Hi everyone!
I’m back with another infographic, getting into the nitty gritty of working with plush fabrics. This one is about general tips and tricks for working with fabrics like fleece and minky. Fleece is generally easy to sew, but this graphic has a few pointers to make it foolproof. There are also tips for working with minky as well, which is known to be a little tricky at times. It also goes into the different types of fleece and minky out there. They’re both fabrics that are popular and trendy right now, so new variations and names are cropping up everywhere. It’s sure to confuse beginners. But I’m going to do my best to clear things up for you here 🙂
23 thoughts on “Plush Sewing Basics: Working with Fleece and Minky”
Thank you! This is a very good tutorial!
thank you, very helpful, the different types of fleece can be confusing and are different enough that I find your explanations very helpful.
I love your infographics! I usually tend to work with fleece since minky does shed a bit (I do love how it feels though!). I find to prevent pilling, I sew with the wrong side in front, and the fabric still feels soft and sturdy. I don’t know who else does it like this though ^^; or if that even is a weird thing to do. Have you heard of doing the same for fleece or would even recommend? Thanks!
Aw, thanks so much!
I haven’t heard about that tip to prevent pilling though! With regular fleece I tend to just sew with whatever side I like the best, regardless of whether it’s the right or wrong side 🙂 So I don’t think your method is weird at all.
As for preventing pilling, just being delicate with the project is the best luck I’ve had. Just hand washing and air drying alone does wonders ♥
Ahhh okay ^^ awesome! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing this. This is really helpful.
I only use to call them either fleece or felt (soft/hard) and nothing else. 😛 I have used the double-sided fleece on few projects, but its really rare to find here in the Philippines.
I’m so glad it helps! I’m sure names and products will change again soon — the fabrics are so trendy I keep finding new ones ♥ But at least it gives some idea of what to expect out there.
Where did you buy your fleece fabric? I’m from PH too.
I mostly shop at Joann Fabrics and Fabric.com, but this page goes in depth with all of the places I shop 🙂
https://cholyknight.com/faq-fabric-suppliers-tools/
minky makes me kinky 🙂
Can I hand sew minky fabric? Would it be harder to do then using a machine? Do you have any tips for if i did hand sew minky fabric?
You definitely can! Some people think it’s easier to sew minky by hand because it can be a little slippery. So you don’t need to use as many pins when you work by hand.
I do have another tutorial about hand-sewing that might provide some more tips though: https://cholyknight.com/2018/02/27/hand-sew-your-way-through-anything/
I’ve been looking several places to find the info. Do you have any suggestions on how to efficiently cut small holes out of fleece (I have a mix of blizzard and anti-pill)? I’m trying to make some stuffed animals and the pattern has me cutting small holes out of where the legs attach so the legs can be turned out through the side of the body.
I have zero issues with my rotary cutter and scissors cutting the outlines of the pieces, but these perforations are proving troublesome. Any suggestions to make it easier?
If you have some small scissors, like embroidery scissors, that usually does a good job of getting into those small areas 🙂 It helps to fold over the fabric to make that first cut, then you can unfold to cut the rest. But if the folded fabric is difficult to cut, I sometimes use an X-acto knife or other similar utility blade to make the first incision. A seam ripper would also work in a pinch.
I hope that helps!
For current readers: apply patch of fusible interfacing then use hole punch. Not tte kind used on paper 😉
The metal onewith pointed end and widening as you go up the shaft. Check out bear making to see the various methods used. Real and fake fur is much same as minky etc when it comes to making holes without creating havoc.
Hi, I’ve been working with your patterns for quite some time, but it still ends up a little wonky. I think that at least part of the problem lies in tracing the pattern onto fabric – I often find out the pieces don’t look like the originals after tracing, expecially the small ones. I’ve used tailor’s soap and pencils, but I found it stretches the fabric and changes the shape of the final part. I’m currently using chalk markers because they need less pressure to draw, but I still feel like something is missing. I’m not sure if I should pin the paper pieces since it also can stretch the the fabric, not to mention the pieces that are to small for that. Do you have any tips on that? Feeling kind of lost, I feel like I’m not progressing at all.
Hello!
I’m sorry that your projects still aren’t coming out like you’d want :/ If you’re tracing onto the wrong side of the fabric, many people just use a regular fine tip marker (especially if it’s on a mid to dark tone fabric). But there are also special fabric markers that disappear with water or exposure to air.
Another thing some people prefer is to trace the seam line instead 🙂 That’s why the stitching line is on all of my patterns — you can cut them out along the dotted line and trace that. Then you cut your own seam allowance as you prefer. Then when you go to sew it you can stitch right on the seam line precisely.
I hope that might help!
Thank you, I will try that.
Just a suggestion try printing pattern and cut out with room for ballpoint pins or clips. Pin paper pattern onto fabric and sew over that printed pattern Kimberbell bear I discovered uses this method and it worked well. Papers acts as stabiliser.
thanks! Im new to working with minky and this helped quite a bit
Ahoj, Vaše vzory sú perfektné. Ďakujem za voľné vzory a určite vyskúšam aj tie z obchodu. Pri strihaní používam freeze paper, na ten si nakreslím vzor a potom ho prižehlím na rubovú stranu. Potom sa látka strihá perfektne a nešmíka sa. Možno by tento trik využili aj iní, ktorí šiju podľa Vaših strihov. Ešte raz ďakujem sa zdieľanie. Nech sa Vám aj naďalej darí. Nie som anglicky hovoriaca ale v prekladači sa dá preložiť.
Would there be any tips on tracing? I don’t usually have trouble with it but in the long run I’d just prefer to have the paper stuck to the fabric to trace… or it just not able to move. Would ironing help? Or something? 🙂
I know BeeZeeArt has some great tips on tracing on her blog here 😊
https://beezeeart.com/blogs/beezeeartblog/what-to-use-to-mark-on-fabric
But if you’re looking to stick the templates to the fabric, I would recommend freezer paper. It’s a common technique used in quilting, but here’s a link about how it’s used in plush templates:
https://whileshenaps.com/2015/04/how-to-use-freezer-paper.html