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toadbriar May 22, 2006

ok, don't lend me your actual ears...just the tips of them...
oh wait...I mean....

give me your tips on attaching ears! 
or any ear wisdom at all....!

I don't mark patterns for ear placement because I want to
decide where they go for each bear once the head is stuffed
& face is on. But sewing the little boogers on is not easy, so
I thought I'd solicit whatever wisdom there may be on the subject!

The least little shift changes their espression so much; I can't pin them
on in the same configuration they'd be sewn on, so pinning is useless
to me. Anyhow the pins always fall out cause the fur is dense & springy.
Placing an ear pinned flat doesn't give the same effect at all as you'll
have when it's sewn with the edge against the head. & it's not easy
to sew that edge to the big round head, either!

Curved needles help me A LOT. But I just eyeball, take some stitches,
eyeball again. & hope that ear #2 matches up somewhat with #1!
Can I be doing better?

thanks!

kbonsall May 22, 2006

What I have found helps (I am no ear "master" by the way LOL) is I take the ear and tie the thread and knot it in the middle of the ear and the other end is my needle... then, I take a stitch where I want it placed and pull the thread through and the ear is against the head... does that make sense?  then I continue stitching around the ear and repeat on the other side...

OH, forgot to add... since I started using curved needles on my ears they are SOOO much easier to sew on!     sometimes I even will wax the thread so it will hold my stitches in place (but I did that prior to the knotting thing I mentioned above so I don't use the wax method anymore - or at least I haven't recently)...

vkallum May 22, 2006

Hi Kim

I do pretty much what Sarah does.  I measure the distance from the nose to the eye and then start the ears about the same distance up the head seam from the eye.  Then adjust.  I pin in three or four places, one at each end on the outside to get the corners to curve in and then one or two on inside of the ear.

On my big bears I use T headed pins, they're quite heavy duty and don't budge.  On  the smaller bears I use the little bobble headed pins, the really long ones.   With the smaller pins if you use an extra pin at the top and bottom that should stop them from shifting.

Then I start sewing with ladder stitch at the bottom corner, up the back, round the top corner, leaving the inside pins in.  When I get to the inside, I tend to make the stitiches on the ear piece slighter wider than those on the head to help maintain the curve.  When I get half way down, I poke the needle therough the back of the ear take a small stitch and come back on the inside, this seems to pull the two side together.  Then it's back off down the front to finish the bottom corner.  Then I go half way up the back, tie off and sink the knot.  Sometimes an extra round of stitches helps improve the curve as long as they are in the right place!

After all that, it doesn't always work and one has to come off again!  Oh I forgot to mention, I always sew the ears on last, after the bear is fully assembled, for some reason I find it easier if he can sit on my lap for the job.  Hope this helps.

sarahjane May 22, 2006

My bears remain earless for ages because it's my least favourite part of bear making....  :doh:

Like you I find pins more of a nuisance than a help, so I anchor the ears at both ends  and then in the middle before I ladder stitch them on...I always have to sew the second one on more than once though!!! 

kbonsall May 22, 2006

I do use pins but I take them out as I go   I find that they get in the way if I don't... Sarahjane, ears drive e nuts as well    but I am getting better at it!

Laura Lynn Banner SponsorMay 22, 2006

I also like to sew my ears on last... and determine their placement last too.

I play around with placement till it looks right for that bear.  I then tack the inner corner of one ear to the head.  Then I move the second ear around till it looks right... and tack that one's inner ear on. 

**  When I am looking at the head to see if the ear placement looks right... I look at it face on and also from above and sides.  Many times I can see lopsidedness when looking at it from one of those odd angles.

AFter I tack on the inner corner, I bring the thread down thru the head to where I want the lower corner to be attached... and I tack the lower corner on.  THen do the same for the other ear.

Now I bring the threads back up thru the head back to the upper corner.  I whip stitch the ear on... giving good tugs to be sure the ear will hold on.  I knot at the lower corner and then run the thread back thru the head 3 times before snipping off the thread.