Jen has made a name for herself in Rogues fandom with her adorable homemade plush dolls. She’s also made Deadpool, but the majority of her dolls have been Rogues! I asked her some questions, and she’s generously answered with tips and hints about how she makes them and how other people might make their own.

She has more pictures of her dolls and personal photography at her DeviantArt account, which you can find here. Check it out!

SF: How did you decide to create something like this?

Jen: My husband and I work at the same company and carpool to work. When his yearly mandatory overtime started, I was hit with the realization that I would be sitting in the break room for two hours each day with nothing to do. The inspiration came from my co-worker, who spends the time before work crocheting in the break room. I brought my sewing bag and started creating Rogues. Even though overtime has ended, I still bring my bag for the half hour I have every morning, and we have a crafting table that has brought a lot of attention and has inspired other crafty people ^^

SF: What kinds of materials and tools are needed?

Jen: At first, I just had the basics: thread, needles, pins, fabric, stuffing and pattern. When I hit Trickster, though, I invested in some quilting tools to cut the stripes and borrowed my mom’s sewing machine. I eventually just gave in and bought a nice machine for myself. Most of the Rogues are completely sewn by hand, but I started using the machine to give my hands a break with Golden Glider.

SF: Did you follow a pattern from somewhere? If so, where can other people find it?

Jen: The only patterns I used were for the body and a guide for the hair. I don’t follow patterns well, so I usually just use them as a guide and modify them for what I need. The body comes from a wonderful site named Runo Doll Maker.

And the hair tutorial is here.

The clothes are completely my own trial and error, and the faces are drawn and cut out by my artistic husband.

SF: Are there any other types of crafts you’re interested in?

Jen: Crafting was passed down from my mom, so I’ve done everything from plastic canvas to sewing to knitting since I was little. I had to give most of them up because of various medical issues, but sewing doesn’t seem to bother me too much if I take enough breaks.

SF: Are you going to make more? Might you take commissions?

Jen: I’m planning on making all of my favorite Rogues. Here’s the list:

Done:
Pied Piper
Trickster
Rainbow Raider
Captain Cold
Abra Kadabra
The Top
Golden Glider

To be done:
Mirror Master (Evan, per my husband’s request)
Weather Wizard
Heat Wave
Captain Boomerang (Digger)
Captain Boomerang (Owen)
Dr. Alchemy

Currently working on:
Axel Walker

I may make Zoom, Flash (Wally), Inertia and Impulse if I don’t lose interest before completing my Rogues.

As for commissions, I wrote a very detailed answer a while back on my DeviantArt account as to why I don’t do them. That doesn’t mean I don’t make them for other people, but I refuse to take money for them ^^

SF: Any tips for people interested in making their own?

Jen: The best advice I have is that if you’re not feeling crafty and creative, put off making your plushie until you are. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried to force plushie-making on myself when I didn’t feel like it, and had to back off for a while because of frustration and mistakes. I have told the people that I am making plushies for that the only payment I want is their patience for this very reason. It may take me a week or a couple of months, depending on what type of day I’m having.

I could probably write a book of tips, but here are some of the basics…

Not all fabrics are created equal. It may take some experimenting to find the right fabric for what you want to create, but don’t give up! As a guide, the fabrics I use are as follows:

Skin: I don’t know what it’s called, but it’s in the generic fabric section at the back of JoAnn Fabrics with all the solid colors. I think it’s the same stuff my bedsheets are made out of, so I’ll say it’s some form of cotton or linen.

Clothes: Whatever matches your character. I tend to gravitate to something that won’t unravel itself while I’m trying to sew it together, which is usually a heavier woven cotton or polyester.

Face: Felt with a sticky back. Cut it out, peel off the back, place it on the face and put a few stitches in to keep it on.

Hair: I love this fabric called Alova Suede. It’s soft, it doesn’t unravel, and it has multiple uses. If you can’t find that, then a heavy felt should work.

There are too many tips to list here, so if anyone actually wants to make one of these, please contact me and I’ll walk you through it the best I can ^^

Thank you very much for your time and expertise, Jen — these are amazing! What do Speed Force readers think; is this something you might want to try yourself?

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