Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

What a fur-ball!! I like her, I'd keep her too!!!!!!
:clap:

I don't know about a waiting list, but will let you all know first as soon as I get it done. I plan to work on it Jan-Feb. I want to do quite a bit to get ahead. Otherwise, I think I'll sell out and will never be able to keep up!  This stuff takes a little more time to do.

Here ya go:  http://www.intercaltg.com/catalog/tippedvintage.html
It's 420S/ST

I think I'd live with the dermatitis rather than give up the chocolate!
Good news!!!!!!

Julia,
Chin up, at least she is not suffering.
I had to put down both my cats a few years ago, in the same year.
I think it took nearly a year for me to stop checking the back door to see if they wanted to come in.

Dilu, I did these with plain old RIT dye which works great on natural fibers and some synthetics like the nylon 'fur' on this fabric. I have since switched to a different one that gives even better results.
It's not just the dye, it's the technique of doing it, which I'm sorry to say is staying in my pocket. I'm very happy to share just about everything, but think I deserve to keep 1 or 2 things to myself. It did take many months of experimenting to get it right.

That is exactly right. I work with mostly synthetics and that's where I concentrate my efforts for new fabrics.
Mohair and alpaca does make my skin itch, but not break out in a rash. Mostly lung problems, caughing and sinus headache, runny nose & sneezing. General cold symptoms. At least I know they will go away in a few days after I stop messing with it.
I'm hoping if I keep using it on a regular basis, I might build up a tolerance to it. My doctor said the best thing for fur allergies is to go get myself a cat. It's better and cheaper than allergy shots.

Here Here Dilu!! All bow to your great and wonderful wisdom! WE ARE NOT WORTHY!!!!!

I fully agree, like I said, it's just a little serotonin problem. There are a lot worse things to have.

I used to get a lot of migraines too. The works; auras, nausea, tingly fingers, etc). They stopped when I finally removed all wheat from my diet. I guess it was the trigger for me.

SEE!!!! We are all just a bunch of nuts!!!

Kathy,
In the Spring. I like to start out Spring with something new and unusual.

Helena,
Yep! That's an anxiety attack! Horrible aren't they? And people who've never had one just think you are nuts. I tried to manage myself and did OK for years, but it seemed like they got worse and worse as I got older. When they hit several times a day, every day, I decided it was time to go see that doctor. Had to try a couple different meds before we found one that worked for me.

I have this theory that artists are all nuts. Ever think about how the greatest artists in the world were all completely wacko?! Oh, sorry. . . eccentric, odd, touched . . . .there are a hundred polite ways of saying it. I just think creative people walk that fine line between sanity and chaos. Just gotta be careful not to slip!

Here goes. . . .
I'm 39 and also have a tatoo, a gecko on my right shoulder. He sits right on top and the shading makes him look real.
I am allergic to wheat and gluten so am on a gluten-free diet. Try giving up all bread & pasta. It's not as easy as it sounds! Wheat is in EVERYTHING these days.
I also suffer from panic disorder and seasonal depression. Thank heaven there are medications for that now. No more 'freak outs'. I'm not ashamed to say it, though most people are. It's just a little seratonin problem! I think too many suffer with this type of thing and never tell anyone because of the stigma.

I just wanted everyone to see that I DO use mohair. . . . .sometimes! :)
I'm allergic to fur, so I really have to psych myself up to work with it. I know I'll be sneezing and have itchy, watering eyes for several days. And that's if I'm really careful! I cut it outside and vacuum everything when I'm done and then go hop in the shower. I only work with it once every month or 2.

I got this mohair right here at Intercal. Beautiful stuff!! I love the spotted tips. Got some in just about every color they have. I can't wait to make more bears from it, but I'm just not in the mood to 'suffer' through another one right now.

Does anyone know where I can get one of those orange HAZMAT suits? Then I could work with mohair all the time! 

Helena, it's nice to know there are other aliens out there! I get the same look from people!!

Thank you everyone!
I didn't enter him because I thought he looked great, I entered him because I thought it was a unique design. I can't say as I've ever seen a bear with these proportions before. And the fact that I worked so hard to get him out of my head and into this world. It was like he was thumping my skull trying to get out!

When it finally sunk in, I got this hot, tingly feeling all over, like I was going to pass out! Excitement is not quite the word for it, more like shock!! THEN the excitement took over. I literally couldn't stand still for days!

Hey Shelli,
This is getting really fun!
I've sewn more dresses and gowns than I can remember, even dance recital costumes. I come from a long line of seamstresses.
Tutus are pretty easy if all that tulle doesn't drive you crazy! Just run a thread through the holes along the top (about 1-2 holes down, you don't want the very last 1) and just pull the thread to gather it up.
Now, I've done people-sized ones and you sew each row onto a band. For a bear-sized one you will want to take each layer and stack them. Stitch them all together along the top. Use some satin ribbon or binding and fold it in 1/2. Insert the edge of the 'stack' into the ribbon and sew along the edge of the ribbon to catch the tulle. You'll get a nice finished satin band this way.
Hope this helps.

It's 1/8th inch pile with the grid backing that does not fray. Just like the Vintage Long Pile all of us mini artists scream for.

