Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

You can do it...it is possible to attach them to an armature and build the fabric around that. If you are thinking of simply sticking clay pads on then, yes,  I think they might break eventually. Unless they were a rubber or flexible resin type of foot pad bonded to the fabric.

A wetting agent enables water to actually wet fabric because water on its own is partially repelled by the natural oils in the fabric and waters surface tension has to broken down. So using a bit of detergent , fairy liquid or shampoo helps do that and helps the colour to adhere to the fibres. That's why you can't wash your hair with water alone.
I am afraid it's a case of trying for yourself to find out what works for you , all these things are easily researched generally on the Internet. Ive just tried different things to find what works. What works for one artist might not be what you are looking for

Well anything that's soft under a hard top coat will be susceptible to surface cracking. That said clear nail polish won't go soggy when wet

I use the detergent as a wetting agent. The mohair will naturally be resistant to the shading, or the dye as it , like human hair cannot be easily wetted with water alone, due to natural oils.  There are wetting agents and mediums on the market to prepare fabric for painting and staining but they are simply detergents ..so two drops in a jar of warm water works...I mix my paints with it...I use everything..acrylics...water colours...pastels...pens ...even Landscape dyes in very concentrated amounts .
I just wipe the excess away with warm water

I still have bears that I shaded with markers 12 years ago. The shading hasn't faded or come off. I use art markers that do not fade. Faber Castell are good.  I also use water colours but I use a wetting agent to wet the paint. I add a drop of detergent to the water. This enables the fabric to accept the colour . But you need to try for yourself

You have magic hands...so clever

Very sweet

Such neat work....

I think the best way is to test the market. Well...it's the only way. Until you have a product ( sorry to define bears in that way ..eeeek) you can't know it's worth.
When I started I did a local fair and I sold my bears for £75 up to £120 and the all sold. That told me that my pricing was probably fine but there wasn't a profit there after my time was accounted for.
I started to increase my prices over the time accounting for time , detailing, etc. It's impossible to put a value on it in the same way as a manufactured product. So in the end it's what some one will pay. How aspirational is the work that's being created. If you put a £ value on any bear it would be similar....all mohair costs the same..eyes, felt etc. So by that criteria each bears should be the same..and yet bears have sold for $10,000.  There's a doll on eBay and it's price at the moment is $66,600 ..with 2 days to go.
So my advice to everyone who asks is test the water...make a few bears...see if they sell..they might fly..but the might not. It's a massive thrill when you sell to someone other than friends and family and can be crushing when they don't sell. I would be a liar if I told you all my bears fly because they don't.
So my advice is that there's no formula...you just have to see what happens.

I just think I would go one step at a time. That way you will reach a point that you are happy with your pattern. I have about 3 patterns I re-use the rest I  just draw from scratch every single time. I certainly wouldn't look to make editions ....it's the single most tedious thing....
If I were you I would get some different textures of fabrics ...look no further than the fantastic selection on the Intercal website..some dyes so you can play with dye...some bags of joints ...some stuffing....some eyes and just play till you are going in the right direction. I have never made a prototype in anything other than mohair or faux fur because making it in another fabric doesn't really show the shape properly....
Just take your time...it will evolve naturally...till one day you will make a bear that is going in the right direction....if you ever get to the point you have made the perfect bear that's when to stop...I don't think I will ever get there!

Haha....no...you will get a style....it just takes a while...Rome wasn't built in a day...you should see my first efforts...I wouldn't be showing them in here that's for sure!

You can line any fabric with fusible cotton lining which I buy at John Lewis...you just iron it on...it will cut out any fraying . You just iron it on under a damp cloth before you cut out and so you can see what you are doing as its white
Here is a link I found to another site that sells it
http://www.tailormouse.co.uk/store/Ligh … p-282.aspx
I would say the arms are a bit long for the style of bear....traditional style bears tend to have longer arms but there are no rules really. But honestly it's all trial and error....she's very neat and well made you just need to work on getting your own style. That comes with practice

I'd say that the gusset on your bear is a bit wide too. I graduate mine more from the nose so it's a gradual curve. Some patterns seem to have a long nose which then widens abruptly to form the forehead. That's why you get the wide flat look. I would try doing a narrower gusset and add some darts. With a narrower gusset you might not need darts.

Darts play an important part...but so does stuffing. Looking at your bear i would say try to shape the head as you stuff. If you stuff on a table you will get a flatter head.

Yes that's correct...or..you can paint the backs black or some other colour ...allow to dry..then with a needle, scratch the back like sun rays around the iris and then paint with gold or silver or other colour.  Then seal with varnish. That's a nice effect too.
I have done it the other way around too....painted a colour onto the backs ...dried it...scratched the back.  Then painted black. Works really well.
Some of the pearly nail polishes work very well for this

Superb work!

Very pretty

He's an artist bear...very nice. I don't recognise  the style but he's lovely...nice fabric. I wouldn't say he's old looking at his nose I'd say he was made recently. I'd say that 1996 would be about right but don't reconise that name.

I think it's stretch fabric...like the sort that dolls are sometimes made from that way it's easy to mould it to the shape you want.

If I was doing that I would make the nose almost like a little pin cushion, whatever shape you are after....after stitching , leave a gap for stuffing then  stuff it a bit then neatly ladder stitch it to the nose area with a bit of fabric glue behind. Once it's attached I would further stuff it and then close up with a ladder stitch. I am certain that is how they did those noses. Neat stitching would be absolutely key though.

I make my gusset go into a point and I don't add a neck to the head sides. I just curve it in slightly . If you really want round maybe you need to think about adding some darts?

I always have the pin points sticking out like a hedgehog and then it's perfectly ok to machine over the points as that end is much thinner.
I tack mine now though..I find it's much better as it holds the edges together...and what I lose in time by tacking I gain by getting the stitching right first time on the machine. Occasionally on very big bears I just pin and machine but mainly I tack now.
You do only need half that seam allowance though and go slow. I remember someone once told me "no matter how slowly you machine it will always be faster than you hand sew , so take your time,"

Can you not do contrasting ears?

Hasn't necessarily gone....it might just be in need of a good clean and service. Maybe that fluff and lack of oil has made it overheat. I'd just get a repair man in

He's lovely!!!