Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I'm always looking for quick ways of doing things to save time... maybe I am being stupid here, but I can't work out why using the clips would work any better than plain old pinning.
It's probably coz I can't visualise how you clip them to hold the fur securely...and then stitch.
My brain is hurting!!!!!!!

Shelli...I can't get my head around what you mean...maybe I am not understanding what an alligator clip looks like..

I know...I saw the news....I really cried, what a tragic end.

I am interested in this stapling method...I am a pin and sew person..is it quicker to staple?

I use a sewing machine, but my understanding is that if the seam goes together nice and flat..ie minus the pile...it makes the seams more invisible therefore neater...and easier to sew whichever way you choose to sew them....

Hi Matilda...I wasn't me...I use scissors I am afraid (or at least my mum does ...she cut's out and trims up for me!!!!!!)....I might try one though

I have about 12 bears for a fair 'on the go' at the moment...with only 4 weeks to go....aaaaaagh!!!... I have just redesigned the leg and body of my bigger bears and am making both a squirrel and a cat pattern but am frustrated that I can't do them all at the same time. I have just designed a kilt for a Scottish bear and have to make a bridal bear ( bear is done, dress is not!!)which I agreed to make despite my reservations about naff looking bridal bears...but so far this 'bride' cool!!! I bought a lot of mohair used for dolls hair so this one is to have mad hair extensions....

That's what I'm up to..

Everyone has a valid point. Lots of artists bears have similarities, that doesn't mean they have ripped off a pattern, let's face it unless a bear is a totally unique design it's mainly down to how the bear is finished off that defines it's individual qualities.
To my mind there is no point at which someone elses design becomes another persons simply because they changed some parts of it...to call something your own design you need, in my mind to start from scratch...if you take Elton Johns song and write new words to it....it's still his song.

I don't think I'd sell bears made from a pattern made by someone else unless you've got the artists express permission...that's the easiest way to go.

Gorgeous!!!!!!! :clap:

I collect R John Wright pieces...I haven't very many but I do love them...I also have a few Steiffs but i don't  'collect' them.

I would like to start a collection of Lenci dolls since I think they are beautiful...the only dolls I really would buy...though I do like dolls.

Hi Roxanne...You poor thing!! I have have a big ganglion cyst on my wrist...which is the result of 30 years cutting folks's hair.... Occasionally it gets a bit sore and I take an anti-inflammatory which seems to do the trick.  My mother says I should whack it with the Bible which is an old wives tale..
I did get carpal tunnel syndrome when I was pregnant...but it went quite quckly and didn't come back..however my brother had it ( not when he was pregnant!!)and they operated on him..and he's never had it since.

I foolishly sold a lot of my string mohair...I'd like to have tried this washing method...it's almost like custom mohair as you can make it how you want...and if you also dyed it it would be really neat!!

Is it true that when you hot wash string mohair it fluffs up? I heard it but never tried it....Your bear is lovely Judi!!!

Hi ...I just bought some from I'm Stuffed Fur...I lined it first with cotton....which was tricky as I tried a small piece of fusible and it wasn't good...it creased the fur considerably...yuck...soooooo I went to a craft shop and bought spray fabric glue and bingo...non- stretch linings in 30 seconds flat....that don't budge an inch.

The lady at I'm Stuffed Fur  ( Beverley??)was very nice, but helpful?.....hmmmmm....I sent a couple of pictures of what I wanted and got an email back saying she couldn't possibly go through all their stock to find what I wanted as they have 1000s ( which is understandable but how do you get to find out what they have since the website is minimal if they do stock 1000s)...so on that score, not helpful at all...so I ordered from the website in the end and it is nice stuff...but would I order again?...probably not....I may give her another try as she said she was hectic at the time...and very nice.

We don't do Valentines....my husband always say's it's Valentines every day for us....LOL!!!!
In our salon all the girls get a bunch of flowers delivered on Valentines day by various chaps and I always grumble that I never get a bunch of anything...so last year what did I get ...a big bunch of bananas!!!

Now that's what I call romantic......not!!

Look at that sweet face.....aaaaw....Gina is a very lucky lady!!

How did I miss this little soul....very sweet!!!!

Goodness you've been busy!! Lovely, one and all!!!

Er.... as we speak one of my dogs is chewing a pencil...which I am taking away from her.....!!!
What a nice picture!!!

Ooh...I had a pair of 'Loons'....I cut a slit in the bottom of my flairs and inset a piece of fabric in the slit....DIY loons!

I tie dyed grandad shirts in my Mums twin tub and didn't wash the dye out of the tub properly...I was in big trouble..and we made smock tops by lying down on a piece of fabric and drawing round eachother and then we sewed it up and gathered it under the bust with elastic

We knitted long scarves on massive knitting pins and I went out in the rain in mine and it started off 6ft long and ended up 10ft because I got soaked through.....those were the days.

I've used string Nancy and it's just the same as mohair..the backing is identical...I love it...

I was born in 1955 so I remember the Moon landing...the Rolling Stones....The Beatles....Mary Quant...Thunderbirds......Blue Peter with Valerie Singleton and Christopher Trace for all you in the UK.....I watched the first episode of Coronation Street sitting on the floor by our coal fire...collected books and books of Green Shield Stamps..(whatever happened tp them?)..I watched Ready Steady Go...The Avengers..the first Dr Who......

I bought shoes for 10/6 and thought I'd hit the jack-pot the day my Mum bought me a pair for 21/6...threepenny bits, half-crowns and shillings..Then I remember decimalisation

We bought Five Boys chocolate bars and crisps with bags of salt in...and the pop-man came round delivering pop...we didn't have any because we couldn't afford it...but the baker called and so did the butcher...and the hardware man called with a big van with brushes and brooms strapped to the sides ...I loved the hardware van...it was all shiny and packed with 'stuff'.........

I did have a Hula hoop but couldn't ever do it...the most fun we had was with a skipping rope...I loved it and it kept me trim...maybe I should do it again!!

Lynette I was born in 1955 so I just remember the 50's ......but more of the 60's

I was never allowed to go to the cinema on Saturdays mornings...instead I had to go with my Mum to Sainsburys ..when the assistants worked behind long counters and served pats of butter  wrapped in paper and poured sugar into blue bags and tea was bought in quarters and sausages were hung in loops on hooks..and we lugged all the shopping home on the bus.

We had lino on the floor and our radio had to warm up before it came on...so did the telly...and when we were kids we used to watch the test-card till the kids programmes came on...can you imagine!!!!

Absolutely terrible...my heart goes out to you...