Textile Toy Tutorial: How to Make A Basic Pattern Step By Step

Learn to draw a freehand pattern for textile toys with Piti Piti

Textile toys, by definition, call for a freer design and shapes that give a handmade feel. For this reason, the best technique for creating their patterns is freehand.

In this tutorial, Omar Gad (@pitipiti), founder of the Piti Piti workshop in Mexico City, teaches us the simple steps to make patterns with few materials and a little creativity. Discover more in the video:

3 steps to create a pattern for your textile toy from scratch

The materials you'll need are:

• Caple board
(or cardboard folding)

• Pencil

• Cutter

• A ruler

1. Always draw the pattern wider than necessary

After defining your toy's dimensions, make sure to draw the pattern beyond its limits: the object you are going to create will be three-dimensional and, therefore, will take part of the space with its volume.

Likewise, always add an extra margin of at least 5 millimetres at the edges of the pattern, a space that will correspond to the seams of the toy.

2. For a symmetrical pattern, use a ruler

Piti Piti may recommend a freehand technique. But, if you are looking for a more symmetrical result, you can divide the drawing in half with a ruler and duplicate one of the halves.

3. Always use a cutter, avoid scissors

Take care of your pattern. In the end, it has to be designed to last and be able to be reproduced on real textile toys without being damaged. Therefore, Piti Piti recommends drawing on caple cardboard, also known as folding cardboard which is thick and resistant.

Also, do not cut the ends or make the curves with scissors. It is always better to use a cutter as it gives a finer finish.

If you liked this tutorial, learn more from Piti Piti about the most effective techniques to create three-dimensional patterns and apply volumetric solutions to your character designs in their course Textile Toys: Design and Creation of Fabric Characters.

You may also like:

- Art Toy Creation, a course by Luaiso Lopez
- Design and Intervention of Art Toys, a course by Mitote Rodela
- Needle Felting: Creation of Characters with Needle and Thread, a course by Carolina Alles
- Amigurumi: Creation of Characters through Crochet, a course by Ameskeria