- Take your time and work section by section. I wasn’t sure what to stuff my animal with – I wanted to use bean bag pellets, but they sagged too much.
In the end, I used woollen insulation offcuts that my husband brought home from his building site. It felt good to be using something both natural and that would otherwise have been thrown away.
Ask around, there may be a local company that can help you out with stuffing.
- Working with fake fur can be tricky. The bits of fake fur that came off when I was working were a nuisance. Try cutting the fur from the back using a scalpel; this helps. Also, allow extra on the seam allowances as fur is thicker than normal fabric and doesn’t lie as flat. Tack all the pieces firmly together before you finally sew them together.
Use a brightly coloured thread for the tacking – it uses up the weird colours in your sewing box and it is easier to take out as you can see it later!
If you’re looking for more ideas to nourish your creativity, check out my book, full of ideas of things to make, grow and cook.
Deborah Hide-Bayne is a writer, photographer, artist and keen amateur cook. She lives in the Coromandel with her husband, son, three chickens and 20 goldfish. She is the author of Coastal, living the coastal life, cooking for the coastal table.
