Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I've done this with a giraffe neck before now, just with a length of insulated wire sewn in as a 'spine' in the neck, which was separate to the head and body.  Seemed to work ok!  Especially as I never got beyond the body, and now the giraffe just acts like a very stylised pin cushion XD

Pre-crimped eyes? Tell me more, tell me more! Come on Brits, tell me where you get these amazing sounding eyes from   I have to order some new sloth eyes for a custom after decimating my last pair of 9mm's with my pliers XD

Well Done Maria!  I can't wait to see your entry!

Congratulations Judi!  I look forward to hearing about everyone else too   You've certainly had a lot of good competition news this year- your whole family has!

Ah come on, you can never have too much bling! Lol, I actually bought myself a rhinestone setter a few weeks ago to glitz up trainers and tops and things, but your toad is the first animal I've seen since then that I could see how the rhinestones would actually work- even I can't quite envisage a 'pimp sloth', all 'blinged out' with his 'homies' XD

Wow, thats a lot more than my sloths!  I need to rethink things!

Oh my gosh Lisa I LOVE HIM!!  lol, as a fellow 'wacky critter dealer' I think he's inspired- I love those warts!  Ooo, you should make more of these guys- you could make them rhinestone encrusted wet bits, or OO frog spawn!  That would be brilliant!

I don't have either, but I wanted to tell you I LOVE Figgy Pudding- he is gorgeous!

Good luck finding more fabric for these guys 

Glad to hear it Let me know if you end up using it!

:clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Well done Maria!  Fingers crossed for a nice high placing

Here Ali, try Ribbon Oasis   http://www.ribbonoasis.co.uk/index.php?cPath=1_38

They have a really wide range of sheer ribbons and there are some rainbow-y ones which might do the trick? They're UK based too

Hey Monica, welcome to TT!

My first bear was made just over a year ago now, from a kit that came with everything apart from the tools and stuffing, which i bought here in the UK.  I didn't have any books but have bought a few as I've moved on to designing my own patterns- I guess it depends where you want to end up?  I was happy with a kit bear and bears from bought patterns for a while, but they do drive you to work on something of your own too!

For me working on a kit was a lot of fun, and the bear (although technically poor!) is a good looking chap who was my mum's Mothering Sunday present last year. i would definitely recommend one as a good place to start!

If you need any help with the instructions, we're all here too Good luck!

Oh my gosh Paula, I just finished a bear using this exact same mohair (i think), how strange!

I'm fighting with myself over Hugglets this year maybe if I can convince myself I can afford it, I will actually arrive in time to see some of your bears (and you!) face to face this year...

:clap:  :clap:  :clap:

I'm really glad you've found this bear Judi, and I hope you and he enjoy your holiday!

If you're not too skeptical, I know a lady (she actually gave me the word 'Lugly') who swears by reiki, which is a holistic healing dependant on retuning the body (i think! :P) She shattered her leg quite badly a few months ago, and has had lots of operations to sort it out, but in between I know what she'd recommend

You know Judi, I'm now thinking to myself that the lion in the film i saw might have been a Lioness... maybe it was a different story?  On Wikipedia it says that the man who helped with his African rehabilitation was murdered by poachers :(

The Husky/Polar Bear story is great- mostly photos I believe- try this link.  http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/ … seen.shtml

One of my favorites

I remember when I first found this story, Judi I think they showed a few clips on a program on Animal Planet.... can't remember but I found it on Youtube later.... truly amazing Like the husky/polar bear story- really lovely, especially for a zoologist having to do a zoologists study!

Oooh, it's lovely!  I bet your arms ached a lot, after all that upside down painting- your back too!

You can do my walls, when I win the Euro Millions

Hey Shelly, it's looking good!

The only think I can spot is that on your 'rabbits' page on Firefox, the layout is to the left side, but on your main page and gallery it is in the middle?

I like the brown colour, it's a good backdrop for your bunnies!  I have to tell you, my friend Andrea is a Rabbit nut, and since I showed her your gallery she's had eyes for only one bear artist XD She'll love your new site!

Ah see, she must get her pickyness from her breed- Sherbert is not impressed by branded drinking straws      He'd quite happily eat the fries though- many a time I have been sat talking, gesturing with a chip, and he has leaned over and munched off the end of it   You're right- crazy cats!

Aww, that last photo of her is cracking, I almost want to say 'get that bear out of the way!', but you know I would never want to move one of your bears really   I bet if you wanted her to pose right she wouldn't though XD

I hope she recovers and has learnt her lesson about smuggling your thread out of the studio a la plane smuggler!

Oooh, lots of pets! I know what you mean about the drinking straws- all of my cats are addicted to them XD Sad little creatures...

... Sherbert doesn't quite have the finesse of your cats

Oooh, love the cat! Lol, you should make an obese white cat for me- Sherbie loves to give me those innocent eyes XD

My sloths are needlefelted as a flat face first, then sewn in, but my bears' muzzles are needlefelted after stuffing and jointing the head, but before attaching it- easier for me to work this way. I stuff with ordinary fluff, but my guess would be that you'd only stuff the area you're needle felting with wool you could try stuffing with ordinary wool too, if it's cheaper?

Oooo Daphne, I rembmer a girl at my school doing that in a Textiles class- not only do I take my foot off, I turn the machine off before going anywhere near it!  And it didn't even happen to me!

You're very brave to deal with it yourself- tell me, did you end up threading your finger as well? (lol)

Phew, I don't know what I did guys, but it's running again! Just in time for my Schulte delivery!!

I treid all your advice at once (whoops!) so I don't know what it was that fixed it- I changed the screw tension on the bobbin case and attempeted to open the machine but one screw beat me so I just did whatever I could fix externally XD  Thankfully it's working again fine, so I'm less stressed about this weekend now!

Thanks everyone for your excellent advice      Ruddy things.... they do start to rule your life, don't they?