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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Custom Plush Toy: Bloodhound Dog

I recently completed a custom order of creating a bloodhound dog plush that resembles the owner's dog. My original design is based on my dad's bloodhound Nina, she's a black and tan bloodhound that has a distinct saddle. This dog, Ellie, is also considered a black and tan even though she has much more black covering her body with just little bits of caramel-y tan markings. So I removed the saddle detail from the pattern and added some other color blocking to make it look more like Ellie.

Ellie the model
It was also requested to scale up the size from my original which is 12.5 inches long to 16 inches long. Once I complete a pattern, I typically don't make a lot of different size variations even though it's very easy to scale the pattern. Since I'd previously only made one size of the bloodhound plush it was fun to see it a bit larger. I'll have to experiment more with changing up the scale of my toys.


Monday, July 15, 2013

Shelly Tortoise Toy Pattern

I finally finished the Shelly Tortoise pattern, it's available for sale in my store and in my etsy shop.


I currently only have one easy/beginner pattern with Owlsworth the Owl, and I was trying to make another pattern with that skill rating. It's tough for me to make a nicely shaped toy that isn't too complicated to construct. The tortoise isn't difficult and there aren't many pieces but with the legs you do have to sew through several layers of fabric which can be tough on a sewing machine. I originally made the tortoise at a smaller size but decided to scale up the final pattern; the larger pieces are easier to handle and put together.