Where i Source my Materials:
Because i want to share resources and offer transparancy to my customers i´m gonna list where i get most of my materials here!
Plush Materials:
Fabric:
my main fabric sources are
Stoffhummel (based in Germany)
most of my minky fabrics are sourced thereOrient Fashion (based in Poland)
i source my mochi and striped minky from this sellerHappy Home (based in Austria)
local store that i get most of my other fabrics fromTextil Müller (based in Austria)
local store i stop by every few weeksKomolka (based in Austria)
i stop by there a few times a year, mostly for high quality faux furs
Eyes, Squeakers and Other Bits
ProBär (based in Germany)
i order most of my eyes from there, they have outstanding quality for their solid black eyes. they are by far the shiniest and most solid ones from what i have seen. i also buy joints and other bits and pieces there.CelloExpress (based in the UK)
i now buy all my slit pupil and 30mm solid black eyes there, i also get squeakers and other bits there.Etsy, Aliexpress and Amazon
i try to avoid buying from those sides but for full transparancy i will say that sometimes i do for special items i can´t get anywhere else.
Stuffing and Polypellets (Beans)
ProBär (based in Germany)
one of my Bean Sourcesebay
i get most of my stuffing and beans from various ebay sellers in the EU, usually they are located in Germany.
Embroidery, Sewing Machine and Sublimation Materials
Printbox (based in Germany)
i order my sublimation materials there. i currently print with SubliKing sublimation ink and their premium paper.
i use Madeira embroidery thread, Gütermann sewing machine thread, Schmetz Needles and Madeira or Freudenberg embroidery backing. bought from these stores:
Nähpark (based in Germany)
i bought both my sewing machine and embroidery machine there and really can´t recommend their customer service enough. i also order my embroidery thread, temporary adhesive, backing aswell as machine needles there.
Das Stofferl (based in Austria)
local store i buy thread and backing from
Shipping:
This isn´t strictly a “material” but i ship with PostAT the official austrian postalservice that is owned by our government. It has noticeably better work conditions than the privatly owned couriers.
Unfortunatly i can´t control the shipping service they hand the order to once it arrives in the customers country but out of my options this ones the best.
Shipping Materials:
Verpacking (based in Germany)
i order most of my boxes and the paper tape i use thereMy Moms Work
sometimes she brings me boxes from her work, especially when i need large ones!Other Boxes
we get boxes at my house for many reason and if possible i recycle them for shipping. the same goes for the packaging material in those boxes.The local hardware store
i buy big roles of paper there for packaging.
i try to use as little additional plastic as possible when packing orders and try to generally use as little material as i can. i also prefer to pack orders very tightly to cut down on the space they need during transport!
Other Materials
and a quick disclaimer on ethical sourcing
i buy most of my materials like regular office supplies, fun little buttons and whatever else i need from local stores when i can and it´s accesible to me.
unfortunatly i have to order outside of Austria a lot of the time because it´s a small country and there are very few specialized online or local stores here. I try to at least order from smaller businesses within the EU when that´s the case tho.
for full transparency i will say that i sometimes order from amazon and aliexpress if i need something specific i can´t get anywhere else or i very suddenly ran out of an important material. that being said i do try my best to avoid it nowerdays.
another thing i want to mention for the sake of transparency is that most of the places i order from are resellers and not the manufacturers. it is hard if not impossible to track down how each and every material i use is made.
i wish i had controll over those “hidden” steps but i try my best with the controll i have. i always try to involving more of my own labor in the process rather than outsourcing production.
on environmental impact
i try my best to reduce the impact of my shipping and production process as every business should. even when owned by just one person.
however i do work with polyester fabric, stuffing and threads. there currently aren´t any accesible recycled or alternative versions of those materials. That´s why i try to make my plushies as high quality and long lasting as i can.
My plushies are not single use products and hopefully will stay with you for many many years!