I’m talking about sewing monsters on today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast. My guests are Chelsea Bloxsom and Phil Barbato. If you’re an avid softie-maker than these two designers are already on your radar. If you’ve never sewn a toy (and even if you never think you will) this episode has valuable information about selling online, getting noticed, building an audience, meeting your customers in person, and saying no to things you’d rather not take on (like making hats!).
Double scoop of furry monster yumminess by Chelsea Bloxsom.
Chelsea Bloxsom’s business is Love & a Sandwich. She specializes in making creepy cute plush toys and embroidery hoops featuring characters from her favorite animated movies and shows. Her first book is coming out next month titled ‘Adventure Time Crafts’ where she worked alongside Cartoon Network to make Adventure Time inspired arts and crafts. She lives in Boston, MA, sewing from her apartment living room alongside her sole coworker, Khan the Australian Shepherd.
Gold-toothed rainbow yak by Phil Barbato.
Phil Barbato has been making plush for over a decade. He and his wife, Meghan, have been really taking it super-serious for the last five years or so. Meghan and Phil work from their home-studio-slash-dining-room in Richmond, Virginia. They also actively maintain two unreasonably cute babies and one slightly neglected dog.
We mention:
- Chelsea’s guest posts on Mr. X Stitch
- Phil’s AccuQuilt custom dies
- Where to buy faux fur: fabric.com for 1/2 yard cuts, Ever After Fabrics on Etsy for small pieces, Distinctive Fabric for weird furs, and Mendels.
And, of course, we recommend great stuff we’re loving right now.
Chelsea recommends:
Phil recommends:
- hemostats
- Tested, Adam Savage’s podcast, and Inside Adam’s Cave
- Overcast
- Glorkian Warrior, the Trials of Glork
And I recommend:
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YAY! I’m so excited I was talking to a crafty friend telling her about Phil and she was telling me about Chelsea, thanks for interviewing these two great plush makers, it’s great to hear their story and how they get into making what they make.
I really love your podcasts, I will have to catch up on the rest of them 😉
thanks for always sharing amazing content 🙂