My Plushie Making Process

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EDIT - This journal post began as something negative but I have decided to make it into something more positive.

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My Plushie Making Process

1. Create a pattern using photoshop. I often use reference images of ponies from the show to try and get each plushie as show accurate as possible. Each pattern can take anything from 3-10 hours of tweaking in photoshop alone. TIME : 3-10 hours

2. Once I have a pattern I want to test, I convert it to PDF, print it and cut it out. There are normally about 6 pages of patterns not including manes, tails or accessories.

3. Once I have my pattern I now move onto embroidery files. I first take a reference image of the character and create a vector of the eye and cutie marks in photoshop. Once I have a crisp vector, I import it into my digitizing program (Brother's PE Design) and digitize each file. Each plushie has different eyes and cutie mark so this has to be done for each character. I then load the files onto a USB drive and import them to my embroidery machine.

4. I then machine embroider the eyes and cutie marks onto the minky. Getting the embroidery in the right place is a laborious task and can sometimes take 3 goes (each time there is a mistake that minky is wasted). Testing embroidery files can sometimes take hours of trying!

For each part of the plushie I need to embroider, I must first cut out the right size of minky, stabiliser backing and soluble stabiliser. That makes 4 separate sessions of embroidering per plushie (not including embroidered accessories).

5. I now cut-out each part of the pattern in hiqh quality minky fabric. There are approx 15 pieces to cut per plushie (again not including manes & tails).

6. I now carefully pin each of the pieces where required and sew them together. Once I have sewn the body I then clip all of the edges and turn inside out. I then sew the head and ears.

7. Once I have the plushie parts sewn I now stuff the plushie with high quality poly stuffing.

8. Once the head and body are stuffed I hand sew the head onto the body. Once this is done I hand sew the ears onto the head. If the plush has a horn or wings I will hand sew these on also.

9. Now I move onto the mane and tail. I usually sketch the pattern for the hair onto paper and pin it to the plushie to see if it looks okay. Once I am happy I will go through the same process as earlier (cutting out minky, sewing, clipping, turning and stuffing.

10. I now hand sew the mane and tail onto the plushie.

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So that's my plushie process. I'm always tweaking my process to make it more efficient and my main goal is to create the most show accurate plushie I can.

© 2012 - 2024 mamaapple
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Hironolind's avatar
I have no idea who this guy is the others are mentioning in their comments probably due to the edit, but I've got a good idea of the type after seeing some comments on other plushies. I myself am not overly fond of the high prices of some of them due to how much disposable income I have, but.. these aren't mass produced, they're high quality and supply is limited and there are people willing to pay more to get one now rather than later.

A quote I feel is rather fitting: "Everything is worth what its purchaser will pay for it" - Publilius Syrus circa 100BC