The Art and Craft of Toy Design

cotton monster

I just found this website, and I am so in love! Cotton Monsters are made by Jennifer Strunge, and are really inspiring. I love her use of patterns, and the way she creates mouths complete with a gumline! She has a shop on her site but all the monsters are currently sold out. (not surprised!) Check out her blog too, I havent read it through yet, but there is a picture of her and a giant stuffed octopus that is definitely worth checking out.

Redo of Patterns...oh well.

I give up. My links did not work, and then after I posted my links, people posted the same patterns again. So here are new ones...

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_dolls/article/0,1789,HGTV_3242_1370684,00.html

it is scary.

Greyhound:

tank ewe.

A good site is getcrafty.com

Toy Patterns

Here are two cute patterns I found:
 
The first is a cat. The pattern is in pdf form and can be downloaded here.

The second is a versatile pattern that can make a bunny, bear, or cat. The pattern can be found here on the craftster forum and it is originally from a japanese craft book.

Patterns

Eddy's Inspiration

Here are a few of the Plush Toys that I've come across and liked. Most of them are from KidRobts gallery, under Designers Toys.

Eddy's 2 PATTERN

This is my kinda TOY! Maybe if I was a year younger... Easy pattern to follow, and flexible for different fabrics.

Da' PLUSH! Pretty ah?!

PATTERN:

STEP 1:

STEP 2:

STEP 3:

STEP 4:

THAT'S IT! Sewing workshop today!

Inspiration / Instruction

inspiration

I'll be honest, I don't really know what to do with plush. Most stuffed animals/dolls/toys are aimed for the 2-4 year olds, which means those marketing gurus at Mattel aren't exactly targetting me. Yet there are a handful of plush toys designed for a more selective, older audience. The few, the proud... these strange imaginings of toy designers are among my favorite.

Friends With You Micro Malfi

"Micro-size your Friends and enjoy life-enhancing powers! New from the makers Friends With You, featuring two of the most popular magical microbes from the Friends With You world: Malfi and Red Flyer, as they appeared in the Nike Lab film Mr. Wizard and the Legend of Speed."

online store

Uglydoll Vinyl Figure - Babo

"Babo's got your back. Having a bad day? Babo will fix that. Scared of the dark? No problem -- so is Babo! What Babo lacks in mind power, he makes up for in love. He's everybody's best friend. He will stick with you to the end, and when something scary happens, he will send you a nice greeting card from wherever he runs away to."

online store

Gaston Le Boo - Plush collectible doll

"Rest in peace, our melancholy phantom misfit.  His Skulls GLOW IN THE DARK!!!"

online store

instruction

Tasty

Tasty the toy lobster was inspired by a new species of lobster discovered south of Easter Island in 2004. This intricate design is by Kristen McQuillin of mediatinker.com

blog
pdf instructions

Sock Creature

Turn an everyday object into something warm, fuzzy, and funny looking.




















website instructions

 

Designer Toy's

Hi, in my research I found the following toys:

This is 'Flosszilla,' created in Toy Product Design seminar MIT and squirts toothpaste from its mouth and dispenses floss from its tail.  For more info please see their website : http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/toydesign-0524.html.

This is my second choice. Meet Nuigurumi Binsu. http://www.kidrobot.com/index.html

Meet Leonardo. This project is a collaboration between MIT and the world famous Stan Winston Studio. It combines the studio's artistry and expertise in creating compelling animatronic characters with state of the art research in socially intelligent robots. For more info visit: http://robotic.media.mit.edu/projects/Leonardo/Leo-intro.html

In addition to the designer toys here are two soft toy patterns.

First toy:

This is Cat Bean Bag and this is the paper pattern layout.

The following image is the layout of the body.

This is image of the fabric layout with the paper pattern.

The next two images are the information about the tail.      

                        

The last instruction and set of images are the instructions for the head, ears and face.

For more info visit: http://craftandfabriclinks.com/cat_beanbag/cat_beanbag_pattern.html

Second soft toy pattern is Softie scotty dog.

Here are two images of the toy.

In case if you want to make this toy here are the instructions.

For more info see: http://allsorts.typepad.com/allsorts/2006/05/softie_scotty_d.html

DAVE PASQUEL -OTHER PLUSH TOYS

oops.  I forgot to include other plush toys in my last post.  I have always been a fan of remote controlled products.  I guess that may have been why I was in the wireless industry for 15 years.  That is why I am a fan of radio shack and their line of toys.  They are adult/children toys for the child in all of us.  here are three they currently sell.  I have one that is no longer sold that is a voice activated robo-dog, but here are three new ones:

a ferrari....some day

robo-hulk

robo-hulk from Mars....grin

Dave Pasquel - patterns

Hey everyone.  I found this great site that has all kinds of patterns.  Here is the link.

patterns

So, I found some great ones on here like this kitten

Here is the pattern and link.

kitten link

Or if you have some old socks, make a monkey.  Here's the final product and go to this link for the process.  Monkey making