Toys toys toys

Well, out of nowhere, I appear to have a list of plushie commissions so I thought I'd write a note about it to keep myself on track.

I've been asked for one very recently due end of January, so it has bumped some non time sensitive ones down the list. Apologies to those whose requests they were.

1. Doc Emmett Brown (Back to the Future films) (due end of Jan)
2. Hermione Grangers (Harry Potter books and films) (deadline tba)
3. Edward Cullen - take 2 (Twilight books and films) (deadline tba)
4. Clara Clayton (Back to the Future films) (deadline tba)
5. Marty McFly (Back to the Future films) (deadline tba)

Doc Emmett Brown

Starting with Doc, I've got the fabrics chosen and cut out and it shouldn't be a huge technical challenge. I had some thoughts about his outfit. He wears several very iconic outfits throughout the films.

The lab coat is a classic but not very exciting or very visually easily recognisable as Doc on a simpliefied plushie. It could come out, much like some of the buyable costumes looking like a cross between ANY mad scientist and a spoof of Einstein.



The radiation suit is also a classic but not very interesting once it's been simplified into a plushie.



He's also worn a rather uninteresting Western style outfit.

So in the end I went with the rather more colourful yellow suit with a red shirt combo.



Sadly I don't have anything patterned for that fabulously insane red shirt so it will be just textured red, but I love that he's also wearing green boots with red laces with this combination. So that should be a loooooot of fun.

Technically this is a relatively simple adaptation of the classic pattern so hopefully it should be quick.

The only unfortunate part is it does mean it will slow down completing my alphabet. I'm now up to letter T, which leaves six main letters to do, plus the three extras. Although I haven't completed the fronts of two of the extras yet.

Wish me luck. It should be definitely a blast from the past!

I STILL aten't dead - but Loki is done and dusted!

I stayed up all night to get Loki....or rather I dropped everything to finish Loki in time for Christmas as he's a present from one friend to another.

Loki's costume as I mentioned between the Thor films and Avengers and variants within is a complex costume. I am endlessly grateful to a friend of mine who having cosplayed a Loki had lots of reference pics to help me, and as another friend had made the costume I loved that I was using Loki cosplay offcuts to make a Loki plushie.

I essentially decided to go with a version of his golden-y armour to add a bit of extra bright to the other dull colour palate of dark green and blacks.



I had to plan how I was going to do it layer by layer as you can see from the drawings


I had a bit of time dithering about fabrics because although I wanted to use some of my fake black leather stash I just didn't fancy sewing too much fake leather. In the end I decided this Loki would not have leather boots as I just couldn't face an almost entirely leather base body.


Once I started making the basic body it was fiddly with several different fabrics coming together. I am always adapting the pattern but I'm also very forgetful of things that don't work.
As you can see here I forgot quite how to get the hair to come out above his face properly as I had been distracted by the slicked back seal like quality of Loki's hair in the movies.
Loki plushie came out looking bald not slicked back.

This then left me with essentially making a cap of hair to fit over the top and sew down to add to his hair.

That being more or less sorted I headed on to making the coat. I still wasn't entirely happy with the hair though. Although I always regret it while I'm using it I really wanted to make the zip like edge of Loki's coat using my metallic gold thread and I like to think it came out pretty darned well.

That being said the coat was made of a thicker fake leather than the basic body's tunic meaning it was really really annoying to sew.

I also carefully lined the coat only to remember he has 3 tails and had to unpick the side stitching and cut 2 v's in the back to make the three tails. Sadly after all that effort I didn't photograph that particular detail.

I then made the cloak. Before I moved on to make the helmet and staff I started to dither about the hair and consulted friends about possibly adding some thin wool so he had those sort of rats tails under his helmet. With at least one friend's affirmative I went ahead. As I sewed each one down individually it has come out looking a bit like braids but I don't mind it much.


The final details were the helmet and staff. I really wanted to make the pointy back shape of the helmet

But once I'd made the helmet, sewing a ridge for the pointy-ness just didn't work. Then I went on to the staff.

I originally planned to make it with just a few bits of pipe cleaner in yellow and grey and some blue cloth. But it didn't look all that great. I can't find any photos of it when it looked like that.

So I kept pipe cleaners for the basic staff, but used some felt sewn to a couple of layers of paper for the knife blades and scammed some blue beads off a friend for the jewelly thingy. With that it went off in good time for Christmas present gifting and both the person who had requested it and the recipient appear to like him very well.

But what about the ALPHABET?

What? An alphabet you say? No idea what you're talking about. OK OK I'm kidding. I'm still working on it after my brief hiatus but I'm at a dull stage. I'm making all the backs. There's not much to see as such.... I'm up to letter R and they're looking spiffy.

Here's a pic of it hung up at my parents' house when I'd got as far as O.

Sewing through the tough plastic-ky velcro strips has necessitated some new tools - rubber thimbles. They don't stop needle pricks completely but they do allow gripping and give some good protection, plus they're slightly warming! They look a bit weird though. I am however glad for the tip from a friend who suggested them.