How I use Prototyping to Perfect Plush Patterns

My biggest piece of advice when people ask is that you should build prototypes of your plush work! It will help you refine features and map out markings and colour changes, and it's the step that made me start to improve my work.
But how do you get your new pattern out of that prototype? In this video I take a prototype plush and prep it for turning into a finalized pattern for the real plush. This video wasn't scripted, but I do talk a little bit about WHY this kind of prototyping works, some examples and diagrams, and how to get the pattern onto your device for final cleanup and editing (more on that part in another video maybe?)
Ko-Fi members got this video early! Join the club and you can get behind the scenes photos and videos, walkthroughs like this and other downloadable content.
www.SylenisCrafts.com
www.Ko-Fi.com/SylenisCrafts
music by Bensound.com, use allowed with credit.

[@coyoteclockworkstudios3140]

I've prototyped a horse pattern for about 3 years. Really worked on a lot. It feels so good to finally have something that's looking really nice, and seeing someone else doing the same process!

[@lauradixon1347]

I used to do plush making as a teenager (still do sometimes), and I didn't even think of prototyping my plushies. Now I've learned that doing so will definitely make the last plush well shaped. Thank you so much, this video was really helpful!

[@KuwaCraft]

This was very cool to watch. I love seeing the plush making process.

[@kaiblue9586]

Thank you so much for this video, I've been trying to figure out how to make my own plushies for a while now, and this video was so immensely helpful!

[@knightshade130]

Woah!! The finished plush is absolutely amazing 🤩🤩 I absolutely love how you made the head and attached the muzzle to get the placement, this is extremely helpful! 💚💚

[@willowallen4688]

I decided I wanted to try and make a plush pattern of my own and jumped straight into it without owning a sewing machine or the funds to purchase fabric. I have found that making the head out of paper has been fine, but much less so for the body. So whether I want to admit it or not, its about time I find some fabric and a sewing machine to borrow and begin the real prototyping process

[@SylenisCrafts]

While paper can give you a rough idea of scale and shape, it just will not behave the same way as even a non-stretch fabric like cotton. It can't bend, pillow or be manipulated in the same way. I always recommend prototyping with as similar a fabric as you intend to use for the final as possible. As for borrowing a sewing machine, my latest short discusses this! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoPZXq2wpJiBm6M

[@willowallen4688]

@@SylenisCrafts while handsewing isnt a bad idea, I'm afraid it's not a great option for me with how little time I have to work on my projects throughout the week. I have a cousin who owns a sewing machine who will likely let me borrow theirs when it comes to it. My real problem is fabric. I'm flat broke, working two part time jobs to pay bills and also saving up to try and visit my family across the country. The only fabric I have available to me are my leggings I accidentally bleached that also have a hole forming in them. And even those would be a bit of a stretch to use. (Pun slightly intended) So unless I can just find the correct fabric somewhere for really cheap to make some prototypes with, I'm afraid this project is coming to a close real fast

[@cyaninkling2638]

Thanks!!! This helped a lot getting started on my demon harpy plush

[@brookeadams8639]

This is such an awesome video! Thank you so much for passing along your knowledge with us, you're very skilled ♥

[@diandraaliffa2116]

Hello, so if I'm understanding correctly, the way your prototyping process works is that when you need to make any sort of adjustments, you take off the stitching, cut off the seams, re-create or re-draw a new seam/marking and then stitch it together again until you get it right? I'm not quite sure what you meant by "snipping a little bit at a time". Sorry if this is a confusing question!

[@SylenisCrafts]

Do you mean at 1:20? No, I'm saying that to be accurate, I don't just go in with my biggest shears making giant cuts. You want to "snip away a little bit at a time" and make sure you're staying on the line. By "adjusting the seam" you can see that in between cuts I handle the edge of the fabric, I'm making sure I can see the visible seam and that the allowance is flat and isn't getting in the way. For overall patterning, no I don't remove stitches or cut anything until I'm sure I have the final pattern I want. Going back to the diagram at 1:39, if I cut that excess off, and then realised my new line was too small, I've ruined any chance of going back and widening it again. Equally, If I unpicked my seams and recut the fabric every time I needed to make an adjustment, it would be a big waste of time. If you skip ahead to about 3:32 where the head is being cut out, you can see I'm taking off a lot of excess fabric around the neck and muzzle; none of it was cut until I was happy. At the time this was filmed the prototype was complete; I don't adjust the actual pattern any further in this video, only cutting it out and lying it out.

[@SylenisCrafts]

Basically, take your question, remove "take off the stitching, cut off the seams" and that's the answer. When I need to make adjustments, I draw a new line onto the fabric or pin/drape the new shape, and just sew a new seam. No cutting or unpicking unless the old seam is directly interfering with the new one, which is not often.

[@diandraaliffa2116]

@@SylenisCrafts But would you still have to take off the body part required to make adjustments on? Or do you just draw a new seam on the body part already attached to the overall plushie, without taking it off?

[@avksmith]

Do you think it’s okay to use a similar but cheaper fabric like fleece for prototyping?

[@SylenisCrafts]

The prototyping fabric needs to be as close as possible to the final in weight, drape and stretch or it won't look the same. As I mentioned in the video, the brand of fabric picked for the final commission was different to my usual brands, so I had to make this prototype in the same fabric otherwise it would come out in a complete mess

[@Lindy-nw9rd]

is this pattern purchasable from your Etsy? 🥺

[@SylenisCrafts]

I prefer people head to my Kofi, not etsy (Kofi prices are lower because there's less fees) but no, this was a commissioned piece.