Teddy Talk: Creating, Collecting, Connecting

Absolutely outstanding !

:clap:

Amazing work , the colouring is beautiful  :clap:  :clap:

Wow they're fantastic ! :clap:  :clap:

OH ME TOO ....HOW EXCTING...FINGERS CROSSED !!     :pray:  :pray:       

Is there going to be a link via the website or is that the only link above. I went to the ABC site and can't seem to link through to the page from there. Am I looking in the right place?

Here is my entry for the Artist friends category. I've seen some of the entries and the standard is sooooo high.
Nevermind I'll keep trying !!
Here is Hoppity

I'll be there for the first time at stand 144a just across from Jane I think and I'm very excited. I still have rabbits to finish though !

Oh Marilyn I had the same thing happen to me in September, but I did then go and get a place offered for Feb... hopefully the same will happen for you....but you could just take the five, Paula's right

Congratulations everyone ... great news... I can't wait to see all the pics  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

We must be the only place in the Uk who hasn't had any snow.
It's tried very hard but we've only had a smattering.

It was very sad to see my son in the garden trying desperately to gather enough to make a snowball, but there wasn't enough !!

Here are my entries for the 'Be my Valentine show' . To be held on February 14th no less !! Click the link for the website.
http://www.teddybearsandcritters.com/index.htm

I have 3 rabbits for the show ...and here is a sneak preview of all 3.

Shelly

Hi

I would just like to pick your brains re;staying in London for Hugglets.

I would like to stay near to Hugglets. We will probably drive down the day before and stay overnight. I don't think I could manage to transport all my bunnies on the train and fixtures and fittings for the show.

I would like somewhere with a car park or a car park close by as I won't want to leave the bunnies in the car overnight, and therefore I won't want to  walk to far with them to the hotel.

Any advice would be much appreciated. I am travelling down from Lancashire with my husband and  possibly 2 boys TBC.

If you have any alternative methods or  experiences, I would be interested.

Either leave a message here or PM me.

Many thanks in advance
Shelly x

Wow I can't even see the join, fantastic, I'll be keeping a copy of that........and look at my cleavage ?

My boys kept asking have you told dad yet  ? LOL

Fortunately I have my own Aero man ...he's just a tad older.

Superb Jane thanks again for all your time and effort and for giving me such a laugh.
Shelly.

WOW :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Jane you must have spent hours doing this or did you have to  start in January ??

You've done a fantastic job and  my picture is brilliant  ....... it really looks like I've just got to meet the man from the Aero advert at last...... I look like the cat who's got the cream !!!    

Have a great Christmas and an even better New Year.

Thanks for a great party  

Shelly

Thanks.. I'll give it a go !

Hi
I was just wondering if anyone had entered the TOBYs via email ?

If you have, could you tell me how to do it please .

Do I have to download the forms, fill them in and then scan them, and then email them ? There doesn't seem to be a straight forward link or maybe I've missed something.

Thnaks in advance
Shelly

Velvet can be a nightmare because of the nap, that's why your seams can end up different lengths, it creeps as it sews. Make sure you have notches/ marks on your pattern pieces to match the pattern, and transfer these onto the fabric pieces. This way you can make sure your pieces are matching as you sew. If you sew on a machine, usually a machine with 'differential feed' is used this prevents the creeping.

You could try putting a strip of tissue paper between the fabrics as you sew, this may help, and make sure you match up, this will help to know where to ease in the fabric, if neccessary. If you can neaten the edges before you start sewing, this will prevent fraying. Either hand oversew or zig zag on a machine.

I love velvet it does look great, but it is a nightmare.

I made  an outfit from velvet once, in my art college days and I actually glued the hem with a fabric glue, it worked a treat. So if you get really desperate you could just glue it together ?

Well done to everyone who won !!!!

:clap:  :dance:  :clap:  :dance:  :clap:  :dance:  :clap:  :dance:

I read somewhere once that his wife had said, 'He's never had an ugly day in his life'. ( I quite agree with her)

Lucky lady wasn't she ..................a sad loss

I have never used the star rating when leaving feedback . I only leave a feedback message as I always have.

I didn't like the idea of the seller not being able to see the results.

I don't know if this helps or hinders the seller.

When I have asked for a postage price or known in advance what it is I have just made the decision as to whether I wanted to pay the amount or not, knowing sometimes I was little ripped off. But that's all part of ebay !!

By passing so much power to the buyers it has allowed them in some respect to unknowingly shoot themselves in the foot.

I'm sure if buyers understood that the start rating they were leaving in good faith affected the seller so much they wouldn't do it !

Come to think of it maybe they haven't been informed !
Maybe there should be a note next to a star rating stating that  'beware scores left may affect a sellers business'.

If buyers aren't aware of this  then could this be a loop hole ??

Here's a pic of me and my husband at my sisters Halloween birthday bash !!

Kind of ugly LOL

Well done Julie that's great news !! :clap:  :clap:  :clap:  :clap:

Congratulations to evreyone who's been nominated. :dance:

I remember last year it took a while for people to be confirmed if they had been nominated or not. Wendy Hobday will have the answers so I would contact her.

When I found out last year that I was nominated it was via being asked to advertise in TBCI . So they obviously had the list then.

Don't forget next year there is a new category for 'anything other than bears !!

Good luck to you all !

Hi

The threads running from selvedge to selvedge are called the 'weft' threads. The threads running the length of the piece are the 'warp' threads, known as the straight grain.  The diagonal of these two is the bias.

When you have a 'nap', or in this case the direction of the fur pile, you probably have found that the fur doesn't always run in the same direction (very annoying especially on furs with a slight bend to the fur).

I would cut in line with the grain as much as possible, but when it if neccessary to have the fur lying in a particular place then I would cut to fur direction. This means you could be 'on' the bias or even 'off' the bias and, 'off' the grain.
If you have to do this the only thing you can really do is line (back) the pattern piece first with the same shape, which has been cut 'on' the straight grain (warp or weft) in a cotton fabric, something that doesn't stretch. This will then hold the fur piece, cut 'off' the grain , in it's shape when stuffed.

I am sure there are clever people who can cut patterns to compensate for the stretch you would get , but if you are using lots of different furs then all your patterns would react differently to different fabrics. So I would just line (back) the pieces you have to cut 'off the 'straight of grain'.

If the pattern piece on your diagram is a side piece then I think it looks right, if thats where you want the fur to be. Just watch the left hand edge, that looks like the top of the cheek? It's slightly 'on' the bias so make sure you don't stretch it as you sew it.

Either put in a row of 'stay stitching' before you sew it to the other piece, and put in some marks, 'notches', to match it to the other piece you are sewing it to.
Hope this makes sense !

Congratulations !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   :clap:  :dance:

That's great news

It's something I watch out for when I'm stuffing and I've put it down to doing it one sided . eg right handed. I too try and do both hands but it's not easy.

Sometimes if I'm not sure if the rabbit looks right I hold it up to the morror and look at it through the mirror. Any imperfections seem to show up more clearly.