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For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Do a search for "vintage carnival teddy bear" and view the images. You'll see a lot of your bears' relatives. 
Becky
Good work, Ash! I'm with you in loving to work with mohair, but occasionally the softness and density of faux is just the thing.
Becky
Hi, I think your first question is answered in the first reply to this thread (from Daphne).
Becky
That fabric is delightful!
If you're thinking of branching out to set screws (which are great, except for the head, where cotter pins work for me), how about buying joint sets from a supplier like our site sponsor, Intercal? That way you won't need to figure out anything except what size joint you need. To see how to install the various joint hardware, any good, basic bear-making book would be well worth it's used-book price from Amazon.
Again, your mom's woven fabric is stunning!
Becky
P.S. I don't see joint sets at Intercal anymore, so I'd recommend getting in touch and explaining your project. They'll let you know what they recommend, and at 10 disks per bear, it's not hard to use up a bag of 100.
Hi Mindy,
Are you working with the Intercal s (signature), which has its waves or curls all going in the same direction?
If so, I would determine the direction of the pile, and make some pencil marks on the back going in that direction.
Then mark your pattern pieces on both sides with the direction you want the pile (I prefer it to angle down and back, but straight down is also good).
When you cut the side head pieces, line up those arrows (i.e. don't worry about the warp and weave of the backing fabric). That's what works for me! (With the head gusset, by the way, I do pay careful attention to the warp and weave. With the side head pieces, though, the pile direction is what I follow.)
Becky
I can tell you I think it's a dog, not a bear, and that's it quite charming!
What part of the world do you live in? (I'm guessing that info might be helpful to the people here who know more about this type of "bear" than I do.)
Becky
Hi Cosette,
I think the bear is very cute. 
I'm not sure what you mean by balance when needle-sculpting. Could you describe your process and what is happening?
Becky
