Teddy fabric

Dear users, dear authors,
What is teddy fabric and what can you do with it?

Teddy plush is a very soft, cozy, and highly stretchy fabric that’s popular for lining baby and winter accessories.

For example, you can use it to line hats, which keeps your ears nice and warm.

It can be difficult for beginners to work with because it frays easily and is very stretchy.

Best regards,
Sonja

I usually use teddy plush for stuffed animals, like teddy bears and other little creatures to cuddle, but there are many different kinds of teddy fabric—the kind Sonja described, but also types that aren’t stretchy—they have a firm woven structure. Then there are teddy fabrics with a fur trim that has hairs up to 5 cm long or even longer, but these are smooth rather than curly. There are also teddy fabrics made of polyester, and the ones I prefer to work with are made of natural hair or fur.

Best regards, Inge

One thing to keep in mind with teddy fabric is that it can’t be cut as easily as cotton fabric; you have to be careful not to just trim the fur, but instead use scissors designed specifically for cutting woven or knitted fabric and then gently pull the fur apart, that way you’ll have a nice transition and avoid a trimmed edge, which looks very unattractive. You should also keep this in mind when sewing teddy fabrics together: push the fur back, and if that doesn’t work, carefully pull it out of the seam again without coming apart. This is also one of the reasons why I sew a lot by hand—it’s easier to hold the fur back and pull it back up right away.

Best regards, Inge

Thanks for your input so far.
What exactly is the difference between teddy fabric and faux fur?

Teddy fabric is the common term, and “faux fur” is the technical term. It’s also worth noting that faux fur is very often used in fashion, such as in jackets and coats, or for collars and trim on hoods, etc. Since fur is subject to species protection laws, it can no longer be used; however, hides are a byproduct of shearing and slaughtering sheep and other livestock, and under certain circumstances, they may be processed further. The cozy house robe https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/forum/topic/150187/kuschelhausmantel that I sewed for myself last fall, for example, features real sheepskin that was knitted by the meter, just like the teddy fabrics you can buy. That’s because many of these fabrics aren’t woven at all but are either knitted or warp-knitted fabrics; however, they’re marketed as woven fabrics, which is actually incorrect.

Best regards, Inge

I’ve learned something new again—until now, I’d only known about the non-stretch woven faux fur that I use to sew teddy bears and other stuffed animals.

Bags made from teddy fabric are all the rage right now. Would that be something for you?

Nope, Josefa, that’s a total no-go for me, but I’ve now bought some fabric because I want to sew something like this: https://www.crazypatterns.net/de/items/65551/anleitung-rucksacktasche-belvedere, specifically from a rust-brown upholstery fabric. I’ll sew it in a solid color because I’m adding tone-on-tone embroidery to the bag flap—that’s just how I like it.
I like the style of the bag, but that doesn’t mean mine will look exactly the same in the end :-), I really like changing things to suit my own taste too :-)

Best regards, Inge

Bags made of teddy fabric? Hmmm, I’m not sure. Back in the ’70s, bags made of that kind of shaggy fur were all the rage—I think it was goat fur. And after a while, they looked terrible because the side that was pressed against your body would get totally worn down and bald, as would the part of the flap you always touched to open it.

Women’s magazines say that teddy bags are also great for adding a touch of contrast to an elegant business outfit. I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration. 

Exactly. I can't really picture that either.

Maybe it’s okay if you work in the fashion industry, but otherwise it might not be your thing.