Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

PUT IT IN A LEAD LINED BOX AND WATCH THE POSTMAN STRUGGLE TO LOAD IT INTO HIS VAN

HOOOOOOOHOOOOOO

PENNY:lol:

hahahahahaahahaah

AIR CONDITIONING AHAHAHAHAHAAHHHAAHHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAH

I'VE STILL GOT THE HEATING ON

AND IT'S NOW 23:46PM SHELLI

Penny

STOP CRACKING CLARE - AND GET STUFFING!!!!!

I must just say that the best way to get a saggy baggy old bear look to the tum is to make sure the pattern allows for ample understuffing. If you generally use patterns that don't allow for a Teds fat tum - adapt them to give a bit more room - this way you still get the space to stuff and leave enough room for the saggy bit!

Penny

RUMPLY - CRUMPLY TUMMIES

Get your fibre - roll it into balls - about 2"

Softly stuff the legs, arms and slightly understuff the head too (put steel shot in the paws and feet as it makes them wiegh down the limbs).

Stuff the top of the body just below the neck and then put a little stuffing into the bears bottom - pop just a little steel shot into the bottom and then start adding the fibre 'balls' - don't overfill - you just want enough to make them slightly lumpy.

The best thing to use is old woodwool if you can get it from a dilapidated bear - but you've got to de-bug it if it comes from an old bear (chuck it in a paper bag - wrap it in an old towel and put it in the freezer for about 7-10 days).

I use all or some of the following to stuff old saggy bears:-

fibre balls
woodwool
wheatgrains - acts like pellets but is irregularly shaped and feels goooood
dried lavender flowers - nice and scrunchy feel so you may not need any woodwool
sawdust
steel shot

I mix and match all of the above until i get the feel i want but if you want just ONE piece of advice when stuffing old bears - UNDERSTUFF UNDERSTUFF UNDERSTUFF

Penny - the old stuffer

Ho Ho Clare!

I just luuurve those old jokes don't you?

I've never tried a lighter but i can imagine i'd set light to the whole damn thing :lol:

Penny

If you overdye any pale mohair (not just natural) you get fab effects Laura.

I also forgot to say there are WONDERFUL ways to stuff a bear to give it an old feel too - that always gives a lovely finishing touch to a distressed bear - ther's nothing worse than a bear looking old but feeling 'new'

The more you wring out the mohair the better Laura - see you're planning already :D

Penny

YES

Hi Shelli and Anyone else who might be interested

Here's what i do to distress mohair........

1. Choose any mohair you like - long, short, dense anything!

2. Tea is the best for a real authentic 'drab' colour - wash the mohair in gentle soap solution to get all the manufacturers finish off then squeeze it out and dump it in a plastic bowl filled with a tea solution
The solution should be about 12-15 strong tea bags, about a 1/4lb salt and roughly 2-3 pints of boiling water.
Let the tea stew and stir it to get it really well mixed then dump the mohair in for as long as you feel is right.
Lighter colours take quicker than darker, stronger ones - just judge it by eye Shelli
You'll know when you get enough colour

3.Sqeeze it out - give it a cold rinse then let it dry naturally - you can leave it quite crinkled as this only adds to the aged affect - i find laying it out in the garden dries it beautifully!

4.When it's dry it should be a lot softer than it was originally. To matt the pile - put on a newish pair of jeans - sit down and RUB!!!!!! Pressing hard in a circular motion the mohair will pick up a slight colour from the jeans and it will matt beautifully. THIS TAKES TIME - i suggest marking out the pattern on the back of the mohair so you are only working on th areas you'll be using.

PHEW - i'm just off to the loo be back in a mo...

OK i'm back again

NB: if you use a semi sparse/sparse mohair to start with it will be easier to matt and distress - dense mohair will take longer but if you don't want to use anything else - go for it

5. You get the best results if you've got an old bear to look at - they age in a particular way and in particular places - if you don't have an old bear, use a photo
Start trimming the mohair back to the backing in certain places to give a worn look - you can pluck the mohair as much as you want but remember that a lot of plucking weakens the fabric and it may need strengthening with muslin.

6. You can use any method you like to add a 'dirty worn' colour to the areas you've plucked - gentle air brushing - pencils - pens. You name it you can use it - just make sure you don't add too much colour or it looks false. Dry pigment is great - get it from art suppliers - it produces really soft colouring when used sparingly EVERYTHING depends on how you want YOUR bear to look.

