Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

We have a lovely splash of colour on the Guild this week!  Our latest slideshow presentation features members' colourful designs and it's guaranteed to make you smile!  Please come along to www.masterbearcrafters.ning.com to enjoy this wonderful rainbow of teddy bears!

Congratulations Helen!!!

Glad you like her, thank you!  I am happy to say she quickly found a lovely new home in the US, so will be flying overseas today to meet her new mum!   

There's a tiny hint of Spring in the air here in the UK!  This is Lila, a pretty lilac tipped girl bear wearing a hand knitted dress I made ... she's looking for a new home this week, so if you would like to know more about her, please visit www.allbear.co.uk to find out all about her ... thank you! :rose:

Thanks Peter 

We've updated today and now we're featuring 'A splash of colour' ... perfect for the Spring weather which has just arrived in the UK!

Thank you for your kind comments!  I am so pleased to be able to tell you Periwinkle has found a lovely new home in America.   

Gorgeous new step Shelli, with your own special panache ... he's a beauty!

Thank you Peter!  I am so sorry to miss the show this time, but needs must.  I shall look forward to September's show all the more!   

Love is in the air on the Guild this week!  Please visit www.masterbearcrafters.ning.com for a lovely rose tinted teddy glow! 

I do hope you enjoy our special Valentine's slideshow presentation. 

Lovely little bear!

Periwinkle is a gorgeously chunky 18" alpaca teddy bear with a growler ... he has just been made available to adopt from my website: www.allbear.co.uk 

Tod is a sweet little 11" alpaca bear.  It's chilly here in the UK, so I knitted him a sweater to keep him cosy. 

If you would like further details about Tod, please visit my website www.allbear.co.uk where he is now available to adopt. Thanks!

Thank you Jane.   

We are showcasing 'Animal Magic' on the Guild this week!

Please pop along to www.masterbearcrafters.ning.com to meet our members' fabulous critters!

Lovely to read your comments this morning, thank you!

This is Periwinkle, created from pretty blue alpaca ... he's waiting for his big day out at the 'Winter Bearfest' in London on the 24th Feb!

Hi Little Nan, nose embroidery takes time and patience to master, but if you make sure you have trimmed the pile from the nose area as flat to the backing as possible that will help.  Also, it's really important to make sure the nose is firmly stuffed to achieve a good shape ... also that the muzzle is stitched in carefully, so the chin seam is central.  Using a suitable thickness of embroidery thread will also help, so for example, a little bear would suit perhaps a no.8 dmc or similar, whereas a medium to large bear would benefit from a no.5 thread.  The trick to getting each thread to lay carefully is to make sure you keep an even tension and lay each thread carefully in place so that it lays flat and doesn't twist ... I always run my thumbnail across the thread to make sure it lays flat before I tighten the stitch.  Also, if the muzzle is sewn in symmetrically, you should be able to use the tiny holes across the weft as a guide for your nose stitches.  Oh and sometimes it's really helpful to use a sewing magnifyer (the kind that clip onto daylight lamps) overhead while you work to give a really clear view of your stitching.

If you find it too hard to stitch straight onto the muzzle, a good option is to cut a felt nose template to stitch over.  I always use two layers of embroidery for my noses - word of advice ... if the bottom layer isn't perfect, don't expect the top one to be, lol!

Also, I find it's best to use a strong needle for nose embroidery, I use a 5" dolls needle for my bears and that works fine for my 8" to 32" bears.

I wrote this tutorial a few years ago, but it might offer a few tips: http://allbear.blogspot.co.uk/2007/03/a … -nose.html

So pretty! 

I haven't made a panda in absolutely ages, so this might just be enough to inspire me, thanks!

She's gorgeous!

Very regal!  Your work is always so perfectly presented Thea! 

Such a sweetie!

Thank you for watching the Guild TOBY Award winners showcase presentation!  These members have done so well in 2012!   

Thank you Mary!  It's a shame you can't make it to the show, maybe another time. 

We are celebrating the achievement of our TOBY Industry Choice Award winners on the Guild this week!  If you would like to see which Guild members were honoured and what it takes to be a winner, please pop over to watch our slideshow.

www.masterbearcrafters.ning.com

Congratulations to all the TOBY award winners, including those who don't have current Guild membership ... the standard was absolutely fabulous this year!