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Posts: 52Has anyone on this forum created a mohair-less bear? That is, a bear made from non-furred fabrics. Cotton, twill, etc.
I'm making a bear without fur for now since mohair is expensive and I am not quite ready to use a pricier synthetic instead of fine mohair. I love the pattern I've got going but I need to test it - I'd also like a nice looking bear though!
Anyone have any examples I could look at for inspiration? I googled it but the artist bears here are (of course!) so much prettier than the manufactured bears made out of fabric for companies. You all really know how to make the best looking bears I've ever seen :)
Any help and examples would be much appreciated! I'm worried my fabric bear will come out boring or not cuddly looking! (velvet and velveteen bears count too!)
I made Blanket from an old woolen baby blanket, and I love the way he turned out. 
Becky
Posts: 52I made Blanket from an old woolen baby blanket, and I love the way he turned out.
Becky
Oh man I love him. That is fantastic, I love that it was a woolen baby blanket! 
He looks very cuddly indeed!
He looks very cuddly indeed!
He's one of my favorites, for some reason. 
I can't wait to see what you make! Hairless bears do require some careful stitching (especially in closing up the seams after stuffing), but they can have as much character and cuteness as any furry bear ever did. 
Becky
i made a few testbears with "affenhaut" translated monkeyskin, dunno what the right name in english
its easy to work with because it doesnt stretch, and doesnt fray
the shown teddy is about 30cm high, with bad joints
(i will fix the joints and make a tatoo teddy out of it some day)
Kran-Beary'sMost of the hairless bears that I've made have been commissions made from garments like wedding dresses etc. I've also done a number of bears from military uniforms, leather jackets and old blue jeans. What I discovered is that my hairless bears need to be a little larger in the pattern than a fur bear would be. The fur gives bulk that just isn't there with fabric. I like to make 'wet cats' when I'm designing. That is ... a bear made from my pattern in muslin. This tells me if the pattern is the correct shape and size. Then I make the bear in the fur or in this case in the commissioned cloth. I call them wet cats because they remind me of how a big fluffy cat in the bath can look very thin. Here are a few pics of past commissions.
hugs,
nancy t
Posts: 52i made a few testbears with "affenhaut" translated monkeyskin, dunno what the right name in english
its easy to work with because it doesnt stretch, and doesnt fraythe shown teddy is about 30cm high, with bad joints
(i will fix the joints and make a tatoo teddy out of it some day)
Very cute! Thanks for sharing this, very helpful!
Here are a few pics of past commissions.
hugs,
nancy t
Ah! Those are fantastic!! You really used the garment itself so artistically, I can't get over it. That army bear is to die for. I love how you used the jean seam on the top of the denim bear's head. Adorbs. This is definitely helpful, as is the info about the "wet cats", so thank you! I'd love to see people's "test" bears sometime, I think that'd be very interesting.
I went out and bought some velveteen type material with no stretch that doesn't fray much and it has a cotton backing, like mohair. I bought a yard so I could mess up with it but it will still make a nice bear.
Past Time Bears
Here are some non-mohair bears I've made. The first is made from an upholstery fabric. Next is a bear I made from three different colors/textures of yarn sewn onto the pattern pieces, and last is a 'scrapbook' bear I made from several different cotton fabrics with embellishments attached.
Kran-Beary'sLove the scrapbook bear! How clever!
Past Time BearsThanks much, Nancy! It was fun searching for material that looked 'scrapbook-y'.
Braille TeddiesI've made a few bears out of a fleece throw and you can also find these baby blankets at the dollar store that can make cool bears. Now I mostly use faux fur that I find at fabric stores because I don't like buying fabric or anything except for CD's, really, online. I don't want fabric unless I've felt it first.
Braille TeddiesThe booger is that I want to try some mohair bears, so it looks like I'll have to start buying fabric online after all. You can't walk into your local fabric store and pick up a yard of mohair. I tried and they laughed at me, not really. They're nice people.
Chaska, MinnesotaAll these bears are just so cute and wonderful. I made a bear out of an old 50's chenille bedspread. I must give a tip though. If you are making bears out of fabrics that are not fur, you must line them with good quality muslin. Meaning cut the same bear parts out of muslin and sew them to the fabric cut outs. Now sew the bear together. This helps with structure to the bear and gives more of sturdy seams.
Posts: 751I have only just seen this thread.
I ADORE the denim bear - he is GORGEOUS!
Karon
Braille TeddiesPSA: Don't get the baby blankets from the dollar store. I got all excited because I could get a bunch of fabric cheap, but it's a pain in the you-know-where. Throws are cool and I love them, but you don't want to mess with those baby blankets. They're evil!!!
Posts: 1Hi, I'm new to this site, found it on Pinterest when I was looking for ideas on "hairless" bears. In answer to your question, I make bears from rescued vintage quilts and have done several memory heirloom bears. Old quilts are a great medium. I got started doing quilted bears years ago in the 70s when a man who sold quilts at antique fairs approached me to make some bears from his quilt remnants that he couldn't sell. He wanted them without faces for a more primitive look. Those bears helped me put food on the table in a real time of need. I got away from it for years but recently got back into making the hairless bears after making fur and mohair bears for so long. I've got some vintage wool blankets that I recently acquired at a local thrift shop that will eventually end up being bears. I also recently made a "hairless bear" out of an old wool coat. I'm including pictures of one of my quilted bears and my wool bear.
"Prissy" A Bear Made From A Rescued 1930s Quilt
"Tobias" A Bear Made From A Vintage Wool Coat
Netcong, New Jerseylove those hairless bears! Here's one from my collection that's been with me a long time. She has such a great face! I bought her on ebay for 99 cents! Don't know who made her though.
(To see her properly, tilt your head to the left, everyone! I don't know why she's posting sideways! 
)
Chaska, MinnesotaGrinandbearit: Making bears from vintage quilt is a fabulous idea. I love the flowers on the ears of your first bear. It is adoraable.
Whitley and Cyrano are two of my upholstery fabric bears.
Bravo, bear makers! These teddies are terrific!
Becky
