Getting Started on the Hawks Plush
So, I got this idea in my head the other day – I wanted to try making a plush. Been watching My Hero Academia, you know, and Hawks is pretty cool. Figured, why not give it a shot? Seemed like a decent weekend project.
First thing, I had to gather all the bits and pieces. Dug through my craft box. Here’s what I rounded up:
- Some felt sheets: Needed red for the wings, obviously. Then some yellow/blonde for his hair, tan for the skin, black for the visor and details, maybe a bit of brown or grey for the jacket parts.
- Stuffing. Just the regular fluffy polyester kind.
- Needles and thread. Tried to match the thread colors to the felt best I could.
- Good sharp scissors. Crucial for felt.
- I sketched out a rough pattern myself on some paper. Nothing fancy, just basic shapes for the body, head, limbs, and importantly, those wings and his wild hair. Getting the proportions kinda right was a bit tricky.
Cutting and Sewing Time
Alright, pattern pieces ready. I laid them out on the felt sheets. Carefully cut everything out. The tiny feathers for the wings took some patience, not gonna lie. Cut out way more red feather shapes than I thought I’d need, just in case.
Then, the sewing started. I decided to hand-sew everything. Feels more sturdy sometimes, plus my machine is buried somewhere. Started with the basic body – sewed the front and back torso pieces together, then the legs and arms. Simple stitches, nothing too complicated. Left openings for stuffing later.
Adding the Hawks Details
Now for the fun parts that make it actually look like Hawks.
The Hair: This was… an adventure. Cut out lots of spiky blonde felt pieces. Started layering them onto the head piece, trying to get that messy look he has. Glued some smaller bits down, sewed the bigger ones. Took a fair bit of time just messing with the hair.
The Wings: Okay, the main event. I had two larger red felt pieces cut in a basic wing shape. Then I started layering all those smaller feather shapes I cut out earlier onto them. Sewed them down, overlapping them a bit to look like real feathers. It was pretty repetitive work, sewing feather after feather. Did this for both wings.
Outfit Bits: Cut out the shape for his jacket collar thing from brown/tan felt. Made his little visor from black felt. Also cut tiny shapes for his headphones. Sewed or glued these onto the body and head pieces where they belonged. Used a dab of fabric glue for the really tiny parts because sewing them would have been a nightmare.
Putting It All Together
Once all the main parts had their details, it was time for stuffing. Started filling the body, legs, and arms. Used the end of a pencil to poke stuffing into the corners. Tried not to pack it too tight, wanted it to be soft, but firm enough to hold its shape.
Sewed the stuffing openings closed. Then attached the arms and legs to the torso. Attached the head to the body. This part always feels good, when it starts looking like an actual figure.
Attaching the wings was the last big step. Positioned them on his back and sewed them on really securely. Had to go over the stitches a few times because I didn’t want them falling off.
For the face, I kept it simple. Embroidered some basic eyes using black thread. Didn’t attempt anything too complex. Added his little eyebrow marks with thread too.
Finished! (Mostly)
And… that was pretty much it. Stood him up. Looked him over. Trimmed a few stray threads here and there. Fluffed his felt hair a bit. He’s not perfect, a bit rough around the edges maybe, a little wonky if you look close. But hey, I made him. Start to finish. Felt good to actually make something with my hands again. So yeah, that’s my Hawks plush project done.
