Sewing a stuffed animal: tips for stuffing?

Dear users, dear authors,
do you have any tips for sewing stuffed animals and for stuffing them evenly?

I only sew plush stuffed animals by hand—that way, they’re just softer and more comfortable to hold. For stuffed animals made of cotton fabric, sweatshirt fabric, or jersey, I use a sewing machine.
I usually stuff them with flame-retardant stuffing, mainly for safety reasons. To stuff the animals, my husband made me a stick—one end is shaped like a screwdriver, and the other end is rounded. The stick is also ideal for turning the fabric inside out and finishing the seams.

Best regards, Inge

To ensure the little animals keep their shape and stand upright, they should be stuffed as tightly as possible. You can always fit more stuffing in than you think!

This is the rod I mentioned in post 1.

One more thing: when stuffed animals are sewn by hand, I like to use this Stern thread; it is stronger and doesn’t tear as easily, so the hand-sewn seams don’t come undone as quickly if you sew nice and tightly with an overcast stitch

Best regards, Inge