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Well I think teddy is packed away somewhere safe...
The only thing that I do in the kitchen is dye fabric...
When I am in the mood I get out the George Forman grill and throw a salmon steak with rosemary twigs and some lemon....
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.... Now that's tasty...
Well, being on the other side of the globe, I can hardly blame the season - but after two or three years of happy mohairing, I've suddenly had the urge to try synthetics too. Have just bought two pieces - both dense and somewhat long pile - with firm knitted backing. I've probably no idea the drama I'm in for, there's already fur flying around the house everywhere and I haven't even started to cut yet.
Still, for sometime I've been following the posts on synthetics through TT ( really grateful, girls!) and am itching to try the lovely glass eyes and eyelids which have been in the sewing basket for ages now waiting for 'mother bear' to work up some courage.
I have to confess that I've also bought a little cheapie hair and beard trimmer since the warning has already gone out about MM's
own gear.
The next thing is to work up a design. If anyone's got thoughts on some pitfalls to be avoided in designing with synthetics, would be really interested to hear (before I make every mistake in the book and others more that nobody's even dreamed of!)
Cheers and bear hugs
Kate
Worked with store bought synthetics for years, before I discovered mohair...
Look for furs that have firm or stiff backing that don't give much. They should barely give at all. Those are the best fabrics to get usually $13 ~ $20/yard in the stores. Avoid the really long stuff, tends not to be good for teddies.
Remember that you might need to make a timmer version of your pattern as the fur is denser than mohair, also keep in mind no matter how firm the back it will give some. If you use your normal mohair bear pattern you will end up with a bear that is a bit out of shape. The arms might be too big around, as will the legs, and the body will be a bit too round...
When we were using synthetics all the time, we had two sets of each pattern one to use on the mohair and one to use on synthetics.
I'll have to dig around to see if I have any photos of our synthetic bears and bunnies. That was before the digital camera... I'll get the shovel out...
One particular stuffed animal incident does come to mind. My mother was making us a life-sized stuffed dog to look like the dog we had at the time, a chocolate lab. Our real dog, Jenny, never had cared about the lines of teddy bears and other stuffed animals that came from my mother's sewing machine. But as that big brown dog took shape, she started to pay attention. You could see the wheels turning. "Hmmm, that fellow looks kind of familiar." My mother was putting stuffing in the dog one afternoon, each time she put a handful of stuffing in, the stuffed dog would wiggle and jiggle and twitch, of course. Jenny watched all of this with great interest. "It's moving!" She finally could stand it no longer, bolted across the room, snatched the dog from my mother's hands, and ran like the devil to the opposite end of the house with it in her mouth. She didn't hurt the dog, she was just very, very convinced that it was meant for her. We knew the stuffed Jenny dog was "Jenny-approved" by her namesake after that!
Best wishes,
Kelly
Whatever happened to the stuffed dog?
Ok the point would be to get away from Wally World...
Love the place but...
I would like to get a different job one that requires different skills...
Plus I am tired of dealing with teenagers and unknown work hours...
Something in the 9 to 5 range and Mondays through Fridays... maybe a nice office job...
Well I thought Boris was Russian.
Edie -
Can I move in with you? I might just try getting a job up there... But I don't know if I could handle that much cold...
That's right Dilu!
I never cared for that big purple thing anyway... I thought he was scary.
Sue Ann -
Have you ever tried selling them on eBay?
Boo hoo - I didn't have a teddy bear either - or a blanket! But, boy, was I a big time thumb-sucker!
But see SueAnn you will always have your thumb... :hug:
We like blanket stories too...
See God answers the prayers of little children...
That is so sweet...
I think I am getting misty eyed.
Jodi -
It's called free therapy!
:hug:
I would say that entering and getting the nominations has been the best thing for us. All the free publicity! Think of it as advertising expense.
go to Sue Ann's web site and you can read all about it...
I think I paid a huge sum of $5.00 to get it. Well worth every penny!
Sorry to hear about all of this...
As I have gotten older (all 30 years) I find that I can't drink milk, or real ice cream... well I can but my tummy gets upset.
I only have ice cream once in awhile and when I am craving milky, I buy Silk. I get the vanilla flavored one. I really like it.
What we put our parents through... :crackup:
Sue Ann -
The book came today. Mum got the mail and I told she could open it, she did and really like the pictures.
MaeLynn came over a couple of hours ago, she spied it sitting out and brought it over to me.
We looked at all the pictures and I started reading the story to her, but she took over.
Then she took the book over to Mum and they read the story...
Reading at this age is looking at the pictures and making it up.
I really like the book it is great!
Do you have plans to make anymore?
Everyone else-
You should... NO... YOU MUST BUY this great little book.
I know that I will be buying a few more copies to use as gifts.
Well done! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
Just wondering if anyone cares to share their favorite story...
Here's mine...
Well made bear is a friend for life...
One of the first bears that mom made she gave to me...
I took that little guy everywhere, even to church. (Teddy's are God fearing Christians too!)
After church one evening I was playing with Teddy and his legs popped off. He was of course button and thread jointed.
I just knew I was going to be in big trouble... I mean
I started crying... I went over to my mom and showed her my amputee teddy... she said, "What's wrong? What happened?"
"Teddy legs came off... sniff... sniff..." I was really scared I think I was all of 6 years old...
She replied, "Well, did you pray for him."
"no"
I didn't know what to think. She explained that she that would have surgery when we got home and he would be alright.
I was still scared... and sad... teddy was hurt...
The next morning Teddy underwent surgery and it was successful...
I came home from school that afternoon to a groggie but fully recovered Teddy.
I like the after picture best, not to say that he doesn't look good in the before picture.
The NFing really gives him character.
Smashing job!
Well we are on the other side of the International Date Line.
So it is still Teddy Day here.
How true...
Millie are you set up as a non-profit?
Jodi -
I am glad that I know now! I will add it to my calander. A great day to celebrate Teddy!
How cool that would be to open up a magazine and see all of those pretty faces.
Congrats Everyone!!!
Wow Jodi -
We have the same job title...
DO EVERYTHING ASSOCIATE!
I don't manage a department, but I could do just as good a job as any of the dept managers we have.
Hold on things will get better...
Well I know that they are going to a good home.
Kim -
Thanks for the information about the so-called collectors.
That makes my skin crawl...
yuck!
Someday I would like to buy a farm in the country and several acres of land... and create a pet safe haven...
Where people can bring thier pets when they can no longer care for them or are moving and can't take them with.
I would also like to edcuate people about caring for pets and what to expect when having a pet.
We have to keep MaeLynn away from the ktties. When she touches them is when she reacts. And I can't spend all day and all night vaccuming the house to keep the cat hair picked up. MaeLynn is over here most everyday. It wouldn't be fair to the cats and not fair to MaeLynn to keep them apart in the same house. The last time she picked Zippy up she got a rash across her chest, even with her shirt on.
