Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Hello SueAnn,
Thank you for your quick reply.  I used to spend a lot of time in the Library here, and over the  past week I have spent hours and hours and HOURS in there reading about materials and techniques.  I'm really back in bear mode now!  I found a couple of references to fur pile length but nothing that quite answered my questions.  But I think you may have now.  It's interesting that you mention up to 1" (25mm). When I started looking at fabrics I thought would be too long, but there again a bear does have a lot of fur and should be a bit fluffy I think.  I'll take another look at the 21-23mm fabrics. 
Many thanks for your help     

I 'haunted' TT many years ago when I first started making bears, but about 5 years ago I had to give up on them because of arthritis in my hands.  But now I want to make one more bear - a Paddington Bear lookalike - but I want him to look as much like the character in the P.B.II film as I can get him.  I have found a suitable pattern which allows for a lighter coloured muzzle, and I'm aiming for an almost realistic and expressive bear face with shaded and colour blended muzzle, needle felted paw & foot pads, and maybe small claws and armatured arms.  Most of these techniques I have done before but my confidence has waned a bit over the years and my first stumbling block is which fabric to use!  I would like to use Mohair (Hembold or Schulte) perhaps with a slight wave, but I'm unsure what length of pile would best suit a 12 inch bear. I've never made a bear that small before, mine were usually between 16 to 24 inches.  I know to some extent it's a matter of personal taste, and I've been looking at 15-18mm lengths, but am I being too conservative, would something a bit longer be better?  There is such a wide range of fabrics to choose from now!  Any advice or suggestions would be so much appreciated.  No doubt I will have a few more questions once I get started but I'll try not to ask things that have already been answered in existing topics.

I know this is a very old post now, but I just thought I'd reply as other people may be interested. 

I was recently asked to restore a very dirty and dilapidated doll, when I took it apart it was stuffed with the same material as shown above. I believe my doll dates from the late 50's to early 60's and was made in the UK by Chad Valley.  I had never seen that kind of filling before so I made some enquiries and was told it is 'mill waste'.  The woollen and cotton mills collected every scrap of waste fabric and fibres and sold it on for lots of purposes, one being to stuff toys.  My toy had been stuffed really really firmly just like an old wood-wool bear.  When I re-stuffed it I used heavy polyester chopped up with wood-wool.  It gave an excellent result.

So cute and so much character in that little face!

Wendy I made a bear just before Christmas with the fur that you've just ordered.  It's REALLY lovely - so, so soft & densely woven - I'm sure you won't be disappointed.  BTW  I just love your little dogs!

I just wondered how everyone is getting on with their challenge bears.  I've cut out a small bear to make, but now my fingers need to recover from needle felting today!!!  Has anyone finished a Braille Bear yet ?

I'll confess now that I did just shave the muzzle eventually.  I guess I got a bit impatient at the thought of all that plucking!!  It's going well so far (much better than I expected) and he now has NF muzzle, jowls and chin.  I think I may have overdone the jowls a bit but it's still an interesting face.  I really like the way a face 'evolves' by doing it this way.  Now for the next scary bit  - a nose!

Joanne, I discovered your wonderful Needle Felted Face Tutorial and it has been so-ooooo helpful.  A picture can make up for a thousand words so thank you so much for sharing your amazing skills with us.

Thank you both very much, Joanne & Gabriele.  I thought a completely bare surface was probably best but once I got to that point I began to doubt my own judgement.  I don't think I have ever put so much thought & planning into any one craft project - I'm generally a 'do it now, think later' kind of crafter.  I drew my own pattern for this bear and now that he's assembled I can see things that I would change next time.  I think this one will be a cross between a real bear and a teddy - unless I mess up his face and then he might be a 'bin bear' !  And now to PLUCK........!!! 

I'm trying to make a bear with a more natural face.  He's dark brown and I planned to needlefelt his muzzle in a paler colour.  What I'm wondering is how much fur I should remove from the muzzle?  Should I leave a few millimetres of fur or strip it right down to the backing fabric?  This is the most scary stage for me so far! 

She's absolutely beautiful, such an expressive face - and I love the paws!  Amazing work!

