Sewing Toys: Choosing the Fabric

First step when sewing toys...choosing the fabric!  The best part of sewing your own soft toys is getting to choose the perfect fabric and pattern that fits you or your child’s personality and tastes.  Everyone, especially children has a favorite color.  Imagine their delight when they receive a custom made toy in their favorite colors made especially for them.

Toys are versatile and can be made from a variety of different fabrics. If you’re trying to choose the best one for your new plushie, here is a list of fabric pros and cons.

Cotton

Pros

• Sooth, crisp texture

• Available in a large variety of colors and patterns

• Easy to sew, great for beginners

Cons

• Not as soft and cuddly as other fabric types

• Doesn’t stretch

Flannel

Pros

• Soft texture, great for toys

• Available in a large variety of colors and patterns

• Doesn’t stretch

Cons

• Weave is not dense, so it frays easily

• Pills over time [A pill, colloquially known as a bobble, fuzzball, or lint ball is a small ball of fibers that forms on a piece of cloth. 'Pill' is also a verb for the formation of such balls. Pilling is a surface defect of textiles caused by wear, and is considered unsightly to some.]
  

Fleece

Pros

• Soft, fluffy texture, perfect for toys

• Available in a large variety of colors and patterns

• Stretchy fabric which can create a rounder shape

Cons

• Requires a stretch sewing machine needle

• Some varieties can pill over time

Minky

Pros

• Very soft, resembles real mink to the touch

• Ideal for stuffed animals and baby blankets

• Available in a variety of colors and patterns

• Stretchy fabric which creates a rounder shape

Cons

• Requires a stretch needle

• Needs lots of pins as it can shift while you are sewing it

Felt

Pros

• Stretches just a little

• Wool blends are crisp and make great details like facial features

• Has no grain, can be cut in any directions

• Edges do not fray

Cons

• Not very soft

• Not available in a large variety of patterns

Faux Fur

Pros

• Available in a large variety of colors and patterns

• Minky versions are very soft

Cons

• Must cut and sew through back only to avoid wasting fur

• Sheds so can be messy to work with

Sewing Toys: Choosing the Stuffing

When you are sewing toys, one of the steps is choosing the type of stuffing.

It's important to stuff your toys very firmly.  You may be surprised at how much filling is needed.  When you think you've stuffed enough, keep stuffing, especially if your critter has legs that it needs to stand on or body parts (like a long giraffe neck) that need to stand straight up.  Use strong polyester thread when sewing your toys so that they are robust enough to withstand a large amount of stuffing.  Use small bits of stuffing at a time during the stuffing process so that your plushie doesn't look too lumpy.  You can use a wooden dowel or the eraser end of a pencil to push the stuffing into hard to reach places or small places, like ears.

Types of stuffing

Polyester

The most popular stuffing used for toys is polyester stuffing, available at most sewing and hobby stores and not too expensive.  Extremely lightweight and machine washable, making it perfect for plush toys.

Beads or pellets

100% polypropylene stuffing beads, also called pellets, are a great for stuffing toys. Poly-Fil Poly Pellets is one example of a great brand.  These are available at most sewing and hobby stores.  They add the flexibility necessary to shape soft animals into lifelike positions and give your toy a "bean-bag" type feel.  They also have a smooth edge with an oval contour to create a uniform fill.  However, the pellets create a great deal of static when handling them which makes the stuffing process a little bit more challenging.  Have a vacuum handy when you're done! They love to stick to your hands and clothes.

Stuffing pellets are also available in plastic, glass, rubber or ceramic varieties but these are NOT recommended for children's toys.  They can be used as stuffing for stuffed animals or toys intended for an adult as they can be a choking hazard.

Wool

Soft, durable and natural, making it great for children’s toys.  However, this toy stuffing material cannot be machine washed or dried in heat, as the wool tends to become uneven and compressed.

Kapok fill

Features: Lighter than Cotton, Buoyant, Good Thermal Insulator, Hypoallergenic, Resistant to Mold & Mildew, Odorless. Used mostly for pillows.

Loose Down/Feather Filling

Lightweight, normally used for pillows but also great for stuffing toys.

Corn stuffing

Eco-friendly stuffing material. Fibers are derived from corn starch sugars. This is good for children’s toys because it is light weight, hypoallergenic and washable. It's also extremely soft but maintains its shape and resilience. 

Innergreen.com

Other household alternatives to try:

These are not ideal since they may not be machine washable and wouldn't create the smoothest or firmest stuffie but could work if you're looking for cheaper alternatives!

• Tissues or tissue paper

• Newspaper

• Packing peanuts

• Filling from an old pillow

• Scraps of fabric

• Yarn

• Saw dust

Sewing Dictionary: Fabric "right sides together"

In many patterns, you'll see instructions that read "sew with right sides together." But what is the right side of the fabric or the wrong side? 

Right side: When instructions mention the “right side” of fabric, they are talking about the “printed” or “pretty” surface of the fabric. You usually sew things with right sides together so the stitching will be on the inside of the finished project.

Wrong side: The other surface is the “wrong” side of the fabric. The fabric design is sometimes visible on the wrong side of the fabric, but it will be more faded than on the right side.

Exception: If you’re using certain solid fabrics, such as fleece cotton, there may not be a right or wrong side.  They generally look and feel the same on both sides.  

Basic Sewing Tool Kit

If you’d like to try sewing your own stuffed animal or soft toy but don’t want to spend a lot of money, here is a list of only the “must haves”.

Basic Sewing Tool Kit

Basic supplies for the sewing projects sewn by sewing machine:

• sewing machine
  Don’t feel like you need to spend a lot of money on a fancy sewing machine. The cheaper basic ones will work just fine.

• fabric

• needle and thread

• stuffing
  polyester stuffing is recommended and the most popular

• fabric scissors
  Paper scissors may or may not work, it really depends on how sharp they are. If they are too dull, they may damage the fabric while cutting

• sewing pins

• accessories or fabric for facial features
  This depends on the pattern. Facial features can be made from plastic eyes or nose, pompoms, fabric, buttons, plastic jewels or other supplies.

Basic supplies for “no sewing machine required” projects:

• embroidery floss

• embroidery needle

• scissors

• sewing pins

• accessories or fabric for facial features

Substitute for other supplies which you may need:

• marking pen
  a lead pencil can also be used as a substitute

• seam ripper
  a razor blade can used used as a substitute. But be very, very careful not to cut the fabric!