Back in September/October I was contacted by an old friend who had a challenge for me; take a group of children's drawings and translate them into three-dimensional stuffed "monsters." No limit on size, no suggested materials, free artistic license with details, the only rule was to try to keep the integrity of the drawing. Naturally I was a little apprehensive having never attempted such a feat, but after meeting with my client and seeing what I was working with, I was really excited. Challenge accepted. I had about two months to create four little "monsters," for four little ones. Here's what I came up with:
I apologize for the poor lighting and the sheep pillow case...haha. In order to get these to look as authentic as possible, I had to complete the following steps:
1. Pattern: I took a good look at the original art and hand-drew out the sewing patterns on largescale
tracing paper, making sure to leave room for a seam. I had to take into account that I needed to make separate parts for ears, feet and wings. Once drawn Each monster is around 16"-18" on the longest side.
2. Fabric/Materials: These were going to be children's gifts so I needed to make sure they were kid friendly. Save for the bat (who went to the oldest child), each monster is primarily composed of soft, non-pill fleece. It's kid friendly, it's soft, and it feels just like a normal stuffed animal would. The bat had the simplest pattern, so I decided o doctor him up with a really nice suede/faux leather for his wings. The wings are supported by pipe cleaners! I also added extra details to each monster - fabric yoyo eyes, snaps, things of that sort.
3. Cut/Sew: Pretty self explanatory really. I cut the patterns and fabric leaving a seam allowance. This way the monsters wouldn't shrink too much after sewing. I zipped them through my sewing machine, hand stitching when needed (they're rather thick), leaving room for a stuffing hole, and hand-sewed them closed.
4. Detailing: Adding finals touches. Snaps, buttons, little touch-ups.
Et voila! I'm pretty proud considering this was a first try. Until next time...
J
