Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

I was just thinking about other variations on this theme ... here are a few more I've remembered!  I think it goes to show the possibilities are endless!!

I've just remembered a couple of other bears I made in tie-dye - here they are!

Sue Ann, it was your amazing tie-dyed red, white and blue rabbit that first made me want to purchase that fabric from Intercal by the way!

I love getting TB&F and over the years, have had subscriptions to just about everything!  Now I'm more selective and of the UK mags, I prefer Teddy Bear Scene www.teddybearscene.co.uk

Hi Deb, paws and heads eh?  Hmmmn.  Well, I don't think using scrap pieces for inserts really makes much difference to the stuffing, so long as they are sewn in properly, after all, if the seams on a one-colour head will withstand stuffing, so should any insert pieces.  I don't stuff my heads absolutely rock hard, I use a firm polyester filler and stuff so that I can still needlesculpt without any traumas occurring!

I'm not sure what to say about the turned down paw pads - maybe add a few pellets to the stuffing mix to give the area more flexibility?  I'm not sure - what does everyone else think?

I love all the pics that are arriving on this thread now - Judi that rabbit is outrageous!     

You are all so creative!!!  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Hi Kim, the pinks and purple fabric is an intercal tie-dye fabric - the colour listing is red blue and white though!  Pink and purple seems to be what happens in the process.

Marie your denim panda is so dignified!  I really like him!

How exciting to log in here this morning and find all these wonderful creations! 

So glad you are inspired Kim - I am looking forward to seeing the birth of all the new scrap bears.

It seems that imagination is the only limitation for great new work!

How lovely to see you with your Judi bear Julia!  You are a lucky lady and you have chosen a beautiful bear to come and live with you in Russia! 

Thanks Winney! 

I'm looking forward to seeing where this thread takes us - we should see some interesting work I think!

After talking panda patches on another thread, I was inspired by Kim to start a thread about developing plain coloured bears using colour/fabric/pile combinations ... here are some pics to get the ball rolling and provide a little food for thought for anyone who feels the urge explore a little odds 'n ends experimentation!

Aw Kim, you say the nicest things!  Incorporating more than one colour into a bear is always good fun - it frees you to develop your work even further than before.  I love playing around with different fabrics, colours and piles.  In fact, you've just made me think - we don't have a multi-coloured bear thread going here yet do we?  I'll dig out a couple of pics and get one started!

Hi Suzanne, my advice is don't be afraid!  I love this kind of fabric because you never know what you will end up with and that's the fun of it! 

Just dive in, be bold and see where it takes you - don't forget to let us see a pic when you are finished!

Thanks Estelle!! 

I've tried a couple of different options.  Sometimes I cut patches and hand stitch into 'eye holes' which I've cut from the main head piece.  Other times I just airbrush - then there are the times when I use both options together!  Whichever way I do it, I still can't avoid the fact that I hate handstitching in eye patches!!  :cry:

By the way, don't forget, there's always the 'non eye patched panda' option!!

I make sure I get the head pieces exactly where I want particular colours to be and then go random and have fun!

I used to swear by Schulte and used it for years, but that was before I found Helmbold to play with!  I love the pile varieties and colours and I much prefer the pricing! 

Schulte is indeed beautiful and I can't begin to criticise it, but I can't afford to use it all the time with the way things are in bear selling these days and so I've had to consider other options and now I'm finding that Intercal's terrific selection of Helmbold fabrics is giving me much greater scope.

So much work in such a tiny bear!  Your friend will love him!  :clap:

Glad you liked the pic!   

Has no-one else done a Christmas show lately - are there no more pics out there for us to drool over??  Or maybe you just forgot to take your cameras with you?!! 

Thank you so much for the Christmas wishes.  I'd like to send mine to you all too.  We need a smiley wearing a santa hat don't you think?

Happy Christmas to you all and let's pray for a peaceful and prosperous new year for everyone. 

WOWWWWEEEEEE!!!!!

Jane you are crazy fun!!!!  Loved the pics - thought my outfit was to dye for!!!

Hey everyone, we should party all year round!  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:  :dance:

Hey thanks everyone!  Glad you liked it - I had fun with the tree and the 'snow'!!

She's gorgeous Judi!  You have such skill with the application of needlefelting to mohair!  I would love to make time to learn this technique ... as yet, I haven't a clue how it all works but I am sooooooooooooooo impressed!!!  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Hi, sadly the footfall wasn't good for the Christmas show I just did, so I thought I'd share my Christmas stand with you instead!  Does anyone else have any particularly festive Christmas stands to share here?  I'd love to see them!  Feel free to post them here!

This is my stand at the Hove show here in the UK, which I exhibited at last Sunday.

Hi David,

Many thanks for the listing and good luck with the website development! 

Paula.

Congratulations Helen!  It's a lovely feeling isn't it?!! 

Some of you have trees up already???? 

I shall scrabble around frantically the week before Christmas, in a desperate bid to find a tree (the kids insist on a 'real' one) and then will wonder where on earth to put it.  After a fraught afternoon's hunt, I shall hand it over to my son to 'deal with' and once he's sawn it to the right size for the pot, I shall sit back, with a glass of something warming (!) and watch while my daughter makes it pretty.  She'll stand on tippytoe to reach as high as she can and then will have to hand the angel to her 6'3" brother, to place at the top of the tree!     

When it's all in situe and pretty, they'll then sit down and put their feet up while I clear up the mess that's left!