So I want to make plushies but I don't know where to start.

[Dreamer]

What is better, sewing by hand or using a sewing machine? Which sewing machine would you recommend to somebody who doesn't have any experience? Which fabrics should I use? Can I start making my own patterns or it's better to use existing patterns until I get used to it? Any tutorials? I also want to sew doll clothes, are there any differences? How can I make poseable plushies? What are the pros and cons of big and small plushies?

Sorry for all the questions and thank you for your replies

[Rainbow berry1978]

I saw mine by hand  That way it becomes your own.
And I use Fleeze fabric or Velour.
First I draw the pony I want to make, on paper, thne cut it out and put it on the fabric  I then cut the fabrics as I want, and start sewing.
I hope this helps you a bit 

[Uninu]

What is better, sewing by hand or using a sewing machine?
Both have their good sides. For small-medium plushies I prefer hand sewing, for big ones sewing machine.

Which sewing machine would you recommend to somebody who doesn't have any experience?
There are lots of good sewing machines in all categories, but for a starting machine I would personally choose a sturdy machine with basic stitches. I do all embroidery by hand and mostly use three stitches in all of my sewing.

Which fabrics should I use?
Minky seems to be the most popular at the moment, but I have used fleece for most of my plushies.

Can I start making my own patterns or it's better to use existing patterns until I get used to it?
Starting with a ready-made pattern could be easier if you want good results fast. Studying the patterns others have done also can teach you a lot about how different cuts and curves and so on work. But, if you want to experiment, you can always buy a cheaper fabric for test plushies and try your hand on pattern drafting.

Any tutorials?
I've only read books about plushie making, so I don't know of tutorials. Sorry!

I also want to sew doll clothes, are there any differences?
Well, both require of good sense of 3D objects, but they do have differences as where clothes are put on something 3D, plushies themselves are the 3D object. Have you made any clothes previously?

How can I make poseable plushies?
The same way people make jointed teddy bears, there are lots of tutorials on it online

What are the pros and cons of big and small plushies?
Small plushies take less materials, are easier to ship and store and are easier to construct so that they hold themselves firmly and are not too floppy. Big plushies are easier to sew on a sewing machine, but they are more challenging to stuff and make non-floppy. Otherwise there are not many differences.


I hope this helped! ^^

[Noxxbunny]

You may want to start with some hand sewing to get a good grip on stitches, but after that, I recommend machine. I'll have to disagree that hand sewing makes something more yours than machine stitching(No offense.) There's just as much heart in my machine sewing as my hand sewing. I'll say the same thing here as I did to someone who told me I should only sew/embroider by hand because using a machine is "cheating"; Having a sewing/embroidery machine will not give you the ability to sew. You still have to have a grasp on what you're doing. The machine just makes what I would be doing by hand 100x faster. 

As for fabric, fleece is good to start with. It's cheap at around $8 a yard(and you can usually find it 50% off in all the non-winter months) and there's a lot you can do with it.

If you have a good sense of 3D form, you may want to try your own pattern, but I'd probably recommend someone else's first.

Honestly, check this out:

http://magnastorm.deviantart.com/journal/You-want-to-make-plushies-Tips-and-resources-list-356886291

It's long, but a really comprehensive list of resources and advice from one of my favorite plush artists.   

[Skeen]

What is better, sewing by hand or using a sewing machine?

Depends on what you're comfortable with.  All of my plushies end up with hand sewing on them but I use the machine to do the majority.  Machine stitches are nice and strong, and even, and faster, but there's no reason someone who is good at sewing couldn't sew a plush by hand. 


Which sewing machine would you recommend to somebody who doesn't have any experience?

It doesn't matter, really.  You don't need a fancy machine to sew a basic plush.  If you've never sewed before I wouldn't buy a really expensive one to learn on.  You might find you hate it and then you're stuck with an expensive machine!     What would matter would be taking some beginner sewing classes so you become acquainted with whatever machine you get and any potential problems that brand/model may have.  Bring the instruction booklet! 


Which fabrics should I use?

If you've never sewn before I would use something that doesn't stretch!  Fleece and minky (the polyester faux fur most fan plushies are made from) stretch quite a bit and can skew your pattern if you're not careful.  That's probably less of a problem with hand sewing though.  Minky can also be quite expensive (~$12 a yard) and comes in different "qualities."  Joann fabrics sells an ok minky, but it is the same price as the really good stuff you can get online.  It isn't cheap anywhere!  I would get maybe some cotton broadcloth or even muslin and practice on that before buying anything more expensive. 


Can I start making my own patterns or it's better to use existing patterns until I get used to it? Any tutorials?

Use an existing pattern until you become familiar with all the pieces needed and how they interact with each other.  There are several free patterns on dA, or you can purchase a pattern from a few different people on etsy.  If you have never sewed, dolphinwing's etsy pattern would be easiest to follow and it includes a link to a video tutorial showing her complete process of sewing a pony.  It's what I use, but I have modified it.  Even after all the sewing I have done, I would rather not create my own pattern (I do that for hair quite a lot and it gets tedious).  There are lots of generic sewing tutorials out there.  you'd just have to apply what you learn in them to a pony plush.   


How can I make poseable plushies?

You can use a wire frame of some sort for the body, and a doll joint (I can't remember that they're called but they use them for arms?) in the neck to move the head.  I don't make poseables so I can't offer any specifics. 
 

What are the pros and cons of big and small plushies?

Cost of materials and space.  Big plushies cost more to make both in materials and time (not to mention shipping if you sell them), and they take more space to store.  But, big plushies are easier, IMO, to sew, because there are no teeny tiny little bits to work with. 



