Worthwhile, if only for inspiration

books:


	• Plush-o-Rama: Curious Creatures for Immature Adults Linda Kopp Lark Books, 2006 - 128 pages average customer review:based on 22 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Sooo Much Fun!

I just love this book! I haven't tried any of the projects yet but it just makes you feel happy when you see that smiling creature on the cover! Maybe I'll even try making one or two! I sent a copy off to my grand-daughters right away.

Great projects, vague instructions

The projects in this book are really creative and fun to make. I get the feeling though, that the book isn't specifically designed to help you perfectly recreate the creatures within, but rather to act as a jumping off point for you to create your own.

Don't get me wrong, the book does come with instructions and patterns, but on occasion, I find the instructions to be vague, and the shapes of the patterns in the back of the book aren't always the same as what I see in the photos of the finished products.

If you're looking for a book to inspire you and give you a push toward making your own creatures (and it helps if you have a slightly twisted sense of humor), this book is for you.

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Imagine

This is a great book for kids and adults some really cool ideas and patterns leads you to even more ideas of your own. Why pay high prices for those strange creatures in our imagination. Make it your own, make it yourself and use your choice of materials. (some of the pre-made dolls are made with shabby materials)

Worthwhile, if only for inspiration

Plush monsters are wonderful. You can make dozens of mistakes while making them and at the end of the day you can pretend that they were all intentional. It doesn't matter. This book provides patterns and instructions for making 30 such monsters, some of which I think are very cute, such as Catzilla and the half-eaten gingerbread men, and some of which just don't appeal at all (in my opinion, the Pig/Duck is just creepy). However, the fact that I don't like all of the patterns doesn't bother me because this book is just as useful for providing inspiration and advice on various toy-making techniques as it is for giving instructions. After all, monster making is about making what you want to make, not about following a set of rules.

Each pattern in this book is designed by a different designer, which is great because it means that there is more variety in the patterns that if they were all designed by the same person. In that respect, there are many similarities between this book and "Plush You!" Both books serve as galleries for soft toy designers. However, "Plush You!" failed by only providing patterns for a small number of the toys (the least impressive ones), while this book does not make that mistake.

This is a very good book for beginners. Most of the toys are very easy to make and basic sewing technique instructions are provided for novices. In a number of cases the toys look like they may have been made from cut-up old clothes, so you might not even need to buy fabric. And remember, even if you do make a mistake, just pretend that's how the toy was meant to look. With toys as weird as this, no one will notice.

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BOYS TOYS

Finally a book of toys that include something for boys. Curiously original designs, this book has that something just a little left of center.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

What?s the big new phenomenon, with legions of devotees? Making lovable stuffed monsters! Influenced by the popularity of Japanese animé and video game culture, urban illustration and design, and the do-it-yourself craft movement, these designer plush toys are everywhere?even museum stores. Yet they?re simple to sew. Just take fabric, a needle and thread, and stuffing, combine a touch of cuteness with a dash of utter weirdness, and you?ve got one of the oddest, most irresistible creatures ever. And these 30+ projects?including furry, green-lipped Monkey; Greggles, who sports a coif of tentacles; and flirtatious Polly, who has her three eyes on every guy?are as much at home in a trendy loft studio as in a child?s room. They?re unabashedly handmade, but bold, colorful, and very modern. A thorough Basics section provides all the fundamentals, from fabric selection to stitches to the ins and outs of the construction process. And, as a bonus, there?s a handful of profiles of select plush designers with photos of their work.

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