Shelli,
I've been working on the Frosted Long Pile all year. It's been tough to get the dye technique right and to find the right kind of dye. I use some of the plain white Sassy Long Pile fabric and dye it so all the color stays on the back. I end up with a colored background with pure white fur. Has a very frosted look to it. I figured out how to do it, but not in any real quantity so I could sell it. Well, I finally figured that out too so now I can do whole yards at a time. I plan on doing several colors this winter to offer in the Spring. The final stuff I ended up with looks much better than what I used on Mattie or what is in this pic. I sold a few packs of this on ebay a few months back and they were literally snatched up. The dye bled when I rinsed it and tinted the fur a very pale color. The new stuff has really pure white fur since I switched dyes.
I haven't really told anyone that I've been working on this so you guys are getting a 'sneak-peek'.
Now, didn't I say I WAS NOT promoting my stuff!! :)
I can't help it with this one. As much as I love making bears, I love working with fabric even more. It's a serious passion with me.

Shantell,
Here's the page at Edinburgh:
http://www.edinburghimports.com/shoppin … 92364=S016

But I also found them here (cheaper and in 4 sizes):
http://www.suppliesnet.com/Curves/trufl … _curve.htm

A flex ruler is a plastic ruler with a heavy wire in it so you can bend it in shapes and it stays that way. I got mine at Edinburgh too. Since I make mostly mini bears, I don't use it too often, but it is great for big bears.

Shantell,
Like everything else, it's practice and experience.
I've been sewing clothes since I was a kid, so it just came naturally when I started making bears. I learned to visualize all that stuff in my head. I didn't realize till just a few years ago that not everyone can do that. Some people can see it in their head, some need it 3-D in front of them for their brains to 'get it'. My husband is like that.
Sometimes, when I'm not real sure it will work, I draw out the pattern on paper and cut it out. Then play with it. Having a model to play with can help a lot. Draw a dart and fold the paper there. Bring the 2 'edges' of the dart together. This gives you a pretty good idea of how it will look. If you don't like it, re-draw it or cut out another one. It's just paper! :)
If you want to go 1 better, then make a bear in muslin (with basting stitches) and stuff lightly. You can pinch the fabric here and there and place pins to hold it. Mark the fabric where the folds are and then pull all those basting stitches out. Your muslin pieces will have all the markings for you.
Keep playing and you'll soon get a feel for what they will do.
As for making curves, try 1 of those bendy ruler things.  I think they are called Flex Rulers? That also gives you a great 3-D thing to play with. You can fiddle with it until you get what you like.

Marion asked me to post one of my bears.
Here is Mattie, he stands 3.25" tall. There's a bit of a story to go with him, don't go yet. . . .
I saw him in my head months ago. A mix of Japanese anime with traditional and modern styles. I like those big heads, but prefer a more traditional style face, and I love those sculpted toes!
It took 3 tries before he finally came out. Each time I got a head done, NOPE! that's not it! Let's start over! On the 4th try I 'birthed' him!!  :lol:
Usually, I just 'wing it' when designing patterns, 'let's see what THIS will look like!', kinda thing.
This time, I was going for something definite, something I could already see (mentally anyway).
I got him all done and was pretty proud of him, even though everyone around me told me he was a really goofy looking bear. To top if off, I used some fabric I call Frosted Long Pile (that's a whole other story!) that was done just for him. A true original, OOAK.
Now, we only have 1 Doll & Bear show here in Denver each year, the beginning of October. I've gone the last couple years, but never had a booth or entered in the competition. I decided this was the year. I felt my bears were finally good enough to compete. I have sold several bears, so I knew I would be competing against other professionals. So, I took him over on Friday (show was Sat-Sun) and dropped him off. I went back Sunday afternoon with my daughters to hang out, look at everything and pick him up.
I went over to the tables where all the winners were, hoping to see him there. It looked like he had a ribbon, but there was so much stuff piled on the tables and they have it roped off so you can't get close enough to touch anything.
At 4:00, the show was wrapping up and we were allowed to pick up our entries. I chatted with one of the judges standing there while they were handing them out.
Turns out Mattie won everything! Best of Category, Best of Class, even Best of Show! All those ribbons and the trophy piled up there were all his! I was speechless. I MEAN REALLY SPEECHLESS!! I just stared at the judge with my mouth hanging open for several minutes. I thought she was kidding. Then she said, "You can do your happy dance now!".
Just goes to show that everyone has different tastes. Don't listen to anyone who tells you they don't like your bear. It's just not their taste.
Needless to say, Mattie is NOT for sale! I'm keeping him, he has a shelf all to himself in my bear cabinet.

OOPS! Forgot to say that this is technically NOT a ferret. It's a mongoos. I'm making a pair of them for my nephews for Christmas. I got the movie 'Rikki Tikki Tavi' to go with.

Very 'cartoony', I love him! Good luck on ebay!

I keep hearing how much everyone wants to see pics. I've been working on several new patterns for my shop. Here is the first.
Beau stands 3.5" tall. He's a regular fur-ball! I've been playing with these in-set muzzles since trimming the long fur off these minis can be a real pain. Not that I don't like trimming, but sometimes it's just easier to use a shorter pile fabric for that.
He didn't quite come out like I saw him in my head, but he does have some personality.
Now, when will the holidays be over so I can get some time to work on the others?!?!?

Thanks all. I read that in Nancy Tillberg's book too. That's why I don't consider it mine even though I made a lot of changes to it. I put it away and sat down last night with some blank paper and scetched out my own. I must say, it doesn't look much like the original. I mean the general body shape is the same. A ferret IS a ferret after all. Then, just for kicks, I laid the original pattern over mine. I can definately say NOTHING lines up or matches! Besides, I don't want to make a 'knock-off' of this pattern, I specifically want to make a ferret different from it.
I have also been told about the mirror test, which I passed.
If you look in a mirror and can look yourself in the eyes and HONESTLY say, 'that is mine', then it is!
I know this is a pretty touchy subject with some people. And I don't EVER want to be accused of stealing someone else's pattern!
Stephanie