I decided to devote at least one part to discussing the materials I work with and why. I use a lot of scraps for clothing and accessories, so I won't go into much detail about that. It depends mostly on what fabrics are available in our fabric closet (it's a pretty full one too ^_^) and what the character needs.
The two basic materials for every plushie I make are felt and muslin. Felt is very common for plush dolls. Most UFO catchers (those cute super deformed versions of anime characters) are made with felt. They're also commonly very small, which makes them a bit hard to cuddle with. Where's the fun in that? I do like using felt for hair (and previously faces) because it is inexpensive and it looks much nicer than using yarn (which is another common hair option and the one I use only on my ragdolls).
The bodies are always made with muslin. Muslin is commonly used to make patterns and make dummy clothing. It's a rough and undyed material. That might not sound very appealing, but it is a comfortable material. Once sewed up and stuffed, muslin will make a soft and cuddly doll perfect for sharing with your little ones and friends. Just no pulling or serious rough housing. As much as I love working with the muslin, it's easy to fray. So far I haven't had any complaints about it, so hopefully it will continue to work well in the future.
I think I've got only one more post in this series. My last post on How to Start will be about patterns and cutting out your project. I hope everyone's liking these so far. Please let me know if you have any questions and if I don't know the answer, I'm certain I can find someone with the answer. ^_^
I have a hard time sewing muslin and other cotton fabrics. I sew only by hand and I find the stiffness of felt so much easier to sew. You're right though, it's not as cuddly as muslin. I like to embroider on muslin though. Your plushies are super cute!
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