"I'm lying in the sun..." If that line comes with a tune in your head, you know this guy. This lion cub plush is the ginger cub from the Soviet cartoon How the Lion Cub and the Turtle Sang a Song. We sew him by hand and to order, one cub per customer. Nobody keeps a shelf of them. Each one starts with a message from someone who wants him.
The cartoon
Soyuzmultfilm released it in 1974. It runs about nine minutes. Inessa Kovalevskaya directed it, Sergei Kozlov (the writer behind Hedgehog in the Fog) wrote the story, and Gennady Gladkov wrote the music. The plot is tiny. A turtle has made up a song, the lion cub learns it, and the two of them sing it together in the sun. Then she gives him a ride on her shell.
That lazy, happy song about lying in the sun is the reason people still remember him. So we made him for exactly that: lounging.
A big cub for a big chair
This is a big plush. Put him in your favourite armchair and he takes the whole seat, legs stretched out, tail hanging over the edge. He's soft all over, so you can squeeze him as long as you like.
- A huge shaggy mane in ginger and orange faux fur
- Pale ears, a white muzzle with whisker dots, a wide open smile
- Big blue eyes with lashes, like in the film
- White gloved hands, giant round feet with stitched toes and sole pads
- A long tail with a faux fur tuft
We've made him more than once. One cub has blue eyes, the other has amber-brown eyes and grey sole pads. Tell us which look you want, or bring a still from the film and we'll follow it. Tell us the size too. You'll see photos of your cub before he ships.
Other Soviet cartoon friends we've sewn: Baloo from Mowgli and Tryam the Hedgehog. Why grown-ups order these, in nostalgic gifts for adults.
We're an independent studio. This is a handmade fan piece, not an official Soyuzmultfilm product.
Most of the lion cub is soft premium plush in warm yellow. The mane is what makes him, so it gets the longest pile we have.
- Long shaggy faux fur for the mane and the tail tuft, ginger mixed with brighter orange
- Yellow plush for the body, the long arms and the big feet
- White plush for the muzzle, the hands and the ear lining
- Appliqué eyes with lashes, a soft brown nose, a red open mouth
- Sole pads sewn onto the feet, beige or grey
The filling is hypoallergenic and fills him firm enough to sit up in a chair, soft enough to hug. Want a different eye colour or a bigger mane? Say so in your first message, since it changes the pattern.
A lion cub this size usually takes 2–4 weeks to make.
The pattern comes first, then the body and those long arms and legs. The mane takes the most time. It has to frame the face, not bury it, so the faux fur is cut and trimmed around the cheeks and ears.
The face goes on last: eyes, lashes, nose and the smile, placed by hand. The time frame keeps a small reserve for handmade surprises. If you need him by a certain date, tell us when you order.
We ship worldwide. Delivery usually takes 7–20 business days, depending on your country and the carrier. Around the holidays parcels move slower, so give it extra time.
He makes a good surprise for someone who sang the turtle's song as a kid and never had the cub himself. Add the making time to the delivery time and count back from your date. For Christmas, order by November 1.
Before he leaves the studio, you get photos of the finished toy. A big cub ships in a big box, packed so the mane arrives fluffy.
We've been making custom plush since 2009. People who grew up on this cartoon know the cub's face by heart, and they notice if the eyes or the smile are off.
That's why you see photos of your lion cub before he ships. If you don't love him, you get a full refund within 14 days, for any reason.
Want the turtle as well, so the two of them can finally sing as a pair? Ask before we start. A set is easier to plan as one order.
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Custom toys start from $350.
A bigger size or extra details can cost more.
Why?
No ready-made pattern. Your photo or drawing doesn’t come with one. Our artist builds the pattern from scratch and turns a flat picture into a 3D toy. It’s the hardest and slowest part.
Materials picked for your toy. The right color, fur length and texture. Sometimes we order fabric just for one project.
Sewn by hand. Every piece is cut, sewn, stuffed and finished by hand. The face takes the most time: move an eye a millimeter and the character changes.
You approve it first. When your toy is ready, we send you photos. Something looks off? We fix it before shipping.
One toy, not a thousand. A factory spreads design costs over thousands of copies. Here, all that work goes into one toy: yours.
That’s why prices start at $350. And on a personal order, if you don’t love your toy, you get a full refund.
