Plane Shapes Soft Cube

Who doesn't want their kids to play with toys that teach them stuff about maths? Crazy people, maybe. So anyway I can't even remember how this idea started but I've been playing around with Spoonflower, as I mentioned before with my Pencil Pals design, and I've been working on these shapes for a while.

I designed them with the idea in mind of making a soft cube toy, and maybe later a dodecahedron (I have 12 shapes ready but only the first 6 in swatch form yet).

Excited about ordering organic cotton, I ordered them in the organic cotton knit, and then realised what a fool I was when they came! I don't know, but I'm pretty sure a real stretchy fabric won't make a nice crisp cube. So I used some iron-on interfacing that I had. Actually that has turned out pretty well because the panels have a nice soft knit feel but a solidness behind that.

On the downside though in the process of interfacing, some of the fabric stretched. The square is not so square anymore and the circle is not so circular. So next time, not knit.

Still I'm really proud of it. Time to order some more swatches and make another one. Or try the dodecahedron challenge.

Luckily since this guy is finished, I'm allowed to buy more swatches. I've set up a new self-control system - I must finish 2 craft items before I can buy resources for another. There was a period of ebay-related incidents.

Ok it isn't finished finished, but it's blog finished (fabulous expression, courtesy of Ric-Rac). The reason is that I'm thinking about getting a rattle to put inside. Although I'll have to finish two more things to buy the rattle. Darnit.

Soft Toy Design - Polar Bear versions 1 and 2

Inspired to experiment with soft toy design (a bit of a childhood dream), I started with getting a bit of practise and experience by sewing up some from patterns, including the Hedgehog and Puppy, and the Zombie Bear. My only recent attempt to make my own was the compost creature, who was a bit of an easy project in the sense that it was supposed to look like a pile of rubbish!

No offense intended, compost creature.

So for the next chapter, we start at school. I've been teaching Year 7 technology this year as well as maths. For the first 3 terms I taught the projects I was given, an electronic skills tester and wind chimes, but for term 4 I felt like getting out of the workshop, doing some textiles, and incorporating a teensy bit more design into the project. Since I wanted to explore soft toy design, I decided we'd explore together.

I've decided on a polar bear because we'll be providing the kids with plain calico, and I wanted to show them something in a white/cream colour to show that you can do a lot with calico.

After much sketching, here's my basic "2D" polar bear pattern shape:

I wanted to develop the pattern from simple to more complex to show the different options to the students.

Ok so I didn't clip my curves and corners, but it's a good start. I'm happy with the overall shape I drew, but I think maybe the legs and head could be fatter. But I want to add an underbody gusset anyway so I'll see how it looks once that is in. I'm following the lesson on Elements of Soft Toy Design on WhileSheNaps for this, if you want to get more detail on what I'm doing.

She says that it's a process, and designs usually need some adjusting. Glad to hear it! Mine sure does.

Apart from failing to sew on my lines properly (always a problem), I'd adjust a few things. I think my underbody gusset comes up too high for his little legs, especially at the back. I also think the foot shape needs to be rounded out a bit, as does the face.

His legs at the front have turned out well. Next step, a head gusset to round out that cute little face!

Making a Trapezium Puppet

You can check out my Teaching Blog for the "Why" of this project, and here I'll stick to the how and showing off the results.

Firstly, for some inspiration from the highest expert, watch Jim Henson talk about designing simple puppets. I also checked out the galleries at Project Puppet and the work of Australian puppet-maker PuppetOODle for ideas about the look, particularly the eyes. This HowStuffWorks article was also great although I haven't used much of that information in this project.

Here is my trapezium puppet in all his glory:

The good:

• Making the trapezium shape in 3D was very easy. I cut two of my trapezium shape and a long thin rectangle to go all around the outside between the two trapeziums. Thanks to looking up how exactly to clip corners he has a good crisp shape that I'm happy with.
• The eyes are slightly-squished table-tennis balls painted and with glued-on felt eyelids and I'm pretty happy with those, and the button I found for his nose.

The bad:

• I struggled from the start with the idea of adapting a sock-style puppet to something with a flat face. I think in future it might actually be better to give the shapes a more 3D, face-like face, if that makes any sense.
• I sort of sewed a sock-like structure for the hand onto the back of the mouth, and it left me with lips, which I wasn't planning on or keen on. It works ok but was a pain and is quite unfinished.
• I was getting more and more unhappy with him as I went so his face is hot-glue-gunned on and you can tell!

I'm pretty unhappy with him really but if I remind myself that he is a first go, a kind of test of the idea then I feel better. And the kids liked him, so I guess that's what matters.

Mr. Monk doesn't seem to mind him either, but Mr. Trapezium looks a little shocked at this strange creature sleeping next to him.