Just be aware that, if you're planning to sell them, most plushie artists aren't making a living off of it.  The plushies are more a labor of love than a labor for pay.  There is a steep learning curve and people are not usually willing to pay for your time.  The market is also saturated.  Don't be discouraged if your work doesn't sell right away.  Just do it because you love doing it.   

[Anitas_Mom]

I started making plushies because I found an old pattern on Ebay so I thought I would surprise my daughter with one (she's an avid G1 collector).  Long story short, she loved it and talked me into making more.  Now I make them because I enjoy it - the sweet faces, the wonderful color combinations, and the challenge of getting the cutie marks just right.

A lot of my fleece material comes from the remnant bin (at 50% off) because it does not take a lot of material to make a plushie.  I use felt for the eyes and cutie marks, and yarn for the hair. 

I guess my best advice for you is to have a lot of fun doing it. Good luck!   

[Tilas]

What is better, sewing by hand or using a sewing machine?
Hand sewing is essential, machine sewing is faster! You have to know how to sew by hand before you can touch a machine. Thankfully, hand sewing isn't too hard to learn and is a great skill to have.

Which sewing machine would you recommend to somebody who doesn't have any experience?
If you've got the money, a Pfaff is always an excellent machine because they're well made and can take abuse of a newbie. While you can go crazy with the fancy technology and computers in a machine, for your first, I wouldn't.  Learn to sew without the gadgets and you will be a much better artist because of it.

Which fabrics should I use?
Fleece is a great start because it's cheaper, but Minky is what most people use because of it's quality and color selection.

Can I start making my own patterns or it's better to use existing patterns until I get used to it?
Buy patterns. Creating patterns is HARD and takes a ton of time and experience. You can always buy a pattern then start altering it to learn, that's what I do. There are countless pattern resources out there.  ValleyViolet has an awesome pattern selection that are really easy to learn. http://valleyviolet.deviantart.com

Any tutorials?
DeviantArt has ton of patterns and tutorials of you search, but two great books to buy are "Wild and Wonderful Fleece Animals" and "Stuffed Animals From Concept to Creation". Both wonderful books that I use constantly, AND they include a lot of patterns!

I also want to sew doll clothes, are there any differences?
Personally I find clothes to be a royal pain in the tail, but that's me. Many people find them easier, others harder. I think the main difference with clothes is the materials used. Pretty much anything goes, and a great started material for doll clothes, is your own! Scrap tshirts are wonderful to learn with.

How can I make poseable plushies?
Wire or joints. The Stuffed Animals book I mentioned above has a wonderful section all about making poseable animals.

What are the pros and cons of big and small plushies?
Smaller use less material, but larger are far easier to sew.  A good happy medium is around a foot in height.

And echoing what Skeen said, the market is HORRIBLY saturated with pony plush artists right now. I haven't sold a plushie in months and no one wants customs nearly as much anymore, in part to the saturation of plushie makers, but also the bootleg companies are making all of the "background" ponies now and doing it for pennies so people don't want to pay for custom quality when they can get cheap china. The artists that do make a living from pony plushies are some of the first and top artists (Whitedove, MagnaStorm, etc) so at this point competition is nearly impossible since they've cornered the market.  If you're going to get into plushie making to sell you need to be original or do something non pony.

[rosierjay]

if you've never made one before i'd make the first one just sewing it by hand. it makes you more conscious of the pattern and the stitches. but i'm not an expert.
i just got my sewing machine last month, so all my items have been by hand. even so, i find most of the parts i still sew by hand. 

as for the other points looks like they got covered pretty well. so leave it at that.

[Baby Sugarberry]

Most of these are well covered so I'll just add my thoughts where they're relevant.

What is better, sewing by hand or using a sewing machine?
Trick Question!  The correct answer is both.  Unless you have access to a very expensive set of machines, some hand sewing is mandatory for things like details, eyes, symbols and finishing up after stuffing.  A machine will save you time for long seams, but isn't mandatory.

Which sewing machine would you recommend to somebody who doesn't have any experience?
Do you know anyone who has a sewing machine and would be willing to give you some instruction / time on it?  That's probably the best option, if it's open to you - otherwise paid lessons, or at the very minimum a lot of tutorials, books and videos are a must if you have zero experience.  Sewing in either way is a dexterity/mechanical skill and not something you can learn other than by doing.

If you do have a friend, relative or neighbour who's sewing-knowledgeable, see if they're wiling to go machine hunting with you - there are plenty of second hand sewing machines out there, just beware buying one that isn't working (which is why you want an expert along, just like for car buying if you're not yourself an automotive enthusiast.)  Otherwise go with an inexpensive machine as mentioned above; they'll be covered by warranty.  You do NOT need anything beyond bobbin winding, a light, forward/reverse and zig-zag which will be on virtually every modern sewing machine without fail.  Ignore special accessories or fancy do-dads.  Don't go for a battery powered machine, as they rarely have enough oomph to get through anything but thin fabrics. 


Which fabrics should I use?
What you can afford to learn with and what your pattern calls for!  It's important to check, because changing the fabric or cutting bias will alter how the final product turns out.

Can I start making my own patterns or it's better to use existing patterns until I get used to it?
If you are new to plush-making, don't try to make your own.  Do at least several patterns made by others first, then start by doing small modifications to existing patterns until you work up a level of experience with how flat bits of fabric become a 3D object.

What are the pros and cons of big and small plushies?
The bigger you go the higher the cost - in fabric, time and most of all stuffing material.  Mistakes are more costly with a bigger plush, and flaws tend to show more.  Conversely there's a bottom part of the size scale where your time costs skyrocket because doing miniatures is a whole skill in of itself and not at all easy.  Something the size of the Hasbro Softies, around 8-12" tall/long, is a good size to start with. 

[Twilight Pink]

I'm glad someone asked these questions because I wanna enter the plushie making world but I'm too nervous too :s