Inspired By Nature, I Upcycle Faux Fur Fabric By Sewing It Into Realistic-Looking Animals
I’m Rachel Austin, a textile artist from The Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.
Greatly inspired by nature and my beautiful surroundings, I love the challenge of working out how to cut fabric pieces, which when sewn together and stuffed, form realistic-looking animals. I mainly use unwanted faux fur fabric and hand sew it into tactile pieces of art. So far I’ve created animals from little birds to life-size badgers! I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoy making them.
If you would like to know more, pop over to my Facebook or Instagram.
Thank you for reading!
More info: Facebook | Instagram | Etsy
Curious cub
Badger & the butterfly
Peek-A-Boo!
By the riverbank
Swallows
Willow tit
Kestrel in flight
Unicorn head – sewn from a fleecy throw
Song thrush
Image credits: www.etsy.com
Howling wolf cub
Jenny Wren singing
Poseable baby fawn
Baby scrap dragon
Meeting on meadows gate
Flying sparrow
Off for a hop about
Magpie
Blue-eyed baby
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Rachel your work is truly stunning,so realistic and even more so when you see it "in real life",such a talented artist,i love your work.
Who could resist any of these wonderful animals they are amazing and the workmanship superb, but the fox is simply delightful.
Very kind of you to say, thank you! 🙂
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You are fantatic Rachel, your animals is so real! Beautiful work!!
These are just absolutely fabulous!!!!! Love your work!! Can't wait to see more 🙂🙂
These creations are so realistic. Such painstaking work appears to go into each one. Really clever and amazing.
Just wish I had a small fraction of your talent. All of your work is amazing, including your books by the way. Excellent service too :-)
Rachel’s work is amazing! So realistic from the fur/feathers to the eyes, nose, tails, colors, feet/paws, talons, beaks you would think you were looking at the real thing. Oh, and how she photographs them gives them an even more realistic look! I have purchased a hummingbird and am so happy With it. Her smaller figures have the most adorable expressions! Absolutely amazing!
These are adorable! So much talent, and the vision! I wish my mind worked that way! ^ ^ <3
This lady is an incredibly talented textile artist! I’ve followed her work over the last few years and am always impressed but the clever use of wool and fabrics to create these fantastic works of art! Keep up the wonderful work Rachel!
This artist is completely self taught, Her work is stunning and her creations are magical !
An incredibly intuitive artiste who captures the true personality of these delightful creations. Her work is of the highest standard and each creation puts that bar higher and higher.
Rachel you are a gifted artist! The results of your craftsmanship, patience and passion are stellar! And the extra benefit for recycling the not degradable "fun fur " you got 100 points from me :)) It makes me always angry when people / designer shouting out about genuine leather (100% recyclable)
Too fast... and use the synthetic materials without thinking twice.
Load More Replies... This lady has to be one of the most talented textile artists I’ve come across over the last few year. Very inspirational and a clever way of up cycling fabric! Keep up the fabulous work Rachel!
I saw some of Rachel’s work a while ago, and thought at the time that it couldn’t ever get any better, but these latest creations have proved me wrong. Brilliant work, now with the added creative dimension of incorporating upcycled materials. Incredibly good work.
Your such a brilliant artist Rachel, your work is so beautiful , the animals are so realistic and they all have there own characters ! Wonderful !
I love watching your creative journey unfold, your natural talent bloom over the years. You truly have the gift of combining whimsy with realism. Each character’s personality seems to shine through, telling of their adventures. And the incredible attention to detail by incorporating up-cycled materials highlights the underlying message of caring for our one & only planet. I’m always looking forward to seeing what emerges next from your hands. Because from across the pond, it brings a smile to my day. Thank you for sharing your incredible talent with all of us by pulling us into your magical world.
I just love your work just when I think it can’t get any better it does, amazing x
Rachel’s work is fantastic and so realistic. I am in awe at what she makes. I am lucky enough to own one of her mice and the workmanship is fantastic. I look forward to see what she makes -BRILLIANT ARTIST
One of My favourite animals are hares. Beautiful. Reminds me of Hartley the Hare when I was young
They're all amazing but I love the badger most of all and then the hare! It's not real fur though is it?
Wonderful woodland creatures. They are all wonderful but the Hare has my heart ❣
Rachel, I love your woodland creatures. Absolutely magical !! I love them all but the Hare has my heart ❣
Beautiful sculptures, so realistic with eyes that follow you around! Need to see more of these beautiful creatures
Wow what a great way to upcycle! Makes me want to dust off my sewing machine! 😅
Rachel, these are so beautiful! The fawn and the cub just melt my heart. Absolutely amazing!
What are the bird legs? Painted wire? (Also these are really good!!)
Rachel I cannot get over how incredible your creations are. I think these should be used in a campaign, something like “why use real fur, when you can use faux fur” it could really go a long way to saving animals who are killed for their fur. X
Leonnie thank you! What a great slogan that is! Any awareness raised against animal cruelty from my little creations would be amazing xxx
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I think this is an ossum way to upcycle and a reminder that even though it's not real fur, we shoulnd't wear this amazing animals :) very well done and very creative!!
Thank you! Most of the faux fur coats / clothing I have been given because they had slight ‘damage’ and most likely destined for landfill 😬 so I’m glad I could make use of them and transform them into something others might enjoy 😀 ❤️
Load More Replies...
