Blue Bird Plush Prototype From an Artist's Art

Description

This round blue bird plush started as a drawing by an artist from Moscow. She drew a cheerful bluebird and wanted to see it as a real toy. We sewed it in 2016, made to order as a prototype: one sample, cut so that a workshop could later repeat it in a run.

A bird that took a few tries

The shape looks simple. A ball of fur, a beak, two thin legs. Getting it right was not simple at all, and we remade the bird several times before we reached the final version.

The hard part was the mood. The drawing has a playful, slightly puzzled look, and in fabric that look depends on millimeters: how far apart the eyes sit, where the beak points, how the crest falls. The artist said the same afterwards. It took a few attempts, and then the bird came out the way she had imagined it.

Built to be repeated

A one-off toy only has to look good once. A prototype has to be clear enough that another workshop can sew it again and again. The artist planned a production run, so the construction mattered as much as the face, and she thanked us for exactly that: a clean, precise build.

A two-tone body: light blue face and belly, deep blue crest, back and wings
Big white eyes with embroidered pupils and lashes
A yellow beak with a little embroidered nostril line
Long yellow legs with three-toed feet that dangle from a shelf

Her bird, your character

The bird belongs to its artist, so we don't sew copies of it. Its job, in her words, is to make people happy. The old idea fits: Maurice Maeterlinck's 1908 play The Blue Bird sent two children looking for a bird of happiness.

If you have a character of your own, we can turn it into a first sample the same way. See our plush prototypes, the OC plush we've sewn from artists' drawings, and the terms on Patterns & Prototypes.

Materials used

The bird is sewn from faux fur in two blues. A light sky blue covers the face and the round belly. A deep royal blue runs over the top of the head, the crest, the back and the small wings. The pile is soft and a little shaggy, which keeps the bird from looking like a plastic ball.

Light blue and royal blue faux fur for the body
Smooth yellow velvety fabric for the beak, legs and feet
White fabric eye patches with embroidered pupils and lashes
An embroidered smile and beak lines

The filling is hypoallergenic. For your own character we match the fabrics to the colors in your drawing.

Lead time

A prototype like this bird usually takes 4–6 weeks. Part of that is a safety reserve, because handmade work always brings a surprise or two.

Most of the time goes into the pattern. We build it from your drawing, sew a sample, check it from every side and adjust. This bird went through several versions before the expression was right.

With a clear brief and a finished image, one change is included. A rough idea may need 2–3 rounds. Full terms are on Patterns & Prototypes.

Delivery

We ship worldwide. Delivery usually takes 7–20 business days, depending on the country and the carrier. Around the holidays couriers slow down, so leave extra time.

Prototypes tend to have a date behind them: a factory meeting, a pitch, a crowdfunding page, a trade show. Count back from that day, adding the making time and the shipping, and tell us the date when you ask for a quote.

Before the sample ships, you get photos of the finished toy, so you can check it against your drawing.

Terms

We've been sewing toys to order since 2009, and first samples for artists and brands are part of that work.

Prototype orders run under their own business terms. Before we start, we agree on what "close to the drawing" means for your character. You see photos of the finished sample before it ships.

Your character stays yours. The patterns belong to you, you can take them to any factory, and we sign an NDA to keep the design private until launch. We never show a client's brand on our site. Details: Patterns & Prototypes.