I got an urgent "PLEASE HELP!" email from Jodie in Victoria wanting to know how to sew on her toy's faces  without starting or ending knots that stick out . There are lots of tricks to hide those stitches and make your toys look amazing!

The easiest way to hide your starting and ending knots, is to sew your face AFTER you have stuffed your toy, but BEFORE you have sewn the stuffing gap closed.

I use a long doll's needle to sew IN through the stuffing gap and OUT through the face. Then I change to my normal sewing needle, which is easier for me to sew neat stitches for the face or beads, then I change back to the long Doll's Needle and sew back INTO the head at the eye, and OUT through the stuffing hole again. I secure the finishing thread by sewing a few knots in the actual toy stuffing. (Sew a loop, then sew through this and pull tight to make a knot. Do this 2-3 times and your thread will never come undone!)

If you have ALREADY sewn your stuffing gap closed -

DON"T PANIC!

The other way to 'hide your starting knot, is to make a knot in a place you won't see it...

I often hide the starting knot in the ear seam. Sew INTO the back of the head and come OUT in the seam between the ear and the head, pull the starting thread until it just disappears into the head. Sew a loop where the thread comes out of the seam and sew through this loop, pulling tight to make a knot which will be hidden in the seam. Sew back into the ear seam and come out at the eye where you can begin sewing your facial features.

When you have finished sewing your toy's face, sew back INTO the head and come out a the ear seam on the other side. Sew a loop and make a knot to secure your thread before you sew OUT of the back of the head.  I pull the thread out of the head as I cut it and the end disappears (slips) back inside the head when it's cut - nicely hidden away!

You might be thinking, 'Why don't you just sew the eyes on before you stuff the toy?" ... well... that brings us to another toy-making secret - how to make your toy faces look cute!! I've got to take a few more photos then I'll explain!

I hope that make things a little neater and helps you make more gorgeous looking toys!