Make Your Own Toys: Sew Soft Bears, Bunnies, Monkeys, Puppies, and More! [Paperback]

Sue Havens (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 10, 2010

Happy friends to make, hug, and love
 
Meet a mischievous piggy, dopey panda, rambunctious little bunny, a passel of monkeys, a proper penguin, and many more soon-to-be best friends of all shapes, sizes, and personalities in this irresistible guide, Make Your Own Toys. With simple-to-follow instructions and hand-drawn illustrations, artist and designer Sue Havens will help you make 22 unique stuffed toys that will endear and charm adults and kids alike.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

SUE HAVENS is a Brooklyn-based artist and graphic designer. A graduate of Cooper Union and Bard College, she is a 2008 fellow in Painting from the New York Foundation for the Arts and an instructor at Pratt Institute. Visit her online at www.suehavens.com/myot.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Potter Craft; 1 edition (August 10, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307586448
• ISBN-13: 978-0307586445
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 0.4 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #596,655 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book You've Been Looking For August 15, 2010

By Claire Goldstein and Sven-Erik Rose

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm not an excessively successful crafter, or at least I haven't been in the past, but I love funky, recycled handmade things, and have always loved the idea of working with my kids to create our own toys. We've had a lot of fun collecting fabric, cutting and gluing, and over the years I've amassed several books. After this book arrived, the rest of them are getting traded in. THIS BOOK IS GREAT. Sue Havens is both an artist and a teacher, and you can tell by the way she writes and the projects shown in the photographs that she is talented at both. This book will be a great resource for both beginning and experienced crafters. For beginners or those in need of a refresher, the first chapter gives a quick rundown of sewing techniques and terms, with helpful little drawings and tips. It's very clear and easy to follow. I don't know how she conveys so much technique in so little space. Experienced sewers will also love the book. The projects walk the fine line between hip and cute, appealing to grownups and children alike, with plenty of latitude to adapt and personalize. As one of the previous reviews mentioned, the book itself is very appealing to look at. It's also a pleasure to work with -- very lucid and approachable directions. One feature I especially loved was the short paragraphs Havens added at the start of each project. She talks about her fabric, color, and trim choices, and yet again, in very few, and very accessible, words, conveys some fundamental design principles, breaking down for the rest of us why these creatures look so appealing and cool. We're most of the way through our first project. We are having fun with it, and it looks great! Buy this book!

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars So far. . . frustrating. December 14, 2010

By Harperleesmom

Format:Paperback

The book is cute, but if you actually want to make the animals in it, get ready to be frustrated. I don't consider myself to be an amazing seamstress but I can work a sewing machine and have crafted up a few stuffed animals in my time. The first thing you will notice is that you have to scan the patterns into a computer and then enlarge them, so you must have this capability or don't buy the book. Then you quickly realize that these patterns aren't precise. Once you get them scanned and enlarged the sides of the patterns aren't mirror images of each other so you're starting off with pieces that aren't going to match the same on each side. I started with the squirrel. Not too bad, until you realize that the author forgot to put the pattern piece for the back of the head into the book!! If these are tried and true patterns like the author suggests in the forward, how do you forget a piece as important as the back of an animal's head!!?? You must go online to search for anything that mentions this piece is missing and how to fix it. The cat was my next attempt and it was much better. Then I moved on to the hotdog. What a mess!! From the get-go, the legs don't match up, the head appears too big for the body and it's almost impossible to sew the body/leg/belly pieces together as instructed. I'm ready to throw this dog away!! Not to mention that the dog in the photo in the book is NOT the dog you are given the pattern for. The dog you end up with has longer legs and a skinnier body. I wanted a book with fun animals to sew. Instead (except for the cat), it's been more than a little frustrating and a bit disappointing.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars cool and unusual August 14, 2010

By Jessy Randall

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

If there was a Project Runway for making toys, Sue Havens would be the winner. Her combinations of fabric are so cool and unusual, and her designs are first-rate. I love the whole sensibility of this book, from the recommendation to use old clothes for fabric to the expressions on the animals' faces.