Toys to Sew: Dozens of Patterns for Dolls, Animals, Doll Clothes, and Accessories

by Claire Garland

What could be more enchanting than creating homemade toys for the children in your life?

In Toys to Sew, designer Claire Garland leads you step-by-step through thirty whimsical projects for charming animals, dolls, and other soft toys. From classic patchwork hobbyhorses to colorful smiling dinosaurs, you will be amazed at the variety of results you can achieve using Garland’s stitching methods.

All of the projects stitch up quickly and easily for sewers of all skill levels, whether you are using a machine or sewing by hand. Vivid photographs, diagrams, and Claire’s clear and experienced instruction enable even novice stitchers to create beautiful playthings. You will love making these projects as much as the children in your life will love their new cuddly companions.

Genres: Crafts, Sewing, Nonfiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published September 29, 2006

Reviews

[Ashlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has sewing patterns and instructions for making adorable plushies and toys. The difficulty level varies from absolute beginner to experienced seamstress. Most of the animals are really cute. The cloth dolls are my favorite. A lot of the softies in this book have clothes designed for them, and the patterns are included. Some woodworking is involved for at least one project.

What I didn't like about this book is that some of the animals weren't as cute as they could have been. Many of these projects are very difficult and time consuming, and sometimes the instructions are a bit vague.

If you are good at sewing, and you want some cute projects for kids, this is the book for you. If you don't sew very well, you may still be able to make a couple of the projects.

[jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

i am really into making stuffed animals right now, so i anxiously picked up this little book about sewing toys. unfortunately, the patterns & projects were not exactly what i'm interested. there was an adorable elephant pattern that i would try sometime in the future, but i was completely disinterested in the teddy bears that you can dress up. it's a short book, so don't expect hours of inspiration. there just wasn't enough alternative material for me to work with.

[Adrieanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has some really fun ideas, but the directions are terrible. It is pattern-based for much of it and some of the patterns are missing, mis-labeled, or missing pieces. The directions are missing steps in many cases. I don't recommend this book unless you are good at improvising, tweaking, and creating based on a picture alone.

[Corinne · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some cute things in this book. I tried out one of the patterns (the 'pink elephant') and have had to abandon it. The directions are pretty vague and if you haven't made something like this before they are next to impossible to follow. I probably took on a more ambitious project than I should have but still...

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got this from the library. Cute patterns, but there are some errata and missing instructions that made it hard for me to do the first toy I picked to make with Shaelynn--a bear. If I had been sewing a long time I might have been able to figure it out. But, frustrating to see something so adorable and then not be able to make it due to poor editing.

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. Cute. Cute stuff. Other than the dolls- they kind of scared me. But, I am really ready to jump in a make at least one of all the others.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is adorable, great patterns all easy and straight forward

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many cute projects to make.

[Dana (thatisagreatread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dolls are super creepy, but the animals make up for it -they are so darling!!!

[AJ Conroy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Minimal instructions and photos.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a number of cute projects, but the one I'd probably return to this book for are the felt dinosaurs.

[Priya]

i wnt to read