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ToadBriarIs needle sculpting compatible with using excelsior to stuff
a head, or does excelsior make the head too firm?
thanks 
HMMMMM......I think it might be very hard to sculpt. What I like about excelsior is that it barely moves when I stitch through it to embroider the nose...so the needle goes through very easily with little resistance....but...if I tried to make an indentation or pull, say the bridge of the nose together, I'd think it would be very difficult...you could try mixing it with polyfibre...it might then be more springy and a bit more malleable..it would depend on how firmly you stuff...I stuff mine skull hard so even with polyfibre it's a mighty job and results in very sore fingers...even with whipping twine.
ToadBriarthank you jenny! That's what I thought, so I might just use it for
the muzzle if I want to do deep eyesockets for instance.
Flying Fur StudiosKim, I had to fix a bear that was stuffed with that stuff.
Don't sculpt with it. It won't stay forever, not like polyfill will. The texture is too rough I guess.
Good thing polyfill is cheap, I also use a tonne of the stuff in my heads.
Jenny, What is whipping twine??
Posts: 8,574I imagine that it would go up rather abruptly in some kind wild conflagration....but I don't know how to use it on bears.....
Kapok makes sense, polyfill is a staple of life.....but is this stuff any good-is it useful?
It was a gift. 
ToadBriardilu excelsior is good for a nice firm packed stuffing, things don't shift
around & it is quite 'hard'. As Jenny says, it's great for stuffing noses
so that they embroider easy. Sometimes I wax the perle cotton before
embroidering the nose (to just get it impregnated with wax all the more)
& the stickiness pulls some polyfil through the hole. I imagine excelsior
won't!
Very flammable sure (is kapok? I would think) but authentic to the old
fashioned toys. I have also seen it used in heavily aged bears - if they
have holes worn through a paw pad or something, a bit of aged down
excelsior looks way better poking through than polyfil
I only use for noses...and I used it in the neck of my last design..for a bit of firmness...I have huge box and I think it might last me till the next century!!!
Whipping twine is extra strong waxed thread bought from marine or boat supply shops....yacht people use it for sewing sails and stuff...you'd find it amongst the ropes on websites. I buy the 2mm reel but the 4mm is useful too...I use it for setting the eyes..needle sculpting...and stitching up the neck opening. It doesn't hurt yout fingers as much as ordinary thread and is much stronger.
Posts: 11I have just started Teddybear making where do I get information on Needlefelting can you recommend any books.
Barbs
Past Time BearsWelcome to Teddy Talk, Barbara. There is a "Needlefelting" forum if you look at the index of titles. If you click on the 5th page of the needlefelting forum, you can start at the beginning of all the messages. Hope you find what you're looking for.
LuxembearsWhat I would worry about with needle felting onto mohair stuffed with excelsoir would be the break down on the wood as the needle repeatedly pokes. I have never tried it but that would be my concern.
