
Welcome to our very last day of the Plushie Palooza Toy Festival. Today’s playful little guy is handmade by Handmaid by Helen Hedding. Would you like to dive straight into those ruby red arms for a cuddle? Don’t forget to tell us in the comments section below. Each comment will count as a vote for Handmaid by Helen Hedding towards the Golden Plushie award.


Zippermouth is made from a combination of Italian red wool coatings for his arms and legs with Portuguese men’s shirting fabrics patchworked together to form his body. Both fabrics were upcycled from Helen’s days as a textile agent, so he is rather well travelled! His mouth opens with a zip and he is stuffed with polyfill fibre so he is squishy enough for a big cuddle.

Helen has been sewing for a very long time and studied Fashion at RMIT in Melbourne. After a stints working as a designer, manufacturer and textile agent she branched out on her own to make designer handbags. These days she concentrates mainly on toys as she finds they bring so much joy and are good for the soul. You can find Helen’s creations on Etsy or Madeit, and at the occasional market. You can also visit her at her studio in Magill Adelaide.


That’s it folks, the very last plushie of the festival! So now what?

Entries are now closed. The winners will be announced at midday on 1 December, 2010!

Secondly, make sure you vote for your favourite plushie. Voting will close at midnight on Wednesday 8 December, 2010 {AEST} with the winner announced in our news on 9 December, 2010. Go to the Plushie Palooza Category to view all the plushie posts, scroll through all the toys and reminisce about their cuteness. To vote, simply leave a comment on your favourites posts.