(Patch O’Furr:) Furries love plush like a fat kid loves cake. My friends do, anyways. That’s how I got introduced to Amy Brown, a non-furry crafter who specializes in plush. I heard that she enjoyed commissions for fursuit props.  (It makes me happy when furries make friends like that!)  Amy mentioned getting weirder commissions, and that made me invite her to tell some juicy stories.  (Mmm… carrot juice).

Christmas is coming. Need gifts for furry friends who already have every Zootopia tie-in on earth? Commission Amy for props!

(Amy:) “I’ve been making plush fruits and veggies under the brand Jumbo Jibbles for over 5 years now. I’m self-taught and welcome custom projects as a way to expand my design brain. I’ll usually say yes to anything that is interesting, but I shy away from recreating other people’s designs. A few years ago, I got a request through Quora.com to make a Chibi version of a DragonballZ character. I had to do a little research on chibi and DBZ, but it seemed like an existing character in a fan-inspired form sounded like a fun challenge. I made a chibi Piccolo for a man in Czechoslovakia.”

Then there were the hipster urban farmers from Brooklyn, who needed French breakfast radish and zebra tomato hand puppets to use as ring-pillows at their wedding. That one boggled my mind– it’s like I invented those customers in my head! It was a really fun project. I’d never heard of a zebra tomato before.

People ask me what the weirdest thing I’ve made was. Nothing is really weird– most things already exist. What’s the funniest part is the sheepishness from the askee, how they apologize for asking, and how relieved they sound once I say, “Why, that isn’t crazy at all!”

In 2014, I made a giant plush replica of a client’s penis. No, he did not send me photos. That would have been an instant NO. He’d already bought a large veggie pillow from me and liked it so much he wanted to commission something.  He asked very politely, recognizing his request might seem offensive. I respond well to civility, even when it includes asking personal questions about someone’s genitals. How often, at work, can you ask about girth, testicle color or circumcision? This might be the only time. Anyhow, after asking what were typically very inappropriate questions, I made up some sketches and then a gigantic plush peen.

You want a picture? A lady doesn’t share such things. But here’s the carrying case:

It was 4 feet long with detachable buckwheat-filled testicles. My name is Amy Brown, and I make dreams come true!!

(Patch:) Honestly that is so innocent compared to some things we may have seen around the web, but let the charming picture above get rid of anything your imagination might run away with.  Thanks Amy! Follow her here: @jumbojibbles

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