Artist and maker Wendy Crabb from green girl art makes soft robots amongst other things.

She says of her work “Inspiration came from necessity“. She signed up for plush rush with no idea of what she was going to make or how to make it. Without a sewing machine she needed to use materials that would not fray. So she used some wool felt quarters that she found at weeks dye works.

“I kept circling around what I was going to do and then I drew a really tiny sketch – a funny robot. … From there it just clicked. I had the beginnings of an idea. I drew these wonky patterns on some brown paper and I just started cutting fabric and sewing the pieces together. My first guy was really big about 20 inches tall sitting – but I never actually measured him. … I actually found this little scrap of paper the other day I had written about two years ago “I want to create soft toys”. My brain works in a round about way.”

Lately Wendy has been making soft sea creatures from recycled painted fabric, which has been washed and washed until soft and colour fast. This fabric comes from cut down backdrops which sometimes leaves some amazing scraps. “I’ll make as many creatures as possible and then once the fabric is gone…well then I’ll try and scavange more from the next beautiful backdrop we make.”

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