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Spring Fever Feb 13, 2006

Any help would be apprecited. I have been having difficulties keeping the muzzle aligned as I stitch it together. I first sew the jaw together  then I do a securing stitch by hand from the nose to the lower muzzle(jaw)before I stitch them all together. It never fails after I am done stuffing the nose(muzzle)it is always crooked and where the mouth should be sewn looks terrible with the seam off to the side. HELP!! Charise from Spring Fever Bears

SunnieOne Feb 13, 2006

Charise
It may not be that the sewing is the problem. I could possibly be the stuffing. When stuffing the muzzle, you should use tiny bits of stuffing and constantly adjust it's positioning. If you notice that it is starting to shift to one side you can add stuffing to the side it is shifting towards and it will push it back into place. Use your stuffing tool to help control where the stuffing is ending up. Also, make sure when you are cutting out your pattern to always cut either inside your drawing lines  (or outside) as long as it is consitant. I have found just a little difference will make a big difference.
Hope this helps
Sonya

Spring Fever Feb 13, 2006

Thank you so much Sonya. I will give that a try. I usually use just a wooden chop stick to stuff with. Should I be using something else? By the way Sonya I am still enjoying both bears I have purchased from you in the past. You are a wonderful artist. Bear Hugs,Charise.

vkallum Feb 13, 2006

Hi Charise

It may not be your sewing or stuffing, it could be the way the seam is laying insde muzzle.  I've often had this problem before myself.    If you have a look at Debbies post about centre seam help on page 2 of tips and techniques all will be revealed!  Winney has a tip for changing the direction of the seams once a bear is stuffed.  I tried it last week on a squiffy muzzle and it worked a treat - once straight muzzele seam!

Donna Feb 13, 2006

Hi Charise,
I sell the Ultimate stuffing tool that helps alot with stuffing.  Another thing to try is to switch to the other hand for stuffing the muzzle area.  One other thing you can try is to stitch the two side pieces to the gusset then do the chin seam.  After I fell down the steps and hurt my shoulder and put a rib out my stuffing has not been the same.  All of my muzzles were off and my feet tended to turn.  Now that I know that I can't stuff like I used to I have figured out how to compensate for my injury.  You may just need to play around with how you stuff.
Good Luck,
Donna

vkallum Feb 13, 2006

Here's a the link - not sure it will work though! :redface:

http://www.teddy-talk.com/viewtopic.php?id=4066

Jellybelly Bears Feb 14, 2006

I've found that sewing the gusset to the side heads first and then sewing from nose to neck works really well in keeping things straight.  I've never thought of the seam allowance inside the head!  Learn something new everyday! 
xo Sarah

SunnieOne Feb 14, 2006

Aww Thank you Charise! I really appreciate that! Everyone has such good ideas! Sometimes it just takes a bit of experimenting. Good luck!
Hugs
Sonya

MerBear Feb 14, 2006

There is one big problem with Donna's ultimate stuffing tool. I find I use much more stuffing cause it packs in so much tighter!
Donna - I got the small one - but would like a still smaller one for the minis - any plans?   :clap:
Marion

Deb Feb 14, 2006

There is one big problem with Donna's ultimate stuffing tool. I find I use much more stuffing cause it packs in so much tighter!

Oh I know!  You can REALLY stuff with that sucker!  I just stuffed a head so hard I thought I was going to have to take some out to get the disc in.  Problem isn't with the tool though Marion, it's with us! 

Winney Feb 14, 2006

I use to get the muzzled all screwy ....but since found it WAS the way I stuffed..

If you put stuffing on the left side of the head then .... next time put it in the same spot on the right side of the head.. makes sense....well. I really have a planned way to do it now, got it down to a science.

I start with stuffing the end  nose hard with fine  excelsier  then add a pieces of stuffing  that is about the size of a lemon ( uncompressed) one at a time and  FLATLY compress with my fingers ( dont dig in with you fingers) the more you add the more you can compress..

.Then I go to the head part and lay in the poly  balls all around ...then in the center  ...add again going all around then again in the center...you can start compressing now...I just keep adding in a BALANCED way and compressing..

.Sometimes I will use my neeedlenose pliers to slide suff along the edges...but I always seem to get into trouble evertime I use a hard tool to squash stuffing down as it make LUMPS and hard BUMPS...differenet than the rest of the stuffings...  I do better at controlling my stuffing by  using my fingers to flatly compress , push aside , even out and controll the finished product.... Winney