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Posts: 2Hello all! I'm a longtime lurker, and have made 80 stuffed animals (only 3 teddy bears), and this is my first post. I've searched the forums, and haven't found anything like this yet.
I want to make a teddy bear as a gift for a child, with a written message on the bottom of each faux suede pawpad to the child.
For a bear that will hopefully be around for a long time, how would you all recommend to write a message that will not fade? Is stitching it by hand or machine over pen the best way?
Thank you for your help! 
Posts: 1Have you thought about maybe getting t-shirt transfer paper and trying that out
Past Time BearsHi, Juumou . . . glad you decided to post. This is just my opinion, but if you've ever noticed the stitching on old teddy bears, you will see that it frequently gets broken and worn to the point of practically disappearing. With that in mind, I think I would use a permanent ink/fade resistant pen. Pigma, Sakura, Itoya, or Pentel pens are some good brands to consider.
Posts: 2Hi clairesbears! I have considered it, yes, but am afraid that it would come off if peeled. They would have to be very small letters, since nearly a sentence has to go on each pawpad.
SueAnn - I might have to try a few variations of markers. I'm a bit worried about the pen bleeding into the fabric (spreading out) - are there any types of suede/pen combinations that anyone can recommend? 
desertmountainbearI sign all of my bears on their feet. I have never used faux suede, but I have signed real suede, leather, and wool felt. I use archival marker. You can look for them in an art store. I got mine from Dick Blick. I have never had one bleed into the fabric. I have Prismacolor Premire in a .005 that I use on very tiny feet, it is super fine, really almost too fine. And a Pigma Micron 08 in a .050mm that is good, it is about a thick as a fine lined Sharpie. I did look into both of these for light-fastness and they had good reviews, and of course they are permanent.
I have a friend who is a professional artist/illustrator who always swears by the Pigma Micron as colorfast, non-bleeding and non-fading, so it's what I use to trace my patterns out, but I have several bears from other artists in my small collection, dating back about 15 years, that used this ID technique on leather & ultrasude. I hate to say it, but all of them are currently unreadable. it's entirely possible that modern inks are more colorfast, but my guess if that you are making a bear for the ages, ink on textile might not be your most long-lasting option.
I've never tried this, but if I were working on a project like yours, I'd find someone with a computerized embroidery sewing machine, and have it machine embroidered, thinking it would be sturdier and more durable than hand embroidery
Fulrfun BearsTry the pen but do a card with the bear that has the message on it so if the writing does fade over time the recipient will still know what the message was. Although it is highly liklely that the recipient will remember exactly what the message is in time!