I love your work Rachel, you have inspired me to try my hand at needle felting 😀
Those are gorgeous, but did the "swallow" and "willow tit" pictures get swapped?
Thank you so much ...ahh yes, they seem to have been swapped! X
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i swear, rachel, your work is nothing short of magic. you are amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Could you upcycle real fur? Or would that be weird? This is way better than taxidermy. True works of art!
Wow these are just adorable and beautifully made! I’m in love and I hope that you’ll sell these because I’d buy them in s heartbeat!
I am astounded as to how realistic your animals are. I want to smoosh them all.
Rachel your work is truly stunning,so realistic and even more so when you see it "in real life",such a talented artist,i love your work.
Who could resist any of these wonderful animals they are amazing and the workmanship superb, but the fox is simply delightful.
Very kind of you to say, thank you! 🙂
Load More Replies... You are fantatic Rachel, your animals is so real! Beautiful work!!
These are just absolutely fabulous!!!!! Love your work!! Can't wait to see more 🙂🙂
These creations are so realistic. Such painstaking work appears to go into each one. Really clever and amazing.
Just wish I had a small fraction of your talent. All of your work is amazing, including your books by the way. Excellent service too :-)
Rachel’s work is amazing! So realistic from the fur/feathers to the eyes, nose, tails, colors, feet/paws, talons, beaks you would think you were looking at the real thing. Oh, and how she photographs them gives them an even more realistic look! I have purchased a hummingbird and am so happy With it. Her smaller figures have the most adorable expressions! Absolutely amazing!
These are adorable! So much talent, and the vision! I wish my mind worked that way! ^ ^ <3
This lady is an incredibly talented textile artist! I’ve followed her work over the last few years and am always impressed but the clever use of wool and fabrics to create these fantastic works of art! Keep up the wonderful work Rachel!
This artist is completely self taught, Her work is stunning and her creations are magical !
An incredibly intuitive artiste who captures the true personality of these delightful creations. Her work is of the highest standard and each creation puts that bar higher and higher.
Rachel you are a gifted artist! The results of your craftsmanship, patience and passion are stellar! And the extra benefit for recycling the not degradable "fun fur " you got 100 points from me :)) It makes me always angry when people / designer shouting out about genuine leather (100% recyclable)
Too fast... and use the synthetic materials without thinking twice.
Load More Replies... This lady has to be one of the most talented textile artists I’ve come across over the last few year. Very inspirational and a clever way of up cycling fabric! Keep up the fabulous work Rachel!
I saw some of Rachel’s work a while ago, and thought at the time that it couldn’t ever get any better, but these latest creations have proved me wrong. Brilliant work, now with the added creative dimension of incorporating upcycled materials. Incredibly good work.
Your such a brilliant artist Rachel, your work is so beautiful , the animals are so realistic and they all have there own characters ! Wonderful !
I love watching your creative journey unfold, your natural talent bloom over the years. You truly have the gift of combining whimsy with realism. Each character’s personality seems to shine through, telling of their adventures. And the incredible attention to detail by incorporating up-cycled materials highlights the underlying message of caring for our one & only planet. I’m always looking forward to seeing what emerges next from your hands. Because from across the pond, it brings a smile to my day. Thank you for sharing your incredible talent with all of us by pulling us into your magical world.
I just love your work just when I think it can’t get any better it does, amazing x
Rachel’s work is fantastic and so realistic. I am in awe at what she makes. I am lucky enough to own one of her mice and the workmanship is fantastic. I look forward to see what she makes -BRILLIANT ARTIST
One of My favourite animals are hares. Beautiful. Reminds me of Hartley the Hare when I was young
They're all amazing but I love the badger most of all and then the hare! It's not real fur though is it?
Wonderful woodland creatures. They are all wonderful but the Hare has my heart ❣
Rachel, I love your woodland creatures. Absolutely magical !! I love them all but the Hare has my heart ❣
Beautiful sculptures, so realistic with eyes that follow you around! Need to see more of these beautiful creatures
Wow what a great way to upcycle! Makes me want to dust off my sewing machine! 😅
Rachel, these are so beautiful! The fawn and the cub just melt my heart. Absolutely amazing!
What are the bird legs? Painted wire? (Also these are really good!!)
Rachel I cannot get over how incredible your creations are. I think these should be used in a campaign, something like “why use real fur, when you can use faux fur” it could really go a long way to saving animals who are killed for their fur. X
Leonnie thank you! What a great slogan that is! Any awareness raised against animal cruelty from my little creations would be amazing xxx
Load More Replies... I think this is an ossum way to upcycle and a reminder that even though it's not real fur, we shoulnd't wear this amazing animals :) very well done and very creative!!
Thank you! Most of the faux fur coats / clothing I have been given because they had slight ‘damage’ and most likely destined for landfill 😬 so I’m glad I could make use of them and transform them into something others might enjoy 😀 ❤️
Load More Replies... I love your work Rachel, you have inspired me to try my hand at needle felting 😀
Those are gorgeous, but did the "swallow" and "willow tit" pictures get swapped?
Thank you so much ...ahh yes, they seem to have been swapped! X
Load More Replies... i swear, rachel, your work is nothing short of magic. you are amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Could you upcycle real fur? Or would that be weird? This is way better than taxidermy. True works of art!
Wow these are just adorable and beautifully made! I’m in love and I hope that you’ll sell these because I’d buy them in s heartbeat!
I am astounded as to how realistic your animals are. I want to smoosh them all.
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