In the world of graduation gifts…   personalized is always best!   Whether your graduate is finishing preschool or college, a custom autograph / signature toy is always a hit. Or make a school uniform keepsake or school mascot memory toy. You can stick with a classic teddy bear or go wild with a favorite animal like an Iguana or T-rex. For tons of tips on making a graduation autograph toy, visit this Original Graduation Toy post HERE. This post includes: The best fabrics for autograph toys Best pens for autographs A free Funky Friends Factory graduation hat pattern link (mortar boar ..read more

This month you can see some fabulous custom toys (along with tips to recreate the magic yourself!), fun examples of the same pattern in vastly different fabrics, long-pile shaggy fur on a Funky Friends Factory toy and see how to include the ENTIRE front of a shirt on a toy, plus how to add a child’s name to a toy without hand sewing or fancy equipment! Let’s take a look… First off, a fantastic first attempt at a Funky Friends Factory pattern. This Digger Dachshund was sewn by Hettie Lynn Minks Tynes. Looks like there will be lots more beautiful toy projects in Hettie’s future! . Click HERE to ..read more

What a lovely bunch of feedback pics this month! Read down to the end of the post to find out who won. Let’s take a look… Who let the dogs in? ? This adorable pic was submitted by Caroline  Lewis – so pleased with her 2 Digger Dachshunds!   Alicia Strayer sewed this cute memory toy dog version of Digger Dachshund from some sports clothes!  Click HERE to buy the Dachshund pattern.     Madge made a memory Butch Bulldog for a good friend. This memory toy was made out of her friend’s father’s army coat! . Click HERE to buy the Bulldog pattern.     Janette Chi ..read more

It is International Mother’s Day this Sunday, so we are celebrating our makers who sew  Funky Friends soft toys for mothers – themselves included! There are so may reasons we sew toys…   Let’s take a look!   Our makers sew ‘perfect presents’ for their Mums! Laura Sallis sewed this sweet Melody Memory Bear for her mother this mother’s day! Isn’t she sweet with the little roses detail she’d added.? Click HERE to buy the Melody Memory Bear Pattern.   Jenny South sewed Poppy PUPPY for her mother for Mother’s day. Her mom sells dogs coats! ? Click HERE to buy the Poppy PUPPY ..read more

Wow! This had got to be one of the busiest month’s for feedback photos! We have a wonderful selection of toys from baby keepsakes to a whole heard of Highland cows!!! Read down to the end of the post to find out who won. Let’s take a look… I’m loving this fluffy pair of Cheeky Chickens (Chooks) sewn by Jo Ann Carroll in Cuddle fabrics.   What a cute spotty Cheeky Chook(Chicken)! This cheerful chick was sewn by Monique Methot. Click HERE to buy the Chicken pattern.   Monique’s friend asked her to make a Cheeky Chook  and Harmony Highland Cow for her soon-to-be livestock v ..read more

I was so excited to get my hands on some Tula Pink *ROAR* fabric when I visited my Australian Pattern Distributor – Voodoo Rabbit Fabric this week! This range is extra special for me because Tula did a big ‘shout out’ for my Dinosaur toy patterns which she had in her videos for the *ROAR* fabric launch!   Here is Tula Pink with Trixie Triceratops sewn in Tula Pink Roar Trifecta Mist fabric…   AND here is Tristan Triceratops sewn by Heather Noonan (@strawberryshortcake) in Tula Pink Roar Trifecta Blush fabric.   This was so cool for me ~> so now I’m going to do something coo ..read more

There’s just something special about ?dinosaurs? that delights kids and sparks their imaginations. Do you have a junior paleontologist in your life? Maybe you’ve got an adult fan of dinosaurs? Or maybe, like me, you’re a fan of fabric designer Tula Pink and are excited to use her new range of awesome dinosaur fabric called *ROAR* on some dino-themed projects! Funky Friends Factory has three different dinosaur patterns for you to enjoy! There’s Timmy T-Rex, Tristan & Trixie Triceratops, and the Dippy Dinosaur Snugglies. Let’s take a look… First up is Timmy T-Rex. He’s one of the most popula ..read more

Get ready to learn all about toy stuffing! First up, follow the links to TIPS about stuffing, TYPES of toy stuffing, and a video of my toy stuffing TECHNIQUES. Then visit the FAQ section, where I’ve gathered all your most common questions, such as, “how much toy stuffing should I buy?” and “what type of toy stuffing is most popular?”     Read on for toy Stuffing TIPS, TYPES, TECHNIQUES… & FAQs!   TIPS – My ‘Top 7’ Toy Stuffing Tips: I put together a blog post  to answer all the questions I get asked about how to stuff soft toys – with the tips I’ve learnt over the ..read more

Want to see the top toys of 2023?? Checkout this really cool round up of last year’s Maker of the Month winner’s…   Ready to see some super special sewing? We’ve also added the links to each blog post for you to see all 10+ finalists showing trends and popular patterns in our community. There’s no better place to get inspired for your next project!!!!! TIP: Here’s HOW TO ENTER our Monthly FREE PATTERN GIVEAWAY– the MAKER OF THE MONTH All toys posted in our Funky Friends Factory Patterns Fan Club are eligible for Maker of the Month. If you’re posting elsewhere, make sure you use the hasht ..read more

We had sooooooooooooooooo many awesome feedback photos this month and LOTS of first Funky Friends too! Read down to the end of the post to find out who won. Let’s take a look… Beautiful Butterflies! The butterfly kingdom is full of variety, as are the Belinda Butterflies posted by Funky Friends Factory fans. Courtney Schreiner used sparkly and rainbow Cuddle fabric from Shannon Fabrics for her Belinda Butterfly.   Here’s a totally different look for Belinda Butterfly – a keepsake butterfly sewn by Lindsey Mortimer. This precious memory toy is made from sentimental blanket fabrics. Cli ..read more