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Hi I’m Pauline, this blog is where I share all the latest Funky Friends Factory News, Giveaways, Competitions plus LOTS of toy-making tips & tutorials to help you sew the cutest soft toys EVER!

June 2026 MAKER OF THE MONTH – wins a FREE Funky Friends Factory Pattern!

Jul 20, 2026 | Blog, Competitions & Giveaways

We’ve had so many cute entries this month from baby gifts and graduation bears to shiny reptiles and sea creatures! Read down to the end of the post to find out who won this month’s maker’s prize.🏆

Let’s take a look…

We start with some delightful Dragons!

Dot Nixley sewed this sweet Diggles Dragon for her grandson in beautiful batik fabrics. I love how the print represents a modern take on dragon scales..

 

 

And Sandy Johnson sewed this Harry Potter themed Diggles Dragon for a colleague who was retiring so their team members could sign it for a farewell gift! Any toy can be a signature toy if you use a plain, light-colored fabric. Be sure to test pens on fabric scraps before sewing the toy and include a pen with the gift.

Click HERE to buy the Dragon Sewing pattern.

 

 

More radical reptiles!

This super-shiny Igor Iguana was sewn by Stephanie Dagg, she said the fabric was so stiff it was like ‘sewing cardboard’ but she loved the way it turned out. Me too!🤩

Click HERE to buy the Iguana Sewing pattern.

 

 

Georgia Hopkins-Graham sewed this cute Timmy T-Rex, and it was her first Funky Friend, too! Georgia made some custom baby-safe eyes from layers of felt and then machine sewed them to the fabric before toy assembly.

Click HERE to buy the T-Rex Dinosaur sewing pattern.

 

 

A cute OWL…

This cute Ollie Owl was sewn by Teri Wolff in HarryPotter fabrics. The large, no-seam tummy on this pattern allows for display of special fabrics like this themed material.

Click HERE to buy the Owl pattern.

 

 

And some sweet SITTING Kitties…

This cute striped Sock SITTING Cat was sewn by Rebecca Karstad. The colors on the stripes are absolutely delightful in coordination with the solid brown fabric.

 

And Rebecca also sewed this fun furry feline. She used a leopard print cashmere fabric for this Sock SITTING Cat. A cashmere Funky Friend sounds especially cuddly!

Click HERE to buy the SITTING Cat pattern

And some Patch cats, too

This precious Patch Pussycat was sewn by Annette Bevelander for herself when he own kitty passed away.💔 What a great comfort a memory toy can be in these circumstances.

 

And Jen Bilodeau sewed this sweet yellow Patch Pussycat. We seldom see an ear bow added to Patch, and I think it’s super cute. This Patch cat is a memory toy for a grandmother.

Click HERE to buy the Patch Cat Sewing pattern.

 

This happy Heather Hippo hanging out in the sunny garden was sewn by Candy Richmond. The waffle weave fabric gives a fun textual element to this Hippo, along with the yellow cotton flower embellishment.

 

 

And Carrie Anne Wadman sewed this cute Heather Hippo in Eyeore fabric. Heather Hippo looks great in any fabric, from brights to pastels and jungle fabrics to Winnie the Pooh prints.

Click HERE to buy the Hippo pattern.

 

 

Jenine Johnson sewed this fabulous Prince Charming Frog for herself…. I wonder if her sewing buddy is going to be a pincushion? If you put plastic beans in Prince Charming, he’ll flop about on his perch. I bet you could fill him with that material in pincushions that sharpens pins, too!

Click HERE to buy the Prince Charming Frog Pattern

Frog Pattern

 

 

A happy hedgehog for a hospital program!

Jess Lidds sewed this cute cuddly Hannah Hedgehog as a donation to a local hospital. 🩷 The Hedgehog is a great choice for a hospital toy because it can be used as a cushion, too.

Click HERE to buy the Hannah Hedgehog Pattern

 

 

Margot Risberg sewed this awesome  OzzieOctopus from a shiny dance fabric. Dance fabric is a challenge to sew, but is sure gives a dazzling result.

Click HERE to purchase the Octopus pattern.

Octopus Pattern

 

 

We had some super cute Memory Bears this month!

This Gracie GRANDDAUGHTER Bear was sewn by Linda Grace Bradley to match a quilt! That’s a really delightful baby gift combo.

 

 

Beware, making Gracie GRANDDAUGHTER Bear from can be addictive! Yvonne Lorraine Rotchell sewed a tester bear and “suddenly’ she has 6 more!!!! Which is your favorite?

 

 

And this Gracie GRANDDAUGHTER Bear was sewn by Jennifer Churcher as a bride. You can easily add some white tulle to the headband included in the pattern to make a removable veil.

 

 

And this Gracie GRANDDAUGHTER Bear was sewn by Paula Blevins for her grandson. Be sure to read the cute caption included in the post. Congrats on your new grand baby, Paula!

Click HERE to purchase the GRANDDAUGHTER Bear pattern.

