I’ve been sewing since my mom taught me as a pre-teen, but I really fell back in love with it during COVID (starting with quilts). After making way too many quilts for one household, I wanted something smaller (but still fun), so I tried sewing a plushie.
My very first one was a giraffe, and even though it was very ugly (one ear sewn on backwards and absolutely unable to stand up), I was completely amazed by the magic of turning flat fabric into a handmade plushie (something 3D that could sit on my desk or be carried around).
A few months later, I had about ten giraffes piled up on our living room couch, and my then-boyfriend (now husband) asked, “So what are you going to do with all of this?” With a lot of encouragement (and belief in me), he nudged me toward opening a shop, and that question became Simple Joy Toys.
My favorite moment in the process is always the end (seeing the finished plush, especially next to all of its siblings). Maybe it’s my inner goblin, but I love a good plushie pile. Some patterns take under an hour, some take over ten, but each handmade plushie goes through the same little production pipeline (picking fabrics in my bedroom closet, tracing and cutting them in the upstairs kitchen, sewing in my office downstairs, and finishing embroidery on the bathroom floor because it’s the only place I can shut the door and keep the cats out).
Speaking of cats… yes, they “help.” Incoming fabric is thoroughly inspected to make sure it can survive some biscuits, and needle supervision is taken very seriously (which is why the embroidery machine only runs behind closed doors).
At the heart of Simple Joy Toys is the hope that each package brings a small spark of joy when it’s opened (and maybe a little cuteness aggression). Every plushie is thoughtfully handmade from start to finish (simple, modern, a little quirky), and made to be loved by kids and adults alike.
