the stuffed animals.”
“I can pick up on
trends quickly and
translate them into
Although Lauren has
been sewing for years,
developing patterns was
new to her when she got
the idea to start Walnut
Animal Society.
offering fashions that are interchangeable between the six characters. For sartorial inspiration, she
frequents blogs such as Oh Joy! and
pays attention to retailers like J.Crew
(specifically, their kids’ Crewcuts
brand). “I can pick up on trends pretty
quickly and translate them into simple
patterns for the stuffed animals,” says
Lauren.
A friend once recounted to Lauren how his kids play with the animals—roughhousing and hitting each
other with them. Rather than being
offended at the idea of her charming creations being used as weapons
of some sort, she was thrilled. “It’s
not just art; ultimately, I want kids to
play with them,” she says. “Every time
I double-stitch a tail, I think about
these kids and how important it is that
every animal is made really well.”
