Fabrics for sewing soft toys

There are some fabrics that I use a LOT – for sewing my soft toys. I have made a list here which will be really helpful for beginners!

Choosing fabric is FUN!

FLEECE (knit fabric):

Everyone has their favourite type of fabric, but for me I have to say I just LOVE fleece for making toys. Fleece is a knit fabric. It stretches to give the animals a really cute character, it feels so soft and cuddly, and best of all I like it because it’s easy to sew. It’s just so ‘forgiving’ – all you need to do is catch a bit of the fleece in the seam and it will hold! It also does not fray so your toys will be very hard-wearing!

OTHER KNIT FABRICS (stretchy fabrics):

Besides fleece, I have made toys from other knit fabrics like chenille, Shannon Fabric’s Cuddle, minky, velvet, and velour. These are harder to sew because they can be very slippery but there’s a simple solution – use LOTS of pins!

This fabulous Plattie is sewn by Michelle Newton in Rainbow Cuddle!!!

Plattie-platypus-sewn-in-Cuddle-by-Michelle-Newton‎

QUILTING COTTONS (woven fabric):

Some people have a passion for quilting fabrics. I began sewing with fleece and when I discovered quilting cottons, the funky prints and incredible designs blew my mind! There are always new fabric ranges coming out, so there are endless possibilities to make your toys unique – THAT’S the biggest advantage of making something yourself!!!

Look how pleased these girls are with their Funky Friends sewn in quilting cottons that they made in a sewing class at KimzSewing and Patchwork Centre!

OTHER WOVEN(non-stretch) FABRICS:

Besides quilting fabrics you can also use other woven fabrics like corduroy and flannelette which add fun textures and feel warm and cuddly. Other woven fabrics you can use are poplin, calico, dress fabrics and even old curtains!

Linda Nichols dog looks as though he knows these super-sized Funky Friends used to be the living room curtains! LOL

TIP: Some of my toy-patterns do NOT recommend using WOVEN FABRICS (non-stretch fabrics). The reason is because they need a LOT of stretch to get the right shape or they may be difficult, or even impossible to sew if you use a fabric that doesn’t have any stretch in it. So take care to read the Recommended Fabrics Section!

FELT:

Felt is also an awesome fabric to use for toy making. Unfortunately, it doesn’t wash well but is very easy to work with, it comes in small quantities and LOTS of colours, and the edges can be left raw which is great for details like eyes and noses!

Flt 100 percent wool from Winterwood

Here I am with the smallest Plattie Platypus I have ever sewn! I can’t remember how much I shrunk the pattern BUT it is tiny!!!

TIP: 100% wool felt is more durable than acrylic(synthetic) felt. I find wool felt is nicer to work with because the cut edges of the felt are firm and won’t disintegrate when you stitch. Unfortunately it is much more expensive then acrylic felt. I have a blog post with 5 techniques for cutting out felt pieces for soft toys.

And last but NOT least…

RECYCLED FABRICS:

There’s a worldwide trend to recycle fabric. Lots of people are doing amazing things with recycling/repurposing ‘pre-loved’ garments into very funky toys.

TIP: I have also specifically designed some ‘FUN STUFF FROM SCRAPS’ Patterns (like my Silly Scrap Snakes Pattern) so people can use up their scraps of leftover fabric and turn them into something useful and fun! Not only is it a great way to save money, it is also wonderful to inspire young people to create their own beautiful toys and gifts from something that would otherwise end up as landfill!