WOW! Thank you all very much for taking the time to reply with such detailed help and information.  I understand far better now about the firmness and density needed to achieve a well finished bear.  Yes, he was a Barbara Allen bear created from 'log'shapes, and I know just what you mean about students being reluctant to go on needling once they have the shape they were aiming for, I felt the same. No pun intended!!  Going by Bobbie's squeeze test on my bear I'd say he was 'on the verge of becoming firm', so next time I'll have a better idea of how he should feel.  I've been tied up with household duties for the past week and haven't been able to do anything bear related.  I really miss it now.  So perhaps later this week I'll have another attempt.

Thank you all once again, and I'm sure a lot of other people will find this an interesting and helpful topic.

Frances

He's looking really good, I love his ears!  Look forward to seeing the rest of him.  I find I get really excited about a bear once I've stuffed the head.

He's SO-OOO cute!  I love his felt box, and what beautifully even stitching!  A real sweetie.

Joanne, thanks for your help once again!  I've bookmarked The Leather Guy for future reference, he has a great selection and good prices. 

My husband reminded me today of a dolls house suppliers not far from us who have a rack of smallish leather skins tucked away in the corner of the store, so I'm going to go there on Monday.  They're obviously for making miniature furniture so they shouldn't be too thick.  Dolls houses were another interest of ours a few years back but now on the 'back boiler' until we have more space.

Gabriele, thank you for that suggestion, I'll bear it in mind if I do have a large skin (the leather I mean!).    

You must have read my mind Francesca, I was just reading through the Library topics!  Lots of great ideas there.  As this is my first realistic bear I may try the electrical wire method first before I splash out on Loc-line.  Serafino looks lovely - and very articulate! 

Does anyone know where I can buy Loc-Line in the U.K. ?  I Googled it but the two suppliers I found only supplied industrial customers, and shipping from the States makes it way too expensive for me.

Thank you Jenny, that's very helpful.  I wasn't sure what thickness would work best so you've answered that question for me    Now I'll know what sort of leather to look for.  I was pretty sure that upholstery leather would be too thick.
Many thanks 
Frances

Does anybody know of a U.K. supplier of thin soft leather suitable for noses & paws.  Someone who will sell small quantities would be good.  I've had a browse around Ebay and elsewhere but a lot of the leathers look too thick or only available as large pieces or full hides.

He's adorable, lovely colour fur.  But he looks a little worried, as if he's about to cry!  Perhaps he just needs a cuddle.

Kelly what a beautiful bear.  Such an expressive face, he looks as if he paused in what he was doing to pose for the photo!   Your bears are really magnificent, and I love the other animals you make especially the roosters & goslings.  I have a vintage pattern for some farmyard animals which I may get around to making - sometime......!

After looking at hundred's of lifelike bears (and photos of real bears) I can see there are lots of ways to create two tone faces/heads etc, and choosing the best demarcation line is what I'm working on right now.  I've re-drawn bits of this bear so many times I can't remember what he looked like to begin with!  As this is my first attempt at anything vaguely realistic I think he will probably turn out to be something between a teddy and a proper bear.  It will probably take me quite a while but it's good for me to have to do something slowly and think it through.  I'm learning a lot about pattern making as well, as opposed to assembling from a ready made pattern.

Linda,  Thank you for that tip.  I have never heard that mentioned anywhere else and it's very useful to know.     

You're all so kind to offer your advice on this topic, and after looking at numerous lifelike bears I can see why using a different mohair for the muzzle could be a good idea. 

I've drawn a pattern and used it to make a 'tester bear' out of curtain lining fabric.  He's sitting in front of me as I type - a very bald bear without fur - I half expect him to shiver!  As I expected I've made some errors; his back legs are a bit too skinny and his paw pads are too narrow.  But his head looks really odd.  I gave him a neck and a longer muzzle but forgot to make the muzzle deeper as well, so now he looks like one of those very sleek Egyptian dogs!!  Back to the drawing board I think............ !

He's lovely, but he looks so sad!  Give him a cuddle from me 

Many thanks for your quick reply Joanne, that's very helpful.  I'm worried that the seam lines of a sewn in muzzle might be difficult to blend in with the dark fur.  So I think I'll practise my needle felting a bit more and perhaps try that.  I'm adventurous if nothing else!  Many thanks again,