 

 

This Melody Memory Bear Pattern was sewn by Michelle Schmidtler. Michelle used a heat transfer vinyl cutting machine to make custom text for the bear’s paws and included a graduation cap made from the free pattern (see the link below the photo). This is the 5th graduation bear Michelle has made for her kids!

 

 

Want a FREE Graduation Cap sewing pattern?🎓

You can use my free Mortar Board pattern (with video) to make a graduation cap for any Funky Friend, whether you want it to be an autograph toy or not (see the end of this post for more examples).

 

CLICK HERE for my
FREE Grad Cap pattern!

Mortar board graduation korina dacshund image

 

And here is the
very happy recipient!

Click HERE to purchase the Melody Memory Bear Pattern.

 

 

This Ben BEGINNER teddy bear was sewn by Linda Belchamber. I just love the personalization on this bear. The name on the chest was sewn on by machine and the paw pads include hand embroidery.

Click HERE to purchase the BEGINNER teddy bear pattern.

 

 

This  Calico Signature Bear was sewn by Jerri Thacker. She added a grad cap using my free mortar board / graduation cap pattern (see the link below the photo).🎓

 

Want a FREE Graduation Cap sewing pattern?🎓

You can use my free Mortar Board pattern (with video) to make a graduation cap for any Funky Friend. This blog post ALL about sewing graduation toys! You can get the mortar board / graduation cap pattern for FREE plus learn lots of tips for making an autograph toy!

CLICK HERE for my
FREE Grad Cap pattern!

Mortar board graduation korina dacshund image

 

 

And this  Calico Signature Bear was sewn by Jo S. The different textures from the clothing items she’s used give Calico a ‘patchwork look.’

Click HERE to purchase the Signature Bear pattern.

 

 

This Keep Me Keepsake Bear pattern was sewn by Laura Peters Cartocelli. I love how you can see the different clothing details included here: dress shirts, ties, polo shirts, and even the chest pocket and alligator logo on the foot.

Click HERE to purchase the Keepsake Bear pattern.

 

 

These cuddly Preston Polar Bears were sewn by Sandie Overac. The bear on the left is ready for the arctic with his scraf, while his brown friend on the right may be getting ready to hibernate.

Click HERE to buy the Polar Bear pattern.

POLAR BEAR Pattern

 

This super cute Honey Teddy sewn by Charlotte Welk with my FREE Honey Teddy Bear pattern – see the TIP box below the photo!

 

Looking for a FREE easy teddy bear pattern?

Honey Teddy Bear is a free pattern that I give to my newsletter subscribers as a thank you gift. If you haven’t got the pattern already – scroll down to the bottom of the page and sign up for my newsletter.

Meet - Introducing FREE Teddy Bear Pattern

 

 

This Kelsey Keepsake Unicorn was sewn by Barb Mowbray. Looks like the mane contains some faux feathers or rainbow fun fur. This keepsake unicorn has baby birth stats on the paw pads.

 

 

And this pretty pink Kelsey Keepsake Unicorn was sewn by TainoSoul Daisy. She added rose button covers and petals in the mane!  This inventive mane style is a creative way to add extra glamour to your unicorn.

Click HERE to purchase the Keepsake Unicorn pattern.

 

We hade a heap of cute Keepsake Dogs!🐶

Kelly Harding sewed this keepsake Kip the Keepsake Dog from neck ties. Kelly made the most of the ties with excellent placement on the pattern pieces.

 

This Kip the Keepsake Dog sewn by Anita Crowe. I bet this baby is bigger than his Kip by now, but I’m sure they’re great friends.

 

Joanna Gail sewed this extra fluffy Kip the Keepsake Dog. I think the striped fabric gives him a ‘grumpy-but-extra-cute’ expression!😂

 

AND Sharon Cupp Wagner sewed this Keepsake Dog from sportswear.

Love those eyelashes!

Click HERE to buy the Keepsake Dog Pattern

 

 

AND this month’s winner is…

Congrats to this month’s winner Jean Hill. She sewed this sweet Sue Squirrel for her local ‘Squirrels Group’.

CONGRATS Jean! You win
a FREE Funky Friends Factory Pattern ~>
of your choice!

 

Click HERE to buy the Squirrel pattern.

Squirrel Pattern

Want to win a
FREE toy pattern?

 

It’s so EASY to enter the Pattern GIVEAWAY!

 

Facebook badge - Pauline McArthur

ALL you need to do is post a photo of a FUNKY FRIENDS FACTORY toy that you have sewn in our Pattern Fan Club Group.

At the end of each month I draw a winner and post the winner’s name on the Blog the following MONTH. You can check out the monthly winners here on the blog.

 

NOT on Facebook? ENTER by email! 😀

*** You can send me your photos by email too!

 

So come on! Share your photos  ~> The next winner could be YOU!!!


Pauline McArthur - Funky Friends Factory.
Till next time,

Happy Sewing,
Pauline
xxx

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