Teddy Blog

Now I’ve learned something new…I need to cut one piece of a pattern at a time, always cutting fur from the wrong side! When I made Brittny a fake fur coat, I cut two pieces at one time and had fur flying everywhere. Oh, what a mess that made! After a bout of sneezing I had to stop and clean up the mess before I could continue.

When I cut the fur for the second bear I will make sure to trim the edges so the pile won’t get caught in the sewing machine, making it harder to sew the seams and creating more flying fur! Snipping through the material instead of trying to cut large sections. Also a very sharp scissors is necessary to get a good cut. Try not to cut the pile, only the fabric. Once you have the pieces cut, make sure you shake them out over a trash can or take the pieces outside. Shake until the fur stops flying.

Save the scraps as you might need them. You can also use them to try fancy things, such as trimming for the muzzle. Just make sure when you place the pattern on the material you have placed them in the right direction so the pile of the fur will run in the right direction. And take your time. No amount of rushing through cutting out the fur pieces will result in a nice bear.

It’s been a while since I wrote about teddy bears. I have been doing more research, though. I have learned quite a bit, so once I begin a second bear I will be more than ready to do some pattern changes. Looking at the arms especially I feel I can do a better job than the pattern I have calls for. I am still considering a jointed bear this time, so I will need to be very careful in what I do to adjust the pattern.  I would like to make the arms longer and do more detailing than the patterns calls for. In discussing patterns with other bear makers I have learned that you can never be 100% sure how your bear will turn out and it’s a good idea to have a little extra material on hand for errors.

I have the eyes and the nose for the next bear, but since I cannot find the joints locally I will need to order these through the Internet. Once I have all my supplies I can begin constructing another bear. I am anxious to do another one, experimenting here and there as I go. I have the material, the pattern, thread, and the stuffing. I just need to think about the adjustments to the pattern and create my own teddy bear.