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OOAK Organic Panda in progress sewing on the arms fluffmonger
Organic Plush

The Making of a OOAK Custom Organic Panda Bear

On November 16, 2015 by fluffmonger

I recently got a request for a OOAK organic panda from one of my favorite customers in Oregon.  Alison is the type of customer every artist dreams of!  She asked for a panda, but aside from selecting the materials and requesting a heart for it to hold, she gave me free rein on the design.

I had never made a teddy bear before, so it was a learning experience for me.  Teddy bears are the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of stuffed animals, so I don’t know how I managed to go so long without making one.  My uncertainty with what a bear pattern should look like was pretty evident in my first prototype.

OOAK Panda Prototypes fluffmonger

On average, it takes me a full day to draft and sew a single prototype.  I lucked out and only needed two prototypes before getting the pattern close to where I wanted it.  (It’s not uncommon for me to go through 5, 10, sometimes 15 or more prototypes before being satisfied.)  I ended up altering the pattern a third time before sewing the final panda.  As you can see, the first bear was a horrible monstrosity that would scare the bejesus out of any small child. I left it without arms and a face because why bother at that point?

Organic Fabrics undyed fluffmonger

For the panda I used fair trade organic cotton and hemp fabrics.  This is the natural color of the fabrics before I dyed them.

OOAK Panda - Organic Fabrics Dyed fluffmonger

To make white fur, I naturally bleached the fabric in the sun for two days.  I hand dyed the black and red with low environmental impact dyes.  I usually try to avoid dyeing black at all costs because it is the most difficult color to achieve.  It requires about ten times more dye and twice as much salt and soda ash as other colors.  It also takes a few extra hours in the dye bath.  This was the first time I ended up with black on the first try. In the past, the first attempt always turned out green or blue and required additional dye baths.

4893 OOAK Organic Panda head inside out fluffmonger

There’s something about the inside of stuffed animals that is just so exciting to me.  It’s where you can see all the hard work and dozens of pattern pieces coming together.  Even with all the mess of the thread tails and bits of fur sticking out between the seams, I sometimes don’t even want to turn them right side out!  You can see the whole body of the panda before I flipped it here on instagram.

OOAK Organic Panda Head in progress fluffmonger

Sewing on the nose and eyes is the most nerve-wracking part for me.  I don’t have an eye for symmetry, so I often get a few crazy faces before I get everything lined up correctly.  My mother-in-law, who is an amazing bead artist, recently found some handmade glass button beads for me to use as eyes.  I have had a hard time finding glass bear eyes that aren’t made in China, so I’ve only been able to make eyes with organic cotton embroidery floss until now.  The embroidered eyes are great for when I make baby toys, but I have been longing for shiny eyes to use on projects like these.

Stuffing OOAK Panda with Organic Buckwheat Hulls fluffmonger

Alison wanted her panda stuffed with organic buckwheat hulls.  They are by far my favorite stuffing material, but I had only stuffed one other item this large with them before.  I wasn’t sure exactly how much the final bear would weigh, but it ended up only being about 2 pounds.

OOAK Organic Panda close-up fluffmonger 5006

The last step was sewing on the arms and heart.

OOAK Organic Panda fluffmonger finished 5108

The organic cotton fabric was perfect for the panda!  It’s so silky soft, and as you hold the bear, the buckwheat hulls absorb your body heat.  The warmth and softness combined with the weight of the buckwheat hulls makes it feel like you’re holding a real baby panda!

Alison decided to name her panda ‘Fern’ after her grandmother.  Fern has already gone to her home in Oregon, but you can view more images of her here.

 

Tags: artist bear, custom stuffed animal, custom teddy bear, handmade teddy bear, OOAK, organic bear, organic panda, organic stuffed animal, organic teddy bear, panda plushie, stuffed bear, teddy bear

11 comments

  • Alison Kelly November 16, 2015 at 11:51 am Reply

    What fun seeing the process! I LOVE FERN!

    • fluffmonger November 16, 2015 at 11:55 am Reply

      I’m glad you enjoyed the post, and I’m so happy that you love how she turned out!

  • Fay June 21, 2018 at 9:58 am Reply

    Can you also share this panda’s pattern?

    • fluffmonger June 26, 2018 at 7:45 am Reply

      Hi, Fay! I do not have a pattern for the panda for sale. I may potentially make a new panda pattern in the future. If you’d like to sign up for my newsletter, you’ll receive notifications about any new patterns I have available. Thanks!

  • Nicole November 25, 2018 at 11:33 am Reply

    Good morning! My daughter lost her panda that she carried around 24/7. Fern is the only panda that looks like her old one. Do you sell or would be willing to make one? Thank you!

    • fluffmonger November 25, 2018 at 1:21 pm Reply

      Hi, Nicole!
      I’m so sorry your daughter lost her panda. Unfortunately, I don’t have any currently made at the moment. My wait list for custom orders is going into spring of next year. If you’re okay with waiting that long, send me an email through my contact page and I’ll be glad to discuss it with you further.

  • Juliana February 20, 2020 at 4:39 am Reply

    Didn’t you keep the pattern of that panda for sell on your shop? It is lovely…

  • Timi May 1, 2021 at 11:13 pm Reply

    Wondering if you can duplicate a stuffed animal for me that my daughter lost. We would be forever greatful

    • fluffmonger May 4, 2021 at 3:43 pm Reply

      Hi Timi! I’m sorry about your daughter’s lost stuffed animal. I’ve transitioned over to only making sewing patterns instead of finished plush toys. You may want to check out this plush artist group for commissioning plush toys: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1781744538758923/

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