Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Yes you are right about that.Most people , those who are not collectors, don't realise just how long they take to make. They see bears for £10 in cheap shops and think that pricing applies to our work. I just made a little dog and he took me about 5 days working about 14 hours a day. That's about 70 hours. I won't selling him for £10!!!
That's why the most important thing is to make your bears the absolute best that they can be ...that way no-one can argue over the price. Well they can argue ...but you know in your heart that its justified. Good collectors do understand and they go to bear fairs. That's why I would stick to bear fairs.

Congratulations to all the worthy winners. It's an awesome task to pick from those.

Hi Judi...so glad to see you !

Hate to be a dampener on the craft fairs idea....I think...and someone please tell me I am wrong if I am..I think that being at a craft fair might be disheartening because most of the visitors wont be bear collectors and your chances of selling at a reasonable price will be small.So I would try a small bear fair..at least almost everyone who pays to come will be a collector..and at least you will get people who understand teddy bears. Even if the fair is slow you might have more chance of selling there.

Loads on eBay...just a question of which ones!!!!

I agree with what has been said..and I also think it's a tough climate to start a business because like Diane has said there are so many people all trying to sell bears now. I have been making bears since 2002 and even in the relatively short time I have see it go from being very busy to now having to work extremely hard to make bears that sell.
Getting a following is key to selling and that means creating bears that stand out from the crowd...so my suggestion is to work as hard as you can to find a style that you love making and that you can feel confident with, and that you can make beautifully. That is the most important aspect of bear making...that whatever you make, if you are going to sell it needs to be expertly made. So my advice would be to hone your skills until you feel that compared to other bears available they are as good or better. Selling will naturally follow as then you can send pictures to magazines and get them printed...maybe do a show or two to test the water. Learning the art and craft of bear making is the key to the whole thing though...
It isn't easy though...making a living out of teddy bears is hard work and not everyone will succeed. Like many other artists I work at least a 12 hour day pretty much 7 days a week..but I am not complaining ...I do love it.

Old carpet fastened to a sloping board or a post....our scratch post has carpet and a loopy sort of matting stuck on it....I am not sure cats would get much satisfying scratching on faux fur...mine would shred it in minutes!

You can try the Throw Company...they are n the UK....but to be honest there is very little that is any good under £10 per metre...it would not be good quality at that price. Faux fur is even more price than mohair.

I agree Joanne... I do think that these acrylics are pretty good in terms of fading. I have paintings which were on paper which I did aged 16...41 years ago. I didn't treat the paper as I didn't know about that. They have been in sun light in my mums house and are still bright despite the years....and open to being touched. I didn't treat the finished painting with a sealant. So I don't understand the fading thing.
I use detergent as a surfactant because I find that on felted areas without that,  the colour doesn't blend very well...but on mohair it is fine without....but on faux fur I think it needs to be used to enable the fabric to receive the acrylic evenly. I know that Judi Paul did...probably still does...and so does Karen Lyons....airbrush whole designs using acrylics...without issue.
I used to use oils but they don't dry quick enough for me.
I like the blendabilityof acrylics...I like Createx as they do translucent shades which enable the shading of the fabric using the actual colour of the mohair to be modified. I believe other makes do the same...Golden Brand is one.
I have not noticed it coming off either and I have been using it over lots of years now.

Well I have started to use Createx which seems very good..and you can buy a medium for use with fabrics which helps to key it in to the fabric surface...but I discovered through trial and research on the Internet that shampoo or any other detergent acts as the same thing and helps the colour bind to the surface of the fabric. I have never had a problem with it.. It's designed for airbrushing...but does te job for hand painting too...
I don't know about the one you are talking about ...I imagine they at all similar.

What a fabulous idea to reborn a bear!! He's lovely!

Lisa you are one of the most innovative artists I have ever seen. You use such skill and observation to create these characters who have personality and realism with enough creativity to make them works of art. I say this about so few people nowadays because sadly many seem to stick to very well worn designs but your courage makes you stand out from the crowd.  More power to your elbow girl, you are an inspiration!

There is no-one else who can capture the sweet features of a bunny like you can ...

For me the important thing is the direction the pile lies...that helps to create the shape you want without using products on the pile. I would be very careful using glue or even hair styling products on plush fabrics. I think they could be damaging to the pile. I think your Charlie Bear might have some shading over the eyes ...hence why the fabric seems  a different texture.

Wow...adorable!

He's wonderful

Very pretty bear!

You need to make an eyelid and stick them to that.

First of all I stuff the nose with wood wool...that makes the sewing easier and you then don't then pull the stuffing through where the thread emerges. Then I  pluck the nose area bare...slightly smaller than I want the nose shape to be. Snipping it back means that you inevitably have short hairs poking through the stitches. I then use a template to stitch over ..try felt or leather...I use a tacky PVA  to hold it in place...and then I use a very thin layer of PVA to sew over. This holds each stitch in place as I sew. I then sew a second layer of stitches over the first which gives the nose a rounded profile ..but before I sew I use a thin layer of PVA again over the first lot of stitches which nicely holds each stitch in place. Because I work over a template and the base it is stitched over is clear of pile I don't get that fluffing. I used to get it all the time till I found this method. It works for me and I don't often have to redo a nose these days.Waxing the thread before you sew is great but it can make the thread hard to pull through. So I tend to wax after I sew..if I wax at all. I tend to use a satin sealant..the kind artists use on paintings. It works really well. Not traditional but I tend to do what I want to get the look I am after. I do work with the head upside down...it gets easier with practice .

Wow that's great news!

She's very pretty...

Well our hosts here at Teddy Talk,  Intercal,  do stock long pile mohair a but a search of the Internet does pull up a few places that supply very long pile faux fur. Try eBay.
The longest mohair I have found is 85mm. I have only ever found small pieces of Monloain lamb fur. Not easy to work with either as the backing is quite hard to stitch.

I think you will get everything you need from Beary Cheap. I usually hide the threads from the eyes under the neck part of the head...so depending on how tight it's fixed on that might be possible if you use a doll needle. Other than that  I would take the ears off then hide the threads there and then replace the ears over where you hid the threads.
It's hard to hide threads because they tend to make a dent  where you tie them off. Depending on which way the threads go through the head your teddy will end up looking very different so try out different directions.
You will get your wood wool from Beary Cheap...As for the footpads...well I would just use a piece of mount board ..it's  good enough for artwork.
Stitching over the nose and mouth would only be a catastrophe if you damage the fabric beneath...but I would look on line to see what the original stitching was like and copy it. If it goes wrong ...start again!

He is beautiful!

If it will go under the presser foot I machine it.. I have a Janome and it's great. It only goes back and forth. I also have a very fancy Husqvarna which does everything bar take the dog for a walk and it's the worst thing I have every wasted money on. I will be selling it as its a computerised machine that  is very plasticky and doesn't like the mohair..older machines were built to last!
I like  sewing by hand too...it's quite relaxing...but when I need to get on I sew using the machine.