Saturday, August 23, 2014

handmade toys- the process


People ask me how I am sewing my toys. Usually I talk about it and I am explaining all process. 
But I think it would be nice if you can see a little bit more. So I decided to show you the whole proces on some photos. And how my working pleace changes from "illutrator atelier" into "sewing atelier" ;)(atelier- what a big world for my table in our living room!! ;)
Now I start to sew some new toys and I decided do take some pictures and to show you the process. 
Hope you will enjoy:)
Then how it looks when I am working on new toys?

1st step is to prepare tekstile. 
I am using used baby clothes to be sure that materials are safe and will not colour in washing (and what more the idea of recycling is very close to me)So first I cut clothes to get proper pieces of tekstile and proper means as big as possible:)


2nd step is to cut shapes from pieces of materials.
As I am using recycled materials I never have pieces of material in the same shape or the same size. That is why I draw EVERY shape by hand without using any patterns. It makes my toys so unusuall and exceptional. Every toy is very unique.
When I have the shape drawn on the material I cut it. In this step I prepare bodies, ears, legs, tummies, tails and everything each of my cheracters needs for her or his living:) I am choosing colours carefully and it is fun to play with all those materials to find the best combination.



Step 3 is where it is time to use my sewing machine.

(actually the machine is not really mine and all toys untill now I sewed thanks to my friend Hana and her machine - and here is place and time to say nicely: THANK YOU HANA!)First I am sewing all small element like paws, ears, legs, tail, etc. Of course everything is sewed on the lef side. When all small elements I ready and turned on the right side, then I am finding for them a proper place on the toys bodies. Then is time for sewing everything on the machine.


Step number 4 is very funny. 

After sewing everything together I turn toy's "bodies"  on the right side. While sewing I always left a little hole so that I can easily turn the toy. And yes, sometimes it happenes that I forget to leave a hole...
Sometimes it also happened that I sewed something wrong and then it appears that the bear or rabbit has heart sewed on his little bottom...;-) 
This time  everything is ok - no hearts on bottoms;) 


I already have a "skin" of the toy. Loose skin with legs, hands, ears, heart on belly (or on a bottom;) of anything I imagined for my little creature. Now is time to fill it. For filling I am using 100% clean poyester. It is safe, it does not cause alleriges and you can easily wash it in washing machine.
I hear some people telling me:
"use buckwheat it will be more healthy" or
"use organic cotton it will be more natural".
And I am not listening that voices! Let me explain you why:
1) buckwheat cannot be normaly washed (as you cannot wash any other wheat). And please show me at least one mum who wish for her child a toy which cannot be washed? or which can be washed only once?
2) Organic cotton cannot be washed in washich machine as it will stick together and it is not fluffy and soft anymore. To use organic cotton as a filling I have to made every toy open with a zipper with possibility to take cotton out before washing.
And please show me at least one mum who wish to "play" with taking out cotton filling before washing toys and then putting it back? Or show me mum who wish to find her child eating cotton (even it is organic) becasue her sweet baby just realized how to open the zipper?



Ok. it is time for a next step of sewing my toys- the 6th one. I have already filled "skins" with polyester, and sewed up the holes (as I already wrote - never forget to leave hole for turning sewed toy on the right side and for filling it!) And now little creatures are almost done! Now is time to give them faces: eyes, noses, mouths and cheeks:)


And the next step - the last one is embroidering faces.

Every eye, every nose, every cheek is sewed with hands!
Every little creature has different face - nobody wolud have the same toy as you/your child/fiend/beloved have.
And here they are- brand new and ready for hugging!


Sunday, August 17, 2014

orange cups? longboards? chestnut tree? It must be TOZD


Once I went for a walk I took with myself not only my dear Husband and our baby girl, but also my sketchbook. I wish to do some drawings and catch ideas coming to my head. We had our coffee at TOZD. I have already wrote you about TOZD bar in Ljubljana. We like that place and we are coming back from time to time to drink good coffe in orange cups.
I made some sketches there. They needed time to grow and become an illustration but finally here it is!
Ta-dam!
"under the chestnut tree" or
"always in orange cups" or
"he come with his longboard"