Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Thanks!  I am trying so hard to make the best bears possible, for family and friends, and I am so paranoid about messing them up that I do a ridiculous amount of research.  This website has proven so useful, and I hope that there will be more activity in the future.  Facebook is great, but this is so much more focused.

Ultrasuede is a specific brand of faux suede, made from polyester.  It can make wonderful paws, but in doing some repair work on a bear I made about 25 years ago, I discovered that it has become very weak and is disintegrating, even though the leftover fabric I made the paws from is fine.  I filled the bear with plastic pellets, so I think that may be the problem.  I am replacing the pellets with polyfil stuffing.

Ted Menten suggested using fusible interfacing on Ultrasuede in his book Teddy Bear Studio, so I am going to do that in the future.  In the meantime, I am planning on using Solvy dissolved in water on the bear I am repairing, in hopes of stabilizing his feet.  He was never played with, as I made him for myself.

I have returned to bear-making recently, and am trying some new patterns with some cheap faux fur.  I tried Fray Check on my first one, which worked great, but it also transferred the ink that I used to outline the pieces further onto the fur.  As this is a bear for my own collection, it was okay, but now, I am making bears for friends as gifts.  The Sulky Solvy worked wonderfully!  I was completely surprised at how well the very stretchy backing stayed put.  Thank you so much for this suggestion!

Edinburgh Imports has a page for beginners that includes suggested materials for bears of various sizes.  https://www.edinburghimports.com/index. … =page&id=5