hi everyone! today we are so fortunate to share an interview with Elena Sanchez of Lelelerele Handmade! as you will soon see, Lelelerele Handmade is behind the cutest stuffed animals you ever did see.

where do you go when you need inspiration?
when i need inspiration i remember moments of my childhood. i think of my grandmother sewing beside me on the sofa and about the old days & the games of childhood. i am also inspired by the animals around me, like my dog Maga. i think watching a good movie or listening to a song also gives me inspiration frequently.

what has been your favorite project so far this year?
i think my favorite project this year has been Benito bunny. Benito has been a complete change in my way of making dolls and i am very happy with the result.

how did lelelerele get started?
since i was a child i liked making things by hand. in my childhood, crafts were my favorite game. more than three years ago, i wanted to give a gift to a friend that i made with my own hands, i decided to make a couple of stuffed mohair teddy bears. i liked the result so much that i decided to make some more for fun, a few months later i began to put them on etsy.

where did the name lelelerele come from?
“lele” is the way my sister calls me. sometimes when she talks to me she decorates “lele" ending in "lerele" as if it were a spanish song. i chose this as my business name because it's what my family calls me, i think it’s personal and fun.

how did the lelelerele family begin?
i started developing larger stuffed animals. i modified them slowly, i changed the patterns and created new characters. i have been inventing their names and stories, learning and evolving gradually.

what is your favorite thing about lelelerele?
my favorite part is when the ideas come and i get to make them into a reality -- giving life to a small creature from a piece of cloth. :)

thanks for sharing more of the story behind Lelelerele Handmade and inspiring us, Elena! be sure to check out her instagram - it's an ultimate dream - and her lovely shop!