December Rewards & Tutorial Post Archive

Here's information on the rewards for this month!

December Patreon shop access

The Patreon shop can be accessed by $5 Patrons and higher. Patrons receive early access to previous Patreon stickers & patterns, first dibs on pre-made plush, and 10% off all patterns with a discount code that can be found in the shop.

December's Patreon shop password can be found at this link:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/93843132

Slice and bake ditto sticker

This ditto would love to be a part of your holiday cookie plate 🍪

• Receive by pledging to either:

- $5 sticker tier;

- $10 sticker, tips & tutorial tier;

- or $60/$65 ditto plush tier

• Rewards are mailed out weekly, based off your renewal date
• Unlimited slots
• ~2.5" size

This sticker is made from water resistant glossy vinyl. While they are water resistant, they should not be submerged in water or placed on cups that will be run through the dishwasher. They are not UV resistant, so please do not place them outside.

Snowman ditto plush

Snowman ditto is here to send off the 2023 ditto plush tier! I will be discontinuing this tier in 2024. More info to come!

Cold penguin sewing pattern

Wouldn't you be cold too if you had to walk on ice all day? 😥🐧

This plush pattern makes a ~5-6" tall penguin, depending on fabric used (mochi makes a larger and chubbier pengu). You can make the optional earmuffs to keep him warm!

This reward will include:

• written instructions
• embroidery files for 4x4 hoop size

The pattern will be released on December 31!

Receive by pledging to one of the following tiers between December 1 and December 31 (existing patrons must RENEW in December):

• - $5 tips & tutorials tier;
• - $10 sticker, tips & tutorial tier;
• - or $60/$65 ditto plush tier

This pattern:

• Is 3/10 difficulty
• Can be made with any stretch plush material

Usage rules for pattern:

• you can sell plushies you make with the pattern
• there is no limit to how many you can sell but you cannot get these mass produced by a factory
• you cannot claim the pattern is your own & you must credit me in social media posts & sales listings
• you cannot redistribute or resell the pattern

Tutorial post archive

In addition, patrons get access to all prior posts. Here is an archive to help you find prior tips & tutorial posts. In addition, you can browse the collections as well, which group similar posts together.

Accessible to all Patrons

Mochi minky color guides:

• - Hopen textiles mochi minky color guide w/ all 229 colors
• - Big Z mochi minky color guide

Accessible to $5 tips & tutorial Patrons & higher

- Suggest tips and tutorials in this post! -

Business:

• - Auctions through Google Forms 
• - Shipping to Germany - registering for the German Packaging Act
• - German Packaging Act - year-end reconciliation
• - Tracking business mileage
• - Material cost & pricing: total cost vs. amount used
• - Organizational spreadsheet recommendation
• - Pricing for shipping costs
• - Perfectionism & plush making

Embroidery:

• - Testing embroidery tension (with embroidery file)
• - Tension issues & keeping your machine clean
• - Making embroidery test files
• - What's that random line in my embroidery?!
• - Preventing bulging around satin stitching on mochi
• - Having your embroidery machine sew small objects
• - Two ways to do double-sided in-the-hoop (ITH) plush
• - Trimming underneath applique
• - Puffy 3D applique technique, method 1
• - Puffy 3D applique technique, method 2
• - Placing details in the seams of ITH plushies
• - Using tear away stabilizer to prevent embroidery transparency
• - How to make 3D egg yolks
• - Embroidery bobbin thread
• - Transferring embroidery placement to your digitizing program
• - Fixing gaps in embroidery
• - Removing embroidery hoop "burn marks" from mochi
• - Clean applique on long pile fabrics
• - Multicolor mochi paw pads
• - Using an embroidery machine for help cutting out small objects

Materials:

• - My favorite tear away stabilizer
• - Eco friendly shipping supplies
• - Packing & shipping materials recommendations
• - Hopen mochi vs. JoAnn's mochi & its effect on patterning
• - Big Z Fabric always has coupons!
• - How to buy mochi from Hopen Textiles on Aliexpress
• - The impact of fabric on your pattern
• - Hopen Textiles mochi minky swatch books
• - Spoonflower alternative & sublimation discussion
• - Fixing matted minky
• - Shop recommendation for bulk keychains for plush charms
• - Testing scents for plushies
• - How I store my fabric
• - Where I buy safety eyes & noses
• - Should you pre-wash your fabric?
• - New mochi fabric at Joann's
• - Plastic armature recommendations

Miscellaneous:

• A non-permanent way to add blush
• Adding a lip to a... beak? 
• An easy way to mark safety eye placement 

Patterning:

Patterning a plush from start to finish series:

• - Shiba patterning series (WIP)
• - Kaiju patterning series
• - Burger turtle patterning series
• - Werewolf patterning series
• - Fat bat patterning series
• - Cozy bear patterning series

Darts

• - How to pattern darts: slice & separate method
• - Converting a seam to a dart, method 1
• - Converting a seam to a dart, method 2
• - How to pattern darts: triangle method
• - Also check out various entries in the patterning series listed above!

Gussets

• - What is a gusset and what is its purpose?
• - Also check out various entries in the kaiju & burger turtle patterning series!

Misc.

• - Determining pattern adjustments with a photo editing program
• - How to pattern droopy ears
• - How to pattern a curled tail
• - Scanning a pattern larger than your scanner
• - How to pattern folded ears
• - Adjusting a 2D pattern from mochi to minky
• - Color blocking: how to add a color transition with a seam 

Photography:

• - Editing photos with the Snapseed phone app
• - Lightbox recommendation
• - My large photobooth setup

Sewing, general:

• - Fabric getting sucked into the feed dogs when you sew?
• - How to sew a donut shape
• - Ladder stitching mochi plushies shut
• - How to sew a 4 part sphere
• - How to sew a clean dart
• - Hand sewing details onto ITH plush
• - How to make double-sided 2D claws
• - Lining items to hide raw edges
• - Sewing opposing curves
• - Using a machine tack down stitch instead of hand sewing
• - Adding thickness to flat 2D pieces
• - Using a walking foot on your sewing machine
• - Making 3D fangs
• - Adding fabric stays to prevent stuffing slippage
• - How to sew a ring shape

Sublimation:

• - Preventing ghosting
• - Preventing blue & black spots on sublimation
• - Fabric shrinkage & sublimation
• - Tracing seams onto the back of sublimated fabric
• - Process of sublimating a "true blue" mochi color
• - Dealing with straight dotted lines in your print, aka pizza wheels

Tools:

• - A list of plush making tool recommendations
• - Doll needles
• - Die cutting machines like Cricuts & Silhouettes
• - My recommendations for sewing & embroidery machines
• - Hemostats/forceps
• - My favorite pins & clips and their uses
• - Scissors hurting your fingers? Time for tape!

Non-Plush Related:

• - How I make stickers