custom Muk plush

These are the reference images i used, i wasnt sure if it was going to be more or less difficult than the gengar was, i thought since it was essentially amorphous it would be more forgiving, but i knew since it was asymmetrical, it would be 2x as much work at minimum.

 The first step was roughing in the form with paper & tape. The 1st version i wont even share, it looked closer to a bulbasaur. I had to really contemplate what defined muks shape. Its more of a head with arms than a blobby body. In retrospect i could have made the hands larger. I also underestimated how much i would have to needle sculpt, & could have simplified several complex shapes.

Next, i had to disassemble into what i thought would be the defined parts.

I tried to place the seams along naturally occuring creases & folds, or where i imagined a layer of dripping slime would be rolling at an edge.

After carefully labeling with names & orientations & proposed dart/cut positions, the next step was to flatten the parts to make the refined paper model. I traced the flattened shapes onto the same thin paper.

I make some last refinements after assembling the 2nd model, then mark any ambiguous borders with match marks. Then its time to transfer onto the final cardstock design sheets.

Next, i cut out all the shapes. Again, i dont cut the seam allowance because its too difficult to maintain the original shapes during cloth transfer, i just eyeball the seams later. They never end up exactly where you want anyway. The most carefully drawn design will still only remain 75% accurate at best.

After transferring & cutting all the cloth parts, its time to start sewing. I hate using pedestrian methods & materials, so i chose to challenge myself again & used some stretchy material with the odd reflective pattern i thought was the closest to what i imagine the surface of a muk would be like.

I used a basic backstitch for all of this, i tested it vs a zigzag & found it was stronger/tighter on this stretchy fabric. 

I also learned i had to pull the bottom fabric away from the machine while keeping the top piece in place because the dogs kept pulling the bottom to the right, fucking up my early seams, & the seams on this design were extra wavy & easy to fuck up.

I used a pic of the model to design the wire frame bones. This was especially tricky & i think i could have still improved it if i cared to spend more energy on it, but it was good enough for what i needed. I still had leftover foam gap filler tubing so i didnt use rubber hose.

I couldnt really accurately design the inside of the mouth until i could suspend the skin on the bones to take measurements to make a rough shape to refine. I also had to partially sew on the inner mouth before i could start stuffing.

I opted for a bluer tongue, i thought a pink tongue would be too kawaii for a muk.

Somehow, even with meticulous planning, my shapes always seem to be slightly mismatched, in this case, the back edge of the tongue was somehow longer than the back edge of the roof of the mouth, even though i made them together & cut them from a mated union. Fuck me, right?

I intended to design my shapes so i only had to needle sculpt the eyes, but i just couldnt leave it. After preliminary stuffing, it just lacked the layered/bulbous effect i was after. I did some eye sculpting but there werent ideal anchor points to work with & the nose bone complicated things, so i compromised.

I made the eyes same as gengar, with white vinyl & sticker pupils. Used pins for placement then hotglued to attach. Then after adding the last of the stuffing i sewed the velcro closure strips to the throat after the roof & tongue were fully sewn to the skin, but only sewn to eachother by 2" in each corner.

Now the payoff, some candids:

Turns out muks are great for getting rid of your trash.

Just dont bug it while its eating..

Dont fall asleep near a wild muk either, especially if youre out of trash..

I imagine muks can dissolve entire bodies in minutes.

Well, heres my x2 starters.

These are the only pokemon i really had an itch to have but wasnt satisfied with the plushes available on the market, so i just had to go out of my way to create them.

I didnt get much of a reaction from people i showed or where i posted online, so i guess i wont be making any more. I guess the next thing i sew will be the clothing for the HoA action figures.

I need to get back to drawing anyway, & finish up HoA ch02.