I model my distressed bears on old bears in my collection - sometimes the colouring and distressing does'nt show up too well in photos because i like to keep it subtle - but you could beat the bejeezers out of a bear if that's your personal preference:lol:

WELL - i'm sure there's loads more i could say but i'll wait and see if you've got any questions before i begin on a 'War & Peace' length posting

Penny

SHAME - i could do with some adult diapers

Penny

OK EILEEN - i want him pleeeeeeese - he's sooooo cute and sad and sweet and i want to love him and hug him and sqeeze him and kiss him and call him.......George

I think he's wonderful Eileen, take more piccies when you get the good camera i'd love to see more of him

Penny

Bonjour Marion

'je suis une fis unique' - that's about all the French i know Marion - and it's true because i am an only child :D

au revoir moi petit jolie

Penny

Laure Sweetheart

You sound just like my mum

I only joke around about how i look - i know i'm drop dead gorgeous really, but i do enjoy a bit of angst now and then :mad:

Penny

You are a classical beauty my dear Dilu - you look like you should be wearing Dior or Chanel dahling

And your dancing golly is so sweet - but you don't resemble it apart from the fab smile :D

Penny - the ugly duckling amongst all you Babes

Helloooo Wonky Woo Dilu
I wondered where you were!

I'm glad you got the old computer sorted out - i delete all temporary files regularly as i would go nuts if mine went all wonky :o

All those poor naked babies Dilu - you must make them some clothes to cover their modesty -oooh la la (that was for the benefit of our lovely French Babe Marion) hee hee

I am in the middle of making three french clowns at the moment - gosh they're fiddly to do :P

Penny

WINNEY - No i'm not 35 and still getting zits

I'm 45 and still getting zits!!!!!!!!!

If i were 35 i'd be happy as Larry whether i had zits or not! ho ho ho

Spotty OLD Penny

What do you mean Laure?
What is a 'Depend' -  I've never heard of it, is it for a hernia or something?

Penny:/

OK Wonks
I don't have a face like a ducks arse - replace that with a spotty baboons bum!

hohoho

Penny

I know what you mean Shelli

I've got the skin of a 14 year old, covered in grease - spots and BIG open pores yuk!
If i use any brand of anti-aging cream i break out!!!!!
I look forward to the day when i'm all old and dried up as it means i will be able to wear make-up without it sliding off my face :D

Greasy Penny

VODKA WONKS! - YOU RUIN GOOD VODKA BY ADDING VANILLA???????????????

ARE YOU MAD WOMAN? - DRINK THE VODKA AND THEN YOU WON'T CARE ABOUT THE VANILLA :lol::lol::lol:

Your very drunken old pal - Penny hic hic hic

MILLIE

- the reason a man is still considered attractive as he ages is because womens eyesight degenerates in a direct ratio to a mans delapidation
- PLEASE VISIT THE OPTICIANS REGULARLY LADIES :P

Penny - middle-aged, fat and ugly but BOY am i great

Eyes - ears - nose

Eyes first because to balance the head the bottom of the ears need to be level with the eyes -that's only my theory, so feel free to shoot me down girls.

Nose - last because noses are always a pain in the butt :P

Penny

Hi there Babes

I no longer look like elephant woman as i woke up this morning with two HUUUUUUGE spots on my nose :o

I now look like yesterdays leftover pepperami pizza :/

And NO, i will not be posting a piccy of myself unless i can find a paper bag to put over my head

Penny

I found a paper bag

This is so weird!
I never sew a bears head first - i plan how i want the bear to look and finish the arms, legs and body before i even start playing around with the head.

I wonder why this is? If a head does'nt fit the body that i have already made i make a new head - ooooh am i the only one who does this? Is that why i've got lots of little heads hanging around?

I usually find that if a particular style of head does'nt work it's OK to keep the head and then come up with a body to fit - bodies are sooo much easier to make than heads don't you think?

So i suppose i'm doing this all the wrong way around, but the funny thing is, it works for me.

Head last  Penny

I must be really dumb :/

I never knew there was a DisneyLand Shelli

I hope you two had a superb time together - lot's of kissy kissy eh? Dirty Girl

Penny :D:D

Hi Girls

I prefer to do it feet first and work my way up to the head - but i know a lot of you prefer to start at the head and work down.

What is the most popular way to sew a bear?

I like to leave the head until last as it takes me the longest, playing around with the eye/ear pleacement - changing the shape of the nose etc. It's also the most fun part of producing a bear too is'nt it?

I look forward to hearing what you think

Penny :P

and if any of you thought that this was going to be a rude posting - shame on you!