Plushie Silk Fish and Kids Modeling

I'm lucky enough as a crafter to work with some pretty amazing companies, and the creative team over at the San Diego Hat Company is as good as it gets. They're always thinking well outside the box for visual ideas to support their products, which always presents a great creative opportunity. This year, for their Spring 2013 catalogue shoot, they had this idea of having some of their younger models holding striped fish under their amazing hats. It might sound random but I loved the idea right off the bat and rushed for my sewing machine first chance I got.  Also, it just so happened that they needed a couple more boys to model in the shoot, and Nanci, (my prop stylist and amazing jewelry designer friend) hooked up James and Grippy to get in front of the camera.  Of course, James had no idea what was going on.  I had my fingers crossed that he wouldn't tear the hat off of his head and eat it or just walk off.   Grippy modeled for them a few catalogues back, so he was an old pro, and just needed to be bribed with toys to strike a pose.  The fish were the real divas here: their stripes were really tricky, and the silky fabric just wouldn't stop moving around as I sewed it.  Still, overall they turned out pretty well and only took a couple of hours to complete.  At the end of the day, I am so lucky to get some amazing professional photos of James and Grippy and can't wait until this catalogue comes out. The fish are jumping!


The finished plush fishies.

The color palate of the shoot.


1.  I sewed 3 inch strips of silk (because I had scraps already) together and ironed the seams open.

2.  I freehanded a fish.  If you don't feel comfortable with this draw ahead of time.  Leave a hole so you can stuff it and hand stitch the hole closed.

3.  Turn inside out, stuff with hollowfill and add button eyes.  I added a fin and flippers by hand too.
The fish with my little "shark".
Fish anyone?  No one seems interested... Hmm.

Grippy ready for his photo!

Being shot, I had to hide so as not to distract.

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