toys a more finished look and feel.

If you think about it, thread is one of the most important materials in this craft. It’s easy to overlook the need to for quality thread, or the benefits of having a variety of types of thread on hand, but spending a few extra dollars to have these five thread types will pay off in an increase in your satisfaction with what you make.

Here are my top five thread types for softie sewing. All of these are available at your regular, big box fabric store and in most quilt shops:

1. Extra-strong thread

I buy Gutterman brand extra-strong thread in all the neutral colors (black, white, brown, gray, and beige). This thread is thicker than all-purpose thread and I love it for closing openings and ladder stitching parts, like ears and tails, in place. Nothing’s worse than stitching an opening closed only to have the thread snap when you pull the last stitch tight! Use extra-strong thread and this won’t happen again.

2. Waxed upholstery thread

Do you like to make toys with button joints? Get yourself a 5-inch doll needle and a spool of waxed upholstery thread. This thread is super strong and the wax coating helps it hold its place. Pull it through a button and it won’t slip out!

3. Perle cotton

I buy DMC Perle cotton, size 12, in all the neutral colors and use it in place of embroidery floss for embroidering eyes, noses, and mouths on softies.  This thread is a twisted strand that can’t be separated, unlike six-strand embroidery floss. Satin stitching is much easier and smoother with Perle cotton and it’s shiny, too!

4. 100% cotton mercerized thread

A blog reader sent me this spool of variegated cotton thread several years ago. I don’t often need the yellow color nor do I care much about the variegation, but the strength of this cotton thread can’t be beat. I use this for hand-sewing details (on ducks mostly because it’s yellow!) and I love how you can pull it really hard and it doesn’t snap, but it’s still thin like all-purpose thread. I’m going to get a few spools in neutral colors next time I’m shopping for supplies.

5. All-purpose 100% polyester thread

This is my go-to machine sewing thread. It’s not very expensive, it comes in a million colors, and I use it to machine sew every single softie I make. Select a thread that is a shade lighter than your fabric so that the stitches will be less obvious. I don’t love this thread for hand stitching on softies because I find it tangles and breaks rather easily. Run it through beeswax to add some strength and prevent tangling if you do choose to hand sew with it.

Any other thread favorites we should know about? Add them in the comments. I love thread and I love experimenting with new products.

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Gather Here: An Amazing Local Fabric Shop

There was a poster up in my dentist's office when I was a child that said, "Ignore your teeth and they will go away." This pronouncement had a profound impact on me, sitting there waiting for my turn in the chair. Because you know what? The same holds true for most things that we appreciate in life. Good things need tending.

"Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day" is next Thursday. Locally-owned fabrics stores staffed with knowledgeable people who are stocking a well-curated selection of products are real gems and they need our regular ongoing support.

Gather Here (photo by Kristen Heinzinger)

Gather Here is a fantastic independent fabric and yarn store near me, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The store was founded a year-a-half ago by Virginia Johnson, a costume designer for stage and screen. Virginia knows how to sew like you wouldn't believe.

As Virginia says, "I've been sewing as long as I can remember having learned the art from my grandmother and mother." Virginia taught costume design, construction, and fashion history at Tufts University for seven years. She also "has too many not-yet-completed knitting projects that I stash in baskets and bags all over my home." She knows how to knit. She's an expert. And she's got a great eye.

Walking into Gather Here is so much more fun than entering a big box fabric store. Instead of dozens of aisles with bolts in every variety, here you're surrounded by a thoughtfully curated selection of the most beautiful prints on the market. Virginia is a savvy buyer. She's personally in touch with a whole slew of designers and expert crafters, many of whom visit the store to teach (Lizzy House, Tara Swiger, Mimi Kirchner to  name a few).

When you shop at Gather Here you're choosing from the best of the best so whatever you pick will be beautiful. If you need advice you will get real, educated, patient advice. And when it comes to handcrafts that's incredibly valuable.

I'm not the only one who knows this is true about Gather Here. Listen to this Yelp review:

Makers, rejoice: Gather Here keeps getting better and better.
I've been coming to Gather Here since it first opened and love Virginia for making such a vibrant center of creativity in the neighborhood.

Classes are popular, but worth the scramble to reserve a spot. I've taken a box bag class, a quilting course, and an intensive skirt making workshop. The instructors are first-rate and the space is thoughtfully laid-out and very welcoming. Everything I have sewed is still being worn and used with pride!

In addition to the fab selection of beautiful fabric, yarn, and fully-stocked notions and supplies, Pint-and-Purls and Saturday morning knitting make Gather Here the crafty version of Cheers.

The Knitter's Brunch at Gather Here. Photo via Gather Here.

Perhaps the most valuable thing Gather Here offers is community. "The crafty version of Cheers." Is there any greater compliment?

The 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, from 6pm -9pm, you can drop in for Pints 'n Purls.

"No stitch lounge would be complete without a version of the 'Stitch 'n Bitch' but this is totally co-ed. Bring your hand work (knit, crochet, embroidery, etc.) and your stories. We can't wait to see what you are making!

This is an opportunity to meet the makers in our community so please say 'hey'! We provide: not-so-fancy snacks. You bring: yourself, your current hand project, and a pint."

I've taught three classes at Gather Here since they've opened: an Artful Bird workshop, a sock monkey class, and a Design Your Own Stuffed Animal class. The classes fill with interesting, eager students, many of whom I've kept in touch with.

My Artful Bird class at Gather Here in Cambridge, MA

Last year the shop celebrated its first anniversary with this gorgeous video created by the talented Ryan Johnson. I think it really gives you a sense of what a gem this shop is.

gather here's first birthday (Feb 19, 2012) from gather here on Vimeo.

If you live in the Boston area, stop by Gather Here and pick up some supplies. Wherever you live, visit your local fabric or quilt shop on a regular basis and spend a little cash, especially this Thursday. Good things need tending.

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This post is part of the Local Quilt Shop Day Blog Tour. Click here to find out more and add your own post about a local shop in your area. 

Gift Guide for Softie Makers

Got a sofite maker, or an aspiring softie maker, on your gift list this year? Here are my top picks of awesome things anyone who sews toys would love.

These are the books, fabrics, tools, and supplies that I've handpicked this year because I know they're high-quality and will ignite creativity.

And you know what? It's okay to add yourself to your own gift list! Happy sewing!

Japanese craft book on making 3-dimensional felt toys

Awesome safety eyes

Hemostats

Storybook Toys by Jill Hamor

Dyeable bamboo fleece

Wool-felt bundle

Ball-point awl

Sizzix paddle punch Circle No. 2

The Art of Manipulating Fabric by Colette Wolff

Wondering how any of these are used or why I'm recommending them? Feel free to ask! I'd be happy to elaborate on why